Everton boss Sean Dyche on their points deduction being reduced, West Ham under former Toffees boss David Moyes and the injury situation at the club
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00:00 Sean, first of all, can we get your reaction to the fact that the club has got four points back after the appeal?
00:04 Yeah, I think we're pleased that we've got something back, obviously.
00:08 You're always greedy, aren't you?
00:11 One more.
00:12 But no, I think it's, you know, the points that the club made forward have obviously been listened to.
00:18 And we've got the four points back.
00:19 So we'll take that.
00:21 And now, of course, it brings clarity to the situation, which I think is good for us.
00:25 It's good for the players, but I think it's good for all, actually.
00:28 You say clarity, but I suppose you don't have full clarity until the second case is heard as well.
00:33 Yeah, but there's nothing we can do about that at this time, sorry.
00:36 You know, the main focus is on this appeal and what came from it.
00:39 And we've certainly parked that now because it's become a fact now.
00:43 So, like I say, the line's drawn under that.
00:45 The players are clear on that.
00:47 Take on the rest of the season at this time and with an open mind.
00:50 Given you've got four points back, given it's lifted you in the table as well, does it give the place a lift if indeed it needs a lift?
00:56 Well, I think everything that helps to give a lift of any kind is good news.
01:00 I think performances have stayed solid.
01:03 We haven't had the wins that we'd want, obviously.
01:06 But I think the performance level's been solid. Adding the detail is important.
01:10 But I think getting four back, I think it gives, like I say, some form of...
01:16 I don't think that boost is the right word, but I think it's an adjustment to the table that was apparent.
01:22 Sorry, is now apparent and it was needed because I think everyone felt that 10 in the first place was harsh.
01:28 Some would argue, like Sam, I'm always greedy, obviously, but some would argue maybe we were expecting more back.
01:34 But I would say, well, it's done now and that was all we were looking for.
01:37 You know, we obviously wanted points back, but the main thing was to bring clarity.
01:41 For us, starting at the start point, sorry, and most importantly, but for everyone, I found it all a bit of an interesting period, let's say.
01:50 So I think it brings that moment of clarity.
01:52 Tennis matters on the pitch. How are you looking injury-wise, thinking in particular Garnagay, obviously?
01:56 Yeah, he's still settling down and Amadou's got a groin thing, similar to Gannas' actually, which are just settling down.
02:04 So we'll make a more decision on them tomorrow. Arne's doing well with his ankle,
02:09 but it's obviously a longer-term situation. But he's doing really well.
02:13 I just spoke to him actually just before I came in and he's in a good place with that side of things and going well.
02:19 Andre's been back on the grass with us. He's going well and Dele's focus is just getting fit,
02:24 you know, nothing other than that. Obviously, he's got a period yet, but I mean, he's just focusing on that.
02:29 Are you thinking with Dele though, that he's not going to be available again this season?
02:32 And if so, what does that say about his future?
02:33 No, I tried, someone asked me recently and I said we're trying to just let him get fit.
02:37 We're not worried about when he's available, we're just saying, right, first things first, get fit.
02:41 So that's all we're looking for him to do and that's all he's looking for to do.
02:43 What are your expectations against West Ham as well?
02:46 Because they seem to have had an up and down season, obviously, remember the game down there earlier back in October,
02:50 where Dominic Calvert-Lewin got the winner, of course.
02:53 Yes, we played well. I thought we gave a good performance that day and Dominic to a real good goal.
02:58 First, I think most importantly, David Moyes is someone I have a massively high regard for.
03:03 Always been a voice, certainly if I've ever needed it, or even after games, you know, share a bit of time with him.
03:09 There's all the experience, the vast experience he's got.
03:12 So there's certainly an immediate respect there for him.
03:14 Good guy as well. I've been in his company socially, always have a bit of fun with him.
03:19 And I think he's done a great job over a period there, you know, and I know he did here, obviously,
03:22 very high regard at Everton Football Club and rightly so.
03:26 And I think he's done a very good job down at West Ham.
03:29 There's always question marks over what we do, but if you look at the period he's had there,
03:32 and now from where they were to where they are now, I think there's a lot of progress there.
03:37 And he always has an outfit there that are competitive.
03:39 He's made that quite clear. So, you know, we have to go into the game in the right state of mind.
03:42 I think we are in the right place at the moment as a team,
03:45 but we need to find them defining moments.
03:47 And I think, you know, they become ever important if you haven't been winning.
03:50 If you can add three points to the four already, it makes it a very big week for the football club.
03:54 Yeah, and I mean, excuse me, you know, we just come away right at the end to not take all three down at Brighton.
04:00 Arguably over the game, you know, you could argue with, okay, you'd accept the point.
04:04 It's a tough place to go. We all know that.
04:07 But adding on with the points given back, and then if you can add on a win on the back of that,
04:10 obviously that, as you rightly say, would be a very good week.
04:13 Hi Sean. Just looking at West Ham, obviously Jarrod Bowen got the hat-trick in the previous match.
04:20 The style of centre-forward that he is when he plays through the middle,
04:24 how different and difficult is that as a team to adapt when you've been playing up against Ferguson in the last game,
04:30 or a Mateta in the match before that? How much of a different challenge is it?
04:34 Yeah, on the other hand, I mean, you know, the Premier League has such an array of different styles,
04:38 of different players in different positions that I think the format, the tactical understanding,
04:43 the size is the most important thing. He's a very good player. He's done very well since he's been down there.
04:47 Jarrod Bowen, I remember him playing in Fulham, doing well there and making his name.
04:51 And they ended up paying a pretty good fee to get him out, and he's proved it right, you know, what he's done.
04:56 But I don't think it's just about one player. I think they're, I know they've had a tricky spell,
05:00 but I think they're a decent outfit. They always put our competitive side.
05:03 But no, our players, I think, should have enough knowledge of the Premier League to know that
05:07 all the different styles, all the different individuals have to be delivered a good performance
05:12 to stop them doing what they do. And I think we'll have to do that against West Ham.
05:15 When you look at West Ham, is it annoying that they've got that first win of 2024 against Brentford
05:20 and come with a bit more confidence?
05:22 No, I certainly, I've said all along, I can only manage what I manage here.
05:26 I can't manage the other people's situations. You can't do your side with people in good or in different form.
05:32 So no, I think the reality of the Premier League is being right for every game.
05:36 And I don't think we've been a million miles away. I said that early season,
05:39 and we did get wins after good performances.
05:42 I've said it recently. I think a lot of the performances have been winning performances,
05:46 but we haven't found the details that count. And that's our next step.
05:48 And it has been all season, really. I think we've had a good level of consistency,
05:52 which I spoke of when I got here. And now it's added in the details in both boxes,
05:56 and we're not far away, I don't think. But we've got to get it right.
05:58 We've got to get it right, though, especially against teams like West Ham coming up here,
06:02 because as mentioned, you know, getting the four points back,
06:04 good point at Brighton, a tough place to go. And then if we can take all three again,
06:08 then that's a real big week.
06:10 Thanks Ian. We'll go to Julia.
06:15 Just on the points, you'd said last week that, you know, the fact it was still going on,
06:18 it was starting to drag everyone down and everyone was talking about it a lot.
06:21 And there is that noise around the club. Is there a different feeling the last few days
06:25 since there's been a decision? And just how much of an unusual situation was it to manage players in that?
06:32 Yeah, I mean, I think the early part of it was,
06:36 I didn't think the word galvanised was used. I don't think we needed that.
06:39 I thought we'd had a couple of big results anyway. I thought the performance levels were good.
06:43 But we won four on the trot. Then you have a tougher spell of results and injuries
06:47 and all the game fixtures start piling up. And then a sort of indifferent period,
06:51 many draws and then it does start to creep in eventually.
06:55 But to be fair to these players, I must credit them, it took a long time for that to happen.
06:58 You know, we're all waiting, the noise gets bigger and bigger.
07:00 When's it coming? When's it coming? The players hear all that.
07:03 And I thought they've stayed pretty steadfast at performance levels.
07:06 And like I say, we've got the details right in both ends in certain games.
07:09 We'd have won them games. So I certainly have a lot of respect for the playing group
07:14 because all the outside noise, it does creep into you eventually.
07:17 And I think they've done well to bat it away and stay focused on the job in hand.
07:21 And what it has done now is brought clarity, you know, whatever the points back or, well, good or bad,
07:27 you know, whatever points it would have been or even zero,
07:29 at least it would have brought the finality of it right.
07:31 That's it. Now we crack on. As it happens, we get four back.
07:34 The lead table looks different. And now it's about using that wisely and stepping on.
07:39 But I think we've been doing that anyway.
07:40 So like I say, I give a lot of credit to the players here because the noise was beginning to build.
07:45 I try and be honest when I speak to you and I thought it was beginning to just creep in the last few games
07:50 and the few weeks. And now that's it. The line's drawn and we move forwards.
07:55 You've had more goals from set pieces this season than open play.
07:58 Are you doing anything at the moment to try and change that?
08:00 I'm just thinking Dominic's without a goal in 20 games, Beto last scored in December.
08:04 Is there anything different you're doing to try and help with that?
08:07 I think through what we do in training, you know, and excuse me, finding different ways of creating chances.
08:13 But I think we've done that considerably well over the season, actually.
08:16 So I think the moment of truth is there is someone putting it in the net.
08:19 And I think they know that. They don't have to keep being reminded.
08:22 They're certainly not reminded about it from me every day.
08:25 They know, you know, strikers know, midfield players know, wide players know.
08:28 You can still score from set pieces, which as you know, we've been strong at.
08:33 No, I think they know where it's at, you know,
08:36 but it's our job to keep and our responsibility to keep getting the team to forge the chances,
08:40 to find the chances and the higher quality chances gives you an easier opportunity to score.
08:44 So that's the team's job, my job and the staff's job, sorry, to get the team to do that.
08:49 And I think we've done it pretty much for large parts of the season.
08:52 We've got to continue doing that.
08:54 Schimitti scored twice in the midweek for the under-21s.
08:57 How close is he to pushing Dominic Mbeto? I know he's still young.
09:01 Yeah, I mean, he's still learning, you know, we see him every day in training
09:04 and he's getting the odd game here and there.
09:06 Excuse me, he's a development style player.
09:08 He wasn't originally thinking we were going to be that close to the first team.
09:11 We wanted to develop him to get to the first team,
09:13 but he's had to be around it because of the lack of numbers.
09:16 But he's still got a lot of growth in him and I can see it and I think he is improving.
09:20 Tarkovsky, Brantwaite, Mikulenko, just some of the players that seem to play every minute of every game.
09:25 I think Tarkovsky last season was the only outfield player as well to play every minute of Premier League action.
09:29 Given you have got a small squad, you can't really be changing them and they're doing a good job.
09:34 Do you worry about burnout or do you do anything to help them with that?
09:37 No, to crack on. Can't we play?
09:39 Yeah, it's a lot of talk about that at the end of the day.
09:42 You know, I think it can affect you when you're playing in all different varying competitions.
09:46 We haven't been, you know, no Europe and things like that.
09:49 We have been through that. I've experienced that.
09:50 It can be a lot to take on, especially when you're new to it.
09:53 But I think the game schedule, apart from December, I think that was hard and I spoke clearly on that.
09:57 And now we've got these chunks of weeks when we haven't played and that can be a frustration.
10:01 But at the end of the day, we're asking the players to work hard.
10:03 They get better support than ever, our players, whether it be, you know, their health and well-being,
10:08 whether it be their diet, whether it be strength and conditioning, the feedback, the stats, the facts.
10:15 So the balance, you know, we ask a lot of players, football asks a lot of players,
10:18 with the extra time added and all things like that.
10:20 But they have got a lot of support and never more so than ever with football clubs.
10:23 So we ask a lot of them, but we do protect them.
10:26 Thanks, Julian. Any further questions in the open section?
10:30 Will, over to you.
10:33 Hi, Sean. You talked about clarity with the points deduction.
10:37 Would you like some clarity now with the Premier League in regards to the takeover?
10:41 Because that has been rumbling on a lot longer than people expected.
10:44 It's out of my hands, that. Just wait and see what happens.
10:47 Like I said, I've got no news to report.
10:49 Nothing's changed from my point of view.
10:51 And until it does, then, you know, I'm sure I'll inform you.
10:54 But it's an ongoing process.
10:57 So is that completely different to the point, because obviously that plays on the players,
11:00 both the takeover, these...
11:01 No, I don't think so. I think the point's different.
11:03 The point that's telling, the idea of the appeal was a much different situation.
11:07 They're not worried about takeovers.
11:09 It's not as way, miles above what you do on a football pitch.
11:11 That's something for another day.
11:12 But no, their focus would be, or would have been, on this appeal process at the end of that period that I spoke of.
11:18 You know, finding, OK, where is it now?
11:21 You know, it's been dragging on and on and on.
11:22 Where is it? Everyone wants to know.
11:24 So I think that's more important to them in their world, which is points on the board and deliveries on the pitch.
11:29 Instead of business end of the campaign now, I'm sure you'll start to plan for next season, obviously.
11:33 Every game is the business end.
11:35 Everyone uses that tag.
11:37 The first game of the season is the business end.
11:39 It's all the business end of the season.
11:41 When do you start maybe planning for the likes of say, Garner Gales, contract teams, Cornwalls contract?
11:46 It's ongoing.
11:46 You know, me and Kev, in real open dialogue, we are, or not so much me, but Kev is with the agents and the players.
11:52 They all know where it lives.
11:53 It's an ongoing situation.
11:55 Same with the players?
11:56 With all of them.
11:58 Whether it's young players that we're looking at to protect the future of the club,
12:01 whether it's the older players looking to protect the now.
12:03 Every situation, the people that are on board with everything, they know what's going on.
12:07 Everyone should know a version of everything.
12:10 Because Kev's got that.
12:11 Definitely.
12:11 I know for a fact that they open lines of communication with everyone.
12:15 Thank you.