EXCLUSIVE: Pat Nevin addresses the issue of Everton’s style of play under Sean Dyche following the 1-0 defeat at Southampton
Evertonians are having to put up with the team’s current style of play to stay in the Premier League in Goodison Park’s final season, but they may not remain as patient once the club has a new owner and a new stadium. That’s the verdict of Pat Nevin who played 150 games for the Blues, scoring 21 goals between 1988-92.
Speaking courtesy of sports betting site BetVictor, Nevin told the ECHO: “I think there’s an intelligence among the Everton fans. Like any fanbase, they’re not a homogenised bunch but I think there is an understanding that Everton has spent less than everyone else now.
“Over the past few years, the team that Sean Dyche has put together has cost very, very little compared to everyone else. When you start to think about that, the teams that spend a lot of money tend to end up at the top of the table so it’s a battle.
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“There’s been all sorts of things going on behind the scenes for a long time now and it’s hard to build on that and having to sell on top of that is difficult. Evertonians are not stupid, they don’t think ‘let’s go out and try and buy Erling Haaland.’
“They get it, they get the numbers. The club has not been well run financially for quite some time so they find themselves in a tough position.
“Let’s remember how close it’s been to being very ugly stuff. They could have gone down, the money that was owed and the possibility of a sale to a bad owner, that’s a fear – for someone who has also played for Chelsea, the words frying pan and fire come to mind.”
The 61-year-old reckons that thing could be very different next season though. Nevin said: “What the Evertonians won’t put up with is that sort of football when the money comes in again, which you’ll get with the new owners, the new stadium and if you stay in the Premier League, and neither should they. Would they put up with the style, the way it’s going right now, and Sean, if he did all the same things next year, and everything was going well financially, no they wouldn’t.
“Would Sean do the same next year? Now there’s a question.
“People go: ‘Well that’s just Dyche’s way.’ In actual fact, have you ever seen Sean Dyche with money?
“I remember I used to talk to Moyesy about this. Some people used to have a dig at him for having a certain style of play.
“We’re mates and we’ve known each other since we were 14 and he’d say to me: ‘Give me that level of money that those above me have got and then watch the style that I play.’ Sam Allardyce said exactly the same words, remarking: ‘It’s all very well you think I play this style, but that’s because financially I need to.’
“A lot of the British managers feel that. The foreign managers come in and play this fantastic way, but they’re often given the money to do so.
“The one time that David Moyes got money at Manchester United, he said he’d spend it slowly but surely in a very Scottish way, but they never gave him the time.”
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Nevin admits that he was taken aback by what he felt was a muted atmosphere for Everton’s last home game but after snatching a point with a stoppage time equaliser against Fulham, he felt the Blues were unfortunate to lose at St Mary’s after what he felt was an improved performance. He said: “I was over for the Fulham game, which to be fair wasn’t great. But Sean seems to have created a team to get around it.
“I was surprised how quiet the Goodison faithful were. The team were one down, not playing well and second best against Fulham and I’d have expected a bit more anger.
“It was a real eye-opener to how the fans are disappointed with how they’re playing but also, I think a lot of the fans understand why.
“The Southampton game was another classic example. Southampton had more of the ball but that’s the deal and you have to live with that, but Everton played better and created more chances this time.
“It all boils down to that period of less than a minute though, those 27 seconds from Beto hitting the crossbar, Southampton coming out and scoring. Like every Evertonian, I find myself looking at that Premier League table and thinking what it would have been like had Beto’s effort gone in at the other end and they’d hadn’t lost a goal down the pitch just moments later.
“Honestly, that’s the difference at the moment, the difference is tiny. That’s the case with most teams but certainly with Everton right now, they just can’t seem to get themselves free from that magnet near the bottom of the table, dragging us down.”
The Glaswegian added: “It’s kind of not that far away. If they’d won the game on Saturday then you’re level with Fulham and Manchester United on 12 points and everything is alright without playing brilliantly.
“That’s why I think it’s ok, it’s going to be fine. I’m not overly concerned but you can’t say you’re not worried at all because that’s silly.
“I’ve been in a team that were relegated, and we weren’t a bad team. Things can go badly wrong, you can have a run of bad luck and it impacts on confidence, that sort of stuff.
“Looking at the way that Sean has organised the team, to be fair, it’s probably enough to survive. Sadly, that’s what the Evertonians will feel and it’s been a while now with the fight, the battle and the desperation to stay there, and when you’ve been through it all you think ‘we’re better than that.’
“That’s where I think the Evertonians are right now and it’s a wee bit where we all are while we wait for the new owners and we wait for the new stadium.”
