At one point in Wednesday’s defeat to Manchester United, the TV cameras cut to the crowd and showed a very interested Sean Dyche, alongside his assistant Ian Woan, watching from the stands.
The pair of them were there for more than the atmosphere at the theatre of dreams. Their Everton side are out next opposition, and they must have been licking their lips watching the demotivated mob on the field.
As you’d expect of course, they’re not getting ahead of themselves, and when asked what he made of the Blues, Dyche was very complimentary.
“I think they are a very strong outfit. I know they’ve been a bit up and down, new manager finding his group,” Dyche said in quotes picked up by talkSPORT.
“I was at Old Trafford. They’ve still got quality, still got pace, still got a depth of experience in football. They might have some inexperience in the Premier League, but they’ve also got some experience in other leagues. They’ve got players who’ve been bought in for a lot of money, and usually there’s a reason why that is.
“I saw them and I think they’re still a good outfit, so we’ve got to be ready without a doubt… I saw them at Old Trafford and they regathered themselves after a quiet first-half. They regathered themselves second-half and looked like an outfit.”
It’s all mind games, of course. In reality, Dyche must be loving the prospect of bringing his hyper motivated group of fighters to take on this mish-mash of lost looking teenage mercenaries.
If we play like we did while he watched on Wednesday, we’ll be eaten alive on Sunday. We expect that’s just what he’s telling them today.
