Everton’s Sean Dyche has been hailed as being a “fantastic coach and manager” by Brentford’s Thomas Frank ahead of the sides’ meeting at Goodison Park on Saturday
Sean Dyche deserves credit for the job he is doing at Everton given the challenging circumstances of the role. That’s the opinion of Thomas Frank ahead of Brentford’s trip to Goodison Park on Saturday.
Dyche replaced Frank Lampard at Goodison Park at the end of January 2023 with the club joint bottom of the Premier League and although they recorded the lowest equivalent points total in the club’s history, the Blues avoided a first relegation in 72 years by a single Abdoulaye Doucoure goal on the final day of the 2022/23 season.
Last term, despite a brace of sporting sanctions, culminating with eight deducted points, Dyche steered Everton to Premier League survival before the final month of the campaign for the first time since 2021 last season as his side finished with five consecutive home wins, including a first Merseyside Derby victory at Goodison Park for 13-and-a-half years.
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Without their punishments, they would have finished level on points with 11th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Blues were unable to continue their momentum at the start of this season, losing their first four Premier League games, but they have started to find their rhythm, picking up 10 points in their last seven outings, with their only loss in that period at Southampton earlier this month.
Everton now sit two places above the relegation zone going into this weekend’s match and Brentford boss Frank admitted he is an “admirer” of Dyche’s work. He said: “They are extremely solid. I know they had a tough start where they lost their first four games; one defeat in their last seven says everything about them.
“Sean is a fantastic coach and manager. He always makes his team very difficult to play against. They are physical, intensive in pressing, they have pace on transitions, are very good on set-pieces, and they play behind you.
“What he brings is a fantastic foundation. I don’t think he always gets enough credit for how dynamic they are and how good they are in the offensive third.
“I’m a big admirer of his work. What he did at Burnley was extremely impressive and was something I looked into; that journey and how we could bring some of those elements to Brentford.
“He’s doing it again at Everton and it’s potentially even more impressive. On paper, you could maybe say the squad is better but it’s also a bigger challenge because there has been a lot of noise with points deductions and a change of owners.”
Brentford come into the game 11th in the table having won three matches in their last five games and despite Everton having triumphed 1-0 twice in the corresponding fixture under Dyche over the previous two seasons, Frank is expecting an “even” contest at Goodison on Saturday.
The Dane added: “I expect a very difficult but also even game. I think there is an element where the two teams can cancel each other out. It might be one top action that will decide the game.”
“Offensively, we need to be good on the ball. We need to go out there and be brave, and want to turn forward and drive forward. A big thing is to be brave.”
