Everton sack Sean Dyche: Relegation fears forced Friedkin move - is David Moyes best man for job? - Voice of Asia

Everton's decision to sack Sean Dyche stems from the fact that the manager's tactics and philosophy had ceased to be effective. The new owners, the Friedkin Group, believe that the current season's slump cannot end with the team's relegation. The management team, led by American billionaire Dan Friedkin, took only three weeks to determine that the 53-year-old Dyche could not lead Everton to retain their Premier League status, let alone guide the team into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on the banks of the River Mersey.

Both Friedkin and Dyche recognized that Dyche's tenure at Everton had reached its end, which accelerated the decision to sack the manager. In recent weeks, Dyche appeared exhausted, and the new leadership did not revitalize him but rather made him more frustrated. The final straw was the team's 1-0 away defeat to Bournemouth, a match in which Everton failed to register a single shot on target.

This performance was unacceptable and reflected Everton's overall form this season. They have won only three of their last 19 league games, scoring a mere 15 goals. The Friedkin Group had initially hoped Dyche would see out his contract for the season and ensure Everton's survival in the league, allowing for a natural transition and rebuild after the season's end. However, Everton fans' growing dissatisfaction with Dyche's negative tactics and dull style of football, coupled with the progress made by Ipswich and Wolves under new managers, prompted the new owners to act decisively just hours before the FA Cup third-round match against Peterborough United.

Thus, in less than two years, Dyche faced immense challenges both financially and on the pitch, ultimately failing to take Everton further. So, where did Dyche's problems lie? Considering he successfully led Everton to safety in his first season, albeit narrowly on the final day against Bournemouth, and again last season despite an 8-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), history might be kinder and more respectful to Dyche.

Dyche will also remember the glorious 2-0 victory over Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at Goodison Park in April, a match that briefly freed Everton from their cycle of misery that had enveloped them for years and also derailed their bitter rivals' Premier League title challenge. However, Everton's results began to decline this season. A turning point came on August 31st when they were defeated 3-2 by Bournemouth at home after leading 2-0. Everton also lost 3-2 to Aston Villa after being 2-0 up away from home. Unfavorable statistics piled up around Dyche's team like rubble, ultimately leading to his dismissal.

They have failed to score in 11 of their 19 league games this season. Only three seasons in the club's history have seen fewer goals scored after the same number of matches. Like in the game against Bournemouth, they also failed to register a shot on target in their 0-0 away draw against Arsenal in December. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goal drought has persisted for a long time, and speculation about his future after his contract expires is rife. Beto, who was transferred from Udinese for a reported £30 million, has been disappointing. Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea, has barely featured and suffered another serious injury in the FA Cup third-round victory over Peterborough United on Thursday. In the 10 games before the match against Peterborough, Wolves defender Craig Dawson was Everton's top scorer, having scored two own goals in a 4-0 victory at Goodison Park. As the season progressed, Dyche's Everton not only seemed to have forgotten how to score goals but also how to create chances.

Everton fans have long been seething, and they were taunted by Bournemouth fans at the Vitality Stadium last Saturday: "Do you watch this every week?" Dyche was increasingly accused of "dinosaur" management, and fans became more and more enraged by the poor performances on the pitch, with only former Burnley winger Dwight McNeil (before his injury) and summer signing Iliman Ndiaye showing any real flair. Former Everton midfielder and commentator Leon Osman said on BBC 5 Live Sport's Monday Night Club: "It's not easy to commentate on their games because nothing happens. I think the squad lacks quality, but anyone knows you should still create chances and score goals. It's a really tough watch."

So, why sack Dyche now? Everton must remain in the Premier League next season as they enter a new era following the crisis and chaos under former owner Farhad Moshiri, and they will be opening a state-of-the-art stadium. Everything in the past few months has been about a fresh start, from the Friedkin Group (who have a football background with AS Roma) taking over the club with new ambition and financial muscle, to their new home, which they called a "game changer" on social media 48 hours before its opening. For the Friedkin Group, relegation is unimaginable when the future is presented in this way. Their vision for the new era is to climb the Premier League ladder, not to welcome Championship teams to Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

However, Everton are currently 16th in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone. Considering their long-term poor form and their prolonged inability to score and win matches, the so-called unimaginable is becoming increasingly possible. The ideal scenario of seeing Dyche off with gratitude in the summer did not materialize, so in less than a month since taking over the club, the Friedkin Group made their first managerial sacking decision. What next for Everton? The timing of Dyche's dismissal is not ideal - when is it ever? It may change the Friedkin Group's expectations for their first managerial appointment. No one expected Dyche to be offered a new contract at the end of the season - possibly not even Dyche himself - but Everton's owners had hoped for more time to formulate their succession plans and appoint a new manager in the summer. Poor results and Everton's increasingly precarious situation have deprived them of that luxury.

Following contact with Graham Potter, who has since become West Ham United manager, former Everton manager David Moyes appears to be a safe option, even if only on a short-term basis. Moyes is considered to have the credentials and history to lead the team out of trouble. Moyes has been out of work since leaving West Ham United at the end of last season, having led them to victory in the Europa Conference League in 2023. He has expressed his desire and determination to return to the game. The 61-year-old Scot, who was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours List, told BBC Sport at the time that he did not consider himself finished with management, but added: "I don't want to take on something that's really difficult. I don't want to be at the bottom of the league and fighting relegation, I've done that a few times, so we'll see what comes along."

Everton's current situation is precisely what Moyes said he did not want to encounter, but perhaps the allure of returning to the club he managed for 11 years before leaving for Manchester United in 2013 will change his mind. In the days before Dyche's sacking, Jose Mourinho was linked with the job. However, his experience working with the Friedkin Group at Roma was very complicated. His team won the Europa Conference League in 2022 and then reached the Europa League final the following year, losing to Sevilla on penalties, before he was dismissed almost a year ago, and he has now withdrawn from the Everton candidate list. Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, who was recently sacked by AC Milan, was a candidate for the West Ham United job and has often expressed his desire to manage in the Premier League. However, appointing him in Everton's current situation would be a high-risk option. Moyes, with his experience and knowledge of Everton, seems to be the best option for the board, although he will have to convince some fans who have previously objected to his name being mentioned, seeing it as a backward step.

If Moyes were to return, it would be a remarkable turn of events. Indeed, in December 2019, he had travelled to Germany to sign a contract to replace Marco Silva, until the then owner Moshiri was seduced by the news that Carlo Ancelotti had been sacked by Napoli. With the decision to sack Dyche, Everton's new owners have given themselves one of the biggest decisions they will have to make - and one they had hoped they could wait longer to make. However, the threat of relegation from the Premier League has accelerated all plans.