Everton’s director of football, Kevin Thelwell, has voiced his support for manager Sean Dyche, acknowledging the “very difficult circumstances” under which Dyche is working as the club struggles to turn around a disastrous start to the season. The Toffees have lost all four of their Premier League matches so far, including squandering two consecutive 2-0 leads to lose 3-2 against Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
The team’s current form ranks as the worst among all 96 teams in Europe’s top five leagues. Additionally, Everton was knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the third round, losing on penalties to Southampton at home. Despite calls from some fans for Dyche to be sacked, Thelwell remains committed to supporting the manager, emphasizing that both he and Dyche are doing everything possible to improve the club’s fortunes.
“Sean and I work very closely together, our offices are a metre apart, so we are talking regularly and consistently about what we can do, how we can use the resources we have available to try and make things better going forwards,” Thelwell told BBC Radio Merseyside.
He outlined their respective responsibilities, noting that while Dyche handles team preparation and performance, Thelwell oversees the support services surrounding the team. Together, they are addressing the club’s performance issues and seeking solutions.
“Sean has a responsibility for the preparation and performance of the team and, fundamentally, the results. My responsibility is the support services that sit around that. It’s about us talking through some of the performance problems we have got,” Thelwell explained.
Everton’s next test is a trip to Leicester City, another struggling side that has just two points on the board. The Toffees will be eager to secure their first points of the season, and Thelwell insisted that Dyche is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to get Everton back on track.
“I can promise everybody that there is no stone being left unturned in terms of trying to rectify our current situation,” Thelwell said. “He [Dyche] is working under very difficult circumstances. We still have ownership and financial situations to resolve, so that makes it very difficult for a manager when we want to take that next step.”
Despite the challenging conditions, Thelwell and Dyche continue to work closely, determined to steer Everton out of their current slump and move the club forward.