Everton

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game at Manchester United (kick-off 13:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti will play for the under-21 side on Friday as they continue their recoveries from injury, while Seamus Coleman is back in training but unlikely to feature on Sunday.

• On the team's recent struggle to score goals: "You work with them constantly on goal threat and it's not just the strikers. A lot was made of our set-pieces and that's still absolutely valid. We want to be a threat from those and [also see] how many different ways we can affect the opposition from open play. We found it tough against a compact defence against Brentford - when they went down to 10 men, we couldn't find those key moments. In other games we have and not finished it. At the end of the day, it's the scoreline that you're looking for to get that right."

• He added: "We've obviously made a considerable difference to the defending stats from the opening part of the season, and then it's finding that balance between defending well as a team and attacking well as a team. The final moment of truth is the hardest as a manager - you can't kick it in for them."

• On facing a United side under their new boss Ruben Amorim: "Everyone talks of a 'new manager bounce' and the rest of it, so it's more difficult in that way of thinking, but they've still got good players. A new manager to the Premier League will maybe give a different feel to it. I'm sure he's been working with the players and trying to get his thoughts across."

• As well as United, Everton face all of the Premier League's current top four clubs during December. Dyche said: "You've got to play them all. The fixtures have given us this run and it's a tough run, but everything's tough in the Premier League. We've shown before that we can take these teams on and that's what we've got to do again."

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Who scored Everton's first Premier League goal of the 2024-25 season?

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Everton did not really refresh the squad in the summer and when you have been in a relegation battle for the past couple of seasons, it is nice to get a couple of new signings that are going to lift the squad.

The fact that they were not able to do that makes it difficult for players that are already there and ones who have been there a long time.

Sometimes, to actually get relegated and then promoted can give you that winning feeling back. Of course that is something that Everton as a club would not want, but having not been able to refresh, as a club they feel quite stale.

The takeover makes it interesting as The Friedkin Group seem to be owners that are not shy to change managers. I think the sensible thing for them to do, with the move to the new stadium in the summer as well, would be to keep Sean Dyche in charge, at least until the end of the season.

He is a manager capable of keeping the team up. The expectation will be to stay in the Premier League and then they can reassess everything in the summer.

The players just look like they are going through the motions right now. It is very stale at Everton and it has been like that for quite a while. It is sad to see that for such a big club when they have got such a lot to look forward to.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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Everton have won just one of their past 31 Premier League away games against Manchester United (D8 L22), picking up a 1-0 victory in December 2013.

Mike Hughes
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

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While the draw with Brentford earned Everton a point, it was another missed opportunity at a time when goals and wins are in desperately short supply.

The resolute and almost watertight defending has to be applauded, especially after a start to the season that saw them conceding goals at an alarming rate.

However, there has been a real shortage of creativity and conviction about much of their play around the opposition penalty area. It has become a real problem in recent weeks; one that needs solving in double-quick time.

The lack of goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin is an obvious cause of concern, but given his aerial prowess, the supply line for him needs to improve markedly.

Sean Dyche has tried various potential solutions to try to bring more firepower to the team, but so far without success.

Against Brentford, there was no shortage of endeavour - Dyche makes that a minimum requirement - but with the team needing a spark against a low block, it was surprising Jack Harrison was not given an opportunity. The on-loan Leeds winger has not set the world alight this season, but his introduction as a second-half substitute game against Crystal Palace at Goodison, proved game-changing. Maybe even a 15-minute cameo could have altered the course of the game.

That win against Palace is Everton’s only Premier League victory at Goodison so far this season.

Six points from six home matches so far is worrying, especially as home games have been the platform for survival in the past few seasons.

The schedule of fixtures also gets much harder - December could hardly be more difficult. As he has done before, Dyche will have to try to forge a way of winning matches again from this group of players.

Manchester United at Old Trafford may not be the daunting test that it once was, but it is a first home league game for new United manager Ruben Amorim. Everton will need to raise their game in attack to give the best opportunity of a positive result.

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Everton defender Ashley Young says captain Seamus Coleman was instrumental in helping him settle at Goodison Park.

Since arriving at Everton in 2023, Young has regularly been the player to take the armband in Coleman's absence.

“A lot of things between the clubs I’ve been at are the same but you do get little things that differ,” Young told the club's website.

“Before coming here, I knew the size of this club, the history of this club, the fanbase, which have been fantastic to play for. It’s a fantastic place to play football.

“I lean into Skip [Coleman] and have done since I first arrived here, when he was the first player I met at Finch Farm. Speaking to him, you quickly get a feel for the club. You can see his passion and that passion reverberates all around the club from him and others who have cared so deeply for such a long time.

“You get swept up in that, for sure. It rubs off on you. Whether we’re at Goodison or we’re away from home, you see the passion that there is from the fans. It’s massive - it really is.

“I’m very optimistic that the club can get back to where it belongs and give the supporters what they deserve. Hopefully, with new owners potentially coming in and an amazing new stadium to move into next season, the coming years can be a different story to the past few.”

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BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

Barry asked: A question for you on Dominic Calvert-Lewin's lack of goals. Many pundits express sympathy for him and emphasise the style of football under Sean Dyche as a contributing factor in his poor return. Dean Ashton has now suggested he is "technically not good enough", while many Evertonians point to his contract situation and injury record and question whether he is holding himself back in order to avoid another injury in the running down of his contract.

Which opinion do you subscribe to, and do you think a club battling relegation can afford to carry a player who is seemingly not committed to the cause by running down their contract?

Phil answered: I think it is a combination of all of those things - although I would be very wary of suggesting any player is "holding himself back" to avoid injury.

I think Calvert-Lewin's attitude has always been good. I think he is a striker, usually on his own, playing in a team that creates few chances and does not score many goals.

Having watched Everton this season, there have been times when I have felt sympathy for him because of a lack of service, while he is often being heavily outnumbered.

I do think there is some merit in the argument that he is not a clinical finisher. He never looks fully confident in one-on-one situations - the sort natural strikers normally lap up.

Only Carlo Ancelotti seemed to be able to solve that one.

So my view is that he is suffering from playing in a team that lacks creation, but is now very short on confidence and surrounded by noise about his future.

He has certainly shown no inclination to sign a new deal at Everton, so maybe his time at the club is simply coming to a natural close.

Mike Richards
Fan writer

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Another week, another effective treatment for insomnia presented to 39,000 fans inside Goodison Park.

The usual shrug of the shoulders from the bench. The passive, boredom-laden performance greeted with - at times - a deathly silence from the crowd, whose expectations continue to remain firmly rooted to the floor.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

As we entered Goodison Park's final season, we entered with hope. We trusted that this season would be different, even if that meant mid-table obscurity.

Unfortunately, things appear to be going down an all too familiar route.

The club is flat, the tactics are inept and the corridors of Goodison Park appear soulless. It is time for a change, beyond that of the pending new ownership.

I am thankful for the appointment of Sean Dyche. He was the man we needed at the time we needed him most. He has operated in the most difficult of circumstances and maybe one day we will find out exactly how difficult they were.

Despite all of this, he appears to know his race is run. The fans certainly do - two wins in 12 games tells its own story.

There is an obvious disconnect between the players and manager. We have become so severely ineffective in attack that our November goal of the month compilation will have to use footage from the training ground.

The obvious struggle to break down 10 men on Saturday was indicative of the lack of imagination that runs throughout the side and the coaching staff. You have to believe it is by design - they are playing to instruction of those in the dugout.

Time will tell, but the end of the road appears to be in clear view. Goodison Park deserves better. We deserve better.

The great Everton reset is close. Thank you, Mr Dyche, but it is time to go.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external

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Former Everton captain Michelle Hinnigan spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside Total Sport about Everton's draw with Brentford: "That should have been three points that pushed us up the league. It now puts more pressure on us for the games before Christmas. The Christmas period is never a nice one.

"Sometimes Everton turn it around against the top teams, but you have to be consistent all around with the top and bottom. We look at the past few fixtures and will be disappointed with the amount of points that we've taken.

"Sean Dyche needs to make sure he is using the players on the pitch to their strengths. The amount of crosses and shots we have, the amount of shots on target has got to be better if we want to stay up."

Listen to the full interview here

AC Milan are set to rival Newcastle United for the signing of Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while Real Madrid are considering a move for Blues defender Jarrad Branthwaite. (Teamtalk), external

Meanwhile, Everton boss Sean Dyche has the full backing of current owner Farhad Moshiri and will be in charge for the foreseeable future. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions, with a few coming in regarding Sean Dyche's future at Goodison Park.

Graham asked: Surely the end is nigh for Sean Dyche at Everton? While I appreciate his work in the past couple of years, surely this season he has really under-delivered in terms of points against who we have played? He is not attacking enough and he is just too cautious with substitutes and tactics. I'm not expecting us to be prime Barcelona but surely we should be mid-table comfortably by now, given the fixtures?

Phil answered: I totally agree about this season. Everton had a decent opening run of fixtures, so two wins from 12 games is very disappointing - as has been the standard and style of football. It has all been very sub-standard.

You can sense the growing frustration and discontent among Everton fans at what they are watching.

As I have said before, I do not see Sean Dyche as Everton manager next season. Prospective new owner Dan Friedkin will surely want his own manager in charge and Dyche's contract is up at the end of the season.

Will a decision be made earlier? There are a few things to consider here.

Who, at present, would actually make that decision while Everton wait for the Friedkin takeover to be cleared? Who would take the job with new owners possibly only weeks away?

I think the scenario the new owners would like is for Dyche to somehow keep Everton relatively safe to survive in the Premier League going into the new stadium next season, then make a change.

I can only see a potential change if Everton suddenly look in dire danger of going down - and they do have a very tough run of fixtures coming up.

However, the mood does appear to have changed over the past few weeks, so Dyche needs wins very quickly.

Steven Wyeth
Match of the Day commentator and Final Score reporter

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How do you solve a problem you have been wrestling with for 22 months?

Increasing the goalscoring output is something Everton manager Sean Dyche has "worked endlessly to solve" since he arrived at Goodison Park.

However, only bottom side Southampton have fewer goals than Everton's 10, after 12 games of this season, and no side in the division has drawn a blank as often as the Toffees have - six times.

The latest failure came against a Brentford side that played the majority of the game a player light and had not previously kept a clean sheet.

The concourse chat at half-time on Saturday was: 'We have got to win now surely, playing against 10 men!'

Without the goals required to make even the most highly anticipated of wins a reality, it seems the final season at Everton's iconic home could become an increasingly nerve-wracking experience.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Everton and Brentford, which finished goalless.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Steve: Once again we were too timid despite having so many shots. Beto should have been on for the start of the second half and we should have been more adventurous with the ball going forward. As much as we owe a debt of gratitude to Sean Dyche it's obvious we're going nowhere and he should take a bow now and leave before it's too late.

Mick: How on earth does Dyche get away without criticism from the media, pundits and crucially Everton's non-existent board? There is nobody there to fire him. Anyone else would have been hounded out of any other club, look at Man Utd! Pathetic, one-dimensional hoof-ball from a bygone era. Dinosaur of a manager. Get rid now before it's too late.

Paul: Lots of effort but as usual lacking quality where it matters. Subs were late again and maybe if we had gone two up front from half-time the pressure might have told.

Steven: Another dreary and drab performance. Lacking any quality. I'd like to see someone coach the squad about the offside rule and how to take a corner. Given the fixture list, we needed the points. It's going to be a cold, cold Christmas.

Brentford fans

Symon: We'd have taken a draw and a first away point before the game. Ultimately, a clean sheet with only 10 men for nearly an hour - and creating the best chances of each half - feels like a moral victory. If players are going to be red carded for trying to score, as Christian Norgaard tried, then football will become a non-contact sport.

Nigel: The Bees were starting to take control before Norgaard’s unlucky dismissal as he tried to poke in a loose ball for an opener. We defended stoutly in the second period, although could have done better with a couple of promising counter-attacks. Although our passing wasn’t as crisp as normal and we allowed Everton too much space, I’ll take a point.

Sian: Given the circumstances, it feels like a win to get our first away points and first clean sheet of the season. Bit in two minds about the red. While I acknowledge that letter-of-the-law on dangerous play it's a red, at the same time it was also very harsh since it was a loose ball, and Pickford seemed to seek the collision more than the ball.

Nick: Hung on in. Perseverance paid off against a pretty poor Everton. Should have converted a few.

John Bennett
BBC Radio 5 Live reporter at Goodison Park

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It was striking after the match on Saturday how different the perception of Everton's current form seemed to be in the stands, compared to inside the dressing room.

It's now 270 minutes without a goal and three matches without a win for Sean Dyche's side and sitting in the press box at Goodison Park you could sense the frustration from the supporters.

Their team failed to create clear-cut chances in the second-half against 10-man Brentford, who going into the game had the second leakiest defence in the Premier League. The boos at full-time made the disappointment very clear.

So it was with that in mind that in the post match interview room I asked Everton centre-back James Tarkowski how difficult it'll be, in the midst of a three match goal drought, to remain confident and keep their belief going into a very difficult next set of fixtures?

"That’s your perspective of it," Tarkowski said to me. "My perspective is that we've lost one in eight so there's different ways of looking at it.

"I'm quite positive that we’re in a good place, we're progressing as a team and we’re getting closer to where we want to be but it takes time."

I can fully understand why Everton's players need to focus on the reasons to be optimistic rather than the reasons to be pessimistic but the fans are clearly unhappy and very concerned ahead of nightmare run of games in December, including meetings with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

The new owners are arriving at any moment and unless Everton find a way to end their problems in front of goal, the league position could look even more precarious by the time we get to Christmas.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Only three teams have had more shots in a Premier League game this season than Everton had against Brentford.

The Toffees had 27 shots, which is by far the most a team has had in a game this season without scoring a goal.

However, while Everton did have a lot of chances, they were really poor ones on average, with their 27 shots amounting to just over 1 xG. So it's not as surprising that they didn’t score, despite what the shot count suggests.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

• Manchester City 0-4 Tottenham

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Everton had 27 shots in this match – last managing more in a Premier League game without scoring in February 2016 against West Bromwich Albion (33 shots).

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Everton boss Sean Dyche speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We were better against 11, it was a really strong first-half performance. Second half against 10, it's hard to play against a low block. We huffed and puffed. They blocked well and defended well for their first clean sheet. It's a clean sheet and another point. It's a juggling act.

On the red card: "It's too far away, I haven't seen it back but I can only go on what the VAR has decided."

On missed chances: "This is a long-standing thing at the football club trying to create those chances. They were maybes. it's finding those killer moments. There's no lack of intent or purpose from the players.

"We had to change what was going on at the start of the season because we were conceding far too many goals. Now we have to change it at the other end. It's hard against a low block. Credit to them because it's their first clean sheet.

"There's been frustration at this club for many years. We're trying to stop it going in one end and putting it in the other. The reality at the moment is can you beat 10 men? The main thing is to not lose it."

On upcoming games: "Everyone has a tough run, Pep has lost four in a row. It's the reality of being in the Premier League."

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