Everton

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Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the draw: "I thought that it was a positive display from us. There have been question marks around us not winning, but we have got our nose in front and I thought we delivered a good performance.

"I don't like crying in luck too much, but the ball falls to them in a moment where we didn't look in too much trouble defensively. They only had two shots on target at home, which I'm pleased with.

"We know we have to take chances. We created enough again today to be more than one goal in front but, generally, it was a positive display.

"There are lots of positive signs. A ball falls to them in an unfortunate moment and that is the way it is going at the moment, but I thought that there was a big shift in our play today."

On goalscorer Iliman Ndiaye: "I'm really pleased [with him]. He ran out of steam a bit towards the end of the game, but he has played more football than we were expecting him to at this stage [of the season].

"For the goal, it was great play from Ashley Young to put the ball in and it was a great touch and finish from Iliman."

On remaining winless in the league: "I look at it as it is. There are positive signs that we are moving closer to the way we want to play. We are still moulding a group together that can do what we want them to do, so it's a constant work in progress."

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Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week five, he takes on singer-songwriter and West Ham fan James Smith whose debut album Common People is out now.

Leicester host Everton in a 15:00 BST kick-off on Saturday..

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

This is a huge game for both teams and it is probably safe to say that neither of them will want to go 2-0 up after what happened when they both did it last week - Leicester held by Crystal Palace and Everton losing at Aston Villa.

The Foxes' collapse was not quite as extreme as Everton's against Bournemouth and Villa, but it was still pretty bad.

So, who do I back here? Everton are still without a point and also went out of the Carabao Cup on penalties against Southampton in midweek, but I just have a feeling that this might be the day where their manager Sean Dyche catches a break.

He needs one, that's for sure. Dyche should not be at risk of getting sacked - and I want to make that absolutely clear - but you sense that a fair few of the Everton fans have turned against him now and don't have faith in him anymore.

Another defeat, especially against another side from down the bottom of the table, would not go down well.

Smith's prediction: 1-1

Everton have been absolutely awful but maybe they will play it a bit safer because of what happened to them against Bournemouth and Villa when they were 2-0 up but lost each time.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell is optimistic about the Toffees' future, after a summer where the club held on to centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and with their new stadium Bramley-Moore Dock preparing to open at the end of the season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside's Giulia Bould, he said: "We have got something to look forward to.

"Goodison Park is an amazing place to play football, but from a hospitality and revenue perspective it's not as strong as perhaps Bramley-Moore Dock will be. [It] really is the future for us in terms of being able to regenerate some finances.

"It feels like we are coming out of a tunnel. It doesn't feel like we are quite out of it yet, but hopefully there are brighter skies ahead."

In the summer, Branthwaite was linked with a move away from Goodison Park and Thelwell hopes he can start contributing to Sean Dyche's team again soon.

"Jarrad was at risk throughout the whole of the transfer window," he said. "It was always our plan for Jarrad to stay. It was always a conversation that we had with him and the people who represent him.

"But we also knew that if we wanted him to stay, because of our financial position, we would probably have to give something else up in the marketplace and the player who went was Amadou Onana, as well as others.

"Our situation is such that we can't have a perfect picture. If we want to keep someone like Jarrad, we have to make sure that we resolve our financial problem. We are all committed to that and delighted he has stayed.

"I know he hasn't been back on the pitch yet, but I am sure he will make a lot of difference when he returns."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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After four matches, Everton are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and yet to pick up a point.

The Toffees' have been beaten in their last two league fixtures, despite having two-goal leads in both, and take on Leicester City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

BBC Radio Merseyside sat down for an exclusive interview with Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell and he sought to reassure fans that work was being done behind the scenes to help the Blues climb the table.

"It's been a difficult start, hasn't it?" he said. "I think we would have all hoped and wanted more and the reality is that we haven't got any points on the board as it stands. The Premier League is particularly difficult this year and everyone is spending incredible amounts to make their groups better.

"I don't think it is all negative. I think we have played well in some games. It was a difficult game for us against Spurs and we played well for the majority of the Bournemouth game and there were also positives from the Aston Villa game.

"Despite the results not being anywhere near what we would have wanted, there are some positives that we can take from those first games. We obviously need to work very hard at those things and do what we can to put things right."

Thelwell went on to back manager Sean Dyche and reiterate the way they are working together to improve results on the pitch.

"Sean is obviously working under very difficult circumstances," he said. "We have still got an ownership issue to resolve, financial issues to resolve so that makes it very difficult for a manager to make that next step.

"And also very difficult for the fanbase because they have been ever-so patient and they all know what Everton should be, can be and hopefully will be in the future. It is difficult to come every week and not see the Everton they want to see.

"Sean and I work very closely with each other. We are talking regularly in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, about what we can do and how we can use the resources we have to turn things round.

"I can assure everyone that there is no stone unturned in trying to rectify our current situation."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Sean Dyche entered Thursday's news conference to preview the crunch weekend game at Leicester clutching a slither of paper before placing it down on the table in front of him.

"What's on there?" asked one reporter.

"What's it to you?" was the reply in jest from the Everton manager.

It transpired that the note contained the names of 10 players that were either ruled out or doubtful for Saturday's trip to King Power Stadium as Dyche's squad selection concerns continue to grow.

In fact, when I asked him to clarify how many fit players he had to choose from, he had forgotten to name Jack Harrison as one who had left training to go home because of illness.

The issues are stacking up for the ex-Burnley boss, sitting not only bottom of the Premier League but also making the worst start to the season of all 96 clubs in Europe's top-five leagues.

Steve Cooper's men head into the game knowing Everton stayed up two seasons ago at the expense of Leicester and will be aiming to exact some measure of revenge.

Dyche is well aware of the reality of the situation he finds himself in and has been given a public vote of confidence by the club's hierarchy, but he and the side are in desperate need of a result against the Foxes.

A fifth straight league defeat after going out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday will do little to calm the fans' concerns and heap even more pressure on the beleaguered Toffees boss.

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For only a fourth time, Leicester City have failed to win any of their first four Premier League games in a season. On the three previous occasions - in 1994-95, 2003-04 and 2022-23 - they were relegated.

Everton have lost their opening four league matches in a season for just the third time, also doing so in 1926-27 (first five) and 1958-59 (first six).

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The issue around the footballing calendar and the demands being placed on players right now is a difficult one.

First, we need to take into consideration the really high demands on the body that go on all-year round with few breaks, especially for international footballers and those in teams competing on multiple fronts.

I know the men's and the women's games are different, but we got exposed to these issues when we went from amateur to professional. There was a lot of loading, a lot of games and the result of that was a higher risk of injury and we have seen a lot of anterior cruciate ligament injuries now in the women's game.

From the fans' side, their point is often that players get paid a lot of money but I think that is irrelevant. That is just the industry players are in and, if you take out the money, they are still human beings.

The governing bodies need to look at who they consult with about changes in the calendar such as World Cups being held in winter and summers where there is just a couple of weeks off before going straight back into it. The changes and fixtures that are put in are there to generate more money, which makes it difficult. As a business, it is about money.

We talk about mental health a lot and you wonder, where is the time to switch off and have that time away from playing? To have that family time which is a deep human need? At some point mentally, if not physically, it will take its toll.

None of us want to see players striking, but players need to be listened to. What do they need to do to make change happen?

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

At Thursday's pre-match news conference, Everton boss Sean Dyche gave an update on the growing list of unavailable players at Goodison Park.

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We asked for your views on the one thing - good or bad - related to Everton that nobody else is talking about but really should be.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Steve: What are the training staff doing each day to make the team so vulnerable to injury? Sean Dyche keeps alluding to their lack of fitness for Premier League demands, but are we hearing the same reasons from all of the other clubs at the bottom of the table?

Peter: Injuries and recovery rates have been hitting us hard for the past three or four seasons now. Previously it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin and now it is Jarrad Branthwaite. They are two key players, without whom the team is seriously weaker. Are our medical team and sports science people doing a good job?

Zak: There are two things worth mentioning here. Firstly the new signings, especially Ndiaye and Iroegbunam, have made all the difference. Secondly Dyche's reliance on his old players, who he has coached before, is to the team's detriment. Michael Keane and Ashley Young are the worst offenders.

Sue: Sorry but I don't think we need Ashley Young. I don't know if it is his confidence or his age, but he's more of a liability than a help in this team.

Graham: The lack of leadership. Neither the owner or the board are making decisions. The manager is too stubborn to change and he needs to go, but there is no one there to make the change. Also, the players are not taking ownership on the pitch.

Dan: I believe what Everton are lacking at present, among many other things, is a leader on the pitch. You can train all you like and have the best plans in place, but who is rallying the troops on the field? Their heads seem to drop very quickly and there are too many abject figures meandering at times. The place has lost a behind-the-scenes bounce.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Leicester (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is "making progress" in his recovery from injury and is likely to feature in a match for Everton's under-21 side later this week.

• Asked whether Branthwaite being at this stage of his recovery is a boost, Dyche said: "It's a boost if he comes through it, that's the main thing. I don't like talking about players and injuries because you never know. If he comes through this period fit and ready, of course it's a boost because he's a very good player."

• Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Vitaliy Mykolenko could be involved at Leicester after recovering from illness, and James Tarkowski may also be available, but Idrissa Gana Gueye will miss the game because of a family bereavement and Dyche said Seamus Coleman's injury will keep him out for "a bit longer than we hoped".

• He added: "We're hopeful that tomorrow [Friday] we will get a few bodies back so at least we've got a day's preparation before we go to Leicester. It [the number of players unavailable] is a rare reality, but it is still a reality. I've not experienced this many injured and ill in such a short space of time."

• Asked whether he still feels he has the backing of the club's supporters, Dyche said: "It's never something I've overthought. I respect the fans, I make that abundantly clear, the way they've supported me, the team and the club over many years before my time. All I do is work as hard as I can to put a team together to win games. The idea of being hero to zero or zero to hero, it comes and goes very quickly. I try to stay steadfast to what's in front of me and that's the truth of what we're trying to achieve here."

• On Saturday's opponents Leicester: "Just because they've just been promoted, it doesn't mean they're not a good outfit. They've got good players, we've got to go there with the right frame of mind. We've got to remember that we can score goals but obviously we've got to do better with the defensive side of things and find that balance."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, PA Media

Four games played - zero points. Everton have made the worst start from the 96 clubs in Europe's top five leagues.

On Saturday, the Toffees face a monumental match against Leicester, who were relegated at Everton's expense two seasons ago.

Manager Sean Dyche faces the media at 13:30 BST - will he be asked about his position? Is the pressure piling up on hi?.

The former Burnley boss said after Tuesday's Carabao Cup defeat on penalties by Southampton that he had only 12 fit first-team players to choose from.

Will that number be boosted for this weekend's crunch game? And is star centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite any closer to returning?

Image source, Getty Images

It is messy at Everton right now. I can't remember the last time a Sean Dyche side has conceded the amount of goals and lost games in the manner that they have in recent matches so something is not right at the moment.

I played at Everton for a long time and I know their fan base is unbelievable, but there will be pressure from fans at the moment and many thinking that Dyche is the problem and he needs to get out.

But, at times like this, players also need to take responsibility. When you have been up in games like they have and then lost in the way they have, players need to take on-field decisions, manage these games and be able to see them out, to take control of situations.

Dyche certainly is under a lot of pressure now and the difficulty with Everton is that they have been in a relegation battle for the past few seasons and when you have been down at the bottom and there hasn't really been any change or injection of new signings to help get out of that spell, it is hard to see a different direction.

I had a similar experience when I was at Everton where we just went on a long run of games where we just couldn't win. It didn't matter what we did, what we tried to change, something just wasn't clicking and you really can start to get dragged down with that situation.

It is difficult to overcome, even if you're playing well. Just like when you are on a winning streak and everything comes naturally. Everton are in the opposite of that right now and in a bit of a rut. It might just take one result to shift that momentum.

But with the situation at the club right now, I'm not sure how much of that will change until a takeover happens. When you also consider they are moving to the new stadium, they will not want to be playing there in the Championship.

There is work to be done, but we are only four games into the season and Dyche will be approaching it with a 'let's not panic' attitude.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Everton are already in a strange place. Then again, they have been in a variety of strange places over the past few seasons.

On the face of it they are plummeting out of control after losing their first four league games while shipping 13 goals. On the other hand, one loss against Brighton was mostly down to having 10 men, and they were 2-0l up against both Bournemouth at home and Aston Villa away, before capitulating.

They aren't as bad as the results suggest and Sean Dyche hasn't suddenly lost the ability to set up a team, but the waters are getting choppy. There is also something lurking below the surface that could sink them if they are not careful.

Losing a two-goal lead could be considered unlucky, losing another careless. If it happens again then it is a habit edging towards a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Right now, the team is in danger of actually starting to lose confidence when they go ahead, instead of gaining belief from scoring.

A run of defeats is one thing, but snatching those defeats from the jaws of victory can destroy a team. Everton need a win, even if they play terribly and sneak it with a deflected own goal, but it needs to happen fairly fast.

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Everton sit bottom of the Premier League, conceding three or more goals in all four of their top-flight matches.

A convincing victory over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup provided some promise, but Tuesday's third-round defeat by fellow strugglers Southampton ended hopes of a run in that competition.

But what is the one thing nobody is talking about but should be - good or bad?

Tell us here, external

Mike Hughes
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

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Just when Everton supporters were thinking things could not get any worse, their team is knocked out of the Carabao Cup at Goodison Park in a penalty shootout for the second year in a row.

A home tie against Southampton offered a glimpse of potential and possibilities further down the line, but once again that prospect was forced to wither on the vine in cruel circumstances.

It is difficult to find a shaft of light amid the gloom that surrounds Everton right now. That does not mean it does not exist - it is just harder to locate.

Once again, glorious goalscoring opportunities were spurned. Jesper Lindstrom alone missed two fantastic chances when racing clear of the Saints' backline.

Finding the required sharpness in front of goal needs not only hours in training, but also confidence from deep within to make the most of the good things that come your way.

Creating chances has never been particularly problematic for this Everton team. Converting them has been and continues to be a cause for concern.

What has allowed the Blues to prosper under Sean Dyche is a defence almost as watertight as it is possible to be for a side battling to avoid relegation.

However, that solidity has gone AWOL this season, at least in the Premier League. And if you look for the reasons, they are really not that hard to find.

Their best defender is yet to kick a ball and they have had a full-blown full-backs crisis that looks difficult to solve without recourse to bringing in an out-of-contract defender.

It means Everton are often vulnerable in wide areas, and also having to do without the pace and defensive acumen of Jarrad Branthwaite. Not many teams would cope with these sorts of difficulties all at once.

Because the team has become more exposed at the back, more defensive diligence is needed in midfield.

Tim Iroegbunam has shown some really good signs, but Dyche is possibly yet to find the right combination in the middle of the park to bring the best out of him. There were indications against Southampton that Orel Mangala could be that man.

Dyche will hope Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner and Vitaliy Mykolenko all recover from illness in time for Saturday’s crucial encounter at Leicester.

Whatever the starting XI is, they have to find the right balance of structure that allows them to continue to create but also regain the dogged defensive determination that served them so well in recent seasons.

Listen to Total Sport Merseyside from 18:00 on weeknights and find details here of live Everton match commentaries on BBC Radio Merseyside

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Everton's deadline-day signing Orel Mangala has said the team has "a positive mentality" and aim to take that into Saturday's game at Leicester.

The Belgian midfielder made his full debut for the club on Tuesday as the Blues exited the Carabao Cup, losing 6-5 to Southampton on penalties at Goodison Park.

Speaking to the club's official website, external after his second appearance for Everton, Mangala said: “We fought very hard. We've been unlucky with the chances we’ve had, but there are still positives to take from the game.

"It was definitely a nice feeling to be at home in front our fans for the first time, but it was unfortunate we weren't able to get the win.

"I need some more games to get to my top level, but it felt good to be on the pitch.

"The mentality of the team is positive right now and we want to take this into Saturday's game against Leicester."

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We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Carabao Cup game between Everton and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Mike: Another dismal performance from Everton. Why does Sean Dyche persist with reliance on breakaways? Why take off your centre-forward to bring on Ashley Young when you are not defending a lead? No shape or substance and it made Southampton look like the home side. Dyche must go!

Gerard: How low can we go? It's the sheer certainty that we are going to play awful, non-league style football against every team we come up against... and then lose. All hope is gone.

Michael: We had 25% possession at home in one of the only realistic competitions we could win... I really don't know what the plan is? For me, it's time for someone else to take charge and get back to playing football and restore some confidence. It's Dyche's tactics so, for me, time is up.

Ed: Speechless. It just gets worse. I genuinely think Dyche wants the sack. The substitution of Young for Beto is ludicrous and then the inevitable - Young missed the penalty! Why not bring Jordan Pickford on for the penalties? How do we give Southampton 75% possession at home? The club is a total mess. Maybe the worst run club ever. But Dyche has to go - David Moyes in.

Southampton fans

Ross: Moving the ball was brilliant to watch and it looked like we had so much fight. The mistakes need to stop but everyone makes them. Tyler Dibling was absolutely class when he came on.

Ian: Poor overall. We need to stop playing out from the back every time. Let the forwards find a little space and play a long ball at times. Might not come off but keeps opponent guessing and makes us less predictable. Need to do something or we're likely to lose Dibling to a big side. Need to use the pace of the front players to get in behind.

Isaac: A win is a win, but a turgid performance that has left me no hope for the rest of the season. If I was an Everton fan, I would be feeling the same.

Darren: Again, we had the ball and we were facing our own goal many times. Better teams will take advantage of this. Yes, our talent shows when pressing, but as soon as we are on the back foot, we look like a League One team. Even when we are trying to create the perfect shot, we need to start taking chances more if we want to stay in the league. On to Ipswich now.

Everton see England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as one of their most important players and have no plans to replace the 30-year-old with Newcastle's fellow England international Nick Pope, 32. (Teamtalk), external

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