Sean Dyche makes admission over Everton transfer challenge

Speaking exclusively to the ECHO during the club’s pre-season camp in Ireland, Dyche said: “We are working very hard with the situation and what the club is, I have discussed that since I have been here and we are still doing that and trying to cut our cloth accordingly and keep hold of the good players that we want to keep hold of and add players that we feel can add something to what the team is.”

Dyche’s plans for the new season are not expected to be severely impacted by the collapse of the latest takeover attempt. Club insiders insist the financial situation is secure in the short term while director of football Kevin Thelwell’s transfer activity had already been founded upon a need to be savvy and to try and strengthen in a sustainable fashion.

The success of that strategy so far has enabled Everton to come through the end of the regulatory year with hopes of complying with Premier League spending rules without the loss of a first team star. It has also allowed the club to send a missive to Manchester United that the takeover disappointment will not provide the club with an opportunity to pick up Jarrad Branthwaite for anything less than the Blues’ valuation of the talented centre back – which remains far in excess of the Red Devils’ two bids to date.

The prospect of retaining the services of one of Europe’s most promising centre backs will provide Dyche with a further boost. The 22-year-old spoke of his ambitions for the coming season with Everton in an interview from the club’s training camp just outside Dublin, drawing attention to his focus on the club he joined from Carlisle United as a teenager.

Branthwaite was not involved in the first friendly of pre-season as Everton drew 3-3 at Sligo Rovers in a game that was essentially a celebration of Seamus Coleman’s legendary contribution to both clubs. Two late goals from Youssef Chermiti prevented the Blues from leaving north west Ireland with a defeat. The comeback pleased Dyche even though he stressed the match was not about the result or the display – a stance backed up by his actions as he put the squad through double training sessions on two of the three days before the trip to The Showgrounds.

Speaking to the ECHO on the pitch after the game, he said: “It is really difficult with these games because fans look at the scoreline. But we have made progress, we have worked really hard this week. The players, on Thursday for example, did a 13.5km day, which is a big day. So coming into the game we expected fatigue, we expected rustiness, which there was, but we also expect quality, which at times shone through. Overall it was a pleasing end because it is the first run out, the first feel of football, after a really tough week and a very tough day on Thursday. So it is expected, not the scoreline, but the fatigue and the rustiness, and that is all part of a bigger picture for the pre-season.”

Dyche played different XIs for each half and there was a marked improvement in the second 45 minutes. While Chermiti stood out with his two goals and the assist for Mason Holgate, there were further impressive displays by Ndiaye, Iroegbunam, Beto and Harrison – who played an inch-perfect ball to enable Chermiti to set up the first goal and drove into the box to set up the second.

Of those performances, Dyche said: “I thought Harrison looked sharp and Tim came in and it was a first run out for him. For the new guys [it is harder because] they are not quite part of it yet, they are still learning about their teammates. We are giving them time, we have not overwhelmed them with information and we have let them naturally blend in, so I am pleased for them and for some of the young guys that have been with us. It has been a tough week for them – probably a tougher week than they are used to – and they got some game time.”

Everton’s next game will be a trip to League Two Salford City on Saturday – but the focus this week will again be on fitness. Dyche’s squad is currently under the impression his infamous ‘Gaffer’s Day’ – a notoriously gruelling test of fitness – will be held on Tuesday. Looking ahead to what will be week three of pre-season, Dyche smiled and said: “They will have a down day on Sunday then we will pick it up again on Monday. They have got another big week coming, so they have got some work to do.”