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Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs believes recent results have spared Blues boss Sean Dyche from getting the sack

Everton manager Sean Dyche(Image: Kieran Cleeves/Everton FC)

Sean Dyche has saved his job with the last two results at Goodison Park and prevented those above him from having to “make a huge call”, reckons a former Everton captain. The Blues failed to win any of their first five matches in the Premier League this season and were rooted to the bottom of the table but having picked up a first point at newly-promoted Leicester City, they then came from behind to pick up three points for the first time under Dyche against Crystal Palace before extending their unbeaten run to three games with a goalless draw at home to Newcastle United going into the current international break.

Lifelong Evertonian Alan Stubbs, who played 193 games for the Blues, scoring seven goals, in two spells from 2001-05 and then 2006-08, told BestBettingSites.com: “First off, Dyche has had to lead Everton through a difficult time, not just on the pitch but off it, so he has to take credit for that. The last few games for Sean Dyche have been critical.

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“I’ve said this month was a huge month for Sean Dyche in terms of Everton sticking with him or not. They’ve won last week against Crystal Palace and drawn against Newcastle.

“They’ve secured four points that were absolutely vital for his job prospects, and I think those results potentially saved him. In the worst-case scenario, if Dyche didn’t win against Crystal Palace, I really think Everton were going to have to make a huge call.

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“The issue at the club has been that when it comes to leadership, nobody knows who would have been able to make a decision like sacking Dyche at the moment.”

Everton, who are looking for their first away win since they triumphed 2-0 at Dyche’s previous club Burnley on December 16 last year, return to action at Portman Road on October 19 to face an Ipswich Town side who, after back-to-back promotions, are still searching for their first Premier League victory since 2002. Stubbs, who had managerial spells at Hibernian, Rotherham United and St Mirren, steering the former to their first Scottish Cup success in 114 years in 2016, reckons things are now looking up for Dyche’s side.

The 53-year-old from Kirkby said: “It’s been a tricky start to the season for Dyche and the football club, but he’s managed to come through it. Everything looks a lot brighter going into this international break than it did going into the last one.

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“That makes things easier at the football club. They can have quite an optimistic and positive period now before they play Ipswich away.”

Despite external speculation, Everton chiefs have always given a strong public backing to Dyche, the club’s eighth manager in as many years, who, despite a brace of sporting sanctions, culminating with eight deducted points, steered the team to Premier League survival before the final month of the campaign for the first time since 2021 last season. The Blues finished with five consecutive home wins, including a first Merseyside Derby victory at Goodison Park for 13-and-a-half years, and without their punishments would have finished level on points with 11th placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Speaking ahead of their trip to the King Power Stadium while still pointless, director of football Kevin Thelwell said: “Sean is obviously working under very difficult circumstances. 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. “It is 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.

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