Sean Dyche has been labelled “the right man” to lead Everton to the summer. The Blues boss is out of contract at the end of the season and his role has attracted scrutiny following the takeover of the club by The Friedkin Group last month.

The new owners have provided Dyche with their initial backing and he oversaw a largely positive December with an important win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and three solid draws against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

A frustrating defeat at home to Nottingham Forest ended 2024, however, leaving Everton just two points from Premier League safety.

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Dyche’s future came up as a talking point on Talksport on New Year’s Day, leading to former player turned pundit Dean Saunders providing his verdict on the situation.

Describing the prospect of relegation as a “disaster” for the Blues, he stressed the issues facing the club - which the Friedkins are working to address - are ones that have been inherited by Dyche. Despite them, Dyche has led Everton to safety twice, including last season when the club was dealt two points deductions.

Saunders said: “They’ve got the right man in charge. If you sack Sean Dyche, who would be the best man to take over at Everton? It is probably Sean Dyche in the situation they are in.

“You need to get 36 points – forget about the style of play, forget about it, until the club gets itself back on level footing.”

Saunders drew comparisons to Thomas Frank at Brentford, who he said helped the side to consolidate in the league before seeking to become more “expansive”. To him, the Blues do not have that stability just yet. He added: “Everton, at the moment, are surviving, they’re in survival mode, 36 points [is the target], every point you get is a massive bonus.”