Sean Dyche to face new test after biggest Everton takeover hint yet

It was hardly a Christmas Eve-esque feeling of the excitement almost being upon us but with thousands of Blues just wishing for a Texan billionaire in their stocking before December 25, the mood at Finch Farm felt like everyone is just waiting for Everton’s long-awaited takeover to now finally be completed.

Before they came back to the negotiating table to strike a deal to obtain Farhad Moshiri’s entire 94.1% stake in the club back in September, the Friedkin Group had been the fourth prospective buyer to fall by the wayside since the Monaco-based businessman decided he wanted out after the Kaminski Group, MSP Sports Capital and the hugely controversial 777 Partners.

When Dan Friedkin returned to beat compatriot John Textor to the punch at a time that the Crystal Palace part owner believed he was just 24 hours away from obtaining the Blues, the timescale to complete was mid-December and it’s understood that remains the case. Although TFG themselves have gone about their business in a quietly efficient manner and kept a low profile throughout unlike the baseball cap-wearing posse who would often make themselves comfortable in Goodison Park’s directors’ box last season, even Sean Dyche is now speaking in increasingly confident terms about the prospects of their imminent arrival.

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Indeed, if sources close to the deal are to believed, this might prove to be his last pre-match press conference before the Friedkins are in place. Dyche himself remarked that it’s looking “very possible,” that TFG will soon complete their takeover and claimed that in turn could have an impact on the prospect of Dominic Calvert-Lewin signing a new contract.

In the open section, the Everton manager was asked about the number of other players who, like his number nine, are about to enter the final six months of their current deals. Dyche said how such a situation shouldn’t impact on each individual’s ability to perform consistently and how you could argue that it might actually give them “that extra bit of incentive.”

While it’s turkey on the menu for most these days on Christmas Day itself, going back to a festive bird of yesteryear, “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” and the same could be said to apply for Dyche, who should be using the remainder of this term as a once in a lifetime opportunity to show he’s worthy of being retained in the role because realistically he’s never going to be given a chance to take the reins at a bigger club than this one. In his first press conference after Moshiri’s deal with TFG was announced three months ago, the Blues boss, whose contract also expires at the end of this season, made all the right noises by insisting that he wants to stay on in the role and be the man who leads the club into their new stadium in 2025/26.

But having talked the talk, the 53-year-old now needs to walk the walk. After what could be a hugely significant result for him, alleviating pressure by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0, Dyche was denied the chance to pull off a second Merseyside Derby victory this year in the historic final Premier League meeting with Liverpool at Goodison Park by Storm Darragh last weekend.

He will now resume action at the Emirates Stadium – a venue where Everton have never won in front of fans – against Arsenal on Saturday before fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester City and high-flying Nottingham Forest across the rest of this month. Whatever the various reasons might be, despite the high-profile nature of this weekend’s game in north London, several of those present at Everton’s Halewood base were something of a ‘shadow squad.’

Fans watching at home reference ‘Dyche bingo’ where they tick off as many stock phrases as possible that he might trot out and while many of the old hits got an airing here, such as him describing Mikel Arteta’s side as “a very good outfit,” references to Pep Guardiola and his lack of concern about being “put in a box,” the obligatory mention of “the noise” was perhaps poignant among the series of platitudes. Coming into Everton when the club were at their lowest ebb and joint bottom of the Premier League, the former Burnley manager has adopted a siege mentality, both on and off the pitch.

However, with the hope and increasing expectation that a period of chaos at what has in many ways been something of a rudderless ship throughout his tenure, could soon be at an end, a rather different challenge could soon be upon Dyche. If the takeover is indeed as close as he suggests, then his willingness, and ability to adapt could now be poised to be tested.