Everton manager Sean Dyche believes he still has work to do to convince doubters he is a 'good fit for the club' despite a second successful battle against relegation.
Dyche has just enjoyed his best week since taking over. Three consecutive wins guarantee that the club has not paid the ultimate price for the eight-point deduction.
“I said I have to earn the right to fit in here and I have to earn the right to be manager of Everton and I still think I am doing that. So I don't take it for granted, I can assure you ” said Dyche.
“At the end of last season they thought it was a good match. Then they say it didn't go well.
“Then we had the points [deduction] and won four on the trot and was the best fit in the world. Then you are not fit and now I am fit again. But that's life as a manager.
“The highs and lows, the hits and misses, the hero to zero as I call it, that's just part of the job. Here it's just clearer, faster up and down and more drastic I think – not that I'm complaining about it in any way.”
Everton would have a chance of finishing in the top 10 but the eight-point penalty would not be imposed, underscoring the improvement on previous years.
But there remains a philosophical debate over whether Dyche's playing style is a reflection of 'the needs must' given the resources available, or a reflection of a coach who will always be associated with firefighting at the wrong end of the table .
With the uncertainty surrounding Everton's takeover – and the prospect of another points deduction ahead of next season still possible – there is little hope that Dyche will have the resources to aim higher than to keep the club in the Premier League next season. to hold.
“There's a lot to do,” he said.
“Since I've been here, I've tried to bring reality – what I call the 'truth line' – to every club. There is still some truth in the situation that this club is no longer financially where it was three, four, five or six years ago when new money came in. Clearly there isn't one. They tried to go down that path and there was clearly a price to pay. I could fool you and give you smoke and mirrors and say it's going to be glorious and we're going to win it all, but it's still not the situation we're in. It's a building process and it's a whole process. difficult building process for me as I pick up the pieces from others and try to deal with point deductions and all kinds. That is the task at hand.”