Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media for the first time as Everton boss before Saturday’s Premier League game against Arsenal.
Here are the key lines from the Toffees boss:
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He said he’s received a good welcome and has been impressed by the players’ honesty about the challenge.
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On that, he said: “Everyone knows the challenge is to get out of the situation. It is what it is, the team are where they are and the league doesn’t lie.”
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He insisted hard work was being done by all to sign players, but said: “I have never been one for signing players for the sake of it.”
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He added: “Phone calls were made, the offers were made, it didn’t get to them whatever the reason.”
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He said Dominic Calvert-Lewin “is a lot closer than he was” to match fitness, while “Ben Godfrey is closer, Michael Keane is getting fitter and trained, Garns [James Garner] is going to be a little bit yet.”
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On what his key message is, Dyche said: “Unity. We have to unify.”
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He said he has reminded players of how good they are and added: “We have some very talented players here. They may have lost their way but there are some very talented players here.”
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Dyche said he possibly wouldn’t have been given the job if Everton weren’t in the situation they are in now: “If they see my skillset to deliver this then I’ll deliver it.”
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On Arsenal, he said: “They will realise I usually put out a team that are ready for a challenge so I won’t imagine they will underestimate the size of our challenge.”
