The Four Months Though Lads - Worse than Mike Walker

[knowing your history]

I disagree over mykolenko. He has been very good at left back. I think dyche's style of play doesn't allow him to get forward as much, but defensively, he is one of the better left backs in the league.

I'd only say kluivert, semenyo and solanke would walk into our team. The rest are debatable. Cook has a lot of potential but is still young.

The point is, we don't have a terrible squad. It is the just maybe just not the right combination of players and not having the right players for dyche's style of play. Let's see what this transfer window brings.

The spine of the first 11 is decent still. Pickford-Tarks-Branth-Myko-Doucs-DCL. All internationals. All effective in their position in their own way that wins points at key times in the season.

They all need to stay fit though. Minor miracle that since September that Doucoure is the only key player who's missed a month of action? That's an achievement when you look at the endless injuries that pretty much every other prem team has.

It's a first 11 to other prem teams in the bottom half, I wouldn't say it's a better squad at all. Wolves have a better squad as they've had Dawson, Lemina, Cunha, Hwang and Neto all out since January for long spells and they're still winning games.

This season has pretty much mirrored what Palace have done. They didn't have Olise available until November. Eze also missed two months.

Probably not a shock that it was a 1 point from 5 game start and Myko, DCL and McNeill weren't available until September so that's the warning for next season.

 

[Mickey]

I mean if he had lost to Forest just over 7 days ago his position would have been extremely precarious. I think the majority of fans would've been calling for a new manager bounce because it looked like Dyche had run out of ideas.

A week is a long time in football.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I remember David Moyes finishing 17th in his first full season, if we sacked him then where would we be now

I dread to think of the reaction on here to that

 

[OnlyTheBestIsGoodEnough]

I dread to think of the reaction on here to that

So do I, social media would of had a field day #sackmoyes

 

[micknick]

I think its a decent post. There were games when we were right in it and games we should have won- Brighton and Spurs I thought we were good for the win.

Chuck in the second points deduction where I dont care what anyone says would have had an affect on everyone.

Look we're safe, we just need to trade as best we can this summer to ensure we have a more comfortable ride next season.

 

[Joey66]

"The four months, where we didn't win a game and Dyche Walker was lucky not to be sacked":

Background, December 2023, On the back of beating Forest Away, Newcastle and Chelsea Home and Burnley Away between 2 and 16 December, we had a League Cup Quarter final on the 19th December with Fulham who were in good form at the time. The tie went to extra time and we lost on penalties.

That's a period of five games in 17 days, unbeaten except for penalties. This then starts the “four-month winless run.” (Hint: Wasn't winless, and wasn't 4 months)
I think we should look at the fixtures with the power of hindsight, each game insolation for the season, and see what games were bad results:

23 Dec
Tottenham 2 -1 Everton. Away at top six side

27 Dec
Everton 1 - 3 Man City. Best team in the world

30 Dec
Wolves 3 - 0 Everton. A tired performance. Bad result, but we have small squad that had just played their 8th game in a month. Wolves top half side

4th Jan FA Cup 3rd Round
Palace 0 - 0 Everton. A tricky away tie against premier league opponents above us in table. DCL sent off and decent result, if unneeded replay


14 Jan
Everton 0 - 0 Villa. Decent result against high flying 4th place Villa

17 Jan 3rd Round Replay
Everton 1 - 0 Palace. An Everton win, in period where we apparently never won in 4 months.

27 Jan FA Cup 4th Round
Everton 1 - 2 Luton. Cant argue that this is a bad result. The only defeat in January.

30 Jan
Fulham 0 - 0 Everton - tricky away tie against a mid table side, above us in the table.

3 Feb
Everton 2 - 2 Tottenham - a good comeback against a good Spurs side

10 Feb
Man City 2 - 0 Everton - Never going to grab a result here.

19 Feb
Everton 1 - 1 Palace - A game we hope to get more from but in isolation not a bad result for where we are this season

24 Feb
Brighton 1 - 1 Everton - On paper a good draw, would have accepted that at the start of the game. Letting them equalise in 90+5 mins was a disappointing.

* Key Stat - only lost once in the league to Man City over the first 2 months of 2024. Won one (in period we never won one) and lost one in the cup.

2 Mar
Everton 1 - 3 West Ham - West Ham are decent outfit (currently 8th), although we would have hoped for a better result at home to them. Again, two injury times goals changed the game with West Ham scoring 90+1 and 90+5 to win the game

9 Mar
Man U 2 - 0 Everton - Undone by two penalties. You wouldn't expect a result at this game at the start of the season.

30 Mar
Bournmouth 2 - 1 Everton - tricky away tie, lost in the 90+1 min by a Coleman OG

2 April
Newcastle 1 - 1 Everton - Another tricky away tie. Scraped a draw.

So, in conclusion:

Premier League 4 months (Dec 3 to Aprl 2):

Played 17, Won 4, Drew 6, Lost 8, Pts 18

We achieved over a point per game, which would likely have kept us up in a normal season. The Four Months is a myth. We won games in December and beat Palace in the cup in January, too.

There are also only a couple of games we should have expected a better result, given the league position of the opposition.

You would have been a fool to sack Dyche in the period. A period against difficult opposition, where we still maintained over a point per game, and undone by bunch of injury time goals.

The results were as bad as other Managers we have sacked - when we have been solvent - Dyche we could not even afford to sack him - that's the reason he was not sacked his results were terrible .....
Yet I was one of the ones on that basis the club had to do something about him - yet the turnaround in results he has been incredible - Mike Walker was known as a lazy sunbathing Manager by former players under him - Lampard inexperienced, yet the hardworking Dyche proved me & most supporters, posters on here wrong ...

His experience, proved to be invaluable - but if we get the correct owners, will they like his style of management & the style of football he plays ?

Would he be able to play flair players etc - that is in the future, but IMO if we played like we did against the other lot winning 2-0 that will be me saying why can't we raise our game like that every week ?

 

[Duncan’s Pigeon Loft]

THE FOUR
THE FOUR
THE FOUR WITHOUT A WIN
WE WON ONE GAME
SO THE SHOUT IS LAME
THE FOUR WITHOUT A WIN

 

[Terrarian]

Sooper Blue alert

 

[Titus Bramble]

Whichever way you look at it, it's an unacceptable run of form.

Yes, there are caveats... there were a number of fixtures in that run which (on paper) you would put down as a 'any points gained would be a bonus' for example, but still not great.

The thing that gets me from the folk who jump to this stat is the complete disregard for the 8 league wins in 13 games across December and April, which is European form.

 

[Smurph]

Oh man we were bad at the end of this period. We were still dire against a 10 man Burnley despite the win. Massive credit to Dyche and the lads for getting out of that hole but let's not rewrite history. The improvement has come just as much from individuals taking accountability over their shocking performances and turning up and showing what they can do.

Dyche says this wouldn't have happened without the points deduction. He has earned the right to say that now so fair play.

But IMO the shouts of us having a far more capable squad are right. The insane short bursts of form this season prove it. This 4 months should never have happened and consistency in the future is key.

Let's show it for the rest of the season. The players need to keep their heads off the beach as every league position is critical in our financial state and could be the difference between survival and relegation next year.

 

[DL100]

Its the Premier League. The excuse of we played better teams doesn't work, what do we do just accept we cant beat them?

You have to find ways to beat teams.

he made some very questionable decisions and team selections in this time.

There was times when he should have made changes to see out games.

 

[Cels]

​

 

[blulouie]

"The four months, where we didn't win a game and Dyche Walker was lucky not to be sacked":

Background, December 2023, On the back of beating Forest Away, Newcastle and Chelsea Home and Burnley Away between 2 and 16 December, we had a League Cup Quarter final on the 19th December with Fulham who were in good form at the time. The tie went to extra time and we lost on penalties.

That's a period of five games in 17 days, unbeaten except for penalties. This then starts the “four-month winless run.” (Hint: Wasn't winless, and wasn't 4 months)
I think we should look at the fixtures with the power of hindsight, each game insolation for the season, and see what games were bad results:

23 Dec
Tottenham 2 -1 Everton. Away at top six side

27 Dec
Everton 1 - 3 Man City. Best team in the world

30 Dec
Wolves 3 - 0 Everton. A tired performance. Bad result, but we have small squad that had just played their 8th game in a month. Wolves top half side

4th Jan FA Cup 3rd Round
Palace 0 - 0 Everton. A tricky away tie against premier league opponents above us in table. DCL sent off and decent result, if unneeded replay


14 Jan
Everton 0 - 0 Villa. Decent result against high flying 4th place Villa

17 Jan 3rd Round Replay
Everton 1 - 0 Palace. An Everton win, in period where we apparently never won in 4 months.

27 Jan FA Cup 4th Round
Everton 1 - 2 Luton. Cant argue that this is a bad result. The only defeat in January.

30 Jan
Fulham 0 - 0 Everton - tricky away tie against a mid table side, above us in the table.

3 Feb
Everton 2 - 2 Tottenham - a good comeback against a good Spurs side

10 Feb
Man City 2 - 0 Everton - Never going to grab a result here.

19 Feb
Everton 1 - 1 Palace - A game we hope to get more from but in isolation not a bad result for where we are this season

24 Feb
Brighton 1 - 1 Everton - On paper a good draw, would have accepted that at the start of the game. Letting them equalise in 90+5 mins was a disappointing.

* Key Stat - only lost once in the league to Man City over the first 2 months of 2024. Won one (in period we never won one) and lost one in the cup.

2 Mar
Everton 1 - 3 West Ham - West Ham are decent outfit (currently 8th), although we would have hoped for a better result at home to them. Again, two injury times goals changed the game with West Ham scoring 90+1 and 90+5 to win the game

9 Mar
Man U 2 - 0 Everton - Undone by two penalties. You wouldn't expect a result at this game at the start of the season.

30 Mar
Bournmouth 2 - 1 Everton - tricky away tie, lost in the 90+1 min by a Coleman OG

2 April
Newcastle 1 - 1 Everton - Another tricky away tie. Scraped a draw.

So, in conclusion:

Premier League 4 months (Dec 3 to Aprl 2):

Played 17, Won 4, Drew 6, Lost 8, Pts 18

We achieved over a point per game, which would likely have kept us up in a normal season. The Four Months is a myth. We won games in December and beat Palace in the cup in January, too.

There are also only a couple of games we should have expected a better result, given the league position of the opposition.

You would have been a fool to sack Dyche in the period. A period against difficult opposition, where we still maintained over a point per game, and undone by bunch of injury time goals.

How many wins mert ?

 

[NathDogg]

The crappy run was due to suit Dyche, all on that whopper.

We won’t have that problem again now that Tracky Dyche has killed him.

 

[lieneverton]

It's amazing that people don't listen to the manager himself. He has openly acknowledged that it was a poor run and that he should have been under pressure for it.

Goes against the wishes of people who want us to be ultra-fuming about it.

As others have said, it was a terrible run. He rightly got a lot of criticism for it.

Either side of that period, we had good runs. He rightly got praise for that.

The only thing that matters is over the course of the season we've comfortably avoided the drop despite unprecedented deductions which otherwise would see us still with a chance of a top 10 spot, despite all the garbage in the squad.

It's been undeniably a good season on the pitch, given a lot of us feared the worst at the start.