The players are better than most give credit for though, Pickford is Englands no1, Branthwaite and Onana are both very highly rated younger players linked with CL level clubs, DCL (when fit) is a top PL level striker on his day. There are numerous others like McNeil, Harrison, Garner, Tarkowski who have shown they are good PL standard players. I have no issue with being direct, our neighbours play very direct and it doesn't do them any harm. Id just prefer a few less long balls (we average 73 in games this season) we can be direct by moving quickly on the ground it just takes a bit of work on the training ground. The main thing though at the moment (for me) is that players have actual roles now, that's something which has been lacking under numerous managers and it makes a huge difference imo.
It’s a convenient argument though isn’t it that can always just be used to discredit the manager. If the manager brings these players into fitness, in good form, in the right tactical system, to get a good level of performance from them then suddenly all that work can just be negated by saying ‘the players are better than most give them credit for’
I actually think the players in this squad are hugely overrated and on paper there’s a lot of PL teams who have far better lineups than we do.
Pickford is rated appropriately by Everton fans as one of the best keepers in the league.
Branthwaite is a 20 year old kid who had barely played PL football before this season. Undoubtedly he has quality but it’s been Dyche who has given him consistent game time to improve.
Onana didn’t show any of this sort of form under Lampard last season and it took a while for Dyche to get him to this level. His only other suitor at the time was West Ham so it’s not like he’s a top player we stole from the top clubs.
Calvert Lewin has never scored more than 14 league goals in a single season. He’s a decent PL striker with multiple fitness issues who will probably never play first team football for a top club.
They’re our best players.
Harrison is on loan from a championship club he got relegated with. Garner was unwanted by United and looked good in the championship, he’s taken a long time to find his level in the PL as a decent midfielder. Tarkowski has spent his entire career playing lower prem football and has a handful of England caps, Doucoure the same and had to represent Mali as could never make the French team. McNeil also has spent his whole career in the bottom half.
These are ok players that Dyche has improved but it is not a collection of players with multiple international caps, experience at CL clubs, and wanted by big clubs. Pickford aside there isn’t a single player on current form who a top 6 side would take for their starting 11.
Onana and Branthwaite might get there if they carry on improving maybe end of next season
There’s just no metric whatsoever to say this is a good group of players who should be higher in the league - none whatsoever. If they go higher as a collective unit it’s because Dyche has done a good job.
I would put a fair wager on that not one decent team will come kicking our door down in the summer wanting to sign any of McNeil Harrison Garner Gueye Doucoure Mykolenko Young Tarkowski Keane Coleman Calvert Lewin. Some of them are playing well for us but this is not a group of top players by any stretch.
