70 mins into today's game, I was looking towards the bench. What I saw is Dyche making a flurry of changes. Then it dawned on me, maybe Ancelotti, is waiting for his opposite number to show his hand. I'm not suggesting that's the way it went but we won. For the first time in a long time, I sat there and said to meself, ya know, have faith, this man knows more in his little finger, than you'll learn in a lifetime.
Questioning someone who looks like they have their eyes transfixed by the Goodison headlights, is entirely different than a man who has stared down the most intimidating arenas and won. He played the game like a chess master, waiting to see his opposite move then punishing his opponent. Dyche was schooled today, make no mistake and he won't be the first either.
Kendall was a master when it came to tactical awareness. He received abuse like a dog initially when he first joined and I was one of them. He rubbed the critics noses in the dirt. Shankly coming from Huddersfield had it too. They see things that lesser mortals don't. Sometimes it takes time, there's only so much you can do in two days but to every supporter watching today, we could see the difference. This is a manager who knows what he's doing.
Inevitably we'll see a narrative from the toxic media, "this is Ancelotti's Everton" and they will game him with every top job that comes available. He's "bigger", "wasted", while they conveniently forget, that they basically told him he shouldn't come here in the first place.
If he stays, he could become a legend here, mentioned in the same breath as Catterick and Kendall. And that will be worth more than any millions he has in the bank. After Moshiri's bankrolled nearly half a billion on players, what he has to work with is, de facto poor and a legacy that both Walsh and Brands have to answer for.
Craftsmen don't blame their tools and if anyone can turn this haphazard collection of players to believe in themselves and forge them to their potential, without a doubt in my mind, he's the man to do that. It goes against my grain to see a swallow and call summer but the corner has been turned.
