Since Dyche took over in January 2023, the former Burnley manager has opted for a 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation, leaving Calvert-Lewin as the only man up front and that lack of support may have been due to the detriment of his recent scoring record.
And that cry of “change it Dyche” seems to have substance.
This season, Everton have made the fewest substitutions per game of any Premier League team and statistics show that the first substitution is usually made after the hour mark.
The manager’s reluctance to adapt his squad has meant Calvert-Lewin and fellow striker Beto have started just one game together since the Portuguese striker’s arrival on Merseyside at the start of last season.
Against the backdrop of persistent takeover talks, strict spending restrictions that led to a threadbare team and the loss of points for violating financial rules, Dyche has managed to avoid relegation for the past two seasons.
However, another survival battle appears to be looming this season, with Everton in 15th place, just three points above the relegation zone.
Everton have lost only one of their last eight games, but it was a 1-0 defeat against Southampton.
Club sources had said in September that Dyche’s position was “secure” as he had credit in the bank for the work done during his tenure and uncertainty over the takeover has left the club in a state of flux, which is likely It means that he sticks to his position. until the purchase is completed.
But sentiment among fans and pundits appears to be shifting towards the 53-year-old, whose 32.5% win rate is lower than that of previous coaches Roberto Martínez, Ronald Koeman and Marco Silva, who were sacked.
“Rightly praised for the job he did in his first 18 months at the club, there is a feeling within the fans that his career is over,” wrote Everton fan Mike Richards in his weekly column for BBC Sport.
At full-time on Saturday, the sentiment was clearly evident with loud boos echoing around Goodison Park.
Dyche said of the reaction: “They can direct it at whoever they want. They hope we win. I hope we win.”
Stubbs added: “We are too one-dimensional and too predictable, teams can easily solve us. I see tired players mentally and physically exhausted.”
When asked if Dyche will remain as manager next season, Stubbs replied: “Personally I don’t think so, the end of the season should be a clean slate for whoever comes.”
With the Friedkin Group’s takeover of the club looking set to be completed next month, that treacherous run of games before the year is out could make or break Dyche’s tenure at Everton.
