Everton have got off to a terrible start this campaign, only picking up one point in their opening five Premier League games, losing their first four before drawing 1-1 with Leicester City last weekend.
This leaves the Toffees 19th in the Premier League, and therefore, Sean Dyche could find himself in a spot of bother, with incoming owner Dan Friedkin already looking at alternatives. Everton face Crystal Palace at Goodison Park this weekend, and another loss could spell the end for Dyche.
Everton have conceded 14 goals this season, only scoring five in their opening five fixtures, but one name in imparticular on their shortlist has Premier League experience, and could really turn things around for the Toffees.
Everton searching for Dyche alternatives
According to GIVEMESPORT, Graham Potter is one of the main names being ‘discussed’ by Friedkin if Everton are to part ways with Dyche.
Potter has managed Brighton and Chelsea before in the Premier League and could help change and establish a new identity at the Merseyside club.
Praised as being “fantastic” for his job at Brighton by Wolves boss Gary O’Neil in the past, Potter’s success with the Seagulls earned him a big move to Chelsea back in 2022. The Englishman took charge of 31 games for the Blues, winning 12, drawing eight, and losing 11, averaging 1.42 points per match.
Potter suffered from Chelsea going through a big overhaul at the time, with new owners, lots of players both joining and leaving the club and many instances both on and off the field for him to deal with.
However, by stepping back into management at Everton, he could help steer them away from relegation, improving their terrible possession average, and giving them a new identity.
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Potter to revitalise Calvert-Lewin
Everton have struggled to create xG this season, only generating 6.29 over their five games so far this season – the fourth lowest in the league).
Their direct approach under Dyche is not allowing them to create high-value chances, and score enough goals to win games, especially with their leaky defensive record.
Potter has always had teams that generate decent xG values, with his Brighton side creating 49.57 xG in their 2021/22 campaign, and his Chelsea side generating 51.89 xG in 2022/23.
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.
An improvement in xG creation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s main responsibility being to finish chances in the box, and make life tough for defenders in the penalty area, could see him revive his best numbers, which Everton fans haven’t seen since 2020/21.
17/18
8
5
18/19
8
3
19/20
15
1
20/21
21
3
21/22
5
2
22/23
2
1
23/24
8
3
In the 2019/20 season, when Calvert-Lewin scored 15 goals – 13 coming in the Premier League – Everton generated 53.71 xG, giving the Toffees’ star forward more chances in and around the box to finish off attack, and put the ball in the back of the net.
In comparison, during the 2021/22 season, Everton only generated 44.47 xG in the league, with Calvert-Lewin only managing five goals.
This then led to his worst season, despite Everton generating better xG numbers with 48.65 xG, his confidence was low, injuries were hampering him, and the striker was missing his clinical nature in the box.
However, as Calvert-Lewin is starting to find his mojo in the penalty area again, and will have confidence in his finishing ability, having scored two goals already this season with only 6.29 xG generated by the team, adding Potter who could help Everton keep more of the ball, and create higher value chances.
In turn, this could allow the attacker to explode again with another 15 + goal term, potentially firing Everton away from the relegation zone.
DCL would love him: Friedkin considering amazing Dyche successor at Everton
He could bring the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
1 ByJoe NuttallSep 25, 2024