Everton: Dyche not concerned by fan backlash as Toffees chase first Premier League win

Sean Dyche says he is not concerned over whether he still has the backing of the Everton fans.

Dyche is under increasing pressure at Goodison Park after losing all four of their Premier League games this season and surrending two-goal leads in their most recent two against Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

On Saturday they head to newly-promoted Leicester, who are also winless, in desperate need of a win to lift themselves off the foot of the table.

The Toffees boss says appeasing supporters is not at the forefront of his mind and is staying focused on trying to turn things around at the club.

He said in pre-match press conference: “It’s never something I’ve overthought. I respect the fans, I make that abundantly clear, the way they’ve supported me, the team and the club over many years before my time.

“All I do is work as hard as I can to put a team together to win games. The idea of being hero to zero or zero to hero, it comes and goes very quickly.

“I try to stay steadfast to what’s in front of me and that’s the truth of what we’re trying to achieve here.”

“We’ve been reaffirming to [the players] the whys and wherefores of why we had such a good record here last season, with clean sheets and keeping games tight.”

Read more from the boss ahead of #LEIEVE.

— Everton (@Everton) September 19, 2024

Saturday’s opponents are also searching for their first win under Steve Cooper after two losses and two draws so far but Dyche says he will not underestimate the Foxes just because they are a newly-promoted side.

He added: “Just because they’ve just been promoted, it doesn’t mean they’re not a good outfit. They’ve got good players, we’ve got to go there with the right frame of mind.

“We’ve got to remember that we can score goals but obviously we’ve got to do better with the defensive side of things and find that balance.”

Dyche is hoping to welcome back a number of players to the fray, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Vitaliy Mykolenko set to be involved after illness, with James Tarkowski also potentially available.

The 53-year-old also offered a positive update on defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who is set to feature in an Under-21s game this week as he steps up his recovery from an injury which has kept him out so far this term.

On Branthwaite, 22, Dyche said: “It’s a boost if he comes through it, that’s the main thing. I don’t like talking about players and injuries because you never know.

“If he comes through this period fit and ready, of course it’s a boost because he’s a very good player.”