Sean Dyche: Everton manager sacked before FA Cup game with club 16th in Premier League
2025-01-09
Category: sports

Sean Dyche has been sacked as Everton manager after less than two years in charge at Goodison Park.The 53-year-old's departure was announced just hours before Everton were due to host League One side Peterborough in the third round of the FA Cup.Everton announced their under-18s head coach Leighton Baines and club captain Seamus Coleman had been put in charge of the team for that game.Right-back Coleman and former left-back Baines have made more than 800 Everton appearances between them.Four members of Dyche's coaching staff - Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer - have also departed.The Toffees were beaten 1-0 by Bournemouth on Saturday and sit 16th in the Premier League and just one point clear of the relegation zone.They failed to register a shot on target at Vitality Stadium and have won just three of 19 games in the league this season.A source close to The Friedkin Group - who completed a Â£400m takeover of the club last month - told BBC Sport the new owners had been in talks with Dyche over a couple of days this week, with both sides feeling they had reached the end of the road. Difficult negotiations took place over an exit package for Dyche and his staff before a settlement was reached.The source added that the timing of Dyche's departure, just hours before a game, is not ideal.BBC Sport has approached Dyche for comment.
Speaking on Tuesday, Dyche said that communication with the owners had been "positive" with "no indication" they were looking to bring someone else in. He said they had been "been very up front and open" about expectations.Dyche, whose contract was due to expire in the summer, succeeded Frank Lampard on 30 January 2023 with Everton in the relegation zone.The team secured survival with a 1-0 win against Bournemouth on the final day of that season.He then steered the Toffees to a 15th-place finish in the 2023-24 campaign despite the Merseysiders being deducted eight points for two separate breaches of Premier League financial rules.The club have looked strong defensively this season, keeping seven clean sheets.But they have struggled for goals, netting only 15, and are the second-lowest scorers in the league, with only bottom club Southampton having managed fewer.This is Everton's last season at their 132-year-old stadium before moving to a new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock.The US-based Friedkin Group completed a Â£400m takeover of the club last month.
How bad have Everton been this season?
Everton's numbers in 2024-25 make for grim reading:Only in three seasons in Everton's history have they scored fewer goals after playing this number of league games.They currently have the division's lowest expected goals (xG) rate at 18.33.The Merseysiders have had 63 shots on target this season. Southampton are the only side to fare worse with 58 to date.They had zero shots on target in Saturday's loss at Bournemouth and the goalless draw at Arsenal last month.Everton's goals-per-game rate of 0.79 is the lowest number for the team in 13 seasons. It has dropped from 1.05 last term and 0.89 in 2022-23.Former Toffees midfielder Leon Osman said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "Doing commentaries on their games is not easy at the moment because not much happens."I do think there is a lack of quality in the squad, but anyone will tell you you should still be creating chances and scoring goals. It is tough to watch."In the past 10 games, Craig Dawson is Everton's top scorer having scored two own goals in that game (the 4-0 win over Wolves)."
Dyche's Everton timeline
30 Jan 2023: Sean Dyche appointed Everton manager with club 19th in the Premier League and two points from safety.28 May 2023: Everton beat Bournemouth to avoid relegation on final day of season.September 2023: Miami-based investment firm 777 Partners agrees takeover deal.November 2023: Everton deducted 10 points, reduced to six on appeal, for breaching Premier League financial rules.March 2024: Everton report financial deficit of Â£89.1m - the sixth successive year of losses.April 2024: Toffees deducted two further points for second breach of financial rules.May 2024: Despite the points deductions, Dyche steers Everton to a 15th-place finish, 14 points above the relegation zone.June 2024: 777's proposed takeover collapses after it fails to meet deadline. The Friedkin Group agrees deal in principle but calls off talks the following month.July 2024: Everton sell midfielder Amadou Onana to Aston Villa for Â£50m, with the Toffees the only Premier League side since the start of the 2022-23 season with a positive net spend - a total of Â£80m.September 2024: Friedkin Group resumes talks with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri.December 2024: Friedkin Group completes its takeover in deal worth more than Â£400m.January 2025: Dyche sacked with Everton 16th in Premier League. The announcement comes less than four hours before an FA Cup game against Peterborough.