Sean Dyche: No Time for Excuses as Everton Suffer Astonishing Defeat and Await Dominic Calvert-Lewin Update
Everton humiliated by Aston Villa as manager Sean Dyche admits no excuses for the 4-0 loss, leaving them at the bottom of the Premier League James Tarkowski criticizes the team's abysmal defending for all four Villa goals Concerns loom over Dominic Calvert-Lewin's cheekbone injury
Sean Dyche criticized Everton's inconsistency and admitted that his team was far below par following their 4-0 defeat against Aston Villa. This outcome marked the lowest point in Dyche's 20-game tenure at Goodison Park, as the Toffees find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League for the first time in 13 years, having failed to score a single goal in their first two matches.
Everton suffered a stroke of bad luck in their loss to Fulham in their first match of the season. Despite putting up a strong fight against their opponents at Villa Park on Sunday, they were unable to bounce back after John McGinn scored in the 18th minute. The team's manager, Dyche, expressed his realization that they have been inconsistent in previous seasons, performing well one week and falling short the next. He emphasized the importance of finding consistency, which can be achieved through rigorous training. However, he acknowledged that there were no excuses for their performance on that day, as their opponents were notably superior.
We were far from it. They outperformed us in every aspect - their sharpness, the crucial edge needed in a performance, especially in terms of scoring goals and attacking the box. They appeared much more alert defensively compared to us.
"It's peculiar because we were in great form last weekend. We need to find consistency - I constantly emphasized this word last season, both on a weekly basis and in our overall performance. Unfortunately, that was sorely missing today.
Today was a collective down day. Of course, mistakes don't help, but it's up to everyone to correct them. We can't rely on someone else to fix it. I just spoke to the players about this - we all need to make a difference. Defender James Tarkowski, who witnessed his team-mates' individual mistakes resulting in Villa's third and fourth goals, went beyond his manager's comments and criticized their defense as "awful." He pointed out the negative body language and mentality of the Toffees after their early setback.
"We started off strong for approximately seven minutes and then completely collapsed. I observed a lack of confidence in our body language. It's not necessarily due to lack of effort, as everyone is putting in the work, but rather our poor discipline in maintaining our formation, resulting in the opposition exploiting our weaknesses. Each goal against us is truly disheartening.
"After they scored, they gained momentum and we, unfortunately, lost our motivation, failing to even come close to matching their performance. It's disappointing, but on a positive note, in the previous week we suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat and bounced back with a remarkable 4-0 victory, so there's no reason why we can't repeat that next week."
Everton waiting on Calvert-Lewin news
He acknowledged that their mindset was indeed a contributing factor in their loss. He admitted, "Certainly, it wasn't due to a lack of effort. Everyone was putting in their utmost effort and exerting themselves, but regrettably, we were not making wise decisions and as a consequence, we were exposed far too frequently."
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Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury forced him off the field before half-time, adding to his recurring injury woes which have plagued the England forward for the past two and a half years.
The striker collided with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez early on at Villa Park. Despite receiving treatment and initially continuing, he was substituted 10 minutes before half-time due to further assessment revealing a visibly swollen right cheek.
Dyche explained, "He suffered a knock on his cheekbone, and we are currently awaiting further information. He experienced blurred vision, so we had to make a decision considering his recent return to the game. It's a challenging situation, especially with Alex [Iwobi] also being substituted."
We aim to focus not just on one game, but we are determined to avoid repeating past underwhelming performances, which, unfortunately, I felt mirrored in today's match. Our objective is to continue progressing for the future with this team, and if the opportunity arises, we will look to enhance our squad.
