Every game becomes massive – Sean Dyche seeks opportunity to ease Everton woes | OneFootball

Under-fire Everton boss Sean Dyche admits his side’s FA Cup tie with League One Peterborough is now of “massive” importance.

Dyche’s position has been the subject of intense scrutiny after a run of just one win in 11 Premier League games has left the Toffees one point above the relegation zone.

There have even been reports that the club’s new owners, the Friedkin Group, have already begun the search for a successor.

Amid all this, Dyche is trying to prepare his underperforming side for Thursday’s third-round tie at Goodison Park and he knows he needs a result.

The former Burnley boss said: “It’s just another game that’s very important, and it grows with importance if you’re not winning here. Every game becomes massive.

“It’s another really, really big game. They’ll come here looking for that scalp, banana skin, all the rest of it. We’ve got to handle that situation, deal with it and go and perform.

“I don’t take any team for granted. I’ve never taken any game lightly.”

Chief among Everton’s problems is their lack of goals. Their tally of 15 is the second worst in the top flight, behind only bottom side Southampton’s 12.

They failed to get a shot on target in Saturday’s defeat at Bournemouth and managed only two in their loss to Nottingham Forest in the previous game.

Dyche feels the frustration from supporters and the external speculation is now starting to affect players.

He said: “I think the noise has grown very powerful here. It does do.

“But we’ve had it before. We’ve had to push that away and move forward again. We’ll keep working with the group, keep reassuring, showing the good side of what we can do.

“The players haven’t lacked effort but it’s obviously affecting them because you can see it in their performances.

“I think down at Bournemouth we looked tight. We couldn’t really find anything that meant anything in the forward department.

“So we’re trying to open that up, give them the freedom to play. It’s a massive challenge.”