Sean Dyche expressed his frustration after Everton’s players failed to capitalize on opportunities to impress during a disappointing 3-0 friendly defeat against Coventry City. The Blues were outplayed and outfought by their Championship opponents at the CBS Arena.
While fitness is Dyche’s primary concern during pre-season, he emphasized that he expected more from his team on Tuesday night. He acknowledged the challenges of a long injury list and facing an opponent further along in their pre-season preparations, but still anticipated better performances in their upcoming match against Preston North End on Saturday.
Coventry secured the win with goals from Ellis Simms, Ephron Mason-Clark, and Victor Torp. Everton had few responses, with goalkeeper Joao Virginia making several important saves.
After the match, Dyche told the ECHO that he was encouraged by the performances of some players, including Michael Keane and new signing Tim Iroegbunam. However, he admitted that Coventry exposed some weaknesses in his team.
Dyche explained that arranging friendlies against Championship teams like Preston was meant to challenge his players at this stage of the summer. He hoped to see more competitive edge from his squad, especially from those looking to prove themselves.
He stated: “I know how competitive Championship teams are. I thought Coventry were super-competitive tonight. We weren’t as competitive. I am expecting a bit of a delay from our group because we are missing some important players due to injuries. But I want players to show the desire to step up and put doubt in our minds. There wasn’t enough of that tonight.”
Looking ahead to the match against Preston, Dyche expressed hope for improvements and the return of key players like James Tarkowski, who has been out with a glute injury. He also mentioned the possibility of Jesper Lindstrom making his first appearance and new signing Jake O’Brien being involved. However, he was less optimistic about Youssef Chermiti’s availability due to a foot injury, which is still being assessed.
Dyche concluded by emphasizing the importance of building squad depth, stating: “This is Everton Football Club. We need that strength in depth, and we are working on building it as best we can with the resources available.”
