Everton’s final season at Goodison Park was meant to be a memorable one, but it’s turning into a campaign marked by frustration and disappointment. The energy in the stands has dwindled, and the fans are becoming increasingly disillusioned by the lack of progress on the pitch.
Despite Brentford being reduced to 10 men, they were the more assertive team. They made a change before we did, bringing on a striker to take advantage of the situation. They sensed a chance to push for a goal, while we remained passive and predictable. Everton’s approach was all too familiar – long balls and an over-reliance on set-pieces, neither of which were working. It’s clear that our style has become too easy to read, and teams are starting to outsmart us.
Dyche’s press conferences have been puzzling. Instead of addressing the real concerns, he’s been confrontational with the media, even though the questions being asked are exactly what everyone is thinking. Why are we playing the same tired, long-ball game? Why do we keep relying on set-pieces that aren’t coming off? It’s clear that the opposition has figured us out, and we seem stuck in a rut.
As supporters, we show up hoping for a change, but we’re met with the same lackluster football. The team feels like it’s stuck in a defensive mindset, just like Burnley under Dyche, where the emphasis was more on avoiding mistakes than creating something positive. The result is football that’s not just unambitious, but almost painful to watch.
The most frustrating moment came when we faced Brentford with 10 men. Dyche said it’s difficult to play against 10, but we made it easy for them. From my seat in the Park End, I saw all the players crowded in the box with no width to stretch the opposition. Why weren’t we using the wings to open up space? Why wasn’t Lindstrom or Ndiaye staying wide to pull Brentford out of shape? Instead, we kept playing in tight, congested areas, making it easy for them to defend.
Our attacking play was disjointed and static. Calvert-Lewin and Beto barely made any runs behind the defence, and it was clear to see that the Brentford defenders had it easy. Even though they were a man down, they still found ways to break through our lines. Pickford made some crucial saves, but that’s not enough when you’re playing against 10 men. We never targeted their weak spots. For example, we never took on their makeshift left-back, Keane Lewis-Potter, despite him being a natural midfielder. We didn’t exploit the areas that were there for the taking.
Our offensive play was completely lacking in creativity. Set-pieces, once a strong point for us, were poorly executed, and most of our shots came from long range – exactly what any defender would welcome. Dyche pointed to Brentford’s strong defence, but the reality is they barely had to break a sweat. We need more variety, more clever movement, and far more creativity. Instead, it was the same old predictable, lackluster performance.
Everton are, once again, the team that everyone looks to for an easy point. Three games without scoring, and against 10 men, we still couldn’t break them down. Dyche’s refusal to make changes when things clearly weren’t working cost us. Even Jordan Pickford was visibly frustrated, calling for substitutions, yet nothing changed. The players are clearly sensing the problems, but Dyche doesn’t seem to be reacting.
The tempo was non-existent. We didn’t change things up, even when it was evident that we needed to. Players like Gueye, who couldn’t dictate the game, were left on the pitch instead of being replaced by someone who could create more. It’s clear that Dyche and the players are more concerned with not losing than actually going out and trying to win.
At halftime, there was a feeling that Dyche was at a crossroads, but instead of becoming more expansive, he opted for a more conservative approach. This retreat into a defensive mindset reminds me of his time at Burnley, where he famously said Everton “don’t know how to win.” That attitude seems to have crept back in, stifling the team’s ability to take risks or push forward.
Ultimately, we failed to play to the strengths of our forwards. We kept lobbing aimless crosses into the box, which was a gift for the defenders. We never made Brentford work hard for their clean sheet. There was no pressing, no creativity, no change in approach. It was a game where, despite being a man down, Brentford probably had one of their easiest outings of the season.
