With the return of Sean Dyche to the Premier League, many football pundits wonder why he implements his very counter-culture style of play at the football clubs he manages.
Many believe that Dyche’s patented style of 4-4-2 is turgid, but it can be highly effective at shutting teams out, as was the case today in Everton’s 1-0 win at home to Arsenal.
On Football Saturday, Cobh Ramblers manager Shane Keegan expressed why he thinks Dyche likes this particular style of football.
“You look at those teams that those managers have managed by and large when a team with a limited budget overachieves it is by playing that kind of football,” said Keegan. “It is fairly rare when a team with a limited budget overachieves by playing lovely football. Ian Holloway at Blackpool had that amazing season, and probably Brighton at the moment are the only ones who have overachieved by doing it that way”.
“By and large, they achieve via structure, kick and run and set pieces. This is his DNA, and I do not think there is anything wrong with that.”
Former Shamrock Rovers Graham Gartland offered his insights into the situation.
“They do this, and then they hope that a bigger club comes in and says, ‘bring that football to us with a bigger budget,” said Gartland. “This is how they get their moves. Sometimes these managers do not get the bigger moves because the bigger clubs do not want to play that style of football”.
Keegan then used the League of Ireland as a case study for this phenomenon.
“We had this in the League of Ireland a bit. If you look at when the Bohemians job came up and people like Ian Ryan, who were linked with it because his teams were playing a really nice brand of football. Whereas I am looking at names like Tommy Barrett who has a much less budget and he has finished ahead of them, but how come he has not been linked with the job”?
Then the Irish Independent’s Dan McDonnell chimed in.
“There are managers in the lower leagues of English football who think that their style of football is important to their future job prospects as much as their results. Once your team is perceived to be playing a certain style, that is more important than the bottom line.”
Everton will look to continue their climb out of the relegation zone when they travel to Anfield to face a struggling Liverpool in what should be a box office affair.
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