Everton sack manager less than three weeks after taking over Friedkin Group

Everton sacked manager Sean Dyche after less than two years in charge following a five-game winless run that left the Toffees a point above the Premier League relegation zone.

Backroom staff Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer left with Dyche in the first major decision made by the Friedkin group since taking over the club on December 19.

Under-18 head coach Leighton Baines and captain Seamus Coleman have taken over on an interim basis.

Dyche’s Everton record

Former manager of Watford and Burnley Dyche he was appointed in January 2023 and overcame a turbulent period at Everton, starting with the club’s relegation relief on the final day of the 2022/23 season.

Everton were deducted a total of eight points for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules last season, but finished 14 points above the relegation zone.

Dyche has repeatedly refused to say whether he expects to be in charge of Everton’s move to the new 52,888 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

A 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday left them on three wins from their first 19 league games, with only bottom side Southampton having won fewer games.

The Saints are also the only side with fewer goals than Everton’s tally of 15 in this season’s top-flight, which is five behind Ipswich Town, the next-lowest scorers.

2 – In Sean Dyche’s last 10 games in charge of Everton, the only player to score more than once for them was Craig Dawson, who scored two own goals while playing for Wolves in December. Nonsense. pic.twitter.com/SXOlR6k9Gi

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 9, 2025

Friedkin’s group fired Dyche

Speaking on December 20, Dyche said new Toffees chief executive Marc Watts was “very supportive” after a “very casual” meeting at the club’s training ground.

Watts, who was appointed following the completion of the purchase of the club from Farhad Moshiri, met with Dyche and women’s team manager Brian Sorensen and also held a meeting with other staff.

“Apart from winning games – which all managers need to do – they’ve made it clear they have nothing but support for me,” said Dyche.

“It was about the format moving forward. They fully support me, the staff and the team moving forward… there is only support and no second thoughts about anything else.

“I didn’t say too much about what I wanted. They asked questions about what I learned in my time and the overall feel of the club.”

Everton host League One’s Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Cup on Thursday (19.45 GMT).