Following Sean Dyche’s leadership of Everton to the club’s second consecutive Premier League survival, Farhad Moshri and Dyche exchanged greetings.
After his Everton team won three straight games at Goodison Park to ensure Premier League membership, Sean Dyche says he received correspondence from majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri that was routine.
The Blues defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0, Liverpool 2-0, and Brentford 1-0 to guarantee they were mathematically safe from relegation before entering the final month of the 2023–24 campaign, despite two different point deductions this season. Despite being hindered by two sports punishments for violating PSR regulations, Everton’s on-field efforts would have tied Brighton & Hove Albion for first place.
When asked if wantaway owner Moshiri had been in contact, Dyche replied, “Just the same as he always does.” Moshiri agreed to sell Miami-based 777 Partners his full 94.1% ownership in the team in September as part of a proposed buyout that has not yet been completed. He has been messaging constantly since I’ve known him, and it was simply to say that the results have been amazing.
“I met him in Monaco last year and there were a couple of message and phone messages. It was exactly the same.”
Questioned whether he aspired to break free of a ‘fire-fighter’ reputation, the 52-year-old bluntly acknowledged that he might not have been handed the reins at Everton if all had been well. Dyche said: “I arguably wouldn’t have got this job if it was all rosy. I am not doing myself down.
“I imagine they would have wanted a more fashionista manager. What am I going to do, cry about it? You get some knocks and then you get lovely stuff like last week, winning three games including the derby.”
The former Burnley boss added: “The local feeling seems to be, ‘that’s it, it’s solved’. It’s not, there’s loads to do. Ever since I have been here I have tried to bring the reality – what I call the ‘truth line’ – to every club. There is still a truth to the situation that this club is not where it was financially three or four or five or six years ago when new money came into it, it is quite clearly not there.
“They had a go going down that road and obviously there was a price to pay. I could pull wool over your eyes and give you smoke and mirrors and say it is going to be glorious and we are going to win everything, but it is still not the situation we are in.
“It is a building process and it is a very difficult building process for me because I am picking up the bits of others and trying to deal with points deductions and all sorts. That’s the job in hand, it changed radically from the job I was sold.
“There was a massive shift in the goalposts. But adapting and refocusing on the new challenges we’ve been able to stay true to the cause of looking after the football club. I am only a custodian. There will be another version of me here.
“I can only do my bit to make it a better place. I am trying to be authentic. It is easier to tell the truth when you are winning than when not winning.”
