Everton boss Sean Dyche says he’s ‘disappointed’ that some of his players failed to ‘lay down a marker’ in the club’s 3-0 friendly defeat to Coventry City on Tuesday evening.
The Toffees have endured a miserable pre-season schedule so far, failing to win any of their three friendlies against Sligo Rovers, Salford City or Coventry, coming away with 3-3, 1-2 and 0-3 scorelines, respectively.
Of course, Everton remain without a host of key players, with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski, Vitaly Mykolenko, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Nathan Patterson yet to play any part this summer.
Meanwhile, new signings Iliman Ndiaye, Jesper Lindstrom, Tim Iroegbunam and Jake O’Brien are still being assimilated into the squad.
Even so, Dyche has been left disappointed that some of his squad players and youngsters haven’t left their mark.
“At the end of the day, beyond the result, which is important by the way, make no mistake, we are trying to get players through these games. We are trying to get minutes, we are trying not to break them because of the other injuries we have got,” Dyche told Everton’s official website following the loss to Coventry.
“The only thing I am really disappointed in is you want players to come in and really lay down a marker. You want them to say, ‘Gaffer I am ready, I am obviously game-ready the way I am playing and the way I am going about it’. I don’t think we had too much of that tonight.
“Forget about the result, you are still looking for that spark from players, and habits, and I thought the habits were miles off in the first half and most of the game, to be fair.
“Some of that is the fact we haven’t got into that side, the tactical side, but it’s difficult when we are missing seven players. Bedding them in, we have new players learning, it’s all them things.
“Like I said, there’s no excuse, I thought Mark’s team were excellent tonight and that’s what you come across in the Premier League, really, some real high-quality performances like that so I thought they were top of the game.”
As mentioned, Everton are having to limp through the summer with so many players injured, recuperating after international commitments, or still working their way into the squad following their arrival.
Dyche admitted this has played a key factor in the Toffees’ lacklustre results and performances, but offered a ray of hope with ‘three or four’ players in line for a return for this weekend’s friendly trip to Preston North End.
“Obviously [the game] showed how many players we are missing, very important players,” the Everton manager said, adding: “From our point of view, like I say, we are missing too many very important players. We are hoping they are going to come back sooner rather than later.
“We are bedding players in and it is difficult when they are in this fitness period to just do any tactical shape and understanding. So we are trying to manage a lot and get it all right when we know deep down there are five, six, seven players who have been very important to us who will be important again.
“There’s three or four we think might be close for the weekend, but two or three we might have to protect beyond then.
“There is better news with Tarky, he might be around it at the weekend, we will see. Gana as well might be around it. Jordan is obviously not back yet.
“Jake, we will see on his fitness, he is another newcomer to us. There are a few more on top of that. Jesper is more of a common sense sort of thing; he’s just got here – a niggly thigh, nothing too heavy. Jarrad is making progress as well but isn’t quite there yet.”
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