In the third round of the Premier League match against Bournemouth, Everton, after once leading 2-0, eventually lost 2-3, which greatly frustrated manager Sean Dyche, who severely criticized the team’s performance after the game.
Regarding the result of this match, Dyche expressed strong dissatisfaction: “You have to fight for every minute of the game. When we saw the team had a clear advantage and created a lot of opportunities, all we needed to do was perform the basics to win the game.”
“I told the players in the locker room that if you win every tackle, every header, and every speed contest, then you will win the game.” However, after the opponent scored their first goal, the team seemed to lose its fighting spirit. We started looking at each other, waiting for someone else to do the basic tasks. You can’t do that.
We performed excellently for the first 87 minutes of the game, which made me very satisfied. But after conceding a goal, I sensed something was wrong. I tried to correct it, shouting at them to get into position and handle the toughest parts of the game. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to do so, and the opposition seized the opportunity to win.
When asked if this loss was one of the worst in his career, Dyche said: “As a player, coach, and manager, I’ve experienced many setbacks, but this one is undoubtedly the most disappointing.”
As a professional footballer, an important ability is to sense changes in the situation on the field. We had control of the game and didn’t need to take unnecessary risks. Yet, we were still trying complex combinations, doing 2-on-1 plays, attempting to break through on the flanks. In such a situation, we should simplify things and send the ball into the opponent’s penalty area. This is the most fundamental aspect of our sport, and we failed to do it.