Welcome to the first 2025 episode of Talking the Blues with Andy and George Costigan. A belated but heartfelt Happy New Year to all or listeners and readers!
We look back on the Bournemouth debacle before turning our attention to Dyche and analysing the Friedkin’s response to what is a major footballing crisis at our beloved football club. As ever, differing opinions discussed frankly but respectfully.
The Talking the Blues Podcast is available, as always, free of charge and advertising on all major podcast platforms, links to which can be found here
As ever thanks for listening – or reading, the written transcript will be available tomorrow, Monday 6th January.
Very best wishes for 2025 to all our listeners and readers and thanks as ever for all your support
Categories: podcast
I’m a bit suprised that there is very little noise in the media about who the possible Dyche replacement would be. I’m hoping that he’s gone befor the game on Thursday but if not, then I hope again(!) that TFG are using the time to recruit and firm up their plan. The clock is ticking in the Window for a new man to start the rebuild or construct his survival squad.
What I cant understand about Mr Dyche is, if as you say Paul, he knows he’s for the chop, why he hasn’t taken his £400k monthly cheque and resigned ! He could then use all his bluster and bull and say “ I wasn’t sacked by Everton, I resigned because they wouldn’t let me lead them into a better future “
Meanwhile I also recently paid my last ever visit to Goodison with a Certificate of Attendance to prove it !
So Paul, enjoy what you can of the Thursday game and remember the “good” days we supporters of Everton Football Club have had over the years at that wonderful stadium. I’m sure they will come again under new management.
COYB’s
Thanks Spencer, rbh I feel as if the game will be almost incidental – I just want to soak up the place one more time. Bit like when you move house having lived there for many years. You stand and try and create an indelible last memory before moving on
We have a lot of dross at Everton, but there are also some decent players who the manager is stifling with his style of football. His style is archaic and to set up your team week in week out to not get beat instead of setting them up to actually win games is not conducive of good football. You can understand setting up to get a point against the so called bigger teams, but setting up every game against every team to get a point really starts to grind. When you allow every team the majority of possession you put your defence and midfield under massive pressure, with the goal against Bournemouth and Branthwaite ducking under it it was hardly surprising bcos he had been under constant pressure for 90 minutes and didn’t know whether putting his head on it would cause a deflection sending the ball into the net anyway, but Dyche rather than shoulder the blame for his tactics he chose to make a statement of “ why Jarrad has decided to duck under it only he will know why he’s done that “ therefore shifting the blame again.
Spot on Dave
I am 15 minutes in and I am seriously concerned Paul that you have literally delivered a speech that TFG wanted you to deliver about wanting the fans to give them time. The only reason I listen to TTB is because it is not influenced or tainted. Please advise.
TBF, you addressed this point later in podcast in response to George’s comment.
Hi Grant. I can absolutely assure you I have not been asked to do Friedkin’s bidding now would I. I value TtB s independence mate
Hi Paul, in the absence of a dreadful board Dyche has been the one to answer the questions – that cannot be denied. However, I don’t buy the rest of it, I don’t buy that he has “has to deal with PSR, a lousy transfer fund and anything else the mainstream media pedal out on the back of what he says.
We have a team that includes Thelwell, his own transfer team, his team of sports scientists, analysts and coaching staff. The PSR matters (when it suited him to say so), was and is being dealt with by others and legal.
This idea that he has been “running the club” comes straight from him and I’m not buying it. There are enough very decent, very hard working people at EFC who must listen to all that and think “well what am I doing then?”
It suits his narrative, it suits his preferred position as the lead instigator in a dog fight, relegation battle and all the rest of it.
£5m per year to run a team, coach them, deal with transfers in and out and the disappointments that come with it. That’s the same job as every other manager whether you’re Liverpool, EFC or Ipswich Town. Yes, he’s been the voice of EFC at press conferences but let’s not forget that £5m price tag. Poor Sean, poor old fella having to bat off questions about PSR, budgets and new owners. It is frankly bull💩!
If I had a tinfoil hat I’d reach the conclusion that over the last few weeks Dyche has been belting out some utter nonsense because he no longer cares, knows he’s going and doesn’t want to try. He will, after all, get a job if he wants one. It will likely be a championship club and more likely to be one of those teams just hovering underneath the play off places.
This is a man that has never endeared himself to EFC as a club or a fanbase. He constantly talks about EFC as if he’s a pundit on SKY. His dismissal of GP’s last season was a clear lead on what he thinks about our club. He had us in a relegation battle from Day 1 and was all too quick to dampen any sort of enthusiasm about our season at the grand old lady. He’s absolutely killed it!
I’m sitting on the fence over TFG, I see your point but the bros are right, they could have made all sorts of enquiries, approaches and offers to “would be” managers, DoF and board members.
So unless we are going to see most if not all of these questions answered this week, then they have failed to prepare contingencies at the very least.
This week represented an opportunity to get somebody in after Saturday, give them a free hit at producing a team that can take on Peterborough in the FACup and then prepare fully for Villa a week later. That effectively two weeks prep. It is a small window of opportunity that has already been lost.
No doubt TFG are weighing up all of this against keeping Dyche and staying up, they MUST be aware of the financial situation and the costs of sacking V PL status and all that’s goes with it.
I’ve said it on SM but this period is every bit as important as that DCL diving header v CP and Doucoure’s lashed strike V Bournemouth. We have to get it right and it has to be now.
Listening to a capacity crowd of 11,000 at B’mouth singing derogatory chants about the quality of our club was by far the lowest point I’ve reached. Not because I was angry, but because they were absolutely 100% correct. Remember this was B’mouth, who faced expulsion from the league just a few years ago, who want to be bigger but remain a tin pot club with a tiny ground and a fanbase with a short term memory. They are head & shoulders above us right now and we have become a total laughing stock.
THIS IS EVERTON!
Regards
Keith
Well said Keith, tremendous comments, thank you
Hi Paul, I enjoyed the podcast, as ever, and respect your explanation of TFG’s reticence to act immediately on Dyche, but I think I side with the brothers this time. Anyway, can I change topic and ask a PSR related question please.
When the points deductions were announced, I thought the independent panel left open the judgement on the technical accounting issue abut the interest relief on the loan for Bradley Moor (something to do with capitalising the interest?). Is that still hanging over us as another possible points deduction or has it been resolved? I’m hoping TFG cleared it up when they were doing their due diligence!
Thanks again for all your efforts