Dyche on reaction to Chelsea, scale of job and Nottingham Forest
Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Sunday's huge Premier League game against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.
Here are the key lines from the Everton manager:
Dyche said defender Jarrad Branthwaite, midfielder Idrissa Gueye and striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin all trained on Friday and should be involved against Nottingham Forest if they suffer no adverse reactions.
Full-back Nathan Patterson's season is over as he needs surgery on a hamstring injury, putting into doubt his place for Scotland at this summer's European Championship.
On scrapping FA Cup replays: "The debate on how much football is being played by individuals, are we asking too much of players? Particularly those who are successful. The glamour and prestige of the cup changes [and] they are cramming so much into the season. I don’t think it is an easy situation. The higher up you go, the more trophies you are in and the more games you play."
Asked if he has 'parked' Monday's 6-0 thrashing at Chelsea, Dyche said: "I certainly haven't - the players have been affected by it. I take responsibility as manager. We spoke to the players, they fed back their disappointment and now we have made sense of it."
On facing Forest on Sunday: “Since I have been here, every game is must-win. That should be at every football club. I want that mentality from the players. We have spells when we have and haven't and we certainly haven't recently."
On pressure of the job: “The noise around here is so intense. Big badge, big club. I have got used to it. There are a handful of players who understand it differently. We have to start the process of correcting the story - this has been a really tough spell. Monday adds more fuel to the story. It is a constant work in process."
On whether everyone at the club is together: "Yeah, you can ask them. Monday night they weren’t and against Aston Villa earlier in the season, it was very disjointed. We took a knock with the second points deduction but all noses are pointing in the right direction. I have picked up from seven different managers to try and find the key to unlock Everton Football Club."
He wants the fans to stick with them: “Fifteen games ago I was deemed to be the Messiah - I had found the key. Fifteen games later, I am not. The fans question us but I would ask them to stay solid with us. We shouldn't be relying on that when putting on the shirt, fans can help but we should be saying we can take care of it ourselves."
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