Dyche: We Failed To Execute Game Plan

Sean Dyche pinpointed Everton executing the "complete opposite of what their game plan was" as the reason for their 2-0 loss to high-flying Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The Blues boss was also left frustrated by his side's defending for both Forest goals as the Toffees' four-match unbeaten run – which had seen them concede just a single goal in the 1-1 draw at Mancester City – was ended by the visitors, who moved up to second in the Premier League table.

Watch Dyche's post-match reaction to evertontv below or by clicking here.

Read the full transcript below, which includes injury updates on Dwight McNeil and Seamus Coleman, and what is needed for next weekend's trip to Bournemouth.

Thoughts on today's game?

Credit to them because they've done what they've done to a number of teams this season by playing counter-attacking football and doing it very well. So it's a positive comment for them and not doing them down or making any excuses here.

From us, incredibly disappointed by our first-half performance. We played ineffective, nothing football, completely the opposite of what the game plan was. So I wasn't pleased with that at half-time, I can assure you. We affected it a bit better second half but you can't give away a second goal like that because when they get noses in front we know they've been strong all season when they've done that and it's a really, really poor goal.

Both of them are for different reasons. We don't affect the first one with any commitment to head it and clear our lines and recover but the second one is a really poor goal and it's difficult then.

We're chasing, we're working and they've got a packed defence and we know that can be difficult to break down.

Is that even more frustrating because of how well we've done, especially defensively, in recent weeks?

Incredibly so. Incredibly so. Sometimes you see it coming. I didn't with this one. Not the first half, like I say. A bit better the second half, but the first half, I didn't see that one coming. I commended the players on the commitment, as you rightly said, recently. The ideas we put into them, we thought were appropriate and we thought they could deliver it but it was completely the opposite in the first half.

We knew this was going to be a tough challenge against a Forest side who were coming in looking for their fifth win on the bounce. The effort and endeavour seemed to be there from our own four-match unbeaten run but was it the lack of attacking quality that we need to improve on?

At the end of the day, you know I thought their centre-forward Chris Wood, who I have worked with before, was excellent. He didn’t get many touches of the ball but his work ethic, his belief, his consistency, his physicality – and then he gets his reward with a goal.

That can often be the difference. I've spoken to our centre-forwards about it because I want them to learn and continue to learn about what it is. It can't all be beautiful, it can't all be pure. I thought he was excellent doing the ugly, hard yards today. I think that gave them a focal point, which they've had all season. I was speaking to our players about how I consider them to be top players and that's just doing the hard yards, you know, really working hard to fight and graft and work for your team and then your rewards come. That's something we've got to continually learn because we’ve got to find a way of scoring goals.

I'm frustrated because we didn't ask the questions we wanted to first half and let them get the noses in front. Second half, we give away a terrible goal and we know they've been good at that this season – once they get one or two in front they've been hard to break down and they were today.

You handed a first start to Armando Broja. Thoughts on his display and the importance of having four fully-fit strikers now for the second half of the campaign?

He’s worked hard and he's had a go at it, he's hustled and bustled. He’s going to get fitter and sharper for the Premier League. He’s certainly worked hard for his rewards. They didn't come today, but we think he's a good player and I think he'll grow into it.

A quick word on Dwight and Seamus. Hopeful of having them back soon?

Yes, Seamus is a niggly one, but we're going to have to wait and see how quickly that settles. We asked a lot of him, going back in at Man City, which was a tough game, obviously. So a bit frustrating more than anything. And Dwight, we're just waiting to see how quickly that settles down.

And finally, we’ve got a tough game away at Bournemouth next up. It today a reminder, as you’ve said before, of the work that's still to be done to find that consistency?

Look, they're all tough games. Expectation has probably grown a bit but today we didn't deliver on the expectations. They'll grow again and we've got to go and deliver. Four or five games ago, people were saying, ‘Oh, look at this run’. Well, we've turned over a pretty reasonable points return in that run. So now the next challenge is, every game is a tough game, I've said it before and I'll say it now.