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Dyche: Be The Catalyst For Change

Sean Dyche has called on his Everton players to take responsibility and the necessary action to rediscover their winning formula ahead of Monday night's crunch clash at Leicester City.

The Blues head to King Power Stadium looking to bounce back from Thursday's disappointing home defeat to Newcastle United, knowing a win would be enough to leapfrog the Foxes in the tightly-congested Premier League table.

Dyche believes the first-half display from his side against Newcastle was of the required standard, but warned that level must be applied to an entire game in order to get back on track.

"It's going to take playing like we did for the first half and keeping that consistency throughout the whole 95 minutes because that's what you have to do," said Dyche in his pre-match press conference. "You make sure every detail is covered, everything counts in a game of football. That's what we're not doing as well as when I first got here. 

"Until the second goal [against Newcastle] it was a very good performance but after the second goal that's the big challenge for me. Where did the mentality go? How quickly did that change? Who re-grips it? Who in our team goes, 'Right, okay, let's re-grip what we're doing here'? Because we weren't a million miles away. 

"You can't wait for it to happen.

"I always believe there has to be a future in your performances and if we were to lose [against Newcastle] but play like we did in the first half, there is a future in that because you know on another day that isn't going to happen with that style and level of performance. 


"That's the key. When it drops off so quickly, you have to ask what's going on and that's what we need to nip in the bud. You have to do that on-pitch, you can't just wait until after the game to correct it."

Asked if he was worried about his side's dip in performance after conceding the second goal on Thursday, Dyche continued: "I don't use the word worry, it's realities. I've seen it with my own eyes and I saw it against Fulham - it's a reality. 

"There's no point worrying because worrying isn't going to solve anything, work solves things.

"Work on the training pitch, work with the players, work consistently. That's what takes away any problems. It's about the work we do [that is important]."

Dominic Calvert-Lewin lasted 81 minutes against the Magpies before being withdrawn as a protection measure as were the midfield pair of Idrissa Gana Gueye and Amadou Onana.

Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman, who has missed the past three matches with a hamstring issue, is set to be back in contention for Monday's clash at Leicester.

Discussing the options available to him, Dyche believes a change in mindset will be more beneficial than applying wholesale changes to his side.

"There is only so much we can change - everyone knows the squad here," said Dyche. "There are certain things we can change and certain things we can't. 

"If you add in Seamus [Coleman] to that group that's the same team that played against Arsenal and I don't think many people would have wanted changes after the Arsenal win. 

"There's a format here that can work, it's proven to work. We need sharpness to that performance. 

"I took Gana and Dom off to protect them tonight, more for Dom, of course. I thought he was alive again tonight, so that will add and enhance. 

"I've been trying to build a consistent level, whatever game it is. 

"My mindset is always to take it on. That's been the thing I learned as a player. Big games, smaller games... your standards and consistency are the key. We've been trying to achieve that. 

"It is fair to say the thing that gets in the way of that is quite obviously the feel of what is going on. The tightness if you're not doing as well and the openness and freedom if you are doing well... these are the things that are affected. 

"The next one will be a case of saying, 'Right, lads, a lot of the basic principles of what we're doing are correct but the details are massively important'... Every detail count, every hard yard has to be done, every time you go in the box you have to believe you are going to score a goal and they're the things that add in the detail to get you wins."


Dyche welcomed the notion that Monday's game is "high stakes", while maintaining every player who represents Everton should have that mindset for any encounter they are faced with.

A win against Leicester, he says, would provide a huge confidence boost.

"The stakes have been high since I got here," insisted Dyche. "The stakes should be high, by the way. A club like Everton... the stakes should be high. That's what the players need to remember. They need to be high at this football club.

"[A win at Leicester] creates a different atmosphere. If we go down there, take on the game and win, then it creates a different atmosphere and the belief floods back in very quickly. 

"It's strange how quickly it can turn around. 

"The key point is you making it happen, I can't emphasise that enough. I say it to the players constantly - you make things happen in football. 

"Now and again you get a lucky one but even that doesn't really build belief. The ones that build belief are when you take it on, then deliver and get a result."