DYCHE’S PROGRAMME NOTES FOR WEST HAM CLASH

Greetings and welcome to Goodison Park for the West Ham United match taking place today.

I’ll start my notes by saying that we were happy to learn more about the points reduction we received in November earlier this week. Four of the ten points that were originally removed were returned to us after the Club filed an appeal.

We moved up two spots in the league table as a result, which is obviously pleasing, but we need to keep concentrating on what we can control, which is to put forth performances on the field that will win us points so that we can keep going in the right direction.

That is the only direction that emphasis needs to be directed at all times, regardless of what else is happening at the Club. This season, the players and staff have performed to my satisfaction, and that has translated into a level of strong performances that have been consistent throughout the campaign.

It is simple to discuss the efficacy of that strategy when you are winning games, but despite this run of poor results or, in certain cases, underwhelming performances, everyone’s effort and dedication have been unwavering.

When you win, the sound changes. Many of the performances this current run have been excellent, some even better, in my opinion.

As a team of players and staff, we always have this obligation, therefore we need to continue working hard and begin contributing more when those crucial moments arrive.

Another game last weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion left us feeling frustrated, as we were just minutes away from handily defeating a team that has proven their strength at home over the previous two years for just the second time this season.

I’ll give Brighton credit because, in my opinion, they played incredibly well in the opening 20 minutes, as they always do, and we told our players as much. We were determined because we knew we would need to be.

We scored and looked in good shape at that period. Unfortunately, we give away what we would deem a soft goal. It’s a good cross from them and a good header but we could have stopped that at the source and done better with that.

But, overall, there were positives to take. We take a point and we move forward. I was also pleased this week to see three players – Michael Keane, Nathan Patterson and Youssef Chermiti – get some minutes for the Under-21s and really contribute to the game to help maintain their fitness and match sharpness.

After a busy Christmas season, our injury situation is now getting better once more and should eventually stabilize. While André Gomes and Arnaut Danjuma are putting in a lot of effort to get to full fitness, we are still helping Dele with his recuperation after some regrettable setbacks due to a groin injury.

We are pleased to welcome David Moyes, his team, employees, and all West Ham United supporters today. I’m really proud of David’s style and the foundation he established here at Everton, which is evident in the team’s approach and manner. I’m sure you won’t need any reminder of this.

Similarly, over a number of years and with investment from West Ham’s owners, he has built a talented squad that is competitive both domestically and on the European stage. As always, though, our main focus will be on ourselves and getting on the front foot to utilise the special effect Goodison can have and, crucially, putting three more points on the board.

We take confidence from our win in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, while knowing every game throws up a unique set of challenges that we must be ready to meet head on. Let’s keep moving forward – together.

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