Sean Dyche admits neither he nor his players have delivered this season but says he will continue to “try to crack the code” at Everton.
The Toffees go into tomorrow night’s relegation battle with Wolves on the back of a four-game goalless run after a 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United on Sunday.
Everton are two points above the drop zone and Dyche admits they are not where they expected to be at this stage of the season.
He said: “At times myself, my staff and the players have not performed as well as we could have.
“But we work tirelessly. This is the most work I have done in all my years in management, at this club, without any doubt.
“I’m more than up for the challenge. It could be easier because I’ve definitely made mistakes this season, the team has made mistakes, they’re there for everyone to see.
“It’s a fact of life as a manager, you have to get the margins right and we haven’t done that so far this season.
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He added: “You have to win games and we haven’t won enough games.
“We’ve gotten to a point where we think we should be doing better – myself included – and now it’s up to the challenge.
“I’m still trying to crack the code, like others did before me.”
It was difficult and still is – Dietz
Everton’s form has led to speculation over Dyche’s future at Goodison Park, but he is likely to stay put while owner Farhad Moshiri continues to try to sell the club with the Friedkin Group poised to take him on.
Asked if he had sought reassurances from Moshiri, Dietz deflected the question and said: “The fact is it’s never been an easy ride since I came in, that’s never changed. I am honest and open about it. It was hard and it’s still hard.
“The club has not been working the way it wants to for the last five seasons. We finished very well last season, but maybe that was misleading for this season. It was never going to be easy.”
Dietz cautious about Wolves
Wolves’ form has been unpredictable in recent weeks with wins over Southampton and Fulham followed by Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at home to Bournemouth.
Gary O’Neil’s men are 18th, three places lower than Everton, but Dyche expects a tough game.
“They have good players,” he said. “They had a difficult start, as did we. It is a very important game. Every game is a must-win, that’s something I’ve learned at Everton.”
