Everton manager Sean Dyche is wary of under-estimating a woefully out-of-form Manchester City, despite his side’s growing confidence.
A run of just two defeats in the last 12 matches is evidence of how Dyche has stabilised things after losing their opening four games, which the manager attributed to a number of players not being fully fit after an interrupted pre-season.
City’s problems are well documented, with nine defeats in 12 matches, and, although the Toffees travel to the Etihad on Boxing Day encouraged by their opponents’ struggles, Dyche knows they are far from finished.
“They’ve enjoyed so much success under Pep (Guardiola) over the years that everybody seems to be under this impression that it’s when, not if, it turns back,” he said.
“I don’t know all of Pep’s history, but I think it’s unlikely he’s had too many spells like this.
“You’d think at some point it happens, even to the best, and he is arguably one of the best ever, but for him to have a testing period actually shows how tough the game is even for the top sides.
“The details, even for the top teams, if you don’t get them right, then things don’t work out for you. They’ll be trying to correct that.
“We’re in the progress of correcting somewhat what we were doing. We still need to win more games, obviously, and score more goals.
“It’s not like you go there and think, ‘We’re going to win just because’. We’ve got to go and deliver a performance. We’ve got to play hard, we’ve got to play strong.
“They haven’t all become terrible players overnight. He certainly is not a terrible manager.
“You’ve got to be guarded, but we’ve got to equally believe in what we’re doing and the strength of our performances.
“We’ve got to have all the tactical discipline we’ve been showing and forge as many chances as we can to win it.”
Dyche will be without one of his most consistent performers this season as Ashley Young is suspended after a fifth yellow card.
However, that means captain Seamus Coleman is likely to make his first start since the end of August after an injury-plagued campaign.
“He’s been very unlucky this season,” added Dyche.
“When he came back for pre-season, super fit, we spoke about his other options and he said, ‘No, no, I’m clear-minded. I’m going to continue playing’.
“He signed another contract and he held his end of the bargain without a shadow of a doubt.
“Yes, he’d probably have liked to have played more this season, but with his depth of experience and his game knowledge, that’s certainly favourable to be putting a player in and the strength of professionalism that he has.
“I’ve got no doubt in his ability to play and get back to true fitness.”
