Sean Dyche will be backed – and will back himself – to turn Everton’s start around

Sean Dyche has been here before. Many times. Historically, August has been a challenging month for the Everton manager.

His overall Premier League win rate of just over 28 per cent, also encompassing his decade-long stint at Burnley, drops to just 12 per cent in the first month of the season. That is the second lowest (better only than Neil Warnock’s one win in 10 games) of all those to have taken charge of a minimum of 10 English top-flight fixtures in August.

Statistical quirk or not, it is notable; particularly in the context of Everton’s start, which is almost identical to the one 12 months ago. For the second time in a year, Dyche’s side have started with three league defeats and a Carabao Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers.

There were choice words in Dyche’s direction from some of the supporters who headed for an early exit after the late collapse against Bournemouth when Everton were 2-0 up with three minutes of the 90 to go. It is always difficult to judge exactly where the middle ground is with a fanbase, particularly in the social media age where the loudest voices are often the most prominent, but there is genuine disgruntlement at how Everton have begun.

Results like Saturday’s matter. They matter because fans are tired after witnessing three successive relegation battles and were hoping for signs this season could be different. They matter to Dyche and his players because nine minutes of carnage at the end completely undermined 87 minutes of positivity.

On days like these, the emotional, knee-jerk reaction is to assume Everton are never going to drag themselves out of the large hole they have found themselves in over the last three years. As I noted on The Athletic Football Podcast this week, fans are tired of being the fall guys, the whipping boys. The butt of all the jokes.

It is impossible to look at this start in isolation. Rather, it should be seen as part of an amorphous blob where seasons blend into each other and the same events keep happening on a loop.