Everton sack manager Sean Dyche ahead of FA Cup clash with Peterborough

His dismissal follows a poor string of results, with just one win in their last 11 Premier League matches.

The club confirmed that Under-18s head coach Leighton Baines and club captain Seamus Coleman will take interim charge of the first team, starting with Thursday night’s FA Cup tie against Peterborough at Goodison Park.

The sacking comes as Everton’s new owners, the Friedkin Group, begin the search for Dyche’s replacement. Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has already been linked to the position. Mourinho, currently managing Turkish side Fenerbahçe, is reportedly interested in returning to English football. He also has a history with the Friedkin Group from their time together at AS Roma.

David Moyes, who previously managed Everton between 2002 and 2013, has also been touted as a possible candidate for a return to Goodison Park.

Sean Dyche was appointed Everton manager in January 2023 after nearly a decade as Burnley’s boss. He helped the club avoid relegation during the 2022-23 season by just two points and guided the team to a 15th-place finish last season despite an eight-point penalty for breaches of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules.

However, the recent poor run of form has left Everton languishing near the bottom of the table, prompting the club to part ways with Dyche and members of his backroom staff, including Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard, and Billy Mercer.

Speaking before his dismissal, Dyche acknowledged the pressure surrounding his position. “I think the noise has grown very powerful here. It does do,” he said. “We’ve had it before. We’ve had to push that away and move forward again.”

Dyche added that his players were feeling the effects of their struggles on the pitch. “The players haven’t lacked effort, but it’s obviously affecting them because you can see it in their performances. We’re trying to open that up, give them the freedom to play. It’s a massive challenge.”