Sean Dyche has held “frank meetings” at the Everton training ground this week on the subject of his own potential sacking and made clear he refuses to go the way of his predecessors, says Dom King.

So with the form on the pitch starting to mirror that of Frank Lampard and Rafael Benitez before him Dyche has held discussions with his squad at Finch Farm detailing his refusal to cave to a cycle of replacing whoever is in the dug-out in search of a new-manager bounce.

He told the media ahead the crucial clash with fellow-points-deducted side Nottingham Forest on Sunday (21 April): “I have absolutely gone through this with the players. (I said) Is this now just a cycle you go through?“You want a new manager, you get a new manager and a bounce and everyone says: ‘Hurrah!’ Then, six months later, it’s: ‘Boo! We want him out!’ You just keep doing that? Is that where we are at? I don’t mind telling you this because people want the truth.“I said to them: ‘Lads, I’m not that guy. I’m staying. I’m fighting.’ If you want that to happen, you help yourselves. If the fans want that to happen, so be it. I’m fighting. I’m not blaming anyone. I’ve never done that in my career and I’m not going to start now’.”Dyche can reasonably point to a pair of points deductions which have artificially lowered his side’s standing in the league, but clearly he can’t deny the form has been woeful since the start of 2024.The 6-0 capitulation against Chelsea on Monday was arguably the low point of a dismal run that has seen him pick up a single win this calendar year, against former side Burnley in a game which was ugly enough to leave fans anything but uplifted and only decided by a fortuitous goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.So whether Everton were eight points better off and sitting fairly comfortably in 14th, or are where they are now – 16th and two points from the relegation zone, albeit with a game in hand – he won’t be surprised that he is under increasing pressure from a fanbase which has had next to nothing to celebrate for months.However, given Moshiri seems to be interested in little else but selling the club for now, although apparently only to 777 no matter how long they continue to require for it, Dyche is probably safe either way.Even if there was a higher authority willing to make the decision to get rid of him amid the ownership stasis it is highly doubtful that it would be affordable amid a miserable financial situation, and then who would replace him?Two points deductions have seen Sean Dyche’s Everton side dragged into a relegation battle.In theory the return of David Moyes might be possible in the summer thanks to the Scot’s emotional ties to the club, but only if West Ham let him walk at the end of his contract and probably only if the takeover has finally happened by then.

But until that point fans are unsurprisingly demanding better from a squad who reeled off wins against Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Burnley without conceding a goal in December, but after comprehensively having the tables turned on them at Stamford Bridge it looks like he has turned the spotlight back onto the players.