📣 Dyche on DCL's fitness, scoring woes, team mentality and Arsenal | OneFootball

Everton manager Sean Dyche has addressed the media ahead of the club’s clash with Arsenal.

Here is what he had to say.

On squad news

“[Nathan Patterson and James Garner] both need games. Jimmy is getting fitter and stronger, there’s another game this week. Probably get him in that. Then after three months out he should be fit. Patterson is just a bit behind that.

“[Dominic Calvert-Lewin] He’s recovering … No time scale.”

On team mentality

“We’re hoping to build a mentality. You can’t dominate every game, you can’t go in front in every game. It’s a work in progress. We got to remind the players, if you go down you’re still in the game. The reaction on Saturday was good. We created chances after that, we were pushing and we conceded a second soft goal. The reaction was good to get back in the game.

“It’s well known that squads have a stronger record at home. The end of the day, you can still have good away records, working in different ways but the mentality is important. You have to go down with a strong jaw, mentality, what they’re going to offer you. This is what we want to build here. Going away and delivering on a regular basis. At home, crowd can give you that edge but away you have to bring it through on the pitch. That’s important.”

On goal scoring

“The stats have been better for getting bodies in the box since we come, we’ve been more productive but being clinical is the proof of the matter. A scruffy goal can relieve the pressure.

“The other thing I’ve told the players for all your told of not scoring, increases the possibility of scoring – it doesn’t go on forever. Stats and facts are football, it’s an important factor to remember.

“You’ve got to do work at both ends. The middle bit we can all debate but you’ve got to be clinical at both boxes.

“We’ve got to ask questions and attack different ways. The Premier League is unforgiving, we’ve shown signs of development in its defending, it’s how you open the door when you’re attacking. If the goals were taken out the game, I think you’d look at the game slightly a more powerful performance. The big moments that’s how important they are.”

On Arsenal

“They’re having a fine season. They’re being creative home and away, they’ve proved they’re a force to be reckoned with. We’ve got to go down there and put a performance in. We want the mentality (that was shown at Goodison Park).

“Everton haven’t done well there, this is what you want to change. If everyone expects you not to get anything, go and get something. All these mind dynamics, you can look at it in different ways. For me it’s always glass half full, going down there giving a performance and seeing where it takes us.

We’ll be going down there with our eyes on the prize thinking we can get something, that’s our intention and what we want the players to do.”