Sean Dyche has said that Everton must use the positive atmosphere at Goodison Park and recent impressive home performances to their advantage when they host Fulham on Saturday.

The Blues boss was also full of praise for former Everton manager Marco Silva, who is currently at Fulham, for their impressive start in this campaign. He also insisted the Cottagers' four-game losing streak is just a challenging period for them. 

Everton are looking to bounce back after a 2-0 away defeat at Old Trafford. Dyche expressed some positives from the loss and how they must use these going forward into this weekend's game.

"He has done a very good job," Dyche said. "You know the Championship, you've got to come out of there and they did, and comfortably so. They have had a fantastic start and awkward spell. That can happen in the Premier League, we certainly know that."

"It certainly can happen to anyone, Chelsea have had a tough spell so it can happen, and it is unlikely when you are outside of the top six that you won't have a spell like that, we have to safeguard against that and in reaction to that."

"We stepped slightly off it against Manchester United but they played very well, the other performances have been strong I think, the way we've gone about it, home particularly, the feeling in the stadium has been absolutely fantastic and we have to use all of them things to our advantage."

  • On squad availability

The Everton boss was quick to give an update on the availability of some of the key players in his squad. 

"[Seamus Coleman] has got a niggly hamstring which will need a bit of time to settle down I think and he has been in fine form so obviously that's another awkward one for us, it shouldn't be too long but he won't make it for the weekend."

Full-back Nathan Patterson has also been recovering from an injury and Dyche was asked if the Englishman would be 100 per cent and the importance of game time.

"Yeah it's as much game time you know after coming back after an injury and then spending a bit of time out, the way things have worked with the internationals and stuff, even getting the sort of reserve games you know has been awkward so yeah game time is as much as anything but he's certainly in the thinking [for the weekend]."

Another recent absentee has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin who was confirmed to have been in training and been doing very well.

<strong><a href='https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2022/09/16/everton/1123470-lampard-blunt-everton-mustnt-overburden-returning-calvert-lewin.html'>Dominic Calvert-Lewin</a></strong> in action for Everton (Image by Emma Simpson - Everton FC/GETTY Images)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin in action for Everton (Image by Emma Simpson - Everton FC/GETTY Images)

"The truth is he is training and going along well."

"I think having good players available, there's plenty of good players here, but having good players available is always the starting point."

"It helps if you have got strikers available who are proven and he is a proven striker."

  • On Mitrovic and Silva's ban

The Blues manager was supportive of Silva, who is currently serving a touchline ban after his behaviour during his side's 3-1 FA Cup exit to Manchester United.

Dyche also spoke on the absence of Fulham's star Serbian forward, Aleksandar Mitrovic who has not featured since February 11th for the London side.

"Well I have not served one so I am hoping not to learn that experience but you know it happens in moments in a game and sometimes these flashpoints happen."

"You know at the end of the day I don't know that experience but missing players, missing good players, and Mitrovic is a good player, it's bound to have some kind of effect and you want people to step in."

"That's certainly my thinking here."

  • On upcoming fixtures and relegation battle

The Merseyside club currently sit 17th in the League table with just eight games to go.

"The biggest thing I believe it is, I think I might have said this before but I certainly have in house is that you know you take a look at one fixture where it might go your way or two or three can sometimes go your way."

"At the end of the day you want to do it by design. We want to build something here that is down to us, you know what we're doing, what we're playing like, what we're achieving. That's the main focus."

"I think I definitely said before the same, there has to be a future in it, and as much as you will take a look (at fixtures), you take one when it's not your day but  you still win or you get a point , of course you take them over a season, they're still important."

"You want to see a performance, you want to see a team performing in the right manner, with the right things to go and win games and that's certainly a more important factor rather than just hoping for the best with other teams."

The Everton boss also swiftly dismissed reports that England international goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had a verbal agreement in place to leave Merseyside should the Blues suffer relegation. Dyche simply responded with a firm: "No."