Everton's new owners back Dyche as manager looks to deliver wins

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Everton manager Sean Dyche said he has the support of the club's new owners but that he needs to deliver on the field to prove himself.

Friedkin Group completed the takeover of the Premier League club on Thursday, in the middle of a season where the team has struggled on the pitch, sitting 16th in the table with only three wins in 15 matches.

"You’ve got to win games, that doesn’t change and I’m well aware of that," Dyche told reporters on Friday.

"They mentioned that during this period of buying the club they’ve done a lot of homework and they understand the challenges that I’ve been through and we have collectively been through."

Dyche said Everton's new executive chairman, Marc Watts, had expressed his support for the manager, who led the club through a tumultuous 2023-24 campaign where they fought to avoid relegation after being docked eight points for breaching the league's financial rules.

"He said, ‘We’ve got no reason to question you. Every reason to support what you’ve been doing and hopefully support it further going forwards'," Dyche said.

"The obvious caveat is what I’m saying, not what they’re saying. I know you’ve still got to win games. While you’re winning games, hopefully, you continue to build a relationship. And that’s when they go, 'Right, you’re our guy or you’re not our guy'."

Watts said the new administration understood that the club had faced significant challenges on and off the field for several years.

"Our immediate priority is stabilising the club and improving results on the pitch," he wrote in an open letter published on the club's website.

"On the pitch, we have a lot still to fight for this season and our energies are now focused on maximising the remaining time to drive results."

Everton, who have 15 points, are three points above the relegation zone as they face second-placed Chelsea on Sunday. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)