James Tarkowski reveals Sean Dyche's stark four-word message to players that saved Everton's season

Everton captain James Tarkowski has revealed that a stark message from Sean Dyche after the 6-0 thrashing at Chelsea inspired the remarkable turnaround in fortunes to produce three home wins in a week and secure the club’s top-flight status for another season.

After beating both Nottingham Forest and Liverpool by 2-0 scorelines, Idrissa Gueye’s strike on the hour against Brentford gave the Blues the victory they needed to make relegation from the Premier League a mathematical impossibility. Asked what Dyche had said to the squad in crunch talks at the club’s Finch Farm training complex following the Stamford Bridge humiliation, Tarkowski said: “There’s been several bits. When you hit rock bottom like that, sometimes the only way is up.

“That was one of the points that was made (after Chelsea). We had a meeting a day or two after and he sort of said ‘fit in or don’t’ and the lads have all fitted in together like we had to. The Chelsea game was a disaster for us but then we’ve turned up like we have and got three wins on the bounce.

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“I think it was more in terms of it being a real low and it was time for us all to get together. So if you’re not going to get with us, then don’t.

“Everyone just fitted in together, those in the team and out of the team, trained hard, looked after ourselves and got out on that pitch and delivered like the fans expected.”

Tarkowski believed that after the incredible scenes on and off the pitch as Everton defeated Liverpool at Goodison Park for the first time in 13-and-a-half years less than 72 hours earlier, overcoming Brentford