What Sean Dyche would really love to do with Everton's style of play when time comes to change

Sean Dyche heralded the necessity of pragmatism and insisted: “This is not a time for style. This is a time to win.”

The Blues boss said results remained the most important part of his role as he attempts to build foundations for a stronger Everton.

That has meant questions over the style of play as the club has fought to survive a third consecutive relegation fight. He defended his direct tactics in that context - but added his ambition is to develop the approach, and to add an Everton twist, if he is able to earn the results to bring stability to a club in flux.

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Dyche has spent his career facing claims his style of play is a throwback due to its direct nature. That criticism has persisted at Everton and rose to the fore in the aftermath of the narrow win over strugglers Burnley, a game that saw Jordan Pickford pump long balls forward and after which Dyche admitted the style was ugly by design. What mattered most was the win for Dyche, however, and after the Merseyside derby - in which his team outperformed title-chasing Liverpool - he maintained that his priority was achieving results. But he did add that style was on his mind, just as something that can only be developed once solid foundations have been created.

Speaking ahead of the match with Brentford, Dyche said: “I have to find a way to win. The biggest judgement here so far is winning, I think we all agree with that. This is not a time for style. This is a time to win. The thing I have always said I am trying to get to is a base to work from and if you get that and