Dyche sacked by Everton, Coleman takes temporary charge

Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines will take temporary charge of Everton for tonight's FA Cup clash against Peterborough United, after manager Sean Dyche was sacked by the club hours before kick-off.

The club confirmed the news in a statement this afternoon, saying that Dyche and his coaching staff were departing with immediate effect and that the process to find his replacement was underway.

"Everton Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as Senior Men's First Team Manager with immediate effect.

"Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer have also left the Club.

"The process to appoint a new manager is under way and an update will be provided in due course.

"Under-18s Head Coach Leighton Baines and Club Captain Seamus Coleman will take charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis."

Dyche, who succeeded Frank Lampard as manager in January 2023, leaves the post with Everton currently 16th in the table.

In his sole full season in charge in 2023/24, Dyche guided Everton to 15th in the table, despite the club suffering two points deductions - which totalled eight points following appeals - for breaching the league's profitability and sustainability rules.

However, Everton have struggled in 2024-25, winning just one of their last eleven Premier League games.

Coleman, who has made 367 appearances for the club since joining from Sligo Rovers in 2009, takes interim charge of the team alongside former defender and current U18s head coach Baines for tonight's home FA Cup tie against Peterborough United.

The Republic of Ireland defender, who turned 36 in October, has made three Premier League apperances this season, most recently in the draws against Chelsea and Manchester City during the Christmas programme.

The Friedkin Group (TFG) is hopeful of securing his replacement possibly within the next few days having already established who they want, having already sounded out Graham Potter before he opted for West Ham.

Former manager David Moyes is the favourite for a return to Goodison Park 12 years after he left for Manchester United.

Dyche had been on borrowed time for a while and TFG began negotiations regarding his departure several days ago after the manager accepted his tenure had run its course after almost two years.

While the timing of the announcement may seem odd, it is understood there was an impasse over his pay-off – with his contract due to expire in the summer anyway – with Dyche's demands unpalatable to TFG.

Dyche spoke about the speculation surrounding his position at a press conference on Wednesday.

"I think the noise has grown very powerful here. It does do," he said.

"But we’ve had it before. We’ve had to push that away and move forward again. We’ll keep working with the group, keep reassuring, showing the good side of what we can do.

"The players haven’t lacked effort but it’s obviously affecting them because you can see it in their performances.

"I think down at Bournemouth we looked tight. We couldn’t really find anything that meant anything in the forward department.

"So we’re trying to open that up, give them the freedom to play. It’s a massive challenge."

Additional reporting: PA