Hello and welcome to the ECHO's live coverage of Sean Dyche's latest Everton press conference.
The Blues manager will speak to the media at 1:45 p.m. at Finch Farm on Thursday to preview this weekend's Premier League showdown with AFC Bournemouth.
Everton start the new year after a decent December, albeit one that was bookended by poor performances. Last time out, they were limp in a 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest and results elsewhere have left Dyche's side just two points clear of the bottom three.
Following the takeover of the club by The Friedkin Group, Dyche is also poised to be asked about potential transfer activity with the January window now open. Injuries will also be a big talking point, with updates likely to be shared on the fitness of Dwight McNeil, Seamus Coleman, James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam.
Bournemouth have been in excellent form this season and handed out a humiliating 3-2 loss when the two sides met at Goodison Park in August. Everton led 2-0 after 87 minutes only to concede three goals in a dramatic collapse.
The Cherries sit seventh in the Premier League standings and will be well aware that the Blues have yet to win at the Vitality Stadium in the top flight.
Joe Thomas will bring you live build-up to the press conference and updates on what the manager has to say.
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Key Events
Dyche 'pretty happy' with the wider job he has done at Everton
Dyche is asked about hsi approach and whether that needs to change in order for the attacking struggles to come to an end. He suggests he is adaptable and flexible, and that the most effective way to improve is with stronger finances in the transfer market. He says he is working hard to develop the players he has and believes he has been successful on that front. He adds that his job has been far wider than just winning games given the challenges he has faced. He accepts that, if he needs to win games, he could do better. But that if you look at the bigger picture of his time at Everton then he is "pretty happy" with what he has achieved.
That marks the end of the press conference. Thanks for joining the coverage.
Dyche on finishing
Back on the goals front, Dyche refers back to another event with good strikers of Forest's past. He speaks about how difficult it is to develop and teach strikers. He says some of it is about intuition and coaching that is tough, but suggests a specialist coach is unnecessary because that is about finessing what is already there.
Dyche praises Broja then dismisses criticism of Mykolenko's form.
Dyche on the search for goals and avoiding frustration of Forest first half
Conversation moves to the challenge posed by Bournemouth. Dyche praises them and says he remembers Iraola coming to Goodison last season and trying to play 'total football', but adapting after that tough start.
He says Bournemouth have some good and underrated players. But he adds Everton have played 'some powerful clubs' in December plus an in-form Forest, so they know they are capable of being competitive against good sides.
Does the December run means he is heading into the new year with optimism?
"We have done enough to build that inner-confidence, now it is about taking it forward."
Can the side win a game and then make those previous draws better? That, he says, is the challenge.
On the lack of goals, is that a concern?
'The team wasn't scoring goals [before I got here]'. He says it is not an easy situation to solve and goes back to that search for the balance between being strong at the back and offering a threat going forward.
BBC now - Giulia Bould points to 8 wins in 2024. Four came in April - what were the club doing then that it hasn't been doing for the rest of the year? Dyche essentially says during that period Everton 'got the right side of the margins... we were very strong defensively, we nicked chances and won games'.
Dyche said after Forest the players initially did not do what he wanted - how does he ensure that doesn't happen again? Dyche says the difficulty was in the first half, it was addressed and that he hopes that situation is a 'rareity'. He says they have spoken with the players this week about that.
Coleman also unavailable
On what Everton can do, he says there are not expected to be any issues with PSR for the club. He says the new owners have been clear to him in their guidance but won't reveal what it is. He says January is tough for business and does not expect huge amounts to be available because of those PSR rules.
Dyche confirms Coleman is also unavailable for the weekend
Dyche on DCL transfer rumours
Dyche discusses how he can get more creativity from his wide players in the absence of McNeil and he speaks through the difficulty of having worked to amend the defensive issues at the start of the season but now trying to find a sweet spot in terms of balancing that improved defence with what you lose from attack.
He says some of it is chance creation but some of it is finishing - though he then says he is pleased with Dominic Calvert-Lewin's numbers.
Dyche says Everton have received no contact over DCL from anyone (there had been reports of Atalanta being interested).
Injury update
Dyche does not expect McNeil to be available at the weekend. Says his knee injury is settling but he's perhaps not quite ready.
Long-term absencees Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner are 'on the grass' but not yet ready to return.
Dyche on Maupay
We begin with Vinny from Sky, who asks about Neal Maupay's tweet on Sunday.
Dyche replies: "I think it is fair to say there is a bigger picture to Everton FC that I am worried about."
He says he does not expect the club will bother with disciplinary action.
How are Bournemouth shaping up?
The Vitality Stadium has been a destination of nightmares for Everton recently. This year, the Cherries are at their strongest yet and have already earned a series of impressive home wins during a season that has them comfortably embedded in the top half of the table and well-placed to challenge for Europe.
An early confidence boost came in that dramatic, ridiculous, horror show of a final 10 minutes at Goodison Park in August. A fair number of players involved in that away win are out injured at the moment but Justin Kluivert, who set up Luis Sinisterra's 96th minute winner, is back after serving a one match ban.
Full Bournemouth team news HERE
Plenty to talk about as contracts enter final six months
Of a longer term issue, Everton are set to enter a huge period of transition. The contracts of Sean Dyche, director of football Kevin Thelwell and a host of players are due to end in the summer.
Here is a run down on some of the calls that will need to be made over the coming months.
In full - Everton's contract situation ahead of summer of transition
Transfer window open - what does it hold for Everton?

The transfer window opened yesterday and there is plenty of intrigue for Everton. New owners the Friedkins have the resources to boost the squad and the desire to improve Dyche's options. But they remain constrained by PSR limits.
They could still seek to engineer a signing or two - but cannot bring in another domestic loan while they have Armando Broja and Jack Harrison already at Finch Farm.
Of the current squad there is interest in Jake O'Brien and Nathan Patterson, two defenders struggling for minutes at the moment. Decisions will also need to be made over Youssef Chermiti and Harrison Armstrong - Chermiti needs opportunities to develop while there are plenty interested in the teenager Armstrong after his extraordinary rise.
Another to watch is Beto, who maybe the striker to make way now that all four senior options are fit. There is widespread interest in Italy about taking the forward back to Serie A.
Club captain another on the injury table
Another Blues player we are waiting on information over is Seamus Coleman. The club captain started at Manchester City on Boxing Day - only his second league start of the season. He was generally impressive in that draw but was then unavailable for Forest with what Dyche described as a minor injury. Will he be back for Saturday? I'm not sure, but we should soon get a bit more information.
The Vitality Stadium was the scene of a nightmare for him last season, of course. Beto's stoppage time leveller was ruined by an even later mix-up in the Blues area that gifted the hosts the win after a cross diverted in off Coleman.
With the two defeats in four days of November 2022 the season previously, it hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Everton.
Will Dwight McNeil make a return?

Absent since his set pieces were key to that hammering of Wolves, McNeil has been a big miss for Everton. For a side that struggles to create chances from open play as much as he does, the drop off in the threat they have posed from corners and free-kicks has been obvious and important.
McNeil has been out due to the re-aggravation of a knee injury he initially suffered in the draw against Fulham.
Will he be back at the Vitality Stadium? We might get a better idea soon, but this is what Dyche had to say after Forest. DYCHE ON MCNEIL
Hello everyone
Hello everyone, and happy new year!
Joe Thomas with you now as we prepares for Sean Dyche's first press conference of 2025. It is one that takes places amid the backdrop of Everton having both one of the best current defensive records in Europe AND yet only being two points clear of the bottom three. And, with that shock Ipswich Town win over Chelsea, only three points from the second-bottom Tractor Boys.
A good December that included that huge win over Wolves and those impressive points with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City ended in disappointment on Sunday. The league table suggests Forest's win at Goodison was perhaps not a surprise. But it was a poor performance and tough to see Everton struggle to compete as much as they did.
So, who next - surely the fixture list gets easier!? Ermmm, a trip to Bournemouth awaits - a scene of some horror shows over recent years, and where the Cherries have sensational form this season.
Welcome, Blues!
For the first time in 2025, it's Sean Dyche's press conference.
The Everton boss is back to preview the Bournemouth game after a dismal showing against Nottingham Forest.
Trips to take on the Cherries have generally ended badly for the Blues in recent years. They will be desperate to put that right this weekend, with the buffer to the relegation zone just two points.