Dyche faces daunting start as ailing Everton host Arsenal

LONDON : New Everton boss Sean Dyche could hardly have chosen a bigger challenge than answering the ailing Merseyside club's emergency call as he resumes his managerial career with a side seemingly spiralling towards the second tier of English football.

The 51-year-old Dyche was used to battling the odds at unfashionable Burnley, gaining a reputation as an astute tactician and motivator who squeezed every ounce of potential out of his squad during six full top-flight seasons.

It was presumably why he was chosen by Everton, hopefully as a saviour from relegation or a manager capable of leading them back up if the worst should happen and they fall out of the Premier League for the first time.

Dyche, Everton's fifth manager in five years, begins what some call mission impossible on Saturday and it could hardly be a more challenging start with leaders Arsenal at Goodison Park for a lunchtime kickoff.

With nine defeats and one win from their last 12 league games under former manager Frank Lampard and escalating discontent with the club's ownership, only the most wildly optimistic fan will believe Everton can inflict only a second league defeat of the season on Arsenal.

To add another layer of gloom over the blue half of Merseyside, a transfer window that saw record spending in the Premier League completely passed Everton by.

While relegation rivals like Bournemouth (50 million pounds ($61.65 million)), Leeds United (36 million) and Southampton (56 million) beefed up their squads with new signings, Everton spent zero despite selling young winger Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for a reported 40 million pounds.

It means Dyche will have to make do and mend with a squad that look ill-equipped for a survival battle.

"It's tough times