You have to show all aspects of your game
Carlo Ancelotti was unable to get the same result against us as he did last year when he took charge of Everton for the first time in a 1-0 win against us, today seeing his team go down to a 2-1 defeat.
“The result was a big disappointment,” Ancelotti said. “I think we lost a great opportunity to climb the table. I think we did the same mistakes we did most of this season at Goodison Park. We didn’t start well and we were 2-0 down with the mistakes we made. To (get) back in the game was difficult and we tried but it wasn’t enough.
An emotional Sean Dyche dedicated today’s win to his brother-in-law Mark Horbatowski who passed away recently aged just 46. “I don’t often mention these things but my wife has just had to bury her brother. He was only 46 so it was a tough day.
“If I am ever going to put a game to someone, it would be for him and I said that to my wife. I played his song before the game and didn’t tell the players until afterwards because I’d well up, so I told them after the game. It’s a little personal moment but an important one to remember for me and my family.”
Dyche saw us pick up all three points after the two home draws against Leicester and Arsenal and said: “I’m very pleased because the last couple have been good performances. We came out of a really tough day at Spurs and I thought we performed very well against Leicester and Arsenal, and the lads got their rewards today because the performance was very good in all different ways.
“I have always been proud of the work ethic and belief in the side, but we also showed our quality a and I thought we could have been more ahead by half time. You have to show all aspects of your game in the Premier League and today I thought we did that well.
“I thought our two strikers worked so hard, the back four were excellent, the wide players diligent, the midfield players gave us everything, the two centre halves blocked everything, and the full backs did their job. Behind them you have a top keeper, and when they all do their jobs, then teams find it difficult to play against us and break us down.
“In the first half we could easily have had more goals and in the second half we could have added to our tally, but as it was it was a little nervy, albeit in a controlled way and I never really felt like they were going to open us up, so I was really pleased.”
There was a final word for Dwight McNeil who scored the second goal and had an outstanding game. “He has produced a great moment of quality,” Dyche said. “I’m actually shouting at him to switch it and he rips it in the top corner, which tells you how good my coaching is. It was a fantastic finish from a quality player and a quality young man. He conducts himself the right way around the group and I am delighted for him because he really beats himself up.
“He is young, he is developing and learning. We play against some top sides and we are often working out of possession, so he has to do all the ugly stuff, but when he brings that quality, it does remind people what a fine player he is. He’s so hard on himself and I keep telling him to play with a smile on his face because he’s a young man who is enjoying his football and he’ll be enjoying that one, that’s for sure.”
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