Sean Dyche is the manager Everton have turned to as they aim to stave off relegation from the Premier League.
Everton sacked Frank Lampard last Monday following a 2-0 defeat at West Ham – the Toffees' eighth defeat in the space of nine games.
The last time Everton won a competitive match was on October 22 last year, and they find themselves in 19th place, level on points with Southampton, who are bottom only due to goal difference.
Dyche was reportedly the Merseyside club's second choice, with owner Farhad Moshiri wanting to appoint former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, who held talks with the club's hierarchy in London on Thursday.
However, Bielsa is said to have been hesitant to join Everton in mid-season, and reports have claimed the Argentine instead suggested he would take over the club's under-21s side, with a view to managing the first team following the end of the campaign.
With survival Everton's priority, Dyche has been handed the job on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Speaking to the club's media, Dyche said: "It's an honour to become Everton manager. My staff and I are ready and eager to help get this great club back on track.
"I know about Everton's passionate fanbase and how precious this club is to them. We're ready to work and ready to give them what they want.
"That starts with sweat on the shirt, effort and getting back to some of the basic principles of what Everton Football Club has stood for for a long time... There is quality in this squad. But we have to make them shine. That's the job of me and my staff."
Dyche was sacked by Burnley in April last year, after 10 years in charge of the Clarets.
His last win at Burnley came against Lampard's Everton, and although his temporary replacement Michael Jackson had a good start, taking 10 points from a possible 12, he was unable to keep the Clarets in the division.
Everton stayed up thanks to a 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace but have won just three top-flight games this campaign, having struggled for goals following Richarlison's move to Tottenham and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury issues.
Dyche is reuniting with two of his Burnley regulars in the form of James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil, while he should have funds to spend in the final days of the January transfer window following the sale of Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United in a deal reportedly worth up to £45million.
The former Watford manager gained promotion with Burnley in 2014, and though they went straight back down, he took them back up to the top tier in 2016.
He established Burnley as steady competitors for the best part of six years, even qualifying for Europe in the 2017-18 campaign, and now will be tasked with maintaining Everton's long top-flight status.
Dyche took charge of 258 Premier League games at Burnley, winning 72 (27.9 per cent) and averaging 1.1 points per game.
His first game at the helm of Everton will come at home against league leaders Arsenal on February 4, with a Merseyside derby at Anfield following nine days later.
Kris Doolan believes Partick Thistle have Premiership credentials
Kris Doolan believes Partick Thistle have all the ingredients of a cinch Premiership team as they stand on the brink of a return to the top flight.
The Jags will take a 2-0 lead from the first leg of their play-off final against Ross County to Dingwall for the return game on Sunday.
Doolan, who stepped up from the club’s academy to take over from Ian McCall in February – initially as interim boss – has total belief in his squad, the first team to finish fourth in the second tier to go all the way to the play-off final.
Former Thistle striker Doolan, who lost a play-off final against Livingston in 2018, said: “Ian McCall built this squad and he deserves a lot of credit for that because it is a fantastic squad.
“To me it is a Premiership squad and we have managed to find a shape and a style of play that suits us.
“We play to our strengths but ultimately there are guys in there who have played hundreds of games at Premiership level.
“It is not as if we are a young side who are wet behind the ears, we don’t understand what the games are all about. They know how to get through games.
“You look in their eyes, they are desperate to be in the Premiership.
“They have a one-track mind and that is what we have tried to instil. We have tried to instil a winning mentality, a winning environment and winning breeds winning.
“I say that all the time but it becomes a habit and it is a habit that is hard to break but likewise if you are losing games, it is a hard habit to break that as well.
“I have been on the flip side of it coming out the Premiership, I know what it is like in these play-off games, when there is so much at stake it is difficult to stop a team with momentum coming into the last game especially, even though you might be at home. It is still a difficult thing to stop.
“We have had five games under real pressure in the play-offs but the players play as if there is no pressure. We have nothing to lose. We have everything to gain.
“Ross County are the team who could potentially come out of the Premiership. But for us, we will go up there with the mentality to win and hopefully get the job done.”
Malky Mackay does not want his Ross County players to dwell on defeat
Malky Mackay told his Ross County players to quickly forget their Maryhill misery to focus on overturning Partick Thistle’s cinch Premiership play-off final advantage.
The Staggies lost 2-0 in the first leg at Firhill on Thursday night to leave themselves with a huge task in the return game in Dingwall on Sunday.
County had 16-year-old defender Dylan Smith sent off in between Aidan Fitzpatrick’s early strike and Brian Graham’s late first-half goal which put the Championship outfit in the box seat in the tie.
Boss Mackay is aware of the severe ramifications of removal from the Premiership but said: “At the end of the game I had 10-15 minutes with them and I spoke about getting their disappointment out (of) the way just now.
“By the time we get on that bus and go up the road I want them focused on recovering and nothing else but going out there with a positive mindset on Sunday afternoon.
“It is half-time. We are 2-0 down with 90 minutes to go. The only thing that will be on their minds is going out there to beat Partick Thistle.”
Mackay hopes the County fans turn out on Sunday to give their side a better chance of recovering the tie against a side who have gone 11 games unbeaten.
Asked what his message to the Staggies supporters was, he said: “Just to keep sticking with us. They were great on Thursday night.
“It is a long way to the Highlands and it was great that so many came down.
“There was a wee bit of misfortune as far as the sending off, that changes the dynamics of the game but I think they will see players trying for the jersey.
“You (have) seen the blocks that the players were putting in at the end and if nothing else you will see players that are trying really hard to make sure that we pull this back. So I would imagine that there will be a good crowd at Dingwall.”
Pep Guardiola can understand United’s motivation to end City’s treble hopes
Pep Guardiola believes stopping Manchester City winning the treble could give Manchester United extra motivation in the FA Cup final.
The two neighbouring rivals clash in the Wembley showpiece for the first time on Saturday with more than a trophy and local bragging rights at stake.
For Premier League winners City victory could be the second leg of a potentially glorious treble with the final of the Champions League to come next week.
United on the other hand – as the only side to have won all three of those competitions in the same season, back in 1999 – will be anxious to stop them and protect their place in history.
City manager Guardiola said: “I could understand that. It belongs to them, that’s normal. Sport is like that.
“’That belongs to us – we don’t want anyone else to do it,’ it’s normal, that feeling. It’s completely understandable. But it’s a football game, who will be better will win.”
United boss Erik ten Hag, however, has played down the party-pooping aspect of his side’s task.
The Dutchman has enjoyed an encouraging first season at Old Trafford having won the Carabao Cup and reclaimed a Champions League spot.
“I know what is the thinking from the fans,” Ten Hag said.
“But what we want is to restore Manchester United by winning trophies. We have an opportunity to win a trophy and we don’t want to be distracted by anything.
“If it’s important for the fans then it’s important for us, so we will give everything to win the cup.”
Guardiola insists the treble is not part of his thinking yet. He has spent the week preparing to face United and will switch focus to playing Inter Milan in Istanbul next week.
“We didn’t speak once about Inter these days,” he said. “We’ll have Sunday off, and after we’ll have three or four days training.
“We’ll introduce what we believe Inter are, to try to beat them, then. We have time. Saturday to Saturday is a long time to prepare for a game.
“United and the FA Cup deserve the full attention and commitment. The players are completely aware of that.”
City could have a fully-fit squad with Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji, who all missed last week’s game at Brentford, having since returned to training.
Guardiola has confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will start, as he has in all domestic cup fixtures this season.
United are without striker Anthony Martial due to a hamstring injury and winger Antony is also a major doubt.
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