Sean Dyche on his 4-4-2

In the second of two exclusive Coaches’ Voice Masterclasses, Everton's newly-appointed manager Sean Dyche gives a fascinating insight into his use of the 4-4-2 formation when he was manager of Burnley.

In an in-depth session delivered while he was out of work in the summer of 2022, Dyche examines both the in-possession and out-of-possession tactics he refined during a 10-year spell A Burnley. In that time, the club spent six consecutive seasons competing in the Premier League, and even finished as high as seventh in 2017/18, when they qualified for European football.

He goes on to discuss the tweaks he made to the set-up, including employing a defensively-aware number 10 in a 4-4-1-1 shape, as well as his approach to developing players, such as Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings, within that system.

You can watch Dyche's first masterclass – on Burnley's 1-0 win at Liverpool in January 2021 – on The Coaches' Voice here.

Author: Ali Tweedale