Everton are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they take on Nottingham Forest in a huge clash at Goodison Park.
The Blues are currently one point above fourth-from-bottom Forest and two above third-from-bottom Luton Town, who will have the chance to climb out of the drop spots on Saturday when they host Brentford before their relegation rivals meet on Merseyside.
But Everton cannot look beyond themselves - especially given their performance in their last outing. Monday's 6-0 annihilation to Chelsea was "miles off the mark," according to Sean Dyche, while James Tarkowski went further, calling it "embarrassing" before apologising to the travelling supporters.
Blues boss Dyche will no doubt be asked what the reaction has been to the sorry defeat at his latest press conference, which takes place at Finch Farm at 1.30pm today (Friday, April 19).
With Everton seeing Jarrad Branthwaite, captain Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson all suffering injuries at Stamford Bridge, Dyche is also likely to give an injury update before the massive match with Forest who, like Everton, remain in the fight for survival after having been deducted points for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. Both clubs have appealed against their latest charges.
Joe Thomas will at Everton's training ground to bring you live updates from Dyche's press conference.
Fans are 'amazing'
Dyche is now asked about the role the fans have played in supporting Everton over the difficult recent seasons - and how important that is this season.
Dyche says he is still in his "infancy" here and learning about the club. He says after the last 15 games some are deeming he is not doing a very good job but he says he will never question the fans - he will, and will always stress to the players, that they have to take responsibility for repaying the supporters and giving them a team to get behind. He is in no doubt that supporters can help his team.
Lewis Dobbin, by the way - "he is getting closer" to fitness. Back to Patterson, Dyche offers sympathy and stresses he does not know what it means for the Euros but that he does need surgery/
That is the end of the open section of the press conference, thanks for the updates.
Dyche acknowledges Monday was a bad result in a bad run
Dyche says he is well aware that things become tougher when Everton are not winning games, and accepts that is not something that is currently happening.
He says the players have been disappointed by Monday as well - "they care, I care, deeply, they care as well".
Dyche says he has told the players "no-one gives us anything" and he has told them they have to work for the progress. Personally, he has found it tough but he is trying 'to take it on the chin and move forward'. He suggests no-one told him of the danger of points deductions but he does not want to make excuses.
He once again accepts the club is on a bad run, and that Monday was a bad result. He adds he does not switch off in his current role, that the work is "always whirring".
On how he switches off, he says the cinema - peanut M&Ms, water and phone off - but that he hasn't been able to see a good film recently.
Dyche the firefighter
Dyche: "It has been a negative story for three seasons now, we have got to be the ones who correct it."
Dyche now looks back at the wider situation of the club and paints himself as the firefighter: "I walked in and that wall falls down and as I am repairing it, another wall falls down."
He says the club has a lot of hard work to make the steps it needs to progress. Of his role: "I am picking up the bits. Seven different managers have been here in seven years looking for the magic key."
He says the progress is easier to see if you add the eight points back on that have been deducted. It becomes "murkier", when they are removed.
'We have to change the story'
Dyche is asked about the defeat at Chelsea. He says it is not just about moving on - he says the group have had to address the loss and the manner of the performance. Dyche re-iterates that the display was not good enough. He maintains the start was promising but the rest was disappointing. He says he has had another conversation with the players about it today before they now attempt to move forward.
On Nottingham Forest, Sunday's opponents, he accepts it is a big game. Asked about the club's form, he says Forest have had recent struggles too, but that his focus has to be on Everton.
Forest have scored six goals in three - how do Everton match their intensity? Dyche says his players have typically been able to match the pyshicality of opponents this season and hopes they can on Sunday - he accepts Everton did not on Monday.
"We have got to do all departments better than Monday, without a shadow of doubt."
Dyche questions whether the Chelsea display was a hangover from the points deduction the week before. He has told his players they have to move on from that.
On the knocks the club has faced this season, he said: "We have made it [the off-pitch issues] an easy story, we have to try and change that story."
Sean Dyche is in the room and we begin
Sean Dyche is now in the room - he arrives with an apology for his late arrival - and we have begun.
First question is on FA Cup changes - what are Dyche's thoughts? The Blues boss suggests it is complex, with contrasting arguments over how much players are playing and the beauty of the cup.
"For the beauty of the cup it changes, the glamour and prestige changes, but they are cramming so much into the season... I don't think it is an easy situation because there are so many games."
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jarrad Branthwaite trained lightly today. Patterson is out for the season.
Seamus Coleman is touch and go at best for the weekend. Gueye trained today - low level training.
When we get underway
Once the press conference does begins it will do so with questions from Vinny O'Connor, of Sky.
Sky, Premier League Productions, the BBC, the Times and the I, the Daily Mail, the Mirror and Liverpool World are among those who have reporters in attendance, by the way.
Apologies for delay
Regular viewers will be well aware these press conferences rarely start on time. That is the case today. I'll have updates once we have started.
Injuries and the response to Chelsea
Injuries will clearly be a big topic of conversation today but the other huge one will be the response to the defeat at Chelsea. How will the club respond to that? This is a big week for that dressing room and Dyche will need to have pulled those players off the floor to help them respond positively.
If you did not see the questions I asked Dyche after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge, here they are - along with his responses.
Welcome to Finch Farm
Hello everyone, Joe Thomas here in the media room at Finch Farm ahead of what should be an interesting press conference. We are expecting confirmation that Nathan Patterson suffered a serious hamstring issue in the final minutes of the game at Chelsea. Beyond that updates are due on Seamus Coleman, who suffered the groin issue that led to Patterson coming on at Stamford Bridge, Jarrad Branthwaite - who came off in the game but who isn't thought to have picked up a serious issue and then Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Idrissa Gueye, who were absent with hamstring and calf injuries respectively. A busy fitness table this week, unfortunately.
On this day 15 years ago
Good Everton news is in short supply these days. So, while we wait for Sean Dyche to arrive, let's take a trip back to April 19, 2009 when the Blues reached the FA Cup final after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Manchester United at Wembley.
"Romance is dead, the famous old pot has lost its sheen, football is predictable, blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard a million times and more in the last few years that the FA Cup is no longer the tournament with which we grew up, an unhelpful addition to an already crammed fixture list and no longer capable of producing dewy eyed stories."
Sean Dyche, Everton and the complicated answer to the question about his future
There's no getting away from it. Sean Dyche - along with his players - will have lost a number of long-suffering Evertonians given the performance against Chelsea.
But yet another change of manager be the best course of action for the Blues? Our writers have had their say.
Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of Sean Dyche's press conference to preview Everton's massive Premier League match with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.
It will be the first time that Blues boss Dyche has spoke to the media since Monday's disgraceful showing in the sorry 6-0 drubbing by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
