Dyche must stay, for now

Sean Dyche might be on thin ice but 11 games is no time whatsoever

There`s been a lot of talk about Sean Dyche`s future as Watford manager following yesterday`s defeat to Crystal Palace and to be honest, he`s never been 100% backed since day one, but if there`s ever a time to get behind the team and manager, it`s now.

I am going to make excuses for Dyche and I make no apology for that, people need to get a grip and take proper stock of the situation.

We are 11 games into the season, meaning Dyche is just 11 games into his managerial career. We are still only 20th, ‘safe` by two points.

What hasn`t help Dyche is the loss of most the backroom staff to Cardiff, he might not have kept any of them but at the same time it`s given him the chance to appoint his own and this can be a bad thing as manager`s often surround themselves with their own ‘yes-men`.

Dyche`s staff have almost all played with him during his career and what he desperately needs is an experienced advisor/number two – someone like Lennie Lawrence who works alongside Dougie Freedman at Cardiff as Andy710 pointed out yesterday.

The sheer number of signings have also helped to disrupt things and with two loan signings post summer transfer window it`s been almost non-stop with comings and goings since Dyche was appointed. Such a volume of additions over a long period isn`t conducive to continuity and these players all take time to fit in.

And that brings us back to continuity – those of us happy with Dyche`s appointment said he would provide that, but to be brutally honest, he hasn`t.
The young players heavily involved last season – Matty Whichelow, Lee Hodson and Adam Thompson have all been sidelined or loaned out. They`re all a year older, and if they`ve managed for the last two seasons then they should be okay now and less in need of protection than ever, yet they have been peripheral figures at best.

Whether or not Dyche has lived up to our hopes, fears and expectations it`s time to back the manager and hope that he does turn things around; 11 games is nothing.

For the record though, I fully expect Dyche to lose his job as he hasn`t delivered so far, and with that in mind I`d like Sean O`Driscoll to replace him should it come down to that.

The former Doncaster manager knows how to get the best out of an average team, with little money and play good football to boot.

Hopefully though Dyche will turn things around.