Dyche wants cup hunger as Everton aim to end trophy drought

Sean Dyche wants Everton to continue building a winning mentality in tonight’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham as the Toffees look to keep alive hopes of ending a trophy drought that stretches back to 1995.

Saturday’s 2-0 win at Dyche’s former club Burnley was their fourth in a row in the Premier League, the first time in three years they have enjoyed such a run and the first time in 21 years they have done so without conceding a goal.

While their results so far would be good enough to put them 10th in the table, their 10-point penalty has left them down in 16th, and that might push the League Cup down the list of priorities even though they have reached the last eight.

But Dyche, no stranger to prioritising the league during his time at Burnley, pointed to the mentality of the best clubs in the country of trying to compete on every front, and said that should be the ambition even if it might not be something Everton can achieve overnight.

“The Premier League, with the kudos, the money, the feel, everybody wants the Premier League,” he said.

“Sometimes you have to weigh up the realities. This season I have been trying to change the mentality from last season and continue it.

“I want a pride in these competitions. Go, ‘right then lads, you’re playing’ and if [the reaction] is, ‘oh, aren’t we getting rested’, that’s not for me. I don’t enjoy all that. ‘You’re playing, end of story’.

“Sir Alex Ferguson had it for years at Man United, it became a constant. ‘This is what we do, we win’. We are nowhere near that but what I am suggesting is you can build a mentality of that.

“Regardless of what the game is, we put a side out pulling in the right direction and to win it.”

Dyche admitted he would need to check on several injuries before knowing the XI who might start at Goodison Park.

Vitalii Mykolenko, Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman all missed Saturday’s win while Abdoulaye Doucoure was withdrawn at half-time with a hamstring concern, although Idrissa Gana Gueye and Jarrad Branthwaite are available again after bans.

Tuesday will be Dyche’s first quarter-final as a manager and with a home draw, the prospect of competing for what would be Everton’s first silverware since lifting the FA Cup in 1995 is a tantalising prospect not only for him but his players too.

“The cup is huge for us,” said defender Michael Keane.

“We’ve all been desperate to win something with Everton and to have the chance to get to a semi-final, at home as well, it’s going to be a special night.”