Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game at Aston Villa (kick-off 17:30 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
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On the club statement about prospective owner John Textor: “If you’re a prospective owner, you’re going to ask certain questions, finding out about what you’re going to buy and to get a feel.”
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On Textor saying he wants to speak to Dyche about what kind of players he wants to coach: “I haven’t had the chance [to speak yet]. I don’t think the deal’s reached that position. If you’re a prospective owner, you probably would want to build a relationship, or certainly know the manager’s thoughts. He isn’t the current owner but if he did take over I’m sure you’d have that conversation [about players]. I think that’s standard practice.”
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On how he deals with those discussions: “Over my years as a manager, I’ve dealt with many situations, many different players and many different playing styles. I’ve tried to adapt to whatever challenge I’ve had with the group of players I’ve been given.”
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On whether there’s any uncertainty over his future: “The bigger picture of the club is the main focus. The club is still nowhere near where it wants to be. We want to win games – that’s my first thought. It’s not about myself or contracts. It’s about my staff and the players aligning to win games.”
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On his position beyond this season: “The ambition here changes weekly. It’s been an up-and-down period, for the club not just for me. We’ve brought some level of calmness but at the minute it’s a volatile situation on and off the pitch, with talk of ownership change and, on the pitch, not getting the results we want.”
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On new loan signings Armando Broja and Orel Mangala: “Armando’s got an injury so that’ll take a bit of time. Orel’s come in today, been bright and breezy, and wants to be part of the group. We’ll assess it as we go on.”
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On Seamus Coleman‘s apparent injury playing for the Republic of Ireland: “Seamus is touch and go but we’ll see how he recovers from that.”
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On Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson fitness: “Jarrad is just [training] on the grass now so he’s at the beginning of the process and Patto’s the same. They’re starting to train with us every day.”
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On opponents Aston Villa: “The manager [Unai Emery] has done a tremendous job. They’ve invested, but invested well, which is not easy. They’re a good outfit and they’re learning with the more games that come round.”
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