Dyche has 're-established fortress Goodison mentality'
Goodison Park was a different place on Saturday. No sign of pain or anguish etched on fans' faces as they prepared for a match that, on the face of it, had very little riding on it.
Sheffield United were already relegated and Everton already safe, but there remains genuine fear for the fans that they are never too far away for another negative, doom-laden story.
That is why three points were still necessary. They banished the threat of Luton Town finishing the season within nine points of them. Everton are confident that despite their current financial problems, as well as their longstanding ownership uncertainty, they will avoid having to go into administration and avoid another points deduction that could have had devastating consequences.
They are now 15th in the Premier League, and 14 points clear of third-from-bottom Luton.
In the whole scheme of things, it does not appear to be much worth getting excited about. But it is also worth pointing out that Everton would be above Fulham, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth but for the eight-point deduction meted out for breaching profitability and sustainability regulations.
Again, while it is not something to be making too much noise about, it remains a massive improvement on the team's points tally and final position compared with the previous two seasons.
While it has been a long and hard season, Sean Dyche has managed to get the best out of a squad that lacks depth and brought belief to the players. When the going got tough, he made it clear the players "would be paid back" if they continued to work hard individually and collectively. In the end, he was proved right.
Everton's home results had been dreadful, even if many of the performances in the should have produced more victories. Survival hopes rested on their ability to change that dramatically.
That is precisely what they did.
Five straight home wins is not the form of relegation candidates, especially as one was against title-chasing Liverpool. The fact they were achieved without conceding at all serves to underline the feat.
Dyche has managed to re-establish the "fortress Goodison" mentality among players and fans.
Given all that has happened this season, that is quite a remarkable achievement.
