Everton have lacked leaders during this barren, relegation-threatened spell, with too many players happy to hide behind one another when things got tough.
It was a collective absence of effort and desire that resulted in two near-misses when it came to avoiding the drop, and only through Sean Dyche’s arrival have they recaptured those imperative elements.
And, funnily enough, the 52-year-old has actually done it with a squad largely assembled by numerous other managers.
He did inherit a few friendly faces though, with James Tarkowski one such example who has taken to Everton with ease and is now seeking to reaffirm his love for the club.
James Tarkowski delivers update on Everton future
Speaking to Everton’s official website, the £100k-a-week titan, who joined from Burnley on a free transfer, has fast become one of the club’s finest pieces of business in recent memory.
Embodying the spirit of the Toffees with impressive speed, he is a demanding leadership figure who never shirks a tackle. That alone has already made him a fan favourite with the Goodison faithful.
However, his latest claim about his future is certain to only reinforce that affection, as he noted: ‘I’m feeling great in terms of where I am at. For me, I want to play as long as I can. I love the game too much, I love being out on the training ground too much, and performing on the weekend.
‘Now I see that my voice matters and people want to listen to what I have got to say on a football pitch and in and around the changing room.’
Everton have been crying out for a James Tarkowski figure
Throughout a year of pure turmoil, first under Rafael Benitez and later Frank Lampard, Everton desperately needed stability.
The latter was handed the 2022 summer transfer window to achieve that, and whilst the bulk of his signings were intelligent and relatively shrewd, his tactical deficiencies failed to mould them into a team capable of comfortable safety.
Dyche finally seems to have achieved that goal, and whilst his intelligence and strategy have played a paramount role, so too have a few key figures.
Tarkowski sits atop that list.
The steely centre-back arrived during a period of real peril at Goodison Park, and although his effect alone was not instant and overwhelming, he has swiftly become one of the club’s most important players.
A solid and reliable defender who is never injured and always up for the battle, he provides leadership and a keen insight into Dyche’s system.
He marshals from the back, and was a key reason why Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite have been so lauded this campaign. That’s what made the Everton man’s omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad all the more questionable.
Regardless, he remains of the Premier League’s unsung heroes, he should be allowed to stay as long as he likes with the Toffees.