Dyche must get it right today as Everton face season-defining game

We have been here before of course, so many times over the last few years that you lose count of how many of these 'must-win' 'six-pointers' Everton have played.

But this afternoon's clash with the Clarets at the Grand Old Lady just might be the most important of them all so far.

I say this because of the unique situation the Blues find themselves in after a campaign of unprecedented chaos, confusion and controversy.

Everton go into today's match on the back of the worst winless run in the club's entire history without a victory in the Premier League since the 16th December, away at Burnley.

This is an even more disastrous run than any of the preceding ones that we have witnessed under previous managers such as Rafa Benitez or Frank Lampard.

Despite grabbing late on what could prove a precious point at Newcastle United on Tuesday night, the Toffees look a long way from breaking this dreadful groundhog day of failure.

At the same time having suffered what has become effectively a six point deduction for breaching PSR, the Blues are also facing yet another potential penalty the amount of which we still don't know.

And on top of that, unlike in past campaigns, Everton effectively don't have an owner after Farhad Moshiri agreed to sell his shares to 777 Partners and withdrawn from supporting the club but with the Premier League still to give approval for their takeover.

This means that even if they wanted to the people in temporary charge cannot replace Sean Dyche with another manager as Moshiri ultimately did so often in the past when results got bad.

So, the team are trapped in a cycle which is impossible to escape from other than a radical upturn in form and fortunes on the pitch.

And in my view in order to have any real hope of surviving and avoiding relegation, that upturn has to start today.