Resilience. Fortitude. Defensive aptitude. Three things that are simply intrinsic to Sean Dyche's philosophy as a manager, and they are three things that he is seeking to implement at Everton.
The Toffees are struggling, and have been doing so for a while now. Last season, they escaped relegation with a narrow victory over Bournemouth on the final day of the Premier League campaign; the year before, a late purple patch ensured that the unthinkable prospect of bowing out did not occur.
At present, the Goodison Park side look set for a battle against the bottom once again, though there are signs that this squad could be successful, despite losing four of their opening five matches of the campaign, blanking across each of those defeats.
Having finished the 2022/23 season as the division's second-lowest scorers, the onus was understandably on bolstering the frontline this summer, but this was done at the expense of enhancing the defence, despite Yerry Mina and Conor Coady's departures.
The exciting Jarrad Branthwaite is back in the fold after a successful loan spell with PSV Eindhoven, praised for his "complete" skill set by the former Boeren manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but more importantly, James Tarkowski still plies his trade in front of Jordan Pickford's goal.
How much did Everton pay for James Tarkowski?
In 2022, a Dyche-led Burnley crashed out of the Premier League and lost their star centre-back Tarkowski, who had chosen not to enter discussions for a contract renewal and departed on a free transfer, choosing Everton as his destination.
Signed by Frank Lampard, Tarkowski penned a lucrative £100k-per-week contract with the Merseyside outfit, who didn't have to pay a transfer fee, and joined to add some power and leadership to a backline that had just spent the 2021/22 year toiling with little reward, albeit avoiding the drop.
Burnley (and indeed Dyche) had been renowned for their cohesion and solidity in the top flight, for years belying their meagre financial pool and proving that teams of lesser lucrative standing can thrive in the modern Premier League.
Tarkowski was integral in this manner, and proved to be one of the most underrated players in the league after several years of hard work.
How much was James Tarkowski worth at Burnley?
Tarkowski was a staple of the Clarets' success, playing 219 matches, scoring seven goals and supplying five assists, with former teammate and centre-half partner Ben Mee claiming that he "epitomises" the work the club did.
At the end of the 2016 winter transfer window, Burnley signed the defender from Brentford for an undisclosed fee, when he was valued at just £3m, according to Football Transfers.
He swiftly asserted himself as one of the Premier League's standout pure centre-backs, working well under Dyche's wing, who prioritises direct, defensive football.
His performances caught the eye of a few divisional rivals, with fast-rising West Ham United bidding in excess of £20m for his services in 2020, only to see their offer rebuffed.
David Moyes would follow that up with a staggering £30m bid, but again, Tarkowski's importance to the Burnley project was clear and he was kept in Lancashire; Leicester City are believed to have made a similar approach.
Burnley demanded a – perhaps exorbitant – fee of £50m for the two-cap England international, and whether they made the correct decision having sunk into the second tier two years later is up for dispute, but it is certainly a testament to Tarkowski's ability.
How much is James Tarkowski worth now?
Having joined the Goodison Park fold around 14 months ago, the 30-year-old has now forged 46 displays, quickly earning the adulation of the devout Everton support with his tenacious performances.
Indeed, though Everton struggled, the defensive axis of Coady and Tarkowski proved to be "hugely important", in the words of Lampard, having let in just seven goals from as many matches – the lowest tally of any team in the Premier League at the time.
Such showings shot his market value up to £29m – according to Football Transfers – having fallen to just £7m in the final days of his career with Burnley.
While he is now valued at just £17m, this is largely due to Everton's dreadful performances for a sustained period, facing yet another relegation battle.
Candidly, it's alarming to think where the outfit would be without the 6 foot colossus' presence at the back.
How good is James Tarkowski?
Despite a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Everton's defence has actually held up pretty well this season, with the other three losses all coming by a goal to nil.
Tarkowski has recorded an impressive average match rating of 6.98 – as per Sofascore – having completed 79% of his passes, made 6.2 ball recoveries, 2.6 clearances and 2.4 interceptions per game in the league thus far, also winning a whopping 69% of his aerial duels.
Once praised as "outstanding" by Dyche, the former Oldham Athletic youngster is one of the most consistent members of the struggling Everton squad, and he will continue to serve as an iron wall this term, hoping that his offence-minded peers click into gear.
A robust and reliable player, Tarkowski ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks, the top 12% for aerial wins and the top 18% for clearances, as per FBref, highlighting his prowess and importance to the Blues backline.
The Everton ship was once ensconced in security and stability, but now faces rough waters for a third successive year.
Amid all the turmoil and tumult, perhaps Tarkowski's leadership, defensive skill and application – exactly what Dyche strives for – could prove to play another big role this year.
As the experienced gaffer said, "anyone can take the ship in calm waters" but "you have to be resilient in tough times."
Tarkowski embodies that, and if the Toffees are to get unstuck, the defensive ace will be at the centre.