Frank Lampard’s time in charge of Everton is over, with the club announcing that he has departed Goodison Park less than a year after taking the reigns on Merseyside.
The former Chelsea midfielder and manager helped the Toffees avoid the drop last season in the final week of the season, but a 2-0 defeat to equally relegation-threatened West Ham over the weekend proved the final nail in the coffin for the Englishman, and he leaves them 19th in the Premier League, only off the foot of the Premier League table courtesy of goal difference. Here are some of the names linked with the job and betting odds for the next Everton manager.
Frank Lampard has been sacked by Everton, as expected — official club statement to follow 🚨🔵 #EFC pic.twitter.com/TzPqLqs6Gb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 23, 2023
With 40 points normally a sure sign of safety, the Toffees need a major upturn in form in the second half of the campaign, needing to pick up 25 points from 18 games (1.39 points per game), a big improvement on their current 0.75 per game offering.
So, where can they turn?
101 takes a look at five possible options for the Toffees.
Sean Dyche
One name familiar to Everton fans will be former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, who has been out of work since the Clarets parted ways with him last season.
He is also more than capable of managing a low-scoring side, with Everton currently managing the second-fewest goals in the Premier League, something that his Burnley sides were renowned for.
However, he is unlikely to provide attractive football, which could be a dealbreaker from an Everton fan’s standpoint.
Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Ferguson left Everton after his second temporary spell in caretaker charge, but the bookies currently make him the second favourite for the job recently vacated by Lampard.
The Toffees legend would certainly inject some pride into the Merseyside outfit again, and his record isn’t terrible at the helm either, with five points coming from his five games in charge including an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea.
Major question marks surround his ability to do the job longer term, however, with the Scot having had no experience of managing either on a permanent basis or in a relegation fight. Priced at 7/2, he would be a risk even if he is a Toffee through and through.
Marcelo Bielsa
From pragmatic to idealistic, former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is another option for the Toffees, currently priced at 4/1 betting odds to be next in the Everton hotseat.
Unlike Dyche, Bielsa’s football is certainly entertaining, though it often fails to get results with the Argentine becoming a fan favourite at Elland Road before he was sacked in an attempt to avoid the drop last season, a move which ultimately saw Burnley head down instead of the Yorkshire side.
Still out of work, the manager famous for ‘murderball’ and man-to-man marking could be making his way to Goodison Park, though he would likely need far more time than just until the end of the season to make Everton a force again.
Wayne Rooney
The first man on the list currently in employment, former Everton star Wayne Rooney is in charge of DC United in the MLS, but earned his stripes in English football with Derby County.
Presently he has odds of 7/1 to take the Everton Managers role at his boyhood club, the MLS season is over, making a potential switch easier. The Englishman is keen to make his mark on the Premier League, and rejected the role last season before Lampard took it, telling the media that it was a ‘difficult’ decision.
“I believe I will be a Premier League manager – I believe I’m ready for that, 100%. And if that is with Everton one day in the future that would be absolutely great. But I’ve got a job here that I’m doing at Derby County which is an important job to me”, he explained at the time.
A year on, his patience could be rewarded.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Last on the list is former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who is currently managing Saudi Arabia side Al-Ittihad and is 9/1 to take charge of a third Premier League club.
Released by Spurs in October 2021, the Portuguese manager has plenty of experience in the Premier League, while he could also help get even more out of Conor Coady, who he managed while at Wolves.
Whether he could prove a long term fix for Everton is another matter, but he is another than knows how to win games even when you struggle to score goals, and could prove perfect to keep the Toffees out of the Championship this campaign.
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