Past behaviour is widely considered to be the best indicator of future performance. It’s for this reason that Premier League clubs at the wrong end of the table consider replacing their manager with someone with a proven ability to drag the club away from relegation. The likes of Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis have made a career out of acting as firemen to save stricken clubs.
While Pulis is employed at West Brom, Allardyce is out of work after resigning as Crystal Palace manager in May. The Toffees find themselves in a sticky situation in the relegation zone after spending £134m in the hope of challenging the top teams in the division. Ronald Koeman has paid the price for a questionable summer transfer policy and Everton’s wealthy owners are desperate to ensure their vision for the club does not begin to disintegrate in front of their eyes. Awareness of this has led bookmakers to slash the odds of Allardyce taking over the reins at Goodison Park.
The appointment of the former England manager would indicate a lack of ambition by the club’s board. Everton do not need a miracle worker to turn the club around. They are a hugely wealthy club, with an array of attacking talent in a squad short of a striker or two. Some former Everton players, such as Phil Neville, have called on the club to give caretaker manager David Unsworth the job. However, despite his success at youth level, he remains untested as a manager. The position is currently one of the most sought after in the league and is not the place to serve an apprenticeship.
Sean Dyche is currently flavour of the month after leading Burnley to seventh place in the table. While his talents are there for all to see, I would choose between Thomas Tuchel or Eddie Howe. Tuchel won the German Cup last year and only left Borussia Dortmund after falling out with the owners. Howe meanwhile has proved his ability to play the type of stylish football Everton fans expect to see. He has also demonstrated his ability to get the best out of his players while working in the Premier League, the Championship and League One. After playing under the cold and clinical approach adopted by Koeman, Everton’s players could benefit from the more nuanced approach utilised by the Englishman.
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