Everton are in a spot of bother this campaign, after selling Romelu Lukaku for a initial £75 million pounds with £15 million in add-on’s coming in the coming seasons Everton had cash to burn. And they did just that with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri granting Koeman a £150 million war chest in order for the former dutch international now turned manager to compete in Europe following their Europa League qualification.
In the transfer market the Toffees completed savvy business they seemed to spend wisely completing dual deals for English prospects Jordan Pickford (from Sunderland) and Michael Keane (Burnley) on 2 £30 million deals. Not to mention enlisting young Spanish Attacker Sandro Ramirez for £5.2 million pipping Atletico Madrid to the signature, all this without mentioning the return of youth academy product Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) on a free transfer, Davy Klaasan (Ajax) for £23.6 million and the Icelandic midfielder Glyfi Sigurdsson (Swansea) for £45 million.
(Everton have spent big this summer with £150 million worth of investment)
But despite these signings Everton have been lacklustre this season and despite a £150 million investment Everton currently sit in the relegation places in 18th and the widely praised Koeman from last season was axed, currently former Everton player and Under-23’s manager David Unsworth is at the helm of the Liverpool based club.
But while many pundits and fans alike want him to stay despite losses against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and Leicester City in the League with Phil Neville among others backing the former centre-back, but Arsenal Legend Ian Wright is not so convinced.
“If Everton hand him the reins now ahead of time, it could turn out to be the worst move either of them could make. Romanticism is all fine and good but it doesn’t win you points and matches. The Premier League is not like that. If you’re not up to it, if you’re not ready, it chews you up and spits you out, and for Everton it is all about survival.
“If anyone truly believes doing a great job with the Under-23s qualifies you as a Prem manager, they’re sadly mistaken.”
(Current manager David Unsworth could be set to return back down to the Under 23’s following his 2 defeats)
The Everton hierarchy it seems agree with Wright, and they have set their sights on one of Carlo Ancelotti or Thomas Tuchel. The two former Bundesliga managers would arguably be a step up for Everton with Tuchel renowned for his attacking style he deployed at Dortmund and Carlo Ancelotti renowned for his success across Europe, Ancelotti, who is open to a return to the Premier League would be a good fit for Everton but following his dismissal at Bayern has decided to take the rest of the year off.
Meanwhile Tuchel who has been out of work since the summer following his sacking by Borussia Dortmund has also been linked with the vacant Everton job, his brand of attacking direct football would be a welcome change for a Everton team who this campaign have found scoring troubling. But their troubles extend to the back as Everton have the least clean sheets in the Premier League tying at only 1 with Bournemouth.
But while the board set their hopes high with Tuchel and Ancelotti the reality is that they won’t get either, if they fail to get either the Merseyside club will turn their attentions to Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce. Sean Dyche wants more money to spend on transfers and Everton could be the place for him, with a owner intent on getting Everton to the big time Dyche currently sits as the Bookmakers favourite.
Meanwhile currently retired Sam Allardyce has come out to state that he is considering taking the Everton job, as we have seen with Palace after his sacking at the hands of the English national team he can steer clubs out of rocky waters. But there is a hidden cost of hiring the experienced Englishman with Palace to receive £2 million from Everton if they hire “Big Sam.” The contract with Palace saw the Eagles insert a clause stating they would be due compensation were Allardyce to step into any club job before a certain date, while the date is unclear the compensation fee is set to reduce come January 2018.
(It could be a English manager that takes the helm of Everton with Allardyce and Dyche set to go head to head for the Goodison job)
Everton who currently sit in a woeful 18th need to act fast in order to catapult themselves through the positions, their dire position is a far cry from the dizzying heights they achieved last season finishing 6th and granting them entry into the Europa League (which they are equally doing woeful in). So whatever the Everton board decide they need to so so quickly or £150 million worth of players could decide to leave Goodison park for pastures new.
By Lewis Holman
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