I wonder when and how you start getting in touch with prospective new managers. How do you advertise it. It should be seamless in practice to replace a manager coming to the end of his contract you would think.

The only two names I recognise are Howe and McKenna. Shows you how much football I watch!

Howe is low risk, and may not be that adventurous an appointment. But if it was him, I wouldn't be too put out. Knows the league, working on smaller budgets from his time at Bournemouth and has developed his C.V with his time at Newcastle. He would develop the footballing style following on from Moyes. A couple of seasons of finishing 8th is a step up for us, although not what we want long term.

Great read Robert, very well researched as usual.

Of the potential candidates you listed, who would be your preferred selection?

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm still mentally scarred from the Moshiri Era, I clearly remember contemplating League 1 football at half time against Palace!

With that still very fresh in the mind, I'm more than happy with a 'safety first' appointment like Eddie Howe.

The football will be decent enough, he'll have us in or around the European places. And I won't feel physically ill whilst watching the game.

Moyes is on course and doing well so talk of new managers is immaterial at this time.

I wonder if there are any circumstances under which Moyes would still be the manager next season. He seems to be tired and bored when being interviewed. Perhaps he will really give it a go in the cups knowing this is to be his last hurrah.

The problem with hiring a manager is you never know if they are a good fit until you try them. Even the great Carlo Ancelotti found it very difficult to slot himself into the Everton managers shoes. Why would any of the above mentioned be any different ? We have become an enigma of a club. How Farhad Moshiri must wish he could have tried before he err... Buyed. He'd have saved himself million in compensation pay outs

I have a mate who has always weirdly been more interested in what goes on behind the scenes than what happens on the pitch. He assures me that Thomas Tuchel's assistant (somebody he personally knows) is already primed and has his hat ready to throw into the ring.

For now though. I personally want to focus on that last hurrah

Eddie spent literally nearly a billion pound at Newcastle. How do we think he will get his head around a £20m spend?

The next appointment will be a bland coach who will do as he's told, they won't want anyone who will raise questions about the tiny net spend. So we can forget about most of the interesting candidates. the job spec will expect the winning candidate to do as he's told, deal with massive fan expectation, and not spend any money.

Can't see us offering much in salary either.

Objectively, Moyes would be in the running based on your criteria, and having won a European trophy, experience in the Prem, and being familiar with the club, he would be an excellent candidate.

I get that there is too much history for him to be a universally accepted candidate - and maybe it is time for a change. But the risks associated with changing managers we know all too well, and it rarely leads to improvement.

For me, I agree, Howe is the safer candidate. But I'd be really interested in giving Carsley an opportunity.

I also think Moyes has earned the right to have some input on this - and we could do worse than consult with him. Bringing Carsley in from December to provide 6months handover with Moyes, let him assess the squad, give him some input on transfers and work with Moyes during a transition period would be great value.

It would need Moyes consent and buy-in, which may not come easily. But if the fanbase is so adamant on change, this seems the best way to allow some continuity and control.

Even with the steady foundations at Man City - their transition to Maresca isn't simple. So don't expect Everton to do it any better. Its not the Everton way...

IMO.

Don't disagree with any of the comments so far.

Moyes is maybe doing better than expected right now, but the end of his contract is a fact with a defined time, so its valid to be thinking about this now.

Maybe TFG are holding back, knowing a new manager will need them to spend. Maybe they will go for a vanilla "yes man" to keep the bottom line attractive to new owners. We wont know until the time comes.

One think not mentioned in the article and I think is a huge part of any appointment these days is, "How highly do the players rate the new manager?"

We've all heard the "show us your medals" routine but I do think a version of that is still a massive factor for dressing rooms in the Premier League. Players have their agents (who basically run their entire careers), whispering in their ear as to what to think. Players themselves all play Football Manager and FIFA so will have an opinion from the digital world. It only takes one or two in the dressing room to suggest that "He's not all that, or he doesn't play wingers, or always plays 5 at the back etc... to plant the seeds of insubordination and that manager is likely to be toast within months.

So, while I agree that we don't want a seasoned CL manager who can only work with £50M 28 year old's, whoever comes in has to have some gravitas and reputation that respected by the dressing room.

As David himself knows.

I’d be pretty underwhelmed with Eddie Howe. His PL performance ratio is no better than Moyes. He’d be a bit more attacking,(not a difficult achievement), but I doubt he’ll do an Emery and take us to the next level. I’ve got a lot of time for McKenna, but he’s better suited to Palace or Fulham.
Basques are en vogue at the moment, I’m happy to be paid by the club to hang around Bilbao and find someone. We probably have the most British club playing squad in the PL, though, there’s little European playing experience there. Would that suit a German coach rather than a Spanish one?

Robert makes the point that strong club operations enable coaches to slot into BHA, Brentford and Bournemouth without a sustained drop in results.

They hire young coach profiles who have worked in a similar model to their own, accepting the strategy to buy young talent, committing to give them playing minutes and relying on the recruitment and analytics team recommendations.

When they vary it as Bournemouth did with Marco Rose, the hire must be comfortable operating in the club system.

Moyes is more of a traditional manager who wants control over recruitment and operations, relies on experienced players and will only give regular game time to young players after they have been at the club for 12 months.

Which begs the question, once he had stabilised the club why was he retained? I think TFG’s attitude is fairly cynical in keeping him in place.

Spot the fall guy.

Steve B # 2, my preference would be Kieran McKenna. He reminds me of Martinez, Rodgers and Kompany. He transformed a small club, got a mixed ability team playing Champions League style football and won 3 promotions in 4 years. This was not driven by outstanding club operations, this was driven by his vision and coaching. At the moment we are building up our club operations but they are far from outstanding. So McKenna would be a good choice - with potential to go really high as the club operations and budget get better and bigger. The issue with him (a bit like Martinez) is whether he can organise a defence. That remains to be seen.

Darren # 5, Ancelotti was a poor fit for the quality of squad we had at the time and the budget available to improve it. A world class manager, no doubt about it, but not a magician. You don't get Real Madrid results without a Real Madrid squad and budget.

Kevin # 6, agreed, as with all of these managers, Howe will be limited by the budget available for improving the squad. I don't think Everton will spend anything like as much as Newcastle did, so I don't think Howe would replicate his Newcastle "success" at Everton. I also don't think he's an especially great coach, albeit he might be a good fit for our next 3 years.

Steve B # 10, totally. As much as our budget, the main thing holding back our progress into the Top 6 and Cup success is going to be the quality of our club operations. Especially if our budget is going to be lower than 8 or so other clubs (at least) then our club operations - probably more so than the manager - need to be outstanding. Look at Brentford. Does anyone believe Keith Andrews is an outstanding coach?

Finally, one thing I didn't mention in the article is that there's a good chance half a dozen or more Premier League clubs will change manager before us. DeZerbi and Carrick are already under real pressure for massively underperforming the investment in the playing squad. Someone will be sacked before Christmas. They always are - and so a few of the managers listed in the article might already have found a new club before we (very probably) part company with Moyes next summer.

if we aren't near the relegation spots by Christmas Moyes will be offered another couple of years.

I said weeks ago Hurzeler before he came flavour of the month, but would he come here. He's just signed a longish contract and is probably comfortable at Brighton.
Robert you will know much more than me about McKenna but the impression I get off his interviews is he looks and sounds half asleep, I've no doubt he knows his stuff but he doesn't come across very well.Now I know it's results that are paramount but in this day and age image is important too, I can imagine knowing Evertonians it will be something to hit him over the head with if things don't go to plan!
Sure every team needs a manager and some will be better than others but they are all very difficult to assess. Is their success achieved because of them or because of the players they have in the squad?
I'm a big believer in that the players are very much more important than any manager and for that reason just engaging a new manager and not better class players will lead to failure again.
I've rambled on somewhat and we will have to find someone to be manager at a later date obviously, there's not many around that I'm keen on and there's no doubt even though he managed the reds Klopp was inspirational.
The like of him are not very common though!

Robert, I've often wondered if you gave Pep Guardiola the Everton. Palace or Fulham jobs, how well would he do.

With Martinez, I think the midweek Palace defeat, having won convincingly at Arsenal, was his Sliding Doors moment. We were so close to CL qualification, and the Palace defeat was so costly. I wonder if we had qualified, how would that summer transfer window, and the following season had turned out. Would CL football have made Bobby reassess his style?

Raymond, there's a part of me, albeit a very perverse part, would almost like to see Klopp at Everton. Him, or someone like him, would be so transformative for the club. Iw would never happen, I know.

I was inside the stadium when McKenna’s, Ipswich, destroyed Millwall, playing some very good attacking football, but when it came to the Premier League, I’m not sure he was pragmatic enough?

Martinez did something similar with Swansea, taking them to a few promotions, but it’s definitely a lot tougher in the top league.

Someone who identifies what brings Evertonians alive, would be my choice. Someone who likes to play fast, aggressive, front foot football, is what our club needs next.

Kieran. I think that first season under Martinez was the last time I felt we were onto something. The days when the only thing we got irate about was the club badge. We shone briefly under Ancelotti but, sadly, came down with the Christmas decorations that year. The 2013/14 season under Martinez had us playing some lovely stuff with Barkley, Deulofeu, Stones, Lukaku, Barry and McCarthy. We should have won the Goodison derby but Distin gave away a stupid free kick. We beat Man United home and away. Played really well at the Emirates before Christmas and beat Arsenal at Goodison. The Crystal Palace game at Goodison was damaging. I seem to remember us conceding two own goals away at Southampton as well (was it Alcaraz and Coleman?) Martinez's signings gradually got worse and he started to believe his own hype. In true Everton fashion, we very nearly went a whole calendar year without losing at home but Tim Howard got sent off (when Leon Osman ruined Christmas in our house) resulting in us losing to Sunderland on Boxing Day.

I liked what Martinez stood for though. He seemed to recognise us as having a fanatical fanbase and that we were a sleeping giant. He lifted the whole place. Remember the Bring me Sunshine Christmas campaign? We need someone to do the same in 2027. I like David Moyes and part of me thinks it's a case of being careful what you wish for; look at West Ham. I'd welcome a move away from the KITAP1 approach and to hear a manager before a game state that we're going for the win rather than the "do our best to get something out of the game" that we hear every week.

Regarding managers, I can't argue with Robert's analysis. I don't know the current managers well enough, particularly overseas ones. One candidate that seems to be doing well at the moment is Keith Andrews.

One point I would make is that it isn't that long ago that Evertonians were urging the club to move for van Nistelrooy before someone else recruited him. Look how that turned out. Similarly with Graham Potter. He was flavour of the month, briefly but got found out at Chelsea and West Ham. There's been managers throughout the Premier League era who have looked good for a season or two: Burley, Laudrup, Wilder, Thomas Frank. Carrick looks like he's been found out. Hell, even Mike Walker looked a good fit in the mid 90s.

I think more importantly, we need to find new owners to move us from stability to being a consistent success and that will demand action, oodles of money and a change of philosophy across the whole club.

One thing that I am getting sick of though is us banging on about our history. Of course we are rightly proud of it but we need a future and a plan to get us there. Teams like Brighton and Brentford recruit managers who suit their profile; we've tried different approaches, sometimes polar opposites.

Klopp is an interesting example. He joined the RS in October 2015. He'd done the lower league transformation job with Mainz and (despite relegation) took on the Dortmund job. Two league titles and a Champions League final followed. We won't be able to tempt a manager with those sorts of credentials to the club. The fact is they will have offers from clubs already competing in the Champions League.

Hence I think we need to find our own Klopp before a Champions League club takes a chance on him. That is really what the list in the article is about. Who could be the next Klopp or Kompany etc and is within our reach?

We could go for the safer bet like Eddie Howe and he will probably improve the football without improving the results (it will be more / better players than improve the results). That will be enough for some (along with the fact that those who despise Moyes can breathe a sigh of relief).

Personally I'd rather move straight to the transformational coach - accepting that season one or even two might be a real struggle (as it was with Klopp in season one, and Arteta too for a few seasons). At some point boring, safe, conservative Everton needs to take risk and dare to move on. Moyes helped get us to that place when we appointed Martinez - a genuinely transformational manager (albeit far too fleeting). Maybe Moyes' final season can be about getting us in similarly good shape for our next transformational manager.

Interesting food for thought Robert,and very appropriate given the time factor regarding Moyes’s contract.What we don’t know is will he be offered an extension,and if he is will he take it?

Another complication may be the introduction of new investors.How much of a stake will they have and how much will they be able to influence any new appointment?Are the Friedkins getting ready to “flip” the club and so may have little concern about who is manager?

So many indeterminable factors,and yet could have a huge influence on the outcome.

To get to the original question of who should be the next manager,I don’t rate Eddie Howe as a coach,but I think he might have found another job before Moyes situation is resolved.

I would probably agree with you regarding McKenna but with strong reservations.Could I just play devils advocate and throw two more names into the debate,Le Bris from Sunderland or Jakirovic from Hull.Both seem to have over achieved with the squads they have although I admit it’s early days yet and Jakirovic is well travelled in Croatia.

I like Hurzeler but believe he is having too much success at BHA to take a gamble on Everton and Klopp-do me a favour!!

I believe there is a lot of merit in Raymond’s point that it is the quality of the players that is more important than the manager but I’m afraid we have a long way to go on that score.

An interesting and impressive article Robert that shows up my own meagre knowledge of football beyond these shores.
There is a lot I can agree with and your assumption regarding the timeline for Moyes staying on as our manager collates to my own…I would have thought that if our silent owners had felt Moyes was their man for the long-haul they would have provided him with more funds during the last transfer window.
We do part course though on who we would like to be our next manager. While I can appreciate the reasons you expressed for not wanting a manager with a Champions League resumé my (dream) idea of our next manager comes directly from that area and I will explain why.

For too long we have been over shadowed by our near neighbours and have shivered at the thought of both playing them and for that matter most of the top sides we’ve encountered. I feel we need a personality who can see that not as a hinderance but as a challenge. Someone who has been in that position before and relishes the idea of making us the top dog in this City.

Someone not frightened to stick up for himself, who can be nasty when necessary and can inspire his players from the youth team up to the first team squad with his energy and big game experience… allowing them to have the confidence to face up to adverse conditions and fight back against them.
He will also need to have the character and pedigree that will enable him to handle tricky conversations/demands from our new owners and be able to command their respect.
The man I would love us to go for is…Diego Simeone.

The way he dragged Atletico to dislodge the Madrid/Barca dominance without a massive budget (compared to Madrid/Barca) is an incredible achievement. He has won many trophies but the one that alludes him (only just) is the Champions League. So I am sure he is still hungry for that.
Whether our owners would have both the money and balls to entice someone of Simeone’s calibre to Everton of course is another matter.

An unrealistic dream…well there was a time when our new stadium was just a dream.

Not everyone will agree but I thought that Marco Silva, might have been a lot more successful if his DOF had been better at recruiting the right players?

The reason I bring Silva into the conversation is because he was definitely someone that Moshiri had chosen a long time before he came, so maybe the same thing might be happening now, even though I am of the same opinion as Craig@16, and think it’s a lot more important that first we find new owners.

Recruitment is massive though because even if Barry, turns into a genuine centre forward, whoever sanctioned the deal to pay £27 million for him, when the only other striker we had on the books was Beto, is definitely out of their league, imo.

Robert, I have no respect for Vincent Kompany. He got Burnley up in style but then shafted them once in the PL. It was basically a season-long advertisement of his philosophy and he had no interest in doing what it took to try and keep Burnley up. Every presser was a job interview for the big clubs.

Marco Silva was a decent manager. Less successful with more spending power than Moyes though - although you're right, he was let down by poor recruitment just at the point we were poised to kick on. I wouldn't describe him as transformational. I would give him "competent".

As for Simeone, I'd love him too. He has done extremely well with Atletico (albeit with the third biggest budget by a mile in La Liga). However, he could basically choose to revive any sleeping giant he wants. AC Milan, Man Utd etc. He hasn't and it doesn't look like he will. There is literally no chance he would be remotely interested in joining us.

Kompany and Burnley both knew what they were doing. Burnley are (or recently have been) a very profitable club. Their business model can accommodate yo-yoing up and down. Kompany used them as a stepping stone and Burnley used him to pull together a good squad of players, many of whom they've made a decent profit on. To my mind their mistake was following him with Scott Parker who plays a much more basic brand of football. They had the opportunity to make Champions League style football their trademark. It looks like they are trying this path again with ex Club Brugge coach Nicky Hayen. Good for them, I hope they succeed.

Very well researched and thought out Robert but I do wish we could stop feeling that Ancelotti was unsuccessful.
If he hadn't been shafted and put off by the scally's I am convinced we would have won something with him and remember he managed during the pandemic with no crowds at Goodison.
Perhaps Davide has some of his dad's skills?

Like Stu #18 I was surprised you didn't shortlist Le Bris who has done very well with Sunderland.

I would also add that for me Eddie Howe is a Bournemouth standard manager and will never be an elite coach

First of all, Robert, a great article — must have taken ages.

One thing in your first paragraph made me smile, though: "its highly likely the clubs succession planning is already well underway"

I doubt it somehow, more likely we will approach some manager totally left field at 11.30pm on the eve of the 27-28 season! Or maybe Howe or McKenna would be attractive to our silent owners if it means we don't have to pay compensation out to another club.

My choice would have been Oliver Glasner, maybe if Notts Forest lose 2 games on the trot Marinakis will pull the trigger. But on the Premier League manager merry-go-round he might go back to Palace or Fulham.

Ex-newcastle manager to Everton — Gordon Lee. Only David Lawson and Jim Pearson let him down.

You said that Silva, was less successful with more spending power than Moyes, but probably because he preferred his team to play on the front foot Robert?

How can you play on the front foot with slow defenders? Silva lost Zouma and gained Moise Keane. Brands, thought he had done a great job, but his lack of experience with regards English football and Marco’s, lack of pragmatism after being sold short, soon had us looking for another manager.

It will be interesting to see how Silva does at Benfica, because with better players I think when his attacking system works it can blow teams away, but getting back to Everton, I think it’s imperative that we find a manager who can get us playing with loads of aggression.

If my memory serves me right, losing Gueye and replacing him with a perma-crocked Gbamin was what did it for Silva.
Poor little fella aged a decade in the year he was with us.

With genuine respect the tone of this piece just reminds me of the acceptance of even more mediocrity when it comes to our ownership/manager, such has existed for decades now.

We fans want top five football minimum, achieved by football that makes opponents fear us with respect.

Our player recruitment has for decades been inadequate to achieving that end, with a very too few exceptions. That is the most serious failure of our owners/managers.

We need a manager and recruiting team to have the ability to identify such players, and an owner with the desire and wealth to sign them.

Get that right and we'll win a trophy.

Get it wrong, as ever for 30 years now, and it's more of the same mundanity.

Don, I don't think it's an acceptance of mediocrity. The choice of potential manager available to us is a reflection of the club's standing. Offering a Klopp or a Pep or an Ancelotti a multi million pound contract on a five year deal is farcical. They're not going to buy into the project. As Robert says @22, why would wven the likes of Simeone come near us?

The elite managers wouldn't touch us with a barge pole at the moment. The thrust of the article is about getting in a manager who will bring us up a couple of levels.

Feel free to suggest your managerial choices,Don.

When I look at the overall position of investment of TFG regarding Everton they are thinking in terms of Premier League survival just above midtable. If they get higher than that they will cope with that, but as yet have no plans.I think the most likely scenario is a one year Moyes extension.

I agree with Don regarding the acceptance of mediocrity, he is has for years pointed it out and can identify it. Robert and John are right in the level of Manager that would be under considered, but I don't know if TFG have the same stomach for risk.Silva was the best and most capable manager over the the turbulent period and the Ancelotti and even Benitez tenures showed how blatant the Culture within Everton could be. Fergusion and Usworth in their over blue track suits introduced to Benitez by Barret-Baxendale will go down in Everton history as one of the most disgraceful photo opt. As if any of them knew anything about football.

At least we have moved on from that crap and the rats are not on view. Though we know they are still there and we have to be vigilant.

Robert, fair and informative point on the Kompany/Burnley relationship. I think the yo yo clubs are at somewhat of an advantage, if they are well ran and structurely sound.

They don't have to offer multi year expensive PL contracts to players, can benefit from parachute payments if relegated, and are, as you say in a position to to take a chance on a progressive proactive manager. As a fan, I wouldn't fancy it.

Brighton finished 8th last season, but gave 46% of their playing minutes to players aged 24 years and under. Their average squad age is 25.2 years.

They are really seeing the benefit now of signing young players and giving them significant minutes last season. They also made a net profit of £37.5m during the summer 2026 transfer window.

Is that down to Hurtzeler's exceptional coaching ability or the club's exceptional football operations? I think the latter, so our priority has to be developing a top-class football operations that serves the club's strategy to sign young talent and develop the Academy.

The coach should slot into that formula, therefore a "manager" profile like David Moyes is not what is needed.

Cesc Fabregas could certainly show off a few medals, and has done very well as coach at Como.

He may have his eye on an introduction to coaching in the EPL.

It's pointless talking about ambitious managers with this crew in charge. NONE of our previous managers would come near us under the current regime save for Dyche. The Yanks have come in, and actually downgraded us. They took over the worst squad in the league, spent £80m last year, and nothing this. These aren't mistakes, they have us on a leash, we aren't going anywhere until we get them out.

They will be thinking that we can get lucky with recruitment every year like we did this year (in terms of bargains paying off).. And that we can sell a good player every year and just keep things ticking over whilst we the fans fund the rest through the increased ticket sales etc..

Feel free to accept your managerial choice Don, is exactly how I read his post John.

Accept your place, don’t get above your station, even though you have stood on a station, when Everton, were most definitely amongst the greatest clubs in the land.

Anything is possible in this life, but how do we expect things to genuinely improve if people are not demanding it?

I loved Fabregas the footballer, Peter, he was pure quality, a midfielder who could do absolutely everything, but my own view is that Everton, probably need a double act, even though this is another thing that has become very rare in the modern game.

Don is wrong to say fans lack ambition, we have ambition but we also realise we are shackled by spending rules and when we get a star or two they want away. We all want to win, why wouldn't we, but we aren't stupid either.

In business if rules restrict trade for individuals it is deemed unlawful, OK it's football and they make their own rules, but they are killing the competition for us and most teams.

I'll bow to Roberts superior knowledge as far as choosing a manager is concerned. My Idea is that we need an inspirational one as I said previously to shake us and the owners up. Martinez in spite of his faults was that.

I enjoy reading your comments Anthony and your idea of a ‘double act’ is an interesting suggestion but likely to be tricky to implement…the nearest to us having this type of set-up was probably during our amazing run in the eighties with Kendall & Harvey although Colin was very much in the background… I’m not sure who could work together in a similar way these days.
Perhaps as Graeme mentioned, a link up -for a small period of time- with Moyes and Carsley in tandem forming a partnership hopefully propelling us in the right direction and at the same time allowing Carsley to gain valuable experience of the premier league before taking sole control.
Fabregas is a good shout Peter and in my eyes would be a contender.

I'm genuinely sad that this has been interpreted as an "accepting mediocrity" article. For me, the whole thing is about plotting our route back to Champions League qualification - not at plucky underdogs amongst the big boys, but as as club with genuinely top class players.

To do this there are three vital ingredients:

- outstanding club operations (i.e. academy, recruitment and development delivering top class players)

- a competitive budget (i.e. Rich 6 levels sometimes but not always)

- an outstanding manager capable of playing Champions League style football.

It is truly hopeless to think that a manager is out there who can deliver without the club operations and budget.

Simeone for example certainly hasn't done it that way. He has the third biggest budget by a mile in La Liga, an exceptional academy delivering world class players and quality recruitment.

To your point Jay # 23, Ancelotti was as a matter of fact unsuccessful at Everton. He finished barely higher with us than Dyche got us (outrageous points deduction aside) with a much, much worse squad. However, had we given Ancelotti the competitive budget and outstanding recruitment etc to deliver a top quality squad then the sky would have been the limit. As with everywhere else he's been, he'd have won silverware and assured us of Champions League runs.

As for Fabregas, he's already a Champions League manager with Como. His next step will be Barca, Arsenal or Chelsea. Everton is a stepping stone he doesn't need. He's already past all that. Hence, as per everything else I've been saying, we need to find our own Fabregas before he's proved himself. That comes with risk of failure too - but Moyes will leave us in the sort of state where we are well placed to take the risk.

We live in a different age now David, and in this age it seems like everyone wants to be the main man.

Wayne Rooney, is talking about managing Everton, but he’s a failed manager so doesn’t really have the credentials.

Why do you want to be the manager, Wayne? Is what I’d ask him. Look at Colin Harvey, he wasn’t the best manager, but everyone respected him because he was a fantastic coach.

Maybe you could become a fantastic coach yourself, if you stopped wanting to be a manager!

Robert I’m finding myself confused by some of your comments…one moment your rallying against mediocrity and the next you're suggesting that high-profile managers such as Simeone and Fabregas wouldn’t be interested in managing our Club as they already have Champions League football and if they were to come to England it would be for bigger fish than Everton.

I’ve no idea what Simeone’s budget was when he first joined Atletico although I do know they were a mid-table side in La Liga then and within a short period of time he turned them into title winners. This wasn’t due to budget this was down to diligence, determination and character all things that he was able to transfer from himself through to his players on the pitch… if they didn’t show that type of application they were out and it didn’t matter whether you were an expensive purchase or a young lad from the youth team.

Maybe after 15 years in charge it’s possible he could fancy a new challenge moving to the best domestic league in the world. At a team who are not one of the now traditional giants but one that have shown in the past that they are a top Club and are now on the up, with a fanatical fan base similar to the one he enjoys at Atletico.

Clearly, to convince someone of Simeone’s stature to come to us would take some incredible persuasion by our owners… it would not be just about his wages or budget both vital aspects but most important of all would be to show him that the Club trusts him to develop a side in his mould and one with their backing will in time compete with the best in the league.

At first it won’t be pretty because to achieve this will require extreme levels of fitness and dedication where players, fans and owners buy into the managers principles. Also required will be patience a commodity that is in even more short supply these days… but this is one advantage we do have over the Man Utd’s and their like as we have not won a trophy since 1995 we can be patient if we see the Club is making strides in the right direction. Once we get to that point and the manager has us all onboard then our new spectacular stadium will be rocking and suddenly the atmosphere will be electric.
Yes this may be a dream…one that we as fans can do little to determine. It can only be achieved by the desire of our owners and for them to be aware that mediocracy is not an option any longer at Everton Football Club.

By the way I’m not suggesting that Simeone (or Fabregas for that matter) are the only choices but finding a relatively unproven manager with the passion to transfer our Club from top to bottom is going to be a difficult ask…I just hope that when the time comes our owners will make an inspired appointment.

David # 42, it is very simple surely?

At the moment, we are mediocre and there's no getting away from that. We have been for a large part of the past 40 years. Once we have stopped being mediocre, then we become attractive to more established names (or perhaps vanity appointments).

Until then, we need to find someone of drive and talent who is not yet an established name.

You like Simeone as a manager. Who doesn't? But who was Simeone when Atletico appointed him in 2011/12? At that point he was a young manager with a very patchy track record. For 5 or so years after he finished playing, he knocked around a handful of different clubs in Argentina and one minnow in Italy, barely lasting more than a season anywhere.

By your logic, they were surely accepting mediocrity in trusting him with a squad that had some world class youth (Courtois, Koke, Saul Niguez), a world class South American contingent (Godin, Falcao, Forlan) and a very high quality squad overall.

By the same logic, Arsenal were surely accepting mediocrity by replacing Unai Emery with untested Mikel Artea and, many years prior, replacing George Graham with some bloke last plying a trade in Japanese football.

But the reality is that these clubs weren't accepting mediocrity, they were trusting someone they considered to have outstanding potential. If you want the article to be a rallying cry of some kind - then that is it.

To transform this club, we need to find our own version of Simeone, Arteta, Wenger, Fabregas etc etc.

The managers / coaches listed in the article suggest who that might (and might not) be.

And since I had overlooked him, I was genuinely interested in Darren's comments # 5 regarding Anthony Barry. He in only 40 but has an outstanding resume in coaching with Chelsea, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Bayern and England. And he was once on our books as a youngster. Massive risk to give him the manager's job without any prior club experience as a manager - but that is what Arsenal did after getting rid of Emery. So if the guy has real talent, then why not?

And whoever is appointed, I just hope he is properly backed with money and better club operations. Because that is just as important (if not more so) as the identity of our next manager.

David 42.

My ideal Everton manager, Simeone. Was reading in the week he gets paid 400,000 per week, mate.

I'm shocked that one name has gone unmentioned by Robert and every commenter here.

I do expect Moyes to call time on his managerial career in May, but unlike Robert I do NOT consider departure from the club to be the likeliest outcome.

On the contrary, I believe he has built considerable credibility with his bosses and will be kicked upstairs to a comfy office with some DOF responsibilities.

Therefore I would expect Davey to have considerable influence on who is chosen as his successor, and so I suggest looking at his own immediate circle. Where one name shines in neon lights.

Leighton Baines.

If this club chooses to hire someone "without any prior club experience as a manager"... who else could it be?

Graeme Hodgkinson (7): 'Even with the steady foundations at Man City. '

Big massive super-loud LOL!

I'm sure Liverpool will be claiming for semi final defeats in the Milk Cup John, the works.
if only we could turn back the clock eh.
never mind.
meanwhile, Everton were docked ten points and fined forty million for drifting over an arbitrary spending limit by a few million quid. so according to that City should be fired into outer space given the host of charges laid at their door.

Steve #32

The Manager maybe the right fit, but the whole organisation is geared towards the Brighton model.That is their Culture. At Everton things are at cross purposes and the old Culture is still to the fore, whilst TFG are stalling on investment in infrastructure and have been regulatory inept, as missing the Ueafa Multi Club deadline has shown.This mahes it more difficult to change the Culture and put a new model in place No matter what Manager is in place next season this is what they are up against.

Kevin, it will be interesting to see what happens in ten weeks time. (I think this is the timeline for the appeal to be heard.)

I have a funny feeling it will be a cash fine that the club will be well able to afford and the minimum points deduction possible. There may be suspended penalties and allowances for transparency and cooperation.

It will be a charade. Chelsea have shown, albeit with a clever argument about rules being broken under a previous owner, that the bigger the offences the more you get away with.

It reminds me of a joke about the banks. If I owe the bank £100,000 and can't pay it's my problem. If I owe £100m, and can't pay, it's their problem. The bigger the club, the bigger the problem for the PL, UEFA, and FIFA. They can't afford to have their club competitions damaged by the loss or demotion of the big clubs.

Revenue and commercial deals are negotiated on the premise that a number of high profile clubs are in the televised high profile tournaments. If Man. City disappear, who gets bumped up in their place?

I should have added that it's easy for governing bodies to punish smaller clubs properly according to the rules. It's inconsequential. Outside of the club and it's fanbase, no one cares. If an Everton or a Forest get relegated off the back of a points deduction, what effect will it have on anyone not part of the club or it's fan base? Palace or Brighton get fined £10m, so what?

In truth, these punishments are a double win for the PL. They are seen to be enforcing the rules, and there's no blowback on them.

Leighton Baines, would definitely fit in with our current owners.

Imagine the headlines. - The Silent Friedkin’s, have appointed the very quiet Leighton Baines.

I’m not knocking Leighton, but sometimes people have got to be put in the right bracket to begin with if you want to achieve success and when I shut my eyes and remember the very reliable penalty taker Baines, handing the ball to Kevin Miralles, my own view is that I don’t think Leighton, is management material?

He might have changed as he has grown, just like football has changed as it has evolved, but my own view is that Leighton Baines, would need someone with a strong personality behind him and is probably a lot more suited to working on the training ground, coaching?

David @42, you might sound like you’re dreaming to a lot of people mate, but if Everton are ever going to return to the top table, then they are going to need someone with the ambition that you write about to take us there.

It sounds like Simeone, is on an absolute fortune but would he have been on that amount of money (sickening though it is) if he hadn’t helped build his club up?

Nobody said it’ll be easy, but without dreaming big and having massive belief (God knows… but we have definitely got the crowd in place - although the more I talk to people, the more disillusionment I keep hearing because people don’t think we have got the right owners to push us on) how the fucking-hell are we going to get there?

And if we are not striving to get there - then what exactly is the point?

The issue with the appointment of Moyes as a Director of Football is he doesn't know how to direct football to the standard required.

Anthony Barry, has been given a lot of credit for his role in coaching England, Robert, but I personally didn’t see any real difference to how England performed under Southgate, to how they performed under Tuchel, mate.

Maybe they were, maybe it’s a mentality thing? But my own view is that bringing every single player back behind the ball, thirty yards from your own goal to defend a lead, showed a lack of knowledge and a real lack of bravery, imo, but we all see things differently at times.

I look at certain things that happen on a football pitch and think to myself, it might be okay on paper but why do people move away from coaching the most basic, fundamentals?

A poor corner that gets cleared at the near post, can often become a dangerous corner, if you stick a man at the front post, and could Bellingham, have scored that tremendous last minute goal against France, in the 3/4 place game, if Ollie Watkins, hadn’t been battling for possession on the half way line. Definitely no.

The idea of Moyes as DoF is extremely depressing. Moyes is unfairly knocked on here in many respects, but does he have the blueprint for transforming this club from where it is now to a Champions League regular - through the academy, through data analytics, through player recruitment, development and trading, through tactical philosophy which will permeate the club right down to the 6 year olds?

Ask yourself this question: would any club in a major league anywhere other than Everton even mention David Moyes when considering a DoF appointment? The answer is no. It would be about the biggest "we're a small club" announcement you could make.

It's a similar position with Leighton Baines. Brilliant footballer and unlucky to play in the same era as England's greatest ever left back. But what is his "achievement" that qualifies him in any way to be manager of a Premier League football club - especially one aiming to transform itself into a Champions League club? I get that people like Arteta and Guardiola were coaches before getting to the next level - but in an environment which reeked of success and excellence. What has Baines shown that Unsworth didn't, for example?

You may not be impressed with Anthony Barry, Tony, but he is viewed as an elite coach within the game - and has coached a very long list of many of the world's best players at club and international level: Ronaldo, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Rice, Neuer, Upamecano, Davies, Cancealo, DeBruyne, etc etc. Given Baines was part of a well organised but institutionally timid Everton side (and as noted couldn't even stand up to Kevin Mirallas), I think he would shit his pants at the prospect of coaching that lot.

Fortunately, Moyes will not be appointed as DoF and Baines will not be our next manager (except possibly in a caretaker role). I am willing to take that as a bet.

Man City's statement emphasizes that "significant elements" are still to be completed and that they have "diligently respected due process for eight years".

It seems they are bedding in for a long appeal process and also arbitration at the end of it. The process does allow arbitration, but not by the Court of Sports Arbitration ( Switzerland), which City had successfully done in relation to the 2020 Ueafa ban.

City has no relegation clauses in it's player contracts.

This contrast with Everton:s weakness and acceptance during the PSR process.

Robert, maybe with your extensive research you could produce an article on 'The next Big Thing' managerial-wise.

If you start with recently retired 'clever' managers, in the Arteta / Fabrigas mode, players who could read the game better than most. Where are the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo etc (you get the picture)? Some of them must be having lower leagues success and will one day be future successful Champ. League managers, ripe for the prospect of upgrading their CV by improving a 'Vanilla' Prem. League club.

At the very least, it will be interesting to look back on in ten years time to see who we maybe missed out on (or dodged the bullet on).

Agree with you, John - more Robert Tressell articles, please. They’re well-researched, and well-argued. It’s easy to say the club needs to do better, but a lot harder to convincingly show how.

Ah Jerome you're forgetting that our cooperation enabled us to get off pretty much Scott free with a mere £40m penalty and only ten point deduction for drifting a couple of million over a spending limit.

Tony

I was about to say the same thing about Bainsey, then I saw your post. He is generally regarded within the club as an exciting forward thinking coach who comes right into his own when coaching a group of players. The players (particularly the younger ones) love him. They trust him. He is a patient coach rather than an arse kicker. His coaching sessions are not just greatly beneficial. They're fun
I've heard some very, very, positive things about him as a coach, but as a manager ?
I met him one time and he came across as the coolest of dudes. Others have told me he is an intelligent man who is prepared to spend time with any player who wants to learn.
I think that Mirallas kick you speak about spoke volumes. He was clearly more of a technician than Mirallas (who, to be fair, wasnt bad himself) but for me, he allowed the Belgium to have his way a little too readily.

Maybe Mikes right ? Maybe He would thrive with a Moyes type figure acting as background support... Could work, but I would be more than happy to see him develop as coach rather than risk failure as a manager.

Coaches never seem to recover once they have stepped out of the roles they were born to do. The greatest Evertonian of all is testament to that.

Thanks John - and John! If I were to guess now who would be the next big thing as a Champions League manager, the likely candidates are probably: McKenna, Farioli and maybe Wagner.

Like I say in the article, McKenna and Wagner are probably better placed to transform a mediocre squad into the top class one. Farioli is probably a strong bet for a club that already has a very good squad.

Nothing is guaranteed though. All of them could fail at their next managerial appointment. The key is supplying them with exceptional players - or at least players of exceptional potential.

Robert @40

If you are going to do more of these articles you simply have to accept not everyone will respond the way you expect them to respond.
You've gone for balance and in doing so, your article can and will be perceived in several different ways.
I thought you were quite aggressive in your pursuit of something better. You have got people talking and if your article is perceived by some to be "accepting of mediocrity". It simply demonstrates you have got the balance just about right.

Articles designed to please everybody are usually short lived and always boring. sixty odd responses would suggest this was not a boring piece

I was just wondering about the claims of other Clubs, once City is charged. It will make Burleys compensation claims look like puddle.

This whole Premier League approach, could be something they pay big for.It is shaping up to be a protrated legal can of worms, with seismic costs. What a unbelievable mess.

Our former Chief Executive Denise Barrett Baxendale was Chairman of the Premier League Committee that passed the PSR process and rules, looks like she left Bill's alleged dynamite behind her.

Everton have done well to survive, coming to think about it.

To be honest Darren, I'm generally expecting most people to largely ignore these articles or disagree with them - because that's what normally happens. Everyone is welcome to their opinion though.

On the parallel discussion in this thread - there is presumably going to be a lot of fall out from the City decision.

Points deductions, transfer bans, fines, compensation claims. This could run and run.

It wouldn't surprise me if City now try the defensive move of dragging others into the mess. Chelsea were implicated and got off very lightly. But that might not be the end of it for them. I'd be surprised if no other clubs have skeletons in their closets. Our lovable neighbours certainly had a lot of asthmatics in need of performance enhancing salbutamol not so long ago. Refereeing is clearly not "fair" and there may be to it than that. If anyone has the financial heft to call out more widespread issues, it is Man City.

Like I mentioned before, how do you judge if a manager is good or not, is it him or is it the players, its not easy.

Historically the majority of what you would call great managers are no nonsense big personalities, I'd choose someone like that and stick with him come thick or thin. He would have to know his stuff and have the confidence of the players of course, that's a big ask and they don't grow on trees I admit.
In our case none of our players would not be sold unless their contract was up and they wanted away.

What's needed with Prem. to try to level competition is for one season allow clubs to spend as much as the average top 6 squad is worth if they can and want and at the same time prevent those same clubs spending any thing!
It will probably never happen but it's what's needed.

Firstly I’d like to agree with Darren that this is well presented/balanced article that has given an opportunity for various views.

Secondly I’d agree with you Robert and say that in going forward David Moyes is not my idea of an answer to a DOF for Everton.

Mikes suggestion of Moyes and Leighton Baines working together does give scope to the duo type set up that Anthony mentioned earlier in the thread and bearing in mind Darrens glowing report on LB’s coaching ability…then maybe Carsley (or your choice McKenna) as head coach, with Baines as their number 2 could be interesting… alongside a new DOF who would be a vital addition (not Moyes).

Perhaps this is another in depth analysis you could take on Robert during this rather boring international break period…why don’t Everton have a DOF and if they are going to appoint one who should it be? Certainly not imo Angus Kinnear.

Robert, I generally write articles more for my own sake than for the amount of responses. If they encourage debate, then great. If not, then at the very least they've coalesced my thoughts and ideas as a fan into something manageable.

David @ 68 - a good reason there’s no DOF or technical director is probably because of Moyes’s experience with the technical director at West Ham, Tim Steidten, who was a complete klutz.
Roma have a sporting director, though, so if Moyes is sent to the glue factory at the end of the season, TFG might well get one in. Don’t like the idea of them, myself, got to say.

To those seeking for me to name alternative managers, I'm sorry to say that with ownership mediocrity such as we still have when it comes to trophy winning ambition and very meaningful financial commitment to strengthening the squad I can't think of anyone.

Don Carlo, surely as successful as any present-day manager in the world, couldn't do it, hence his "I am not a magician" comment just before he returned to a proper football club.

In other words, given Friedkin's attitude, we don't need an unproven manager. We need a proven magician.

Darren and Tony, I'm not promoting Bainesy as my candidate. I don't know enough about him as a coach. I just consider him the most likely of a long list of possibilities... IF the Friedkins are of a mind to give a chance to a young manager, and IF they're not looking for a fiery colourful figure, and IF Moyes stays with the organization after his retirement from the touchline.

But I have to tell you I was momentarily floored at the idea he should be disqualified for not having the right mentality... because he handed the ball to Mirallas.

He could have been responding to an appeal from Super Kev, or he may just have had a cramp in his calf. But to cite one moment from an entire life in football... please tell me at least one of you was kidding.

Leighton would probably refuse the job he will never be invited to take.

Mike # 72, I don't think anyone is really suggesting Baines shouldn't be considered solely because of the Mirallas incident.

The main reason I would have thought is that he appears to have absolutely no credentials or qualifications for the job.

Achievements as a coach?

Pretty much none.

62 games in charge of a very unremarkable u18s group, where only one has made the grade (Armstrong) and the rest all had to drop down to the third tier at best for game time. No particularly strong footballing identity when he was in charge either - and a very average win rate too.

Experience of elite coaching environments or elite players?

None whatsoever at career level.

Some at international level - where he largely looked overwhelmed by the big personalities of the era if we're honest.

No other Premier League club would include him even if they extended a managerial shortlist to 100 names or more. He would seriously struggle to be shortlisted for a job in the Championship. He is the sort of coach who might be given an opportunity at, say, Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool.

He was an absolutely brilliant player for us and unlucky to have peaked at around the same time as Ashley Cole. But it is only sentimentality that means he is featuring in this discussion - and sentimentality really shouldn't come into it.

No Mike.

Nobody suggested that the penalty kick incident should be the sole reason to rule Baines out of contention. It was an isolated example which was used as an illustration of his laid back nature. There are many other reasons to rule him out (Some highlighted by Robert) but the main reason is that he is a very promising coach. To take him out of a job and an environment he is thriving in and throw him in at the deep end on the cheap would only be something only the most penny pinching of owners would consider. Know anyone ?

It may have "shocked" you that Baines was not been mentioned, but I think the majority on here would think he wasnt mentioned because you'd have more chance of being struck by lightning than Bainsey being offered the gig at this moment in time

I knew Darren, wasn’t kidding and I definitely wasn’t kidding either Mike.

It’s funny, although I actually find it ridiculous, rather than funny, some of the things you defend The Friedkin’s, over Mike. I often think to myself that you have got to be kidding, especially when I was reading a post of yours the other day saying that Everton, never had any headroom to spend any more money in the last transfer window.

I don’t know if this was entirely true, something I queried because a lot of people have been saying we were nowhere near our limit, but what is true is how many times you stated they never spent last January, because they were keeping their powder dry until the summer. You gotta be kiddin’ right!

I don't see Baines as a candidate at all.

Antony Abraham most definitely "suggested" he couldn't see Baines as manager material, specifically because of the Miralles incident.

"when I shut my eyes and remember the very reliable penalty taker Baines, handing the ball to Kevin Miralles, my own view is that I don’t think Leighton, is management material"

I do think that McKenna has earned a shot with a big club and would be happy if we give him the chance.

That was just me giving one example James, and you only have to read the rest of Robert’s post, to realise why he had looked past my point as being so solely specific, mate!

Mike G has definitely long since nailed his own colours to the mast of Friedkin's ship (much as other US billionaires have done in their grasping adoration of Trump) but the fact is, obviously, that Friedkin has no wish to advance our club to trophy winning status at all.

He has appointed to the top jobs in our club a host of individuals with no experience at all when it comes to winning a trophy recognised as significant by the top six.

He's a more wealthy Kenwright, just using us as a vessel to one day make himself a few more tens of £millions whilst pissing off the vast majority of Evertonians in the process.

How much more of this shite do us fans, singly and together, want to accept, or do we again choose to be complicit in ownership malfeasance?