I thought I’d delight you all with a few thoughts on the current candidates and whether I think they’re good enough for Everton. I will be going down the betting list from oddschecker (although it is changing all the time) until number 10, and then I’ll throw in some names that could very well pop up down the line. So…
Roberto Martinez
Martinez has been the big favourite from the moment it was announced that Moyes would leave. My thoughts on the Spaniard seem to change every day. Some days I think he’s the man to take us forward, a good tactician, good football, he’s got class and loyalty. There are some doubts though, his footballing principles could get Wigan relegated this summer, wouldn’t their fans prefer to just be safe? Martinez and his Wigan side lack the ability to change it up and go to plan B, which I feel is needed in a top manager. I wouldn’t mind about him taking over, but I’m not shouting and screaming for it.
Gus Poyet
Poyet has now flew up the betting list after his Brighton side crashed out of the playoffs last night. For me, this is a big no-no. Two things let him down massively for me. Firstly, his tactics aren’t always the best. Brighton haven’t come from behind to win a game all season, a truly terrible stat. Then I move onto the big factor for me, his class. His incessant backing of Luis Suarez immediately smacks of a lack of class and that’s not someone I want at Everton.
Neil Lennon
Again for me, please no. Lennon does have some positives; he’s brought some very good players to Celtic for little money, he’s won trophies and he did very well in beating Barcelona in the Champions League. What draws him back for me though is the fact that the last two positives can easily be disputed, in that it’s not hard to win a one-horse-race for the title and Barcelona aren’t great away from home anyway. Lennon is another with a lack of class, he constantly moans and berates the press, referees and the Scottish FA.
Alan Stubbs
Stubbsy has come out of nowhere on the list after a flurry of bets yesterday. While he’s done very well with the U21’s this season, it doesn’t mean he’s ready to manage a Premier League side. Stubbs will have a big part to play in the induction of the new manager, he should get to have his say in the young players that deserve a chance to be in the mix with the first team squad.
Malky Mackay
After being asked on MOTD whether he’d be interested, he completely dodged the question. Mackay seems like a Moyes of 11 years ago, and that strikes me of someone that isn’t suited to progressing our club. His Cardiff side have won the league to his credit, but the Scotsman has spent 10 million, the most in the Championship, to do so.
Phillip Neville
No. No. No. Like Stubbsy, if Neville stuck around he’d have a big part to play in making sure the manager knew this football club inside out. I wouldn’t mind Neville on the coaching staff or even maybe as assistant manager, but not the actual manager for me. No actual experience again leads me to think he isn’t the man to take Everton FORWARD.
Vitor Pereira
Now this one interests me. I haven’t seen much of Porto but after reading up on Pereira, he likes to press high up the field, have control of the ball and the game. That’s what I want to see at Goodison next year. The Portuguese man is admittedly a little more subdued than counterparts Mourinho and Villas-Boas, which would suit Everton. I think he could be the man out of the top ten betting list to move Everton on as a club.
Mark Hughes
No. Boring. Lacks class. Failed at City with huge money. He bought Jo for £19 million, need I say more? Nah. Only one Evertonian wants him out of our entire fan-base.
Rafa Benitez
This is an interesting option and after admitting he wants a job in England with a team that can build a project, he could be on the cards. This all depends on whether Evertonians can forgive him for calling us a ‘small club’ , because other than that he’s won a lot of trophies and has a good managerial record, despite being the innovator behind Liverpool’s recent mediocrity.
David Weir
Pretty much see Stubbs ^^^. He’s done well as part of the coaching staff and working with the U21’s, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to manage a team that wants to qualify for Europe in the Premier League.
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So, some other options…
Michael Laudrup
Laudrup drifted away in the odds after sort of denying he will join Everton and the rumours of his huge compensation fee. He is back to near the top ten though after his avoiding of whether he’d be interested on MOTD on Sunday. Laudrup would be a short term success man for Everton, he has a history of getting his teams to cup finals which is great and his league form is OK. He’d play nice football and he’d have class and so it’s a big yes from me if we could tempt him.
Thomas Tuchel
Very unlikely but another I’d take. He shares two characteristics with Moyes in that his analysis of the game goes into great depth and the German has also turned a clubs fortunes around. He does what is needed to win and he is an up-and-coming manager that will be much better known in a few years time.
Martin Jol
No. Boring and does average at clubs. Just not for me at all.
Roberto Di Matteo
I might surprise you here as many people would seem happy with Robbie Di Matteo, but I wouldn’t take him. He didn’t really progress West Brom like Hodgson and Steve Clarke have, he was on a 17 game winless run before he was sacked. At Chelsea he had his honeymoon period, of course they won the Champions League and it was a great achievement, but things could have been so different. Had Barcelona not hit the post 3 times and one had found their way in, or had scored the penalty they had, they would have gone through and deservedly so. Into this season and Di Matteo was at top of the league before again going on a winless run of 6 games. I just don’t think he’s the man for Everton.
Jurgen Klinsmann
I would consider the German if he was interested. He did well with Germany, well with Bayern and is doing well with the United States. Every one of his teams has played good football and he has progressed the US majorly in his time there.
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Agree or disagree? Come and discuss it with me on theevertonforum.co.uk