So….after 11 years Mr Moyes has called it a day on his time with Everton. For him to turn down a massive opportunity to manage arguably one of the biggest teams in world football would be madness, but has he made the right decision, only time will tell. I, like so many Evertonians called for his head after the Wigan game, but now the reality has hit home, it does seem a case of “be careful what you wish for” One thing is for sure, he will always be welcomed back to Goodison Park with open arms.
As the search beings for our new leader, where do we think Mr Kenwright will start his search? Wherever he decides to start, for me, and I agree with Kenwright, a decision this big should not be rushed into. The only good point to salvage from the situation we find ourselves in, is that it has happened at the end of the season and not mid-way through. The battle has not only begun to find a new manager, but an even bigger battle has begun to keep the team together that Moyes has built up over 11 years. It is imperative that the club do all they can to prevent Moyes decimating the team, leaving us in a position of possibly becoming a mid-table team and going back to the “dogs of war” days. This just emphasizes the fact we need a quality, strong, experienced manager to come in with bright ideas. He will also need to persuade the likes of Baines, Fellaini, Jagielka and Coleman to name a few to stay at the club and give the new Manager and his staff a chance.
I personally would opt for a manager who has European experience. The two I wouldn’t mind are: 1) Vitor Pereira (FC Porto) 2) Neil Lennon (Celtic) Given I don’t know alot about Vitor Pereira, for a manager to go all season un-defeated, scoring 68 goals and only conceding 14 is an massive achievement in a difficult league. He could possibly bring a couple of top European players with him such as Centre forward Jackson Martinez who has scored 25 goals this season. Yes it would be a big ask to take ANY players away from a team that will play in next seasons CL but if you don’t ask you don’t get. He would be my first choice.
Vitor Pereira seems to be a name being banded around alot
Neil Lennon isn’t a choice alot of Evertonians, but let me argue a point why he maybe a good addition to Everton FC. He is without doubt a hands on coach He has CL experience with Celtic He seems like he takes no messing from the big ego’s Yes, I will give you the Scottish league isn’t the best but he cant help who he manages at this moment in time. For me he is using Celtic as a shop window to get a bigger job in the Premier League and if we don’t snap him up somebody else will. He could also bring in some good players e.g. Wanyama, Forster (GK) and Mulgrew. Kenwright has said he will “Listen to the Everton fans” but I cant decide if this is a “see we did ask for your opinion and we are listening” ploy from Kenwright, or is it a genuine statement of intent to the fans, to help with the ideas or feelings for the new manager. As I would expect, the majority of Everton will be taking his statement with a pinch of salt. Whoever does come in, one thing is for certain, all Evertonians will back the new manager and give him their 100% support because that is what we do. COYB!
Neil Lennon seems an unpopular choice amongst most Everton fans
“For me he is using Celtic as a shop window to get a bigger job in the Premier League and if we don’t snap him up somebody else will”
Yeah. Everton are not a big club so he won’t be going there. The EPL is the most over rated show in Europe. The Spanish, German, French and Italian leagues are far superior as has been proven this season and they will continue to dominate as the years progress and the EPL wanes in product and popularity. Neil Lennon will leave Celtic in the future, but it won’t be to Everton, Stoke, Wigan or any of those perennial underachievers either fighting relegation or feeding from the scraps of the big boys.
It’s not Celtic’s problem that they are playing where they are, you can only piss with the cock you are given. They won’t be permitted to join the EPL (not that i would advocate that) because clubs there know that with their support and the ludicrous cash available down there they would win it. They have no fear of Cardiff or Swasea upsetting the apple cart and therefore allow them in.
We shall find a league in the future that befits the stature of a huge club like Celtic.
Hopefully it won’t be the EPL but a pan European league.
We will watch, wave and laugh as the EPL dies a long and agonizing death.
I don’t think you will find many Everton fans that would say Celtic aren’t a HUGE club. It’s the league that is a joke. I agree that Celtic would be in the top 6 if they ever got into the EPL. I think you would also find that most Everton fans don’t particularly like the EPL or what it stands for and preferred pre-EPL days! You are completely wrong about Everton not being a big club though and to compare us with Wigan and Stoke is laughable.
What about Martin O’Neill for the everton job? I think it would be perfect. To be fair at Sunderland he was banging his head off a brick wall and he kept them up last season when they looked doomed.
I think Everton are the type of club who would flourish under him. A bigger club than most think!
Hail Hail
I hope not. O’Neill did well at Celtic, but I don’t think he is what we are looking for. Spends big money on English players. We need someone that can spend small amounts for foreign/lower league gems
If Everton are such a big club why, after 11 years that Moyes hasn’t even won a trophy? The last piece of Silverware Everton won was in 1995 if memory serves me correctly!
“You are completely wrong about Everton not being a big club though and to compare us with Wigan and Stoke is laughable”
Wigan are FA Cup winners!!
Well done on your first bit of Silverware in the top flight EVER!
I don’t support Wigan, so i don’t know what you are inferring by the above statement?
It was just a general statement! Wigans first bit of silverware in the top flight EVER and have come through the ranks and were a non league team in the 90’s and get really low crowds,yet you compared to Everton with 9 league titles, European titles, fa cups etc….
Its just a ridiculous statement.
We may not have won anything since 95, but that is down to the current board. Something that you should be all too aware of with what your neighbours have been through. Im pretty sure that you wouldn’t describe Rangers as a small club, so why Everton?
No, i would describe Rangers as a dead club.
Lennon is nowhere close enough to having the experience to manage in the EPL. The SPL used to offer Celtic, what, 8 awkward matches a season pretty much?. Now thats down to 4?.
For the EPL multiply that by a factor of 6 or 7….then prepare a team to face that level of contest and keep it primed and motivated the whole season. Moyes struggled to do it last term and he’s so far ahead of the likes of Lennon, Martinez and O’Neil it stretches credibility.
Celtic are a big club with great support…so are Leeds, so are Newcastle and neither of those great clubs are anywhere near competitive let alone be finishing top-6 in the Prem this season!. Celtic have no basis for belief they’d do any better in a real league facing a real test over a whole season. When they have then maybe Lennon may be worth consideration to replace someone like Moyes.
Until then comments like that above that Lennon is too good for Everton can be dismissed as easily as Whelan’s jibbering about Martinez. He’s good by their standards…not ours!.
“Lennon is nowhere close enough to having the experience to manage in the EPL”.
I think pitting ones wits against managers in Europe’s elite football tournament nullifies that argument. Spartak, Benfica (Who Celtic eliminated and play Chelsea tomorrow night in the Europa League Final) and Barcelona among others.
“Celtic are a big club with great support…so are Leeds, so are Newcastle and neither of those great clubs are anywhere near competitive let alone be finishing top-6 in the Prem this season!”.
In the years since 2001 where Celtic have challenged in Europe, they have been eliminated by the Winners, finalists or semi Finalists. Again, just to nullify another ill thought out point of yours. (Do you write the first thing that comes into your head?)
The only place you will find Everton in Europe is on an Football Manager.
Martin o Neill took Leicester to Europe twice and Villa.
And Martinez will be there next season. Hardly big clubs like Everton!!
At the end of the day as posited in my post above Celtic won’t be permitted to join the EPL (not that i would advocate that) because clubs there know that with their support and the ludicrous cash available down there they would win it. They have no fear of Cardiff or Swasea upsetting the apple cart and therefore allow them in.
We shall find a league in the future that befits the stature of a huge club like Celtic.
“I think pitting ones wits against managers in Europe’s elite football tournament nullifies that argument.”
…and the fact you lack the perspective and wit to comprehend that, in a proper league, we play teams of that quality on a regular basis tells us the value of your opinion.
These are games against small outfits like Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchesters United/City and peer clubs like Spurs and Liverpool and they make up near 30% of our annual fixture list. You think you can compare the odd good result in a CL that you barely break sweat qualifying for against that?. Have you been following football for very long?.
Whereas Lennon is well suited to Celtic in the SPL very much doubt he would suit us. MON was losing it at Villa and completely lost it at, and possibly sunk, Sunderland.
Also skeptical of flavors of the month from Championship – Malky Mackay a bit profligate; Zola hardly shone at WHU; or Poyet who has rarely ever won when going behind, epitomized in last night’s play-off against unfancied Crystal Palace (well done them btw).
Why no mention of Martinez like Moyes able to work on a shoestring but with flair (and cup winner!) but would he tear himself away from Wigan and chum Whelan?
Pereira sounds very interesting but would we interest him?
But please please EFC don’t let sentiment overrule sense and promote from within (albeit good guys all!) as none has any front line experience.
As a Celtic fan I don’t see Lennon going to Everton, not because the Toffees aren’t big enough or don’t represent a significant managerial challenge, I simply think Premiership clubs see Lennon as a risk.
It’s not a question of the English view of Celtic, more the English and Worldwide view of Scottish football. Everyone thinks it’s utter gash, and they’re not wrong.
As a Parkhead season ticket holder, I can testify that although we’ve been class against Barca and Spartak as well as turning over the usuals with a bit of verve now and again, too many times we’ve been completely rotten. Winning the league is great, but going through winless streaks against Hibs, Ross County, St. Johnstone and Kilmarnock aint. And it’s because of those results coupled with the somewhat justifiable “Scottish football is dross” that Lenny will be quite far down the Everton list.
I’ll be happy to keep Lenny, a vast improvement on Mowbray, but I doubt highly that Everton will come knocking. Much more likely is Leicester punting Pearson and offering Lennon the chance to splash the cash in the Championship.
As for Everton, steer clear of Hughes, O’Neill, Redknapp etc. They’ve had their day, if you look at their recent squads they assembled and results they achieved, they’re to be avoided. Looking at the candidates, how about one from left field …. Ian Holloway. He gets results (Leicester apart), improves teams and gets his sides playing some good football.
Nice enough guy with a bit of talent there, he deserves a big gig. Won’t happen, but worth a shout.
Good luck with your next boss lads, look at it this way, at least Walter Smith aint in the running this time!!!!!
I think you pretty much summed it up perfectly mate
“….but going through winless streaks against Hibs, Ross County, St. Johnstone and Kilmarnock aint. And it’s because of those results coupled with the somewhat justifiable “Scottish football is dross” that Lenny will be quite far down the Everton list”
Whereas Everton managed by Moyes lost to Sunderland, Norwich, Reading, West Brom to name a few. With the odd draw against the likes of Fulham, QPR and Wigan and Liverpool.
I suggest you stick to football manager Squire.
Fail to see your point to be perfectly honest, so I’ll explain mine a bit clearer.
The perception of Scottish football, and in particular Celtic in Scottish football, is that the league is a walkover. No third place team has got within 20 points of the Champions in years.
Whilst I don’t agree that the league is as easy for Celtic to win as some suggest, it aint that good. But I don’t expect us to win every game, however as illustrated by most of the negative views on Celtic, Lennon and Scottish football, most outside Scotland do.
So using that justifiable logic, if I and plenty other Celtic fans think we’ve underperformed in a fair few league games this season, then it’s not a stretch of imagination to imagine the negative view that Celtic going 4 league games without a win will be held in England.
As the SPL is so poorly thought of, Neil Lennon as a potential manager in the English Premiership will have his record viewed and scrutanised more intensely than an English Championship or Premiership manager.
That is my view, and it’s a view further supported everyday with negative statements on Lennons managerial ability and the lack of quality and competition in the SPL by people such as Graeme Sharp, Phil McNulty and a host of others in the English sports media.
The SPL is not held in any esteem by anyone in England, winning it with Celtic is seen as a given, and so Lennons defeats will be under far more scrutiny than a manager of a club in a more competitive, highly regarded league.
Moyes record at Everton is irrelevant when judging Lennon at Celtic as a candidate for the Everton job. If the view is held that not winning half your away games in the SPL isn’t good enough to get a gig in the Premiership, that has nothing to do with what Moyes has done at Everton.
As for football manager,eh?
Facts of the matter are Neil Lennon will be at Celtic next year and it’s highly doubtful he’ll be considered for the Everton job. The negative reaction from most in England and around Everton only supports that theory.
Lennon can win 15 titles on the trot up here and make the Last 16 of the Champions League every season too, it won’t matter a jot to a football fraternity who think Scotland is a backwater.
Lennon will be at Celtic next year, he won’t even be considered for the Everton job, I’d bet on it myself.
To get a job in the Premiership he’ll either need to take a job with relegation strugglers or dip into the Championship.
it’s a fact of footballing life, whether you or I like it or not.
Great post mate and I completely agree. It’s very difficult to judge Lennon as a manager at the moment as he just doesn’t have too much of a challenge. What I will say is that I don’t think most Everton fans don’t want him because of his record with Celtic….. Far from it (Although you always get a few that don’t know what they are talking about). Most Everton fans don’t want him for his record with the SFA and some of the things he has done. One thing with David Moyes was that he always conducted himself in the right way and never caused any bother. Lennon is still young as a manager and he is learning, but he seems to attract trouble.
It’s a shame the league is so poor, as Celtic are a great club and within 2 years or so would easily be top 6 in the Prem given the size of the club and attractiveness.