Next Everton manager: Candidates to replace Rafa Benitez - ranked

Rafa Benitez's hot start at Everton came to an abrupt end as 2021 came to a close, and after a few weeks of trying to ignore the problem, the Toffees eventually came to the decision that Benitez needed to go.

Now, midway through the January transfer window and after a whole host of influential figures at Goodison Park have left, Everton find themselves scrambling to find a new manager. Not ideal.

There are plenty of candidates for the role, and we've established the names in the running below.

• Nuno Espirito Santo
• Jose Mourinho
• Duncan Ferguson
• Paulo Fonseca
• Frank Lampard
• Lucien Favre
• Graham Potter
• Wayne Rooney
• Roberto Martinez

For more on why these names fit the bill, read on.

10. Nuno Espirito Santo

Nuno's stock has plummeted from his time at Tottenham earlier this season.

When given the job of turning a sleeping giant into a genuine force, Nuno fell woefully short and some of the reports that followed his departure from Spurs were damning. Players seemed to have no idea what he was trying to achieve.

Everton feel a bit like Tottenham, only they've been trying harder and falling even shorter. Nuno's not the one.

9. Jose Mourinho

It's almost exactly the same thing with Mourinho. He's lost his reputation as a serial winner and seems to bring chaos to every club he works with.

After leaving Spurs in a rut, Mourinho rocked up at Roma and spent a boatload of money, but he's yet to deliver results and has been hanging his squad out to dry. Again.

For a team in Everton's toxic state, Mourinho would do more harm than good.

8. Paulo Fonseca

Fonseca was a whole lot of fun with Shakhtar Donetsk and his stint with Roma began very brightly, but things started to slow down and he currently finds himself out a job because of it.

As a young, attack-minded coach with winning experience, Fonseca appears somewhat perfect for Everton. There's an argument to suggest that's true, but there are also a few too many red flags.

In reality, Fonseca's lack of defensive acumen has been a real problem in the past and he's not exactly the man to steady such a turbulent ship. Even when he made Roma more fun, they still conceded more goals than before he arrived. It's just not the time for that kind of manager.

7. Duncan Ferguson

The only problem with hiring Ferguson would be his massive inexperience as a manager.

He's a beloved character who knows what it means to play for Everton, and while those qualities would be ideal in a new manager, the reality is that Ferguson is just so unproven at this level.

As a short-term option, he'd be pretty good, but Everton shouldn't fall into the trap of simply appointing a club hero because they're a club hero. Ferguson needs more time and experience before taking on a job as complex as this.

6. Frank Lampard

Premier League experience works in Lampard's favour, but his struggles towards the top of the league should be enough to scare Everton off.

Lampard played attacking football with a young core at Chelsea, but did not deliver under pressure and caused real problems with his difficulties when it came to defending. Like an English Fonseca.

He couldn't stop the Blues' tumble down the Premier League and may not be the man to prevent Everton from doing the same.

5. Lucien Favre

It's now been over a year since Favre was given his marching orders by Borussia Dortmund. The Frenchman helped turn Dortmund back into Bundesliga title hopefuls, and he did so in a really entertaining way.

His willingness to use young players as the keys to his tactics should be praised, but let's not forget how hyper-fortunate he was to have a scouting department that brought him Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. Would he get the same recruitment at Goodison Park, where most of the fun comes from spending £30m on players Barcelona don't want anymore?

Everton do have a nice core of players, but whether Favre could succeed with them is a different matter.

4. Graham Potter

Truthfully, Potter should be way higher on this list. He's proven in the Premier League and has worked absolute wonders at Brighton - to the extent that fans now boo when they don't play like worldbeaters every week.

Unfortunately for Everton, Potter's not interested in the job and has already ruled himself out. You can't be the best candidate if you don't want to be a candidate.

The Toffees absolutely should keep trying to convince Potter to make the move, but he seems very happy at the Amex and Everton shouldn't waste too much of their time here.

3. Fabio Cannavaro

Whoa, where did this one come from?

According to the Telegraph, Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro has been interviewed for the job.

They say he made a good first impression during initial talks, but this would undoubtedly be a risky move.

While Cannavaro has been open about his desire to manage in Europe, he's only managed in Asia so far in his career. Can Everton really take such a chance with the way their season is heading?

2. Wayne Rooney

On paper, you'd be forgiven for thinking Rooney is miles away from being ready for the Everton job, but a deeper dive will show that such a move wouldn't be so bad.

He's in charge of a woefully dysfunctional Derby side who began the year with a points deficit and have been unable to offer him literally any help whatsoever. The fact that Derby are no longer bottom of the Championship is mental.

Rooney's comparative inexperience is cause for concern, but that also might be a blessing in disguise for an Everton side who have relied on big names for too long. Maybe someone who values the club more than their own reputation could be the way forwards?

1. Roberto Martinez

Martinez knows Everton well and was pretty popular at Goodison Park before things started to go a little sour. Since then, he has earned a lot of praise for his good work with Belgium alongside assistant Thierry Henry.

His possession-based style of play is what the owners are looking for and, most importantly, he actually wants to come back. He's a relatively simple hire, and he's the best on offer at the minute.

Everton just need calming down after a wild few months (years?), and Martinez can do that.