Next Everton manager - the contenders
Everton are back on the hunt for a new manager.
Just over a year after the departure of Rafa Benitez, Everton have sacked Frank Lampard, who leaves the Toffees 19th in the Premier League standings, with only goal difference saving them from slipping to bottom spot.
Everton's three wins from 20 games this season is the worst record of any side in England's top flight and their points tally (15) is also the lowest at this point in any three-points-for-a-win campaign. Yikes.
Clearly, their next appointment needs to be the right one. There are several candidates to enter the poisoned chalice, and here are some of Everton's options.
Sean Dyche
Clubs managed: Watford, Burnley
Burnley's sacking of Dyche seemed harsh at the time and they subsequently went down despite Mike Jackson overseeing an impressive resurgence.
Dyche worked miracles at Turf Moor and the croaky-voiced Englishman is woefully misrepresented. Sure, his Burnley sides were physical, direct and capable of frustrating superior opponents in a low block, but there were also contemporary principles that made the Clarets a tough out. For example, Dyche's 4-4-2 press was particularly well-drilled.
Dyche maximised the resources he had at his disposal and is deserving of another Premier League job. He's one of the early favourites to succeed Lampard at Everton - an appointment that would certainly prove to be a savvy one.
Wayne Rooney
Clubs managed: Derby County, DC United
The Evertonian made a name for himself as a fresh-faced teenager at Goodison Park all those years ago when he crashed home a stunning effort against Arsenal.
That was the start of Rooney's illustrious career at the highest level, and the five-time Premier League winner returned to Merseyside in 2017 for a second spell with the Toffees.
Rooney has since moved into management where he won the hearts of minds of Derby supporters during a difficult period for the club. He wasn't able to guide the Rams to safety, but his leadership and coaching credentials were on full display. Rooney has since returned to DC United as their head coach, but there's no doubt that he'd be on the next flight across the Atlantic if his boyhood club came calling.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Clubs managed: Rio Ave, Valencia, Porto, Wolves, Tottenham, Al Ittihad
Few managers have ridden the Premier League rollercoaster quite like Nuno Espirito Santo.
Heralded as a genius during the early days of his stint with Wolves, who he helped establish as genuine players in the top flight, Nuno's stock took a tumble towards the end to life at Molineux and then his disasterous 15-game spell in charge of Tottenham, where he was their seventh choice for the job, didn't do much to help.
That being said, Nuno is clearly at his best working when there are low expectations for him to exceed. With Everton fans simply calling for some stability and the sweet relief of three points every once in a while, this could be a match made in heaven.
David Moyes
Clubs managed: Preston North End, Everton, Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland, West Ham United
Ah, another familiar face.
It appeared for a while that Moyes' reputation had been tarnished for eternity after his spell at Man Utd, but his stellar coaching job at West Ham has seen the Scotsman redeem himself in the eyes of the masses. Moyes guided the Hammers to a record Premier League points tally in 2020/21 and oversaw their impressive run to the Europa League semi-finals last season.
However, the former Everton manager appears to be on the brink in east London. New signings are struggling to settle and his cautious style of play is beginning to grate on supporters.
For Everton, they may well fancy reconvening with the manager that was in the home Goodison Park dugout for 11 years between 2002 and 2013 should West Ham part ways.
Duncan Ferguson
Clubs managed: Everton (assistant & caretaker)
Ferguson's four-game run in temporary charge of Everton in December 2019 may well be the last time Toffees fans felt joy.
The hard-hitting Scot, who worked under both Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez, was given the reigns in the middle of the 2019/20 season and masterminded a 3-1 win over Chelsea to go alongside draws with both Manchester United and Arsenal... as well as a mental 6-4 loss to Leicester.
He was popular among fans and many players were also keen to see Ferguson given the gig on a permanent basis, but Everton didn't listen. Time to right their wrongs?
Ange Postecoglou
Clubs managed: South Melbourne, Panachaiki, Whittlesea Zebras, Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Australia, Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic
The Australian coach has helped return Celtic to the summit of Scottish football following a very brief period of Rangers supremacy.
Postecoglou is on course to guide Celtic to back-to-back league titles after arriving from Japan in 2021. His Celtic side are an exciting watch, and this would be a brave appointment from the Everton hierarchy.
Postecoglou's principles will undoubtedly excite Toffees supporters with inverted full-backs, slick build-up play, relentless pressing etc., but Everton's current squad, especially at the back, perhaps isn't quite cut out for such a dramatic shift in style mid-way through a season.
This appointment may have short-term issues and Postecoglou will undoubtedly need transfer windows and time, but Everton will surely benefit in the long haul.
Marcelo Bielsa
Clubs managed: Newell's Old Boys, Atlas, America, Velez Sarsfield, Espanyol, Argentina, Chile, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Lazio, Lille, Leeds United
They couldn't opt for the riskiest appointment of them all, could they? Well, it's the incompetent Everton hierarchy so you shouldn't put it past them.
The Marcelo Bielsa experience is an unforgettable one, but Everton need stability. The Chilean is the antithesis of tranquillity.
Bielsa has the potential to galvanise Goodison Park as he did Elland Road. His football is bonkers but mesmeric at times, with the players having no choice but to adore his harsh training methods.
The former Leeds boss will be courted by several clubs in need of a new manager, and it'll be interesting to see whether Everton make a play for him.