After days of assessing the direction of the club and the future of manager Sean Dyche, Everton’s new owners, the Friedkin Group, have decided that parting ways is in the best interests of the club.
It’s not a decision the Americans wanted to make at the moment. Their plan was to let Dyche see out the remainder of his contract, which was due to expire in June, and then embark on a top-to-bottom overhaul of the club.
Dyche’s work was recognized during his two years in charge, sometimes traumatic, sometimes uncertain both on and off the pitch.
Indeed, it is fair to say that he has had to face a situation that no Everton manager has ever had to face; .
However, despite all that, the results were not good enough this season. The performances this season have not been good enough and the stats suggest that something needs to change, which is what finally convinced TFG that they need to act.
The prospect of relegation in their first six months and starting life at their new stadium in the Championship next season was too great to leave to chance.
Of course, that remains a concern and the selection of Dyke’s replacement must be a balance between the need to look to the future and the need to ensure the short-term security of their Premier League status.
Now the focus will turn to who’s next.
There are a number of candidates and I understand that the new owners would prefer to bring in someone who is not currently in a position at another club for two reasons.
Firstly, they need to agree quickly and don’t want protracted negotiations with another club, and secondly, perhaps more importantly, they will see any compensation that needs to be paid as wasted money that should go to signings.
There has been much talk of Jose Mourinho, but that is highly unlikely and it is understood there has been no contact with the former TFG manager at Roma.
A more likely target is former Everton boss David Moyes, who is currently available after leaving West Ham and someone with interest from The Friedkin Group.
He clearly has a long association with the club and hits the ground running in a place he knows well, without further ado.
Moyes knows the club better than most, having spent 11 years there.Importantly, Seamus Coleman has remained at the club since then, and if Moyes returns, that relationship could be crucial.
Moyes said recently that he doesn’t want to go to a club that is relegating them, but Everton are different, there is a connection and I think it will be very difficult for him to turn down an offer if it comes.
If Moyes does take the job I think he is the safest choice. Changing managers in this position is a big risk, having someone who knows the club inside out and can hit the ground running is a big plus.
Everton needs the club to be safe, I think he can do that.
Paulo Fonseca is also a name mentioned, he was Roma’s head coach when the Friedkins took over Serie A.
He also has a history of wanting the Everton job, having been a serious contender before Marco Silva took the job and also a contender before Roberto Martinez took over when Bill Kenwright owned the club.
However, whoever comes in there is always a risk factor when a club of Everton’s status changes manager.
Owners will understand this from their dealings at Roma and will learn that the least risk is the safest path, as Claudio Ranieri’s return to the club has shown.
Whoever gets the job will have a big challenge on their hands, make no mistake Everton are in a relegation battle, but there are plenty of games left and things could look a lot better quickly if the right man is brought in.
The Friedkins have a lot of work ahead of them, both on and off the field.
The club has been paralyzed by protracted takeover drama over the past few years, but is also a club that has gone almost 30 years without trophies, the longest period without silverware in its long and illustrious history.
The decision to change managers is just the first of many big decisions to be made in the coming months as TFG look to return the glory days to the English game’s one-time premier contender.
Fans want and expect better, managing Everton has the same expectation as any Premier League club, but for some, any former player or manager is asked about the pressure of playing at a club that, before the Premier League began, was known as Of the Big Four.”
Sure, Everton have been part of the elite for a long time, and they’ve never looked to add to their nine league titles in that time, but those expectations, misguided or not, have never gone away.
There is a generation of fans who have not seen success in any form, left with only a sense of anaemia, and the generations before them were confused not only by the experienced big clubs, but also by the newcomers who came before them.Everton, the Premier League winners.
Whoever takes over from Dyche has a great opportunity, with a fantastic new stadium, financial stability under new owners and the prospect of a fresh start to rebuild the English football institution, but only after fighting to save it from a more pressing challenge.