Majority Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri has held talks over a risky option becoming the next Everton manager after a more ideal option quickly rejected an approach, per multiple reports.
Frank Lampard was officially sacked as Everton manager on Monday. Virtually all major news outlets ran the story throughout the afternoon, though it wasn’t until Monday night before Everton confirmed the news.
Lampard leaves Goodison Park on the back of a disastrous run of one win from their last 14 matches across all competitions.
The end result sees Everton languishing in 19th position and only off the bottom through goal difference. With table-toppers Arsenal on the horizon on February 4, their situation is unlikely to improve in the immediate short-term.
Who the next Everton manager will be will have a major bearing on both the current season and the club as a whole.
Vast swathes of the Everton fanbase continue to hold public protests amid calls for both majority owner Farhad Moshiri and members of the board, such as Bill Kenwright, to step away.
Appointing the right manager who guides the club to mid-table safety would go a long way to settling the unease.
Moshiri wants Bielsa; Everton board might not agree
On that front, the Athletic report Moshiri is gunning for former Leeds Utd manager Marcelo Bielsa and has already held talks with the Argentine.
The 67-year-old has been out of work since being fired by Leeds back in February of 2022. Moshiri is ‘believed to be in favour’ of moving for Bielsa, though it’s reportedly ‘unclear’ whether he has the support of Everton’s other big decision-makers.
An appointment that would likely have left the club’s hierarchy in full agreement is Thomas Frank of Brentford.
The Dane continues to excel with the Bees and is widely being tipped for a move up the table when the time comes.
However, per Football Insider, an Everton ‘approach’ has not only been rebuffed by Brentford, but by Frank as well.
They claim Brentford quickly shut down the approach and Frank himself ‘is also not keen’ on signing up for a relegation scrap.
That puts Bielsa front and centre who is currently leading the way with many bookmakers. Ex-Burnley boss Sean Dyche is a close second favourite and was termed the ‘favourite’ by the Daily Mail, though it appears Bielsa is the primary focus right now.
Bielsa the ultimate feast or famine option
The Argentine was heralded for the transformative effect he has on the Whites. He guided Leeds back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 and oversaw an impressive ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the big time.
However, it’s widely believed he requires a full pre-season to get to grips with his squads and he’d not receive that luxury if moving to Goodison mid-season.
Bielsa teams are characterised by their energy and pressing and that style would likely go down well among the Everton faithful.
However, a very clear drawback of Bielsa’s methods is his sides are prone to defensive meltdowns. Unless the Everton squad immediately bought in to Bielsa if appointed, the Toffees may find themselves staring the Championship in the face.
Thankfully for Everton, their early exits from the League Cup and FA Cup means they have 11 days before they’re next in action.
That allows the club ample time to settle on the right man, with Leighton Baines and Paul Tait currently overseeing first-team training while the hunt for a new Everton manager rolls on.