There’s an old saying for football clubs in a relegation battle that you shouldn’t change the pilot if you have a difficult landing to negotiate, but there is plenty of time to go in the Premier League season and some clubs have already made the change.
Everton are in a perilous position and that puts their current head coach Frank Lampard firmly in the spotlight. The latest Premier League 2023 betting odds here at SBOTOP price Everton at 2.10 to be relegated, fourth favourites with Nottingham Forest (2.00), Southampton and Bournemouth tipped to take the drop. But with at least one of the other strugglers likely to make a run at some time and the Toffees currently stuck in 18th place how many more games does Lampard have?
Other top flight teams have already taken action. Aston Villa potted Steven Gerrard after they made a poor start and new coach Unai Emery has guided them up to mid table. Wolves new boss Julen Lopetegui has made a promising start at Molineux and his side was unlucky not to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday. But the first team to sack a manager was Bournemouth who relieved Scott Parker after just four games, putting Gary O’Neil in interim charge. The Cherries may be favourites to take the drop but they are still two places above Everton.
The next two games are absolutely critical. Everton host bottom club Southampton next week and then travel to 17th placed West Ham. After that the Toffees face Arsenal and Liverpool so I’d say the owners have a decision to make right now. Two points or fewer from the next two games and things are starting to look grim. Lampard says he’s not looking for reassurances but I suspect they aren’t available.
My money is on a change in the hot seat if Everton lose to Southampton, and the Saints will come into the game on the back of a morale boosting win away to Crystal Palace.
So if Lampard’s days are numbered…who is in the running to try to save the Toffees’ season?
Wayne Rooney
Former Everton starlet and fan Wayne Rooney has cut his teeth as a football manager and he is in the frame should the axe fall on Lampard. Rooney started his playing career at Goodison Park and returned there in the twilight of his playing days. Then he played for DC United and Derby County before hanging up his boots. At Derby he was player manager and won praise for his loyalty and inventiveness as a coach, while the club was in administration. The Rams’ inevitable relegation to League One Ied to Rooney heading back to USA in 2022 to manage DC United.
He would be a headline grabbing appointment but Rooney maybe too risky for the club when the stakes are so high.
Sean Dyche
The most likely candidate for the job seems to be Sean Dyche who has been biding his time since losing his position at Burnley last season. His proven track record of managing successfully in the top flight on a limited budget will be attractive to the club. Manager of Burnley for a decade, Dyche has a pub named after him in the East Lancashire town after he led the Clarets to two promotions, a place in Europe and two top ten finishes in six consecutive campaigns in the Premier League.
Everton fans may be sniffy about the perceived style of pragmatic football Dyche sometimes employed at Burnley, but if they really are in trouble then I’d back him to keep the Toffees up, with the help of his former Burnley centre back James Tarkowski.
Nuno Espirito Santo
After a successful four year stint at Wolves, Nuno’s star began to fade in an ill-fated season as head coach at Spurs and he has since moved to Saudi Arabia to manage Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. He would not be against a move back to the Premier League and he discussed the position at Wolves before the appointment of Lopetegui. Like Dyche, critics felt his ‘avoid defeat at all costs’ approach sometimes turned fans off, but it is exactly what Everton need right now.
Former Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez was rumoured to be a candidate for a return to Goodison Park but he has just been appointed head coach of Portugal. The others in the frame could be another ex-Evertonian in David Moyes, if he is cast aside by West Ham, and former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa. Whether Lampard will be given time to improve Everton’s Premier League 2023 results remains to be seen but if he doesn’t make it to February then my selection would be Dyche. If that works out to be the case then the Toffees certainly won’t go down without a fight.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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