Survey shows enthusiasm for foreign appointment

, 22 May, 53comments  |  Jump to most recent
European with PL experience seen as ideal

As an announcement from Everton FC regarding a managerial appointment to replace David Moyes grows ever more likely, enthusiasm for either the traditional, British candidate or an internal appointment hinted at recently by Bill Kenwright remains low, at least according to the responses to a ToffeeWeb survey.

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Of the top five candidates in the results of our recent poll on potential replacemements, just one, Duncan Ferguson, was from UK suggesting that Blues fans favour a new, European direction for the Club when it comes to the new boss.

That, combined with opinion being expressed by Evertonians on the Web and through social media channels, prompted us to expand on the poll to include some more granular questions on the type of manager supporters might want as Moyes's successor.

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Though the sample was smaller (~1,650 responses compared with over 10,000 votes on the initial poll), the results were very similar. A highly significant majority of the respondents — twice the size of those preferring a former Everton manager or British coach combined — favour a foreign coach, preferably with Premier League experience.

Given a choice of only a manager from the British Isles, Ferguson narrowly edges Phil Neville and Steve Clarke but if restricted to a former Everton player, Slaven Bilic is the overwhelmingly preferred candidate, no doubt given his prior managerial experience and charisma.

When it comes to foreign candidates with experience of managing in the Premier League, bookes favourite, Roberto Martinez, ranked only fourth, behind Michael Laudrup, Guus Hiddink and Rafael Benitez.

Of the foreign coaches who would be newcomers to the PL, Porto boss Vitor Pereira handily beats out Bilic and Jurgen Klopp.


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Reader Comments (53)

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Steve Guy
1 Posted 22/05/2013 at 21:36:18
Can this survey be sent to BK please ?!
Jamie Sweet
2 Posted 22/05/2013 at 21:48:17
Interesting reading. I hope BK does see this before he does something silly (so long as he ignores the nutters who voted for Harry Redknapp).
Chris Regan
3 Posted 22/05/2013 at 21:55:14
A chance to vote for a short list drawn up from this or have a vote against section would have been nice.
Gavin Wadeson
4 Posted 22/05/2013 at 21:46:11
Unbelievable... Laudrup is the fans' choice - in both ToffeeWeb polls - and that's despite all of the rumours about him not being interested and/or having a £10m buy-out clause. I thought Laudrup looked keen on the Everton job when he was on Match of the Day. However, Mark Lawrenson (in The Echo), reported that Laudrup isn't interested. I imagine they had a chat about it off-camera, so I value Lawro's opinion on this one. Then again, his agent was supposed to be at the Chelsea game, so who knows.... (*fingers crossed*)
Dave Weston
5 Posted 22/05/2013 at 21:54:26
BK reckons he has canvased Everton fans for their input, has anybody on here been canvased or been able to contact the man or his office?
Declan Burke
6 Posted 22/05/2013 at 21:59:37
Some nutters even voted for the wally with the brolly.
Patrick Murphy
7 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:04:02
Thanks Declan you've upset my missus now, I couldn't decide and let her vote instead and she thinks Mr McClaren is a very very nice man. I've got to get that Gin botlle back off her before she turns ugly.....too late.
Brian Waring
8 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:02:36
Dave, it wouldn't surprise me if BK came out and said Neville is our new manager after there was overwhelming support for him when he canvassed the fans.
Ian Bennett
9 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:05:13
Who the arse voted for Joe Royle, Steve Round, Terry Butcher, Pulis, Nigel Clough, Mark Hughes, Stuart Pearce et al. Truly frightening.

Gavin Wadeson
10 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:00:48
Dave (700)

I sent an email to his office. I wasn't expecting anything to come of it, so I was surprised to get a reply (from some sort of secretary or customer service employee), saying that they had forwarded it to Bill Kenwright. Unfortunately, I told him I wanted Martinez (oops!). He'd just won the FA Cup, and I must've got caught up in all the hype!! In hindsight, I wish I'd have said Pereira, Laudrup, or Bielsa. Ah well, to be fair, Martinez would be my 4th choice....

Declan Burke
11 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:06:08
Sorry Patrick. She must have been already on the gin when she voted for the very very nice man. At least your not responsible for the vote.
Carl Sanderson
12 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:26:28
Why should Kenwright give a flying fuck what fans think? It's his job to identify the right candidate, approach his club, agent or whatever and proceed on that basis. As a season-ticket holder of decades' standing, I don't particularly wish to be consulted. I merely require him to get it right.

I don't understand this fetish for "consultation". A substantial minority of football fans are fucking idiots, anyway: what do they know? How many people who voted for Pereira actually know anything about him? Exactly.

Jamie Sweet
13 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:40:19
Carl - Kenwright should most certainly give a flying fuck what we think. if he makes the wrong appointment and we stop going to the games, he will certainly have to give a flying fuck then wouldn't he!

I also believe that there are many fans of the club who know a lot more about the modern game and the managers available than our luvvie chairman does and he would do well to listen to such an intelligent clued-up fan base.

And besides - he said he would listen to us. I heard him say it. He has an opportunity to show that he can be a man of his word. His track record in this department is pretty poor to say the least.

Steven Telford
14 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:24:23
The survey was poorly constructed, for one it lacked a "none of the above" option. Plus, whats the point of keeping Laudrup in after he clearly said no
Phil Sammon
15 Posted 22/05/2013 at 23:00:17
Agree with that Steven.

Couldn't we just have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice - each receiving 3, 2 and 1 point(s) respectively. Then we could actually see who Everton fans want to manage our club.

Kev Johnson
16 Posted 22/05/2013 at 23:04:55
Agree with Steven and Phil.

There was no point in simply listing all available British/Foreign managers. There were too many, and some were pointless. (Kenny Jackett!) The survey needed to start with a broad base and then narrow it down to a handful of choices.

As it stands, it tells us very little.

Carl Sanderson
17 Posted 22/05/2013 at 22:59:17
Jamie,

I understand your logic, obviously, but I don't buy it at all. I don't trust Kenwright to get this appointment right, but equally I am unqualified to advise him on a suitable candidate. As I said, I don't particularly wish to be consulted; I merely expect him to make the right decision or to employ the right people to make a suitable recommendation.

Eric Holland
18 Posted 22/05/2013 at 23:13:16
Some nutters even voted for the wally with the brolly

Is this the one that took a small NE club to three cup finals including one in europe?

And won the league with a small Dutch club ahead of the likes of Ajax and PSV?
Just asking like......

Eric Holland
19 Posted 22/05/2013 at 23:18:43
Sorry I think it was 4 cup finals and actually won them there first ever trophy.
Eric Holland
20 Posted 22/05/2013 at 23:29:27
Just going to have another glass of Gin!!!!
Colin Glassar
21 Posted 22/05/2013 at 23:28:59
Dave Watson #700, BK called me yesterday to ask my opinion and I told him I wanted either Pereira, Martinez or Bielsa. He said,"what about Pip or milky McKay?" when I told him they were shit there was a long pause, a gulp then a wimper. Then he hung up.
Harold Matthews
22 Posted 23/05/2013 at 00:04:44
BK is looking for a proper,old fashioned, full time manager. Most of these foreign types are coaches. Other people do the managing. If we bring in Pereira or Bielsa as coach do we also bring in someone to manage the place? BK can't do it. He'll be doing his theatre stuff in London.
Gavin Wadeson
23 Posted 23/05/2013 at 00:00:16
Carl (735)

It baffles me how you can accuse fellow Evertonians of not knowing anything about Vitor Pereira?!!? We live in a technological age, in which it's pretty quick and easy to find out about these things. Anyway, I'll give you a brief explanation as to why we've got our hearts set on him:

Vitor Pereira, "I am a tactical coach. I like my teams to have total control, of the ball, of the game, I like to see my teams pressing very aggressively, very high up the pitch. The important thing is the balance between the attacking and defensive elements, but pressing high is the best way to defend. We have had the best defence in Portugal for the last two years.
There are two parts to our job. One is to find the young players before other clubs do. And then the other part is to help develop them. We look in countries where players tend to have creativity in their game, and my job is to teach them the tactics, the organisation, that you need to thrive in Europe. It is an honour for me to have worked with so many fantastic players. It is a point of pride to see them move on, to a better league, because it is a mark of my work. But the problem is that every year the best players are sold; we cannot build a team. Every year, we start again."

He's a proven winner. He speaks fluent English. He's used to working within a tight budget; he prefers to develop young players rather than buying a 'finished article'. I think he's only lost one league game in his 2 years at Porto. He already plays a similar style of football to our current crop of players, i.e. pressing high up the pitch (N.B. This season, Everton spent a higher proportion of time in the opposing half than any other team in the Premier League!) This means there'll be a certain amount of continuity if he gets the job, as he won't need to make wholesale changes to the playing staff.

On the down side, he has no Premier League experience, so he is a gamble! Having said that, if he had all of the credentials mentioned above, and he had a good record in the Prem aswell, he'd probably be the one replacing Alex Ferguson, not David Moyes!!

Ciaran Duff
24 Posted 23/05/2013 at 00:06:44
While my preferred candidate is Pereira, I guess something that we need to bear in mind is whether the candidates actually want the job. SO that may limit BK's options a bit.

For example, BK might want to bring in VP but he won't accept the job due to limited transfer budget or whatever. I can see a scenario where say we end up with a British manager. by default unfortunately.

Alan Ross
25 Posted 23/05/2013 at 01:09:20
Since when has BK ever listened to the fanbase? He probably views ToffeeWebbers in the same light as the Blue Union. He will simply take account of the "silent majority" being, well ......Silent. Then construe that the fanbase are behind him whatever decision he makes. I have absolutely no doubt his choice will be one that suits him, not Everton FC — and certainly not the regular matchgoers.
Steve Carter
27 Posted 23/05/2013 at 03:41:37
Well, here is an arresting fact (I think I'm correct...) - for the delectation of the 'Everton have history...but we need a foreign manager and we don't want to any existing staff' cohort: in all of the FA cups and first division championships we have won since 1932 our manager was an ex-Everton player.
Paul Andrews
28 Posted 23/05/2013 at 06:29:47
Steve Carter,

Here is another interesting fact: we have not won a trophy since 1995, nor looked like winning one.
Time for a change of direction

Gavin Wadeson
29 Posted 23/05/2013 at 06:33:56
Paul (808)

Excellent comeback, Paul. It certainly made me chuckle....

We're already at a financial disadvantage compared to the teams around us. If we limit ourselves to only selecting a manager from a list of ex-players, it'd be like turning up to the gunfight with both hands tied behind our back!!

Dennis Stevens
30 Posted 23/05/2013 at 07:12:57
Certainly our 3 trophy winning managers since the war were not only all former players but also English - so that narrows the field even further!
Carl Sanderson
31 Posted 23/05/2013 at 07:56:36
Gavin:

"It baffles me how you can accuse fellow Evertonians of not knowing anything about Vitor Pereira..."

I haven't "accused" anyone of anything; I merely suggested that Pereira is the new flavour of the month, based on.... what? He has won one of the minor European leagues in a two-horse race.

I had never heard of him two weeks ago.
Thanks to your post, however, I now know a little more.

Drew Shortis
32 Posted 23/05/2013 at 09:23:16
I wouldn't be devastated if we got Pereira as he could attract good players, he has a great pedigree and he would be following in the steps of two very highly rated ex Porto coaches who were also career coaches with little playing experience. My preference would still be for Martinez though.
Ian Butchard
34 Posted 23/05/2013 at 10:14:18
Perieira is a gamble, running one of the big teams in Portugal is not the same as running us with no money, and if you read up on him he's not flavour of the month with his own fans due to their poor european performances.

if it's him good luck to him, and we'll all back him, I just don't think that if it is an internal appointment -Pip or Stubbs - that this is a big problem, and no I'm not a BK apologist, I want him gone, but on this occasion, somebody who understands how the club works is maybe not the worst idea, and I'm sure Neville or Stubbs would have their own ideas to introduce gradually, for all those who say they didn't like Moyes style of football, Phil Neville wasnt brought up on bad football was he?

James Marshall
35 Posted 23/05/2013 at 10:20:12
I knew very little about Pereira until this all blew up, that much I will admit, but I still would prefer him over everyone else, apart from Klinsmann but that's never going to happen. I also think Benitez is a good shout, but again never gonna happen.

My first choice was (and I say, was) Laudrup, but again, never gonna happen, so that takes me back to Pereira - off the back of the Mourinho/AVB mould it would seem a good appointment, but that's all we have to go on, right?

Even with all that in mind, I don't see a better option - Martinez would be a massive backward step in my opinion. The man cannot see the flaws in his teams (defending, clearly) and never addressed the issue once during his time in the PL with Wigan.

He flirted with relegation every year as a result, and I have never understood what all the fuss was about regarding him. I really hope he makes his decision today, as per all reports that he'll make his mind up today and choose anyone but Everton.

Pereira is a free agent. We have no money. He wants to come to PL apparently. We're the next best job in the PL apart from CIty, which is a bit of a poisoned chalice anyway, for a man of his stature, so I think we're about perfect for him, and he's about perfect for us.

Paul Dark
36 Posted 23/05/2013 at 10:52:24
Martinez, the smiling Spaniard, is NOT for us: he's a victory for style over substance.

He isn't an 'Everton manager'.

Harold Matthews
37 Posted 23/05/2013 at 10:53:01
I want someone with ambition and drive. For me, that rules out Laudrup who has already done it all.
Alan Smith
38 Posted 23/05/2013 at 11:03:32
Is everyone who's managed Porto a great manager now? Redknapp, in most peoples eyes, including mine, would be a bad choice. But he's achieved more at spurs than AVB, starting from a worse posn and with bale still learning the game, not the superman he is now.

No one knows this Pereira, yet he's winning votes over Guss Hiddink, that's scary! More frightening than what Ian(711) is suggesting about people voting for established Englishman like Joe Royle

We're is the PC brigade now, when it seems only a foreigner is classed as modern an intelligent and Englishman with proven success are thought to be thickos and past it.

It seems a lot of our fans will jump on any passing bandwagon. I'm not saying a good foreigner would not be the right appointment but I can't agree with question; should the manager be foreign. Like being foreign is a quality in itself.

So come on PC brigade, jump all over that one. Just like you did the poor guy who got banned, for calling Saha French.

Steve Pugh
39 Posted 23/05/2013 at 13:55:06
Isn't going from successive non-Evertonians to an Evertonian a change of direction?

Why does a change of direction have to be a continental manager?

Ciaran Duff
40 Posted 23/05/2013 at 14:08:20
Fair point Alan. Just because someone is foreign does not make them a great manager or because they are English make them a bad one. I guess the point is that after some reflection a lot of fans now have a better idea of who is not likely to be interested or available (eg Laudrup, Hiddink, Benitez, etc) . Of the resulting list of realistic options the English ones (to me) look uninspiring. I agree that Pereira is a punt but I think it would show that the club is ambitious. My ideal would be him managing along side someone like Neville as assistant.
Sammy Baloo
41 Posted 23/05/2013 at 14:04:55
I don't think anyone wants a continental manager over a former Everton player on the basis of their fancy name – I think the majority of us just want an intelligent modern coach at the forefront of the game's tactical shifts and developments, with good level management experience and some achievements. There are quite a lot of people fit that bill.

This does happen to rule out all the former Everton players though – but it would be great if any of them showed the drive to leave the club, gain that necessary experience, and be in the running for the job next time around – and a number of homegrown managers like O'Neil who don't seem to have developed over the last few years.

It doesn't have to be Pereira, Tuchel or Martinez, they just seem to embody a lot of the necessary characteristics and qualifications for a club with ambition – a club that really does believe that nothing but the best is good enough.

Thomas James
42 Posted 23/05/2013 at 14:24:28
I think anyone of Pereira, Laudrup, Martinez or Neville will do a good. None of them have taken on a job as hard as the Everton job, Neville hasn't even managed. I read an article by a Portuguese journalist about Pereira's style of management and tactics compared to AVB and Mourinho. AVB replies on his man management skills, people liking him and 'team' ethos, Mourinho relies on his personality to influence and manipulate both teams and media, where as Pereira himself relies on his tactical approach and he sees himself as a working class man with a high attention to detail... I like the sound of him!

Peter Fearon
43 Posted 23/05/2013 at 14:32:17
The Portuguese league is a lot more competitive than say, the Scottish league but no-one ever suggests that Scottish managers are not good enough to manage in the Premiership. We took the very worst Everton manager in modern times from Rangers after he won several of those two horse races in a row and no-one predicted his failure based on his experience - so why a very forward-looking coach like Pereira should be ruled out I cannot imagine. However, Bill Kenwright is the kind of executive who tends to do what worked last time. He brought up a manager who was doing well in the Championship - but not too well - and wanted Premiership football. That suggests to me someone like Gus Poyet, Ian Holloway or Gianfranco Zola. Keep your eye on who loses the promotion play-off final
Richard Reeves
44 Posted 23/05/2013 at 15:14:38
I think a lot of people including myself are suspectfull that these interviews that are apparently going to happen for the foreign managers are just a smokescreen to eventually going for Neville,Stubbs,Weir or Ferguson.I hope I'm wrong but as has been mentioned before I could see Kenright using the suggestion that he interviewed all the top managers that us fans wanted to be interviewed but found out that the best candidate was here all along and part of the backroom staff.

It's obvious that by far most of us fans want a foreign manager so the final decision by Kenwright will clearly show where his intentions lie,it's that simple as far as I'm concerned.I believe If he gives the job to Neville,Stubs,Weir or Ferguson it will be to appoint someone who will allways back the chairman,put up with selling players and low transfer budgets and possibly worst of all to step back when things go wrong to enable Moyes to come back and slot back into his comfy chair when it all goes pear shaped over there which I'm sure will happen.

If he does go for one of these foreign managers then it would show ambition and for once an understanding of what the fans want.
Paulo Hogerio
45 Posted 23/05/2013 at 16:44:38
What's wrong with Marcelo Bielsa??
Thomas James
46 Posted 23/05/2013 at 19:22:29
What's wrong with Lucien Favre??
Brian Lawlor
47 Posted 23/05/2013 at 19:43:37
The 'results' from this are simply astounding.

I hope to fuck Bill Kenwright doesn't read ToffeeWeb.

Eric Holland
48 Posted 23/05/2013 at 19:57:09
What's wrong with Steve McClaren ?? Hic!!!!!
Ged Simpson
49 Posted 23/05/2013 at 20:15:49
What's wromg (hic)
Ross Edwards
50 Posted 23/05/2013 at 20:17:40
I agree Paulo. Bielsa over Martinez anyday.
Paul Roderick
53 Posted 23/05/2013 at 21:14:36
Paul 808 - we haven't had an ex-everton player as our manager since 1998. Maybe it is time to move back in that direction - so we could hopefully win stuff again.
Ross Edwards
54 Posted 23/05/2013 at 21:26:48
Paul- Who is a TOP ex-Blue who could walk in here? Don't say Bilic, he'd cost millions, unless he is given the heave-ho.
Alan Smith
55 Posted 23/05/2013 at 23:05:22
Richard 940,

What if, after interviewing everyone, including all the foreigners, it turns out Duncan Ferguson is truly the most outstanding candidate, with the deepest knowledge of the game and most enthusiastic with innovative ideas on how to move the club forward, more progressive even than Pereira even? What then?

Foreign or British should have no bearing on the matter. And even though I don't trust BK, it's in his interest more than anyone else's to get this right.

Also, a top foreign manager will just be using us as a stepping-stone to get to a top club. An Evertonian may actually stay loyal if he's successful.

Richard Reeves
56 Posted 24/05/2013 at 16:08:02
Alan (#126), I guess It's all about opinions as to whether someone turns out to be the outstanding candidate. Personally I can't understand how someone who has no managerial experience could be more of a preffered choice than one who has an impressive managerial record from another league mainly because they know how the club is ran and know what it is to be an Evertonian. Seriously, how long would it take for a foreign manager to understand what his budget is, what wage structure needs to be in place, or how the club is generally run and how can you claim that any foreign manager will be using us as a stepping stone when you don't know what these people are thinking?

My choices are not based on them being foreign but what they have achieved and what they could possibly achieve with their ideas and brand of football.

Alan Smith
57 Posted 26/05/2013 at 20:56:55
I have no idea what Pereira is thinking but, I do assume that if he won't stay loyal to Porto, its unlikely he would turn man utd down for Everton.

Then again most our fans would not want him to. They'd applaud him as he defected and allowed speculation to run rife about him taking our best players whilst we're still paying him.


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