Reinflate the ball sack, rookie

I am fickle enough admit that you have sold me on Arteta. Steve Ferns,over to you. By the way, John, dare I mention Eddie Howe?

Personally, I thought Arteta a good player, but no more than that. I didn't often see him produce the "120%" he now says he'd demand from any player he coaches either. I also can't remember a club who went on to winning Champions League qualification doing it with a manager with zero experience of management beforehand.

Silva is dragging on but from what I've read he's always imported his own coaches to assist him at every club he's managed. Will he be allowed to do this at Finch Farm because, if he is, P45's will surely be issued to those now there who say they "get" Everton? For all of them, by way of their ages, that's the Everton who've never come close to winning the league for over thirty years. Enough!

Silva's a gamble but his record is somewhat better than Pochettino's before he came to the UK. As ever, who knows though?

Now I want Arteta, boy, am I fickle, or am I?

Got no problem we Arteta being signed. Other do. I don't.

Silva might be the man. Looking all but signed. He might continue his failings in the Premier League. Contrarily, he might show us what made him so successful in Portugal and at Olympiacos. No one knows.

Miki as manager is a blank slate. No one knows.

Is Brand simply letting Silva know how things are going to be run before he's signed? That's seems to be what's going to happen.

But if Brand is actually working the process of interviewing candidates because recommending a choice to Moshiri? Why not Arteta? He's no worse a gamble than Silva.

Let me start by saying that you and I had a (friendly) exchange at the time of Sam Allardyce's appointment. I suggested that he might get us playing decent football once things settled down. John, you were right and I was wrong – spectacularly so in both cases.

But, even though I am an old dog, I have learnt from that experience, and come to realise that we need a young man with new ideas. Arteta as you have so logically asserted, fits the bill and is the best candidate for the job.

I hope there is more to the delay in the manager announcement than a dotting of the i's and crossing of the t's.

I am convinced that If the club had the courage and vision to make this appointment it and we, would be rewarded in spades and that if Arteta led the team out for the first game of next season, the Old Lady would erupt.

Well Don, do these count? A quick interweb search turned up this,

“Zidane has joined José Villalonga, Miguel Muñoz, Tony Barton, Guus Hiddink, Joe Fagan, Vicente del Bosque and Josep Guardiola in winning the top prize in his first season as a coach.”

Though Pep did manage Barca B before taking over the first team.

So, it looks like it can be done, but I doubt it will happen with us. Here's to dreaming!

Your arguments for Arteta are fantastic. I simply fear Everton would be too big a job for his initial managerial role, despite your points to the contrary.

Silva is young and I believe he'll be coming here for the long term. He's highly regarded inside the game seemingly, as was Poch.

There's always a whoopin' stick to beat people with. I've heard criticism of Poch recently because he hasn't won anything. I find that laughable he's done a fantastic job at Spurs.

That same whoopin' stick can be used to minimize Silva's accomplishments.

I have a feeling about Silva. I think he'll do well at Everton.

Brilliant contribution Mr. Daly. Concise? No. Entertaining? Very much so. Intelligent? Yes.

And welcome back. After reading so much gibberish about the latest "flavour of the month", it's refreshing to see an article written by somebody who is prepared to give it a little thought.

Of course by bringing a little bit of realism you will be accused of "hammering a guy before he is in the door", but you raise some very valid points.

Some people just seem unable to accept the fact that a manager has to have a start to his career, a period where they are "Rookies". "Nah, don't be daft, lad... He hasn't done 10 years in the lower leagues learning his trade"... Its abject nonsense as Paul @ 7 so very clearly demonstrates.
People like Bob Paisley and Johan Cruyff would have been overlooked if these footballing Einsteins had their way.

Arteta may not be the answer, but those who dismiss him (or any other guy who hasn't "paid his dues") out of hand, are simply demonstrating how blinkered they are.

I think the blinkered have shown very very poor judgement in recent years. They have called for and got a string of second-rate "flavour of the month" managers, with "proven experience" Worse still they have pleaded for more time when it's been blindingly obvious that we have hired the wrong guy.

There is a touch of Teresa May about them – the more often they get it wrong, the more authority they feel they are entitled to speak with.

You are a skilled writer, JD. I like that your opinions are your own and not simply a regurgitation of something somebody else has said.

Come back with more... soon!

John, both you and Steve Ferns do well in selling the sizzle of your chosen brand of sausage.

The only good thing is that Moshiri (hopefully) won't be listening to, Jim White, Kenwright, Walsh or whoever it was put the idea of Koeman in his head.

Silva – did a good if short jobs with Hull, Watford, et al. Vs Arteta – good enough for the gooners, (but not us?) He was, we were being led to believe, a serious contender for Wenger's job... this is the Wenger that many would have carried piggy back up the M1 & M6 to Walton, if he so much as gave the merest Gallic shrug of acceptance for the job.

If not one of these 2, who else? Emery and Tuchel are sorted now, Pelligrino? nah. Howe? His Mrs, like Giroud's, has severe postcode preferences. Dyche? won't happen, he'll want a crack at the Thursday Night cup.

As it's all a gamble anyway and I could live with either come August, and if Arteta wanted to put his boots on instead Schneiderlin, well who would complain, for a few games at least... but that might be a case of once romantically Rooney-ed, twice shy.

Mind you I thought that about President of the United States (actually, I was right about that).

During his time at Everton, he was my favourite player. I loved the guy. His football brain was first evident for me when he suffered that dreadful injury against Newcastle. He was never the same player again. He didn't ever recover his full abilities. This is usually where the story ends and the player's career limps to a sad end.

But not Arteta. He made no secret that he preferred to play centrally. Moyes didn't trust flair players in the middle and so pushed Arteta to the wing knowing that he had defensive solidity in the middle and that Arteta could come inside and dictate play in the middle when we had the ball. With the injury, he couldn't play as a winger anymore. The acceleration was gone. He was then left battling with Jack Rodwell for a central midfield position and if I correctly recall it, some were happy to see the back of Arteta. The Spaniard didn't want to sit on the bench and watch a younger man, and seemed to be ready for a new challenge having given us the best years of his career.

At Arsenal he got what he wanted, the chance to be the midfield general and he excelled in the role. Thereby showing that unlike the other players who lose an important part of their game, he could adapt. Arteta was like a matador in his pomp. Defenders would charge at him like a bull, and he would use his quick feet to move the ball away at the last second, to the delight of the Goodison faithful. The speed of foot was the skill he lost the most and instead he relied on, and further developed, his passing abilities. He also learnt to read the game better, and use anticipation to make up for his lost pace.

So sure, Arteta has a lot of tools at his disposal to become a good manager. He's played at a number of great clubs, Arsenal, ourselves, Rangers and Paris Saint-Germain. He's played under managers with opposing styles. He's learning from Guardiola in a great position to understand why Guardiola is doing what he's doing.

I still think Arteta has a lot more to learn. He's been in his present job 2 years. He's never been head coach or manager before. He's only completed his coaching courses in the last two years, so unlike all those guys listed like Bob Paisley, he is still a young coach and he is still learning.

This Everton team need a coach. They do not need someone just to keep them ticking over. Liverpool right now will be doing coaching in terms of retaining their fitness, keeping sharp and just keeping ticking over. You can go through the usual routines for this. Sure, Klopp might want to coach in a few particular things, such as a way to combat Ronaldo, how to shackle the unstoppable Marcelo and then turn the tables by attacking him because he is actually one of the worst fullbacks defensively and Salah should rip him to shreds.

People question Silva and belittle his achievements to suit their own agenda. His achievements with Estoril are quite simply superb. He took a bankrupt middle-of-the-road second-tier club and in much less than a full season, not only turned them around, but won the league. That is a miraculous achievement in itself. Then he took them to a record 5th in the top tier, and European football for the first time. Then despite the distractions of European football, which have hindered our own club in every but one of European campaigns we have had in the last 30 years, he actually improved and went one better, a record 4th position.

Some of you need to actually digest what he did there. He spent no money, he had a team of players no one wanted, a club that was bankrupt, he beat talented managers like Fonseca, and he defied all the odds time and again. Every club in Portugal wanted him. He turned down the Porto job twice. Porto hadn't lost at home for 8 years, until Silva brought little Estoril into town and beat them, initiating the sequence that got Fonseca sacked a couple of weeks later. People still talk about the time that Silva got Estoril into Europe now, they still can't believe he did it.

His job at Sporting cannot be underestimated either. But it is. Jardim had them in second, but Silva got more points in getting them to third. He also won their first major trophy since 2008, and sorry Jay, but I'll dismiss the League Cup like the Portuguese do as you don't get anything for winning it (no Europe), it remains the only major trophy they have won since 2008. The Sporting fans remember Silva with fondness. They rate him very highly and think he could go on to great things.

Then there is his season in Greece. A one-horse race apparently. A one-horse race they came third in this year. If it is indeed a one-horse race, how can a good coach prove he is so in such a race? How about winning it in the most empathetic way of all time? Well that's what Silva did. 30 games, 1 loss, 1 draw, 28 victories. He set a number of records in Greece.

He set a number of records in Europe including 17 consecutive victories. His points per game for that season is also a record. No manager in Greece has ever won a higher percentage of games in a season, though one did win more games by playing more games. Silva also took his Greek side to The Emirates and beat Arsenal in the Champions League. His second season in that competition. His fourth consecutive season in European Competition.

Everton need coaching. They need a man with answers. They don't need a man still learning. Silva is a man who gets his message across. His players, nearly all of them, go on about how much they learnt off him. How much can you learn off a novice manager? Comparing Silva manhandling his defenders into position with a seedy gym teacher in humorous, but it is dismissive of what he is doing. The players are failing to understand what is asked of them. This means that he is teaching something new, something different, and they can't quite grasp it.

Who was the manager before Silva at Hull, Mike Phelan. Yes that's Mike Phelan of Man Utd who would have everyone believe that all the last few Man Utd titles were all down to him as he was in effect head-coach.

Who was Watford manager before Silva at Watford? Walter Mazzaeri. He's a manager who has won titles in Italy, returned Napoli to competitiveness and managed Inter Milan. Yet Silva was able to teach these players things that these other experienced coaches could not.

Arteta should be a top coach. He just needs to finish learning before he starts teaching. It's too soon. We need a man with answers now. We need experience, but we also need energy, hunger, and determination.

Of all the possible candidates, I'd actually pick Maurizio Sarri first. He's certain for Chelsea though. Whilst he is anything but young, he is full of energy, hunger and determination as he is still young in terms of managing at the top level and still only just over 10 years into a professional coaching career. We'll all see shortly why he's such a good manager, and no doubt be entertained by his antics once he's formally appointed at Chelsea.

Silva is then the best of the other candidates for me, and that included Fonseca. When considering who's the best man for the job, I think you should consider how they would win Everton the league. What are the skills they possess to do it? Forget what they have won, how would they actually go about winning the league for Everton? Silva might well fall flat on his face, but there are a number of signs there that he is a really special head-coach. His coaching ability is second to absolutely no one.

You can see the evidence for yourself, by watching the videos, but you can also listen to the players and a long list testimonies from the players who love him like Ricarlison, Evandro, and Kostas Fortounis. Even the players who don't love him like Troy Deeney give a glowing reference. Or players like the tragic Ryan Mason, who have nothing to gain, hail the man and his methods.

Ultimately, Marco Silva will be Everton manager. Moshiri will not let him slip through our fingers at this stage. He has put too much into this. Backing out now, doing a U-turn, or letting Silva go elsewhere, will be something he would think would make him look foolish. Now he wants to get his man. Brands will know that this is the man we want. The only issue is whether they can work together. I see no reason why not.

The majority of players Silva signs are former players he had before. He took Estoril players to Sporting and to Olympiacos and to Hull. I expect him to give the name of Carvalho to Brands as his first major signing, and other than that, he will let Brands get on with things. Silva will want a say on who is signed and who leaves, but he will not want to get involved in all the dealings and that will suit Brands. Both prefer the modern football coach Brands alluded too. Having briefly been Director of Football, Silva knows the job and where the dividing line is.

Come home, Micky!

My preference has been for a top manager, but with Tuchel, Ancelotti, and Emery now hired elsewhere and Sarri potentially headed to Chelsea, that leaves Conte who will take a break.

Brands seems to prefer a young manager who can work with young players. If that is the plan, then once again I don't see why Silva is a better hire than Arteta or Howe based on his modest record in England with his last two clubs.

I still think West Ham have got the best option available to clubs outside the top tier but time will tell, as usual.

Steve Ferns, great post, although I've had a haircut and 2 shaves before I finished it. 😁.

Is the hiatus before Silva's appointment so that Brands can properly suss up all candidates?

Let's have a super Spanish weekend. Starting with Real Madrid tomorrow!

What I always wonder about managers is what staff they are going to bring with them. Even Sam has little Sam and Shakespeare – that's a lot of experience of something.

You'd think Arteta would need decent coaches around him.

My preference has been for Spaletti but, now Inter are in the Champions League, I doubt he would leave them for us.

Appointing Silva with his recent record in the Premier League is too risky a decision for me, the sort of decision that if it goes wrong you look back at and say 'why did we appoint a feller whose two most recent clubs sacked him, one getting relegated and one just clinging on?'

I liked the words from Arteta and, if those words are turned into action, then I am sure he will make a good manager. I don't think the club will appoint him. I think they will go for Silva and we will come to regret it but I hope not.

Fagan and Barton emerged from the shadows of Paisley and Saunders, inheriting championship-winning squads in the process. Fagan lasted two years from memory and Barton was sacked two years after taking what was in effect Saunders' team to success in winning the European Cup. Neither therefore convince me they were good appointments.

And for the record I'm not sure Silva will be either but I'll refrain from denigrating him before he's even appointed, being a fan an' all.

I do like 'left field thinking', especially one such as this whereby the 'risk-reward' factor could – only could - pay such rich dividends.

Heaven knows, 'perceived wisdom' such as recycling and appointing 'known' managers with mediocre track records has not moved Everton forward.

No appointment – be it DoF, manager or player - no matter what their previous history, ability or experience comes with gilt-edged guarantees.

But it really is time if Moshiri's 'project' is to have legs and any sort of credibility that we appoint a manager who can at least entertain us and move us upward and forward.

And Steve @ 14. Once again, you cannot on the one hand say "People question Silva and belittle his achievements to suit their own agenda" and then on the other – as you have repeatedly done - continue to falsely claim Silva's cup victory with Sporting on his watch is the only trophy they have won in 10 years.

Who are you, Steve, to determine the Portuguese League Cup they won in January this year, 2018, does not count?

Who are you, Steve, to declare the Portuguese 'dismiss' it? I've lived in Portugal, Steve. I'm a Sporting fan, with many Sporting friends.

Believe me, they took to the streets all over the country in January (as Portuguese supporters do when the team wins a major trophy) hooting their car horns, flying the Sporting colours.

Could it be you wish to airbrush Sporting's most recent cup success out of history (cough!) "to suit YOUR own agenda", the promotion and near-canonization of Marco Silva as Everton manager?

You've made a strong case for Silva, Steve.

There is no need at all to continue pedalling the lie that you attempt on this point.

I also think Steve Ferns post has great value and makes some very pertinent points.

I think, however, the die is cast and it is Silva. If it wasn't and Arteta was genuinely in the frame, it would be just as intriguing to see which coaches he would bring along with him.

Thanks again, John, great piece.

My mates are from in and around Lisbon, although they live in the Algarve. They tell me that Sporting is only interested in the League, which they have not won since 2002. And it seems a bit like Arsenal in that regard, where they weren't exactly doing cartwheels last season after winning the Cup.

Rest assured, when my mates came over, a couple of months ago, I did my bit for the Liverpool Tourist board and ensured they saw all the sights, and that expectations were well and truly met and surpassed. It's just a pity I couldn't take them to watch the blues, although my Dad is slowly turning them into Everton fans.

If you know Portugal at all (a country of a mere 10 million inhabitants that you can cross east to west in 3-4 hours, north to south in half a day), you well know that Benfica and Sporting (and increasingly Porto) are nationally supported, often to the cost of the local teams in the provinces.

I'll lay money with you that in every village, town or city, in the Algarve or elsewhere, the night Sporting won the League Cup in January, Sporting supporters took to the streets to celebrate as I described. It counted!

Of course, any football supporter, in any country or league, craves the league title above all domestic prizes.

Like it or not, as here in England, Portugal's professional teams have 3 shots at a domestic trophy each season: The League, their FA Cup equivalent and the League Cup, in the same order of preference we place on them.

It is deceitful of you (and really unnecessary) to continue to falsely claim Sporting's only trophy in 10 years was under Silva when they picked one up in January of this year.

Arteta was a great player and playmaker for Everton. He has intelligently picked his way through this coaching career so far. I think the issue is how tough is he. It's going to need someone really tough to sort out the dressing room and be able to work with Brands to achieve a total overhaul of the Club.

It's very doubtful that Silva has. I am with you: give Arteta a chance. Wenger and Guardiola think he is good enough. But Moshiri is going to need to be tough as well to give the go ahead. In a 5-year plan, Arteta could grow with the Club.

I think that Silva's appointment is far from certain. Some said on one of the threads that Arteta was at Goodison Park today. . .

When Paisley retired he recommended Fagan to take over the job as manager, although reluctant he did move into the manager's seat.

Joe was only in that position for two years, winning three major honours in his first season including the European Cup and getting Liverpool into the final of the European Cup the next year, the ill-fated Heysel final, he retired after that final and people who knew him said he was never the same man again after witnessing those horrific scenes and deaths.

Joe was a down to earth man who always wore the same-sized hat, never went over the top like some people who get to the top of their profession.

I wish Arteta well, but it's clear to me that we need someone with a bit of experience. A novice might be able to take over a well-run club and carry the baton while he is coming to terms with the job. It's a different job entirely taking over a club in turmoil and trying to steady the ship.

Bertie Mee was the Arsenal physio when he took over as the manager. Arsenal had not won anything in 15 years and he eventually guided them to a League and Cup double which was rare in those days. Note: I'm not advocating Arteta to be the manager, he's a risk same as Silva, but they may be the best available who will come to Everton.

The mission spelt out by Moshiri is to get into the top four, not six, as soon as. — Does anybody seriously think the Brands - Silva combination will get Everton into the top four?

I guess I'm a little giddy now the dinosaur has left our club. We need to embrace some new thinking at all levels.

It's great to have you back, John, I have missed your wit, laconic wisdom and pithy put-downs. The Half-Man, Half-Biscuit of TW returns.

We have just employed a DoF and are looking for a coach, not a manager, who will have limited control over personnel etc.

I voted for Mikki in the poll because I think he could be a good manager, but if he won't work under Brands then it is a pointless argument.

And Ron (#32), I quoted Moshiri from his much-vaunted, still unadjusted, "three-year-project" to qualify for the Champions League from his take-over in 2016 and, no, I don't expect Brands & Silva to achieve it either, but I hope they do!

When Shankly came in, he explained he was bringing no other coaches with him but would utilise the coaches who were already there and although he was the boss he stated they were all part of one team who would pool all their ideas together.

Personally, I think Shankly robbed all their plans and used them as his own, he had never been a success anywhere else until he came to Liverpool.

I'm also probably paranoid about employing another ex-player who may well be really rated by Kenwright as a coach!

I was chatting in work today with a fellow blue. He made a good point that Silva is the type of appointment we would expect pre Moshiri. I have to agree although I've got a good feeling about him. I think the next few weeks could be exciting with Brands and Silva being announced and some new signings to follow

I just want to say, please, do not stop contributing. You are always erudite, entertaining and have something worth saying.

I'd be happy with Arteta but I think it represents a massive risk.

Roy Keane learnt the game under the best manager the Premier League has ever had. He was his captain and a hugely respected player with no small amount of football intelligence. Terrible manager though.

I'm of the opinion we would not have been relegated but Sam was brought in to reduce that risk. 90% didn't want him including myself.

I hoped for the best but being convinced of the rubbish he would serve up I stopped attending games. It felt it wasn't worth spending time and money on crap whilst getting frustrated watching what turned out to be some of the most awful football ever witnessed, according to fans posting on this site. So in a way I was happy with not attending although sad that it came to that.

Flip back to Koeman, he wasn't in my top 5 realistic coaches to appoint but I was impressed with the 2 rebuilding jobs he did at Southampton. He ticked a few boxes and proved himself in the Premier League. We needed rebuilding and backed up the appointment hoping he would rebuild whilst playing good football and taking strides forward to battle for a top 6 place.

Sadly, the football was pretty poor, no obvious game plan, interplay or coordinated onfield tactics. Talk of improving fitness and playing on the front foot closing opposition players down remained just talk.

He publicly criticised Barkley when the whole team failed to impress. The rebuilding Southampton style also failed to materialise and the writing was on the wall for what followed. Admittedly the set up and Walsh must also take some blame.

Now, once again, my top 5 realistically attainable managers to improve us whilst minimising risks, have all been snapped up.

Arteta has turned down Arsenal so there will be no way he would come to Everton this summer. I think this is a good thing all around. A few more years experience for Arteta and hopefully a more proven less risky manager for us. No 2s of great managers don't necessarily make successful managers. See Man Utd's several famed coaches fail after working with the most successful Premier League manager ever.

I'm unconvinced by Silva and I do see a lot of Martinez in his teams attacking style of play. I am convinced however that he's a good coach that will quickly get us playing more attractive football which he impressively achieved within a few weeks at Hull and again with Watford.

So, if it is to be Silva, I will be satisfied that the style of football will improve and bring some excitement back. Weather it means points on the board consistently over a full season remains the big question. But it's a start with optimism; positive football and fans fully engaged will help breed confidence and success.

As for the opinions of Pocchetino. Who is he to have his position held in such high esteem? He's just David Moyes from Argentina. Hasn't won a bean in three jobs in a row. It was only recently that he managed to surpass the win percentage of the much maligned and ridiculed AVB - A man with a far more impressive CV than his.

Wenger is probably just being nice in his assessment of Arteta. I agree with those that claim we wouldn't even be discussing him if hadn't played for us. Why isn't Frank Lampard being mentioned? He's looking for a job and hasn't got any track record of management either.

We are always looking for the "next big thing" in managerial circles, but have certainly been hampered by employing grateful yes men, who will kneel at the altar of King Bill - CBE.

All great managers have a common demoninator, They can motivate players to give their all. These guys are more like talented psychologists rather then tactical geniuses. They obviously know how to set up a team, but I always enjoy the story that the lovely Souness tells about the time he joined the shite. On asking the manager where he wanted him to play, the reply came: "We've just paid all this fucking money for you, and you're asking me where you should be on the pitch."

That kinda sums it up for me. Even the great Utd sides of recent times have said Ferguson wasn't a particularly tactical coach, but they just didn't want to let him down, or they were equally shit-scrared of him.

Getting back to my first point, if Pellegrini has this West Ham side playing great football, then I don't think it's down to a tactical master-class, it's because the players want to give that bit extra.

Silva, Arteta, whomever. They've all got to blow the cobwebs out of Goodison, and drag the club into the modern era. I'll believe that's happening if we see the back of the likes of Ferguson on the bench, no matter who the manager is. What the fuck is that all about?

P.S . Keep posting JD. The next 'Legends' night isn't that far away. (next one is in a couple of weeks, some feller who played three times for us in the '70's)

Well, by later this evening, fate may conspire and the demand and necessity for success (I hope fate is kind and Real Madrid win) but this just cranks up the pressure on EFC.

God grant us salvation next season as it's gonna be a tough one for all teams, but for now, let's hope soon the club puts in the new manager, and he is backed 100% by all Evertonians.

Honestly, I would take Howe over Silva.

Ralph Hasenhüttl was the guy I was pimping as a Sam successor earlier this year, whilst thinking there was no chance of it ever happening. As he has since become unexpectedly available, I would like to think he would at least be considered for even a nanosecond but it seems Silva is nailed on.

Prior to Koeman being appointed, Philip Cocu was my personal choice. A coach with close ties and a successful track record of previously working in tandem with our new top man, Marcel Brands.

I can't see PSV countenancing him pissing off as well, and besides, 'going Dutch' has since lost some of its gloss, but again I would just like to think other options are being explored other than 'that bloke who was doing alright back in October', because they are out there.

Although Andre Villas-Boas didn't disgrace himself at Spurs, I suspect, if you asked any of their supporters if they would have him back over Pochettino, the unanimous response would probably be the same sort of puke-stifling, screwed-face look that would swiftly follow someone being asked if they would like to smell a spilt, six-month-old, liposuction sack with 'Ms Liza Minelli' scrawled on the label.

As for the brilliantly rocambolesque claim that, really, Pochettino is simply an 'Argentinian Moyes' with slightly less of a slapped-arse mug? So, that's qualified for the Champions League three times in four seasons vs qualified for the Champions League... err... never. Poor sod must be sick to death of the 'second Davey' slurs persistently showering down upon him by now.

Yep, I can just imagine the Spurs squad singing "Cheer Up Mauri" and him sobbing uncontrollably when they get to the "People will call you ****** *****" part:

Link

Pochettino has a far from spectacular managerial record prior to his recent 'success' at Spurs. He managed only middle table, run of the mill, obscurity with Espanyol before being sacked and his record with Southampton, which included winning 13 of his first 42 games, something Silva is being slagged off for, was immediately bettered by Ronald Koeman.

Whilst relatively speaking he has done well at Spurs you have to take into account the fact they managed 69 points in season prior to his arrival. Are a generally well run club who raise funds predominantly by selling fringe players for surprisingly high fees and then reinvesting the proceeds in improving their team and have produced players such as Harry Kane who's goals have been invaluable to Pochettino while he has been there.

I think the comparison in Champions League qualification records with Moyes, who did manage one, is unfair, given the fact that he operated on absolutely nothing, saw his best players being sold, inherited a truly awful team that was perennially fighting relegation and managed in an era where the best teams in England were permanent fixtures in the latter stages of the Champions League.

I would put the 'success' of Pochettino down to Spurs being a well run club and improving their squad year in year out. The emergence of young talents like Kane and the generally poor standard of the Premier League as a whole, with many formerly top clubs either struggling to live up to former glories or yo-yoing up and down and constantly changing managers.

He, like Moyes, has won nothing, and I would happily bet, never will.

Come on down, Rafa!

Arteta was my preference from day one and I was hammered by Mr Bennings and a few others for suggesting him.

I agree with everything you say on this — yes, he would be a risk but worth a try surely. However, I agree with Phil Walling that I think Silva has had this job since he left Watford. He hasn't had a sniff of any other job since and I do wonder if the agreement was made at that time that Sam would not last and the job was then his. I do hope not but it seems strange that he should remain out of work...

The most important aspect to this is that the new manager can work with the DoF as a team. Walsh (who, in my opinion, was no more than a scout who had some success and was elevated way beyond his ability) clearly was not respected by Koeman and there appeared to be a distinct lack of harmony, resulting in some of the ridiculous transfers which we are now stuck with.

If it means Cocu coming in because he works well with Marcel Brands, then great... because, if the management works in harmony, then surely they can get the players to do so.

It should be an interesting week but don't stop posting, John —I don't always agree with everything you say but you are superbly entertaining!

As for backing a ‘guy' for me those days are over This article, albeit fun, reaffirms my thoughts.

Everton should and are likely to go through coaches under a DoF until both the style of football and minimum expectations are met.

Despite pervading wisdom and often staid logic that time, patience brings success? I'm unsure I can demonstrate that, especially at Everton.

The coach appointed really needs to adapt the clubs style and go from there,
if they cannot then tough.

The disconnect and money have driven this type of environment, so Everton will have to live with it, they have had a heavy helping hand in creating it!

All appointments encapsulate elements of risk, which are usually accompanied, in hindsight of course, by outbursts of "I told you so" whether it be a positive or negative consequence.

Like many, Silva is not my choice, but it does look increasingly likely that the post will be his come the end of the of the week. I will of course, support him, any marginal candidate has to be better than the most unpopular of all, who has gladly been sacked.

I sincerely hope he proves us doubters wrong, only time will tell.