Bielsa tops list of potential Silva replacements

If we take a manager from the Championship then Chris Wilder or Daniel Farke, Steven Gerard, Frank Lampard, or Allan Stubbs.

More compensation to pay out before it happens and probably more to pay out after if it does. Bielsa seems to be a bit of a one-season wonder, but he's given Leeds a decent season. Right now I'd settle for a decent one-season wonder... I'd settle for one decent game, especially vs Liverpool.

Hmmm, this just doesn't make sense. I can't see him being on Marcel Brands's wanted list. Get on with it, Mr Brands, the club lives or dies on your next managerial appointment.

Silva – dead man walking.

If you can't set up a defence, then you're not a good manager.

If you can't recognise the need for a striker (and fail to address this in 2 transfer windows), then you're not a good manager.

I'm sorry, Silva, but right now, I don't think you're a very good manager.

Regular readers to ToffeeWeb will know how highly I rate Bielsa, even calling for him to take charge before we appointed Martinez in 2013. I was made up when he came to England and to see he is doing well at Leeds. Could he end up at Everton? Well, according to the Sunday papers... but that is what Sunday papers do!

That aside, unpopular to some, possibly most readers at the moment, I still think we have to give more time to Silva! We are not going to go down (be relegated) as there are 3 worse teams that us. Granted performances/results off late have not been the best.

But who have been our best performers so far this season – Richarlison, Digne, Gomes, Zouma, Bernard (all Silva signings – who have shone/has their moments at times) Mina, is too early to judge and will need time to adapt to Premier League.

We know there is no consistency and confidence at the moment. Let's hope the time before our next match (Cardiff) is used productively but Silva needs to make changes to selection and tactics otherwise who knows we could see El Loco at Goodison and not just next season in the opposition dug-out with Leeds.

Probably bollocks. But personally I would not be adverse to this. I think Tony Twist is probably right in saying this doesn’t seem like a Brands move.

I would like to see Silva at Everton for 30 years. That means he has turned it round. Can't see it. He, like most, is too stubborn.

Derek @2 — more compensation? Not our money, lad. I know what you mean but we do our part... it's up to the owners to do theirs, even if that's getting it right by getting rid. TTFN.

Mark @5,

You're brushing the Mina transfer off a bit easily there, mate. For £30M+ you'd think he'd be able to at least get a game. The times he has played he's looked abysmal.

Digne has been up and down but a good signing I reckon.

Bernard shows the odd flash of talent but nothing more.

Gomes started brilliantly and faded badly.

Richalison is probably the most dislikable footballer I've seen play for the club. Always diving, always sulking. He spends half the game looking at the floor and the other half lying on it. Absolute embarrassment of a player.

The thinking behind this would be in his reputation of having an immediate effect on sides. It's sustaining the high level over a full season that has been his drawback in the past but Leeds going someway to dispelling that this season. For what it's worth, he's my first choice too.

Three weeks ago I said the same, Mark. There are three worse teams than Everton, to be honest other than Cardiff next week, which is far from a gimmie, I am struggling to see where we will get the 7 points from.

Even Newcastle and Fulham games are not a gimme.

If we stick with the zonal marking and get dragged close to the third from bottom, this will not be Wimbledon all over again — we had battlers that day; there is no fight in this team.

That is why we have to get something from the Cardiff game.

At this moment in time, there is no worse team in the premiership than Everton, hurts me to say it.

Very unlikely we will get drawn in, but do not rule out the possibility of it happening.

I said this guy from the start. Is it too late now?

They love him at Leeds, and he's not always swayed by the money etc.

Stubbs, Starke or Wilder are insane choices, another Martinez or Mike Walker, the job would be too big for them.

Bielsa has a CV and has been there and done it and takes no shit.

Farke, not Starke – the fella at Norwich, isn't it?

Phil #8

On Mina, when we signed him I saw the amount of football he'd played in the last year or two - not a huge amount - and it concerned me. I also wasn't blown away by his world cup performances. He played no more than a handful of games for Barcelona and they've doubled their money. How? On what basis? We've overpaid.

I just thought that a combination of 24 years old, South American and not much football meant he would require some settling in. South American defenders are a bit hit and miss is the Premier League.

I also wanted someone genuinely quick, which he isn't. At 6'-5", Mina is a little tall for my liking. He's a bit leggy and statuesque, immobile and can be turned and struggle with good movement.

I know he's had injuries which haven't helped him and he probably needs a good pre-season and to go again, but I'm concerned he could be yet another poor buy in this vital position. Signing poor centre backs leads to trouble.

To be fair to him, at this point he's probably thinking, "Why the fuck did I come here!"

He's 25 years old and, on that basis, we'd get most of our money back. I wouldn't mind it if we got rid in the summer and got in someone strong and pacey that knows the drill and has a better chance of hitting the ground running. We badly need something consistent in there. Since Moyes left, virtually every centre-back has been a disaster.

If you're trying for a long time to pull a door open, and it won't open, may be an idea to try pushing it instead.

Silva's problem is that he believes (blindly at Everton) that his concept of 'Zonal marking' fits. It doesn't.

It's like holding your breath underwater, if you don't come up for air, eventually you are going to drown, which is where Silva is heading at the moment, unfortunately.

Richarlison says that Silva is like a father to him. I suggest that Daddy should have slapped his legs more often with the cry-baby antics. How Richarlison has been favoured above the likes of Lookman is beyond belief.

Mark#5, don't kid yourself, mate, we are dropping like a stone, worse than last season. Currently, we are the team that looks safe and is suddenly sucked into the quagmire. The other teams have been scrapping for survival from the first game and our lot have been treading water, thinking they are far too good for relegation.

Think again.

What about Conte, guys? I love the passion he brings he almost plays the game he is so busy on the sideline. People are always on about Premier League experience here is a guy that has won it and if the history of the Premier League shows us anything, a guy that has won it can win it again. This guy can organise a defense, I'm certain that with the same personal we would become a very tight unit that does not leak goals very quickly.

Before people say he was crap in his 2nd year he was not supported in the players he wanted and the relationship deteriorated, now if a man wins you the Premier League then you sit him down and ask him what the fuck he wants and if he says 4 players then try like fuck to make it happen like Man Utd did for years with Alex Ferguson. This guy would thrive on going to Anfield while our current man's knees will be knocking so much I'll hear them here in Ireland.

This would be a top ranking man, top class club and international experience, he did really well with an Italian side that was apparently the poorest in decades. Conte and Usmanov in over the Summer for me. I would hope we have been smart enough to put in Silva's contract that if a certain position or points target is not met then we have the right to let him go.

Seems to me the players we want rid of, no-one wants to buy. I think Silva or whoever's in charge will have to go down the swop route? I can't see any other way of getting them out the club.

We all initially want to give a new Manager time and see improvements. The problem is that we have seen no change and no improvement, and its the same week in week out.

You look at mitigating circumstances that would affect team results, like a run of bad injuries to key players, but the Manager has had a full squad with only minor disruptions; therefore, there are no excuses for these dire performances.

I see the Manager being dismissed before the end of March and you can bet your mortgage that David Moyes will be asked to do an interim job to stabilize, who gets the permanent job after that is anyone's guess.

So we have Cardiff away, then the derby, Newcastle away, then Chelsea.

I genuinely can't see us taking a single point from any if those. Cardiff are playing out of their skins, Benitez has transformed Necastle into fighters on a shoestring, and we don't beat big clubs. Worrying times ahead. I haven't made an effort to watch a game in the last 4 and that's never been me.

Far too much chopping and changing. Silva seems to be stubborn and naive, but I think he'll probably be here till the end of the season unless the relegation threat turns into a really serious danger – not impossible.

The home crowd will turn inevitably with endless defeats so the hope of 7 or so points rests with away fixtures and beating Burnley. If it turns into a full-blown crisis a firefighter, caretaker figure – Moyes? – will come in before a serious contender is appointed.

It was Einstein who said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The truth of this is something the coach and the owner are demonstrating in different ways. It is, however, all so shaky that no one really knows what will happen to end the insanity.

The initial mistake we made was not acting with urgency after we contacted Favre (now managing successfully at Dortmund).

He was willing to come but we farted him around with our pursuit of Koeman...

Now he would have made a difference and changed things... a big opportunity lost.

John Wells, good shout re: Conte, who I personally think was treated very shoddily at Chelsea. There again what do you expect with an owner like that Russian gangster at the helm!

It has to be someone that has win credible things; no more pretenders and poor disciples of Guardiola.

Bobby. Do you not remember not that long ago what Stubbs did at Rotherham? They had to get Neal Warnock in to achieve mission impossible, and he did.

Sounds like a great appointment... after all, his name ends in a vowel.

First, they will decide if we are in real danger of being relegated.

I think there is a danger but they will come down on the opinion we will be safe.

This all could change quickly though if we get turned over by Cardiff City. If we lose to Cardiff, the board will think it is too big a risk to continue with Marco Silva. The decline will have accelerated.

A win at Cardiff will buy the manager time until the end of the season.

Bielsa is a relic who had nowhere left to go hence why he some how ended up at Leeds.

We have 4 options:

1. Take a punt on an unknown foreigner who somehow becomes our Pochettino;

2. Go for a second marriage with David Moyes;

3. Rafa Benitez, proven winner, can work on a budget, and still lives in the area; or

4. Give Silva another transfer window.

Talk of Big names like Conte and Mancini is just laughable.

We need another 5 points to be certain of safety; I'm not sure where or how we will get them. We are playing the worst football I have seen since the days of Walter Smith.

Conte is a great shout but, until he gets his compensation sorted from the Chavs, he isn't going anywhere.

Media bullshit. Bunch of vultures who love circling around a struggling manager.

Silva isn't going anywhere. Moshiri will hold his nerve, and Silva will be here next season.

Moshiri should be very careful if there is any truth in this story and, with Moshiri's reckless record, it might well be the case. The mind boggles as to how low we have sunk; we stink the Premier League out and will probably reap what we sow.

The only two managers coming here anytime soon are either Moyes (if we continue to get sucked towards the trapdoor – but would he accept such a short deal?) or Cocu (at the end of the season if Brands thinks Silva ain't the one).

Neither would be my choice but on recent evidence, we don't seem to be the type of club to go for a big name such as Conte (a decent shout).

Whoever is next should Silva go, will have to appreciate the enormity of the task ahead. They will have to be up for one of the biggest challenges currently on the table in football anywhere in Europe.

should have said NOT be my choice 😃

Stephen 20. Yeah, Favre would have been a great choice. Sadly Moshiri wanted a 'Hollywood' manager. Not a genuinely good manager. So we ended up with Koeman instead. But ok, that's football. :(

A dream ticket!

We can have Bielsa as manager... while Beelzebub himself carries on running the place.

Please don't mention Moyes — he is a loser. I do not want to go back to the grey days of no hope with him. Let's take a chance, please don't settle for mid-table mediocrity again.I would rather bear with Silva.

Brands is a football man I'm sure he wouldn't consider a dud like Moyes. We want to be great again not just make do like we did for 11 years under Moyes. Those 11 years are the reason we are where we are now.

I would love it if Moyes was kidnapped by an alien spaceship and whisked off to planet Zog!! Only this would stop the Moyes cult followers. Give up the ghost and move on.

This obsession with the past is what keeps us behind everyone else. Moyes did a good job with limited resources. He then went behind our backs and got his dream job only to fail miserably. He's been a failure ever since but some of you seem to think he's some type of football genius. Give it a fucking rest, please.

Conte is a good shout but what about Jose? I'm sure he'd love to get his own back at the red Mancs and he also hates Liverpool which is a huge plus imo.

All the talk about stability is bullshit, every big club keeps changing the manager till they get the right one. That's when stability comes into play, any top club on the continent would've got rid of Silva by now.

After Martinez I thought 'Benitez', during and after Koeman I thought 'Benitez'.... all around Allardyce I thought 'Jesus Christ anyone, but preferably 'Benitez'.

He took a shit team with a bit of promise and won the European Cup. As far as I know, he still lives nearby. He may not fancy it himself, but I'm up for saying: "Hey Rafa, we've got a shit team with a bit of promise; see what you can do."

Daniel 26

I don’t see why Conte is laughable, he strikes me as someone who would be up for the challenge of this and if we had his defensive knowledge we would be well up the table even with the misfits we have. It is for a manager like this that our owner must now make the statement.

I also would have no problem with Rafa Daniel, top manager and he would do a really good job but I’d prefer Conte first, no problem with Rafa as 2nd choice.

Until Moshiri decides what he wants us to be as a club then this managerial merry-go-round will continue until he either decides to walk away, and let Machiavelli regain his prized possession, or we end up relegated. We need a long term plan and a manager to oversee that plan. If that’s Silva, great. If not then he needs to find the man who will carry out his aims.

George, we are not a big club! We were, years ago but right now we are a mid-table (at best) club and we don’t have the squad like BIG CLUBS have where the (temporary) manager is almost unimportant. This insanity has to stop.

"Hollywood Managers" I think when we printed the application form for the job there must have been a mis-print and it read 'Hollyhead manager required for Premier League club' and it wasn't spotted.

Benitez, Bielsa, Conte, Mancini all fine with me.

Moyes? I was dee-fuckin-lighted when that slimy creep finally left. And his record since is full proof that he really is shite.

We won't get relegated even with the "defence free system" of Marco Silva.

Up to the latest member of the board to fire and hire, get the new guy in before the season is over. Evaluate the squad, ship out the dross & the spineless. Bring in new faces. Reboot.

Colin @38, your opening statement is bang-on, mate. For Me, appointing DBB was a staggeringly dreadful move. Not because she is a woman in a male-dominated industry, but because there are true heavyweights who we should have hunted down.

Personally, Nicola Cortese who as CEO in tandem with (then) owner Markus Liebherr oversaw the complete overhaul of Southampton, including the appointment of Maricio Pochettino (who he headhunted having become aware of him whilst scouting Coutinho).

Nicola Cortese has stated that he would love a return to English football. This guy with his banking and football nous would lay out the template for our club that would turn us around.

There is no point in talking about big name managers. They want big wages and giant transfer budgets. If Mourhino had been managing Everton we would have given him the kind of money he spent on Lukaku and Pogba etc? Not a chance Everton would have bought 7 or 8 players for the money he spent on those two.

This is our problem. We are always a step behind in the transfer market. Really top players are over £50 million now yet our limit, with the exception of Richarlison and Sigurdsson appears to be around the 25-30 million mark. Liverpool spent £60 million on a goalkeeper.

So the really big-name managers are out. They don't even do all that well without big money to spend anyway. Mourhino got the boot after he went crackers. Pellegrini is doing nothing at West Ham.

The main reason we are were we are isn't so much the manager's problem as it is the Premier League. There is a 12-point gap between Arsenal in 6th and Wolves in 7th. That's only 2 less points than they are from the bottom 3. Every club below Arsenal have lost at least 9 games.

There are now 6 serious clubs in the Premier League. We know who they are so I won't name them. These 6 are the clubs who start each season with a reasonable hope of success in a cup or the league. The other 13, including us are more interested in avoiding relegation and a decent mid-table finish.

This means that the 13 clubs all have 12 games against the top 6 that they will most probably lose, maybe scrag a draw, or get a freakish win. So the Premier League season for the 13 is actually 24 games long as the 12 games against the top 6 are basically write-offs. Now our problem is that at the moment we are not getting decent results against the other 12 sides out of the 13.

We need a manager who can get us those results. I doubt it's any manager who would be gettable in the Premier League because they are probably already in the same boat we're in.

I think we have to look abroad like Southampton did when they took on Pochettino. An unknown quantity. Otherwise, we may as well hang on to Silva or we'll just be repeating the same thing in a year or so from now.

Colin and Alex,

I'm glad to hear that I am not alone in my view on Moyes.

Getting back to Silva, I was prepared to bear with him but looking at how things are going I am beginning to doubt that judgment. There just aren't any signs of encouragement. The team is playing worse and worse every week. I just can't see where the next win is coming from.

Surely behind the scenes alternatives are being looked at. Hopefully by someone who knows the game.

Still in the stick camp; give him the season and see where we are. We won't get relegated but may finish bottom half.

Brands though needs to insist that Silva invest in new defensive coach. The set pieces are like penalties st the moment.

Also, I don't want Bielsa, but I doubt he'd want to come anyway. if Leeds go up, they'll get a lot of investment looks and would Everton be more attractive?

A big no for the Spanish waiter from me. I don't think he has changed his opinion of us since he left Mordor. He would be laughing so hard (and to the Bank) at the thought of taking us straight to the championship that he might even do it for free.

As for those who continually pine for dour Dave, Bring Back Moyes they wail. I have a solution for you. Get the nurse to up your medication!!

I think the Cardiff game will be the ultimate acid test. If we lose, I think Silva will be replaced in the hope that the new appointee (temporary or otherwise) will really get us up for the game against Liverpool. I do worry though, about the Portuguese speakers within the side and how this will affect their performance for the remainder of the season.

Also, when is the report about the alleged tapping up of Silva while at Watford due to be published? Possible sanctions being points docked or a fine. If proven, I wonder if we would be the first Premier League club to have points taken away?

Not sure about Rafa even based on the main reason why people jobs change, eg, "less travelling more money". Plus, after the inevitable honeymoon period has ended with a few bad results, the abuse would be toxic (and rightly so, I hear in some quarters). He would surely sort out the defence though...

We need a youngish Moyes type ( but not Moyes). Eddie Howe perhaps? I cannot see the Leeds fellah bailing out with the Leeds still handily placed for promotion.

I hate Leeds with a passion since the Battle of Goodison in 1964. That's by the way...

Looks like Leeds are going places. Why the hell would he want to come to this mausoleum?

A manager sacked – yes that's SACKED – by the club we all hate and people on here are advocating bringing him in to manage our club.

The football is bad enough now with a so-called attacking (laughs) coach – could you just imagine how it would be under that dour bastard. Believe you me, there'd be one or two of us reaching for the noose...

If you're hero Rafa was this great manager, answer me this: Why aren't Newcastle challenging the top 6??? He's a one-trick pony and no better than Big Sam. If that fat twat ever walked through the corridors of Goodison, here's one fan of 50 years who wouldn't step foot in the place again!!!

I think I’m one of the biggest fans of Bielsa on this site. But I don’t want him.

The guy is in the twilight of his career. He’s doing well at Leeds. He did very badly at Lille. He was sacked with them in the relegation zone and having been bottom.

Before that he did great for 6 months at Marseille and had them top, then (typically) the wheels came off and they dropped and then they were a very disappointing mid table the following year and he left.

There was the Lazio debacle where he barely lasted the introductory press conference and never stayed for a game.

Really you have to go all the way back to Chile to see vintage Bielsa. And in club football we’re going back to Athletic Bilbao which was 13 years ago.

If Bielsa is the man, and Lille was just bad form, then whys Silva not bad form and can be better next season? It’s not like there was any positives for Bielsa at Lille either.

Moyes was terrible st Sunderland, West Ham fans didn’t like him and wanted him gone. Utd fans have him as one of their worst managers ever. How can anyone want Moyes back? He’s not the guy we appointed who grew into the job, he’s an older guy with a battered reputation and out of date tactics and contacts.

Once more rumours of Everton entering the casino to play Russian roulette with another possible manager. So the press think Everton are struggling under Silva and Moshiri we know is trigger happy. Lets look at what Everton normally do over potential new managers look at someone who hasnt won anything of note but has his team doing OK with little money. Just like before we appointed Silva the press said it could be Howe, Dyce or FDB notice the similarity none has won anything of note. Mind why would we be surprised just look at our history even when we had the backing of John Moores money. we didnt appoint the best that were around should have had Clough but Moores didnt have the balls to appoint him. Could have had Revie or Robson didnt get either of them.

We got lucky with Kendall another who had won nothing as a manager, and had the fans had their way he would have been sacked weeks before the Oxford game. I think the appointment of Harvey to first team coach also saved him. Yes he went on to become our most successful manager, but it was a gamble. Yes sometimes 100-1 outsiders win races but very rarely and going down that route again will probably end in tears.

For me there is only 1 man who I would move heaven and earth to get and that would be Diego Simeone, but we have more chance of winning the league this season than getting him. To think he had a World Cup winner who was wanted by both Barca and Real yet chose to stay at Athletico with Simeone.

I don't want Moyes back. But you have to give him some credit during his time with us.

We had in Baines and Coleman, the best pair of attacking full-backs in the Premier League, Jagielka and Distin a great partnership at centre-back. Throw Tim Cahill in there with Pienaar, Arteta, Lescott and Carsley to mop up. Well I would settle for that type of dour anyday over the current load of crap that's been served up these past four years.

And no, I do not want Moyes back, his time has gone.

The Wolves manager would be high up on my list. In two seasons, he's done something more impressive than our last five managers and, apart from good tactics and coaching ability, he also comes across in interviews as someone you would respect, listen to, and want to play for.

Silva will be here till the end of the season and there's no chance we will be relegated, and no I'm not being complacent. You can get 250/1 for us to be relegated if you really think we will!

There's 8 teams below us that are averaging 1 point a game or less, 2 are certain to go down and the 2 on 24 points are 9 points behind us as they stand now. Admittedly we can't be at all confident of beating anyone at the moment but we only need one or two decent results to be out of reach.

If Silva is replaced next season the stand out is Benitez he's tried and tested in the Premier League with experience to burn. He's not doing great at Newcastle this season but he's struggling through on a tight budget.

Surely we don't want another iffy replacement who's going to be under pressure in no time at all.

At least we know with Benitez that given a decent class of player he is well able to do the job.

Brian Harrison, on what planet would Simeone come to Everton? The reason we get linked with those other names is because that is where the club is right now.

The chance to sell the Moshiri project to pull in a big name has gone, the club's going backwards and will not attract a big name than Philip Cocu when the time comes.

I've come into this thread late, but for what it's worth, I'm sure Mr Moshiri wants to be true to his commitment to give Marco Silva time to overhaul a squad that is weighed down with players signed by his predecessors who are either not good enough or are surplus to requirements. Clearly, one window and six months at the helm isn't time enough to do this.

As long as we are not dragged into a relegation dog fight, the chances are that there won't be a change of manager. The difficulty for Mr Moshiri is that, much as he may want to be patient, the results are still dire and we seem to be spiralling towards the lower reaches of the Premier League with the atmosphere at Goodison Park in danger of turning toxic with each defensive capitulation.

This is what happened in the end with Martinez, Koeman and Allardyce and it resulted in the managerial merry go round we have experienced accompanied by the fruitless expenditure of over £200m on players.

It may be difficult for Mr Moshiri to resist another roll of the dice if we lose to Cardiff then we get humiliated by Liverpool in the Derby. If that happens, we have hope that Marcel Brands really is the real deal on the recruitment front because there won't be many matches left to save Everton's Premier League skin.

Colin Glassar, I get your point, so I'll change my statement slightly.

Even a midtable club on the continent would've got rid of him by now. Lol.

Just read that when Bielsa took over at Leeds he he instituted all-day training sessions, and made the players pick up trash around the training ground for three hours, as he had been told that was how long an average Leeds fan worked to afford a ticket!

An "old relic " to reground our overpaid and underperforming clowns isn't such a bad idea, is it?

Unfortunately the young trendy foreign coaches we've hired haven't taken us anywhere other than backwards, in every sense of the word!

I hope for the sake of Everton that the matter is resolved as quickly and effectively as possible. Personally think that they will wait till the Cardiff match result before kicking the plan into action, and hopefully Silva's arse out of the door.

The longer it drags on it does neither the fans nor the players any favours, and in fact will probably de-moralise everyone even more.

Either way Silva will walk away with reward for failure, he must be sitting on a few million with all his golden handshakes, before he came to us. Unbelievable!

Derek, I think that the Cardiff game could be a watershed too.

Win and he has some time, lose and he will be terminated as a liability that could see us relegated.

I think some very private contingency planning will be going on this week.

What if the players don't what to be arsed with another manager? They haven't helped others in the past.

Biesla would be a wild ride. Somewhat a risk though in our current state so I can't see it.

I think Benitez has to be considered due to his experience, and unlike all the managers we have had, he has actually won titles. We he leave Newcastle for us? I'm not sure, he has a real bond with their fans.

Conte would the dream move but I can't see him taking on a team not in the Champion's league.

As long as Silva is gone asap I don't really care who it is.

Wait until the Cardiff match, that is just plain daft! We have a quiet time now to get the business done and please not someone who is tied up managing another club. A temp may be the best way forward.

There is a minority view that if Silva's stay with us was extended indefinitely, he would gradually build a winning team. What evidence there is to make this assumption, I know not as his Premier League record with Hull, Watford and Everton is appalling. All bright starts followed by winless runs.

Get him out before it's too late and steer clear of chancers with little or no experience of our major league.

Benitez for me — although it chokes me to say it!

ps: Please potential new manager, do your research and see why previous managers have failed. Miserably. EFC is like a poisoned chalice.

"The Mirror and Express claim that “highly-placed sources” at Everton..."

Must be true then.

I just knew at some point the 'meedjah' would come up with this line. It's the kind of quasi-plausible connection they love to throw into their rumour mill as click bait.

Bielsa at some time in his very checkered career could have been a very interesting choice for Everton. He is showing at Leeds that he still has that 'je ne sais quoi', a bit of magic about him.

But in the position we are in at the moment, he constitutes too big a risk. He is as likely to make as champions in two seasons, as he is to walk away 3 days into pre-season training.

Back in the real world, in spite of Moshiri's words of reassurance earlier this week, Silva must be on borrowed time unless things radically improve before the season ends.

If the club still retains a modicum of professionalism, Brands should be on the case as a contingency plan and drawing up a short list of candidates which extends beyond Phillip Cocu.

Tell you what, that Sarri bloke at Chelsea may soon be available. Top manager him, did great at Napoli.

Bielsa was much lauded as some type of tactical guru. If my memory serves me right his actual team performances didn't live up the expectations.

Hope we are not looking at another unemployed manager.

Seriously, Bobby@1, Stephen fucking Gerrard???

The mood at the Etihad reminds me of that old Connie Francis song: "Who's Sarri Now".

What a result for City!

Everton still have a manager who has had to play a full season without a real centre-forward.

The worst football I ever saw was Koeman and Allardyce, so reminiscent of the Walter Smith days. Although Silva isn't doing well at the minute, he inherited a very poor squad, where only a few players even seem to care?

Bielsa tops list?

If he does come to us it will be at the end of the season and potentially to use all the experience he's gained with Leeds to help us climb out of the Championship.

We have not secured prem status yet. This team is very psychologically fragile, it's being mis-managed and we have a very tuff run in, if those below us start performing and we don't, we could find ourselves in the in the brown stuff.

Our position should not be underestimated.

After watching Man City demolish Chelsea I think we should put in a cheeky bid for Guardiola. He must be bored and would look forward to a fresh challenge and free theatre tickets. Come on Pep, you know it makes sense.

Colin #74

We've got more chance of landing Plopp across the park!

Rob, knowing us we’ll probably get Sergeant Bilko as our next manager. That’s one for the oldies on here!

Tremendous performance by City to demolish Chelsea. We got off lightly. Sterling's pace is phenomenal.

He would want to be completely loco to go to Everton.

As an Argentine, I did not forgive the embarrassment of Korea / Japan 2002. He was the worst manager of the national team.

With Bielsa, Everton will surely play a very good football. But he will never win a trophy because Bielsa is a loser. He has been speaking beautifully for the media for many years and, as a consequence, has obtained jobs in football.

Do you prefer to play good football without winning anything or winning a trophy after many years?

Colin #76

I remember Sgt Bilko, I didn't see the originals, but seen the re-runs.

I'd take Bilko right now the way things are going, but this is who we'll end up with! Or have we already got him?

Link

Would love Bielsa. Conte would also be great. Rudi Garcia would be a solid manager.

Two other names I would throw into the ring are Jorge Sampioli and Renato Gaucho.

The former, despite his woeful World Cup with Argentina, is one of Bielsa's 'disciples' (likr Pochettino) and was hugely sucessful with in Chile both at Universidade, and with the National team. He did well at Seville before taking the Argentina job, which is something of a poisened chalice. He's with Santos in Brazil now, and they are playing good football and look exciting (currently in the pre-season State championship).

The latter is something of a long shot, and high risk. But Gremio have been one of the best teams in Latin American football under his management, great football, they won the Libertadores in 2017, and not for some bizarre officiating in the semi against River Plate could well have won it again in 2018 (despite losing their best player - Artur - mid season).

Man City gave another flawless performance, maybe we should take some comfort in they didn't take us apart as easy as they did Chelsea. Mind some of our fans moan about Silva having no Plan B, well all Guardiola's teams play exactly the same way, don't worry about Plan A, B or C just perfect the system you want to play. Just as Pochettino has at Spurs and Klopp at the other lot.

Guardiola is a very very special manager, he has improved every player that plays under him, he has somehow even improved the brilliant Aguero. But even the brilliant Guardiola struggled in his first season even losing 4-1 to Everton. So seeing there is no outstanding candidate out there maybe it might be wise to stick with Silva. He and his players have a fortnight with no football to try and iron out the problems.

Colin@76: Sgt Bilko was one of the funniest series on TV. It was followed by a follow-up set in civilian life, with Phil Silvers working the angles in a factory, but I can't remember the name of the series.

Phil Silvers was also in a few of The Beverley Hillbillies. We could do with Jed Clampett's oil wealth to get a top manager and players, and maybe change the upper echelons at Everton.

Brian #83

I'm calling for Silva to go, but you've made calm objective point about Silva staying and also there is another parallel and that's Kendall's first term, there was calls for him also and I was one of them.

I got that wrong and If I'm honest I hope I get this wrong. The next game I would like to see them full of energy and destroy Cardiff and then go to stand toe to toe with the dark side as they did in the last derby.

I can but live in hope!

Brian "Guardiola is a very very special manager, he has improved every player that plays under him"

While under Silva, each and every player has got worse and worse with every passing game.

Can any Evertonian say that he believes John Moores would have put up with this farce.

A good manager may take time to build a team in his image but when a guy comes into a new club with a track record of his teams conceding goals at an alarming rate( In fact Premier league records)and taking a headlong dive in form and results and then replicates that for over half a season at his new club he is obviously out of his depth.

There are a number of good managers out there that would love to manage in the Prem and pit themselves against Pep so please lets not have this "who would we get".

Do your job Marcel and shape the future of the club with Silva's replacement.

I borrowed the bottle of schadenfreude that Sam Allardyce has been drinking these past 6 months and had a good laugh at Ross Barkley's performance this afternoon...

One definite prerequisite for our managers job, IMO, is that he should be able to speak English.

Bielsa doesn't, just saying.

Bielsa is having a good season but has been very inconsistent as a manager in recent times. Would be an extremely risky move.

I loved Moyes but his time is gone. Benitez could be intriguing but fans would turn on him even quicker than they have on the others.

I think Conte would be an ambitious move. It’s unlikely he’d come to us but his stock is not as high as Simeone and if he wanted another shot at the PL we might be the best offer he’ll get.

I mentioned Bielsa many times. He's a footballer's manager. Tactically wise, doesnt take crap and would be better than an up-and-coming type fit. Although he's not an easy person to get along with, I've spoken to a few who have met him. He's quite dominant, would terrify the hangers-on at Everton. He's perfect.

For all wanting Sílva to have until the end of the season, welcome to the Championship.

Steve Ferns @ 52

If you don’t want him, I do.

How did Sarri get on today?

Michael Keane is not good enough, imo, but he looks a lot better playing under Silva, even in a style that maybe doesn't suit him?

Gueye also looks a lot better this season, and so did Sigurdsson which admittedly wasn't hard.

The centre-forwards he inherited are nowhere near up to the standard, (I hope Calvert-Lewin, gets there) Walcott doesn't inspire, whilst Richarlison has definitely gone backwards from the start of the season, but this was bound to happen with a young kid getting pushed from pillar to post, and with maybe too much expectation on his shoulders?

His biggest problem is the zonal marking, and also the big gaps between the players. The gaps have been closed the last two games but we are still very nervous every time we face a set-piece.

The other problem is we have stopped creating chances, but this was always going to happen the longer we persisted without any real quality up-front? (Surely there is only Walcott left to try there.)

I was a teenager when Kendall's team came good, but the fans were trying to raise the money for Terry Curran, only twelve months before we came good. Once Curran was signed he wasn't good enough, because we had become a real team, mainly because of the introductions of Reid and Grey.

I'm not saying history is going to repeat itself (I obviously live in hope) but how many good players did Silva actually inherit? Gueye, decent, Sigurdson, decent, Pickford, yes but he's got a lot of things to improve on, and then Coleman and McCarthy coming back from very serious injuries, and a Baines who's way past his best.

His only real options are some very talented kids, and the players who he's signed. Gomes, looked very disappointed sitting on the bench when he came off, Richarlson looked like a kid, who's not sure why his form has gone when he came off, and Zouma was stupid, but also looks like he cares.

Kenny also cares, Davies cares, Digne also looks like he cares, but after this I'm not sure, and think Everton have had an inferiority complex since the days of David Moyes's "plucky little Everton"

Change the manager by all means but, until we can change our mentality, then nothing is going to change in the long run, because too many people connected to Everton FC look to be gripped by fear.

Jay Harris #89,

"Do your job, Marcel, and shape the future of the club with Silva's replacement."

I'm curious how much power Brands actually has? What's Moshiri doing making announcements about the future of football staff? Silva is not director of finance or some such similar post? Moshiri has a DoF that is supposed to deal with all matters playing staff and coaching.

Is Moshiri the real DoF here with Brands as a front?

Sorry, guys, I was thinking of another Manager in a earlier post. But Guidos #82, No, thank you.

Can't be true because we know that, if Silva goes, the only candidate is Phillip Cocu.

With Marcel Brands in charge of transfers the need for a big name manager of Conte, Mancini ilk is not needed to attract players to the club as it once may have. Further, these managers are probably beyond us. Also looking at a manager like Moyes is taking a step back regardless of how well he did before. Football has moved on and so should we.

I've never understood the attraction of Koeman and now Silva, these guys have been on the block for a while without doing anything of note. What we need to do is be innovative and with the managerial structure we have in place we need a modern progressive coach.

Step forward, Arteta or Naggelsmann. This would be a statement about our identity. We as supporters would give goodwill and manage expectation without another season turning toxic.

Tony @ #73. Silva's had 2 windows to rectify the centre-forward problem and hasn't done so. He's also binned last season's 2 top scorers (Rooney & Niasse) so that's definitely his fault.

Also, his zonal marking system (or whatever that clusterfuck is supposed to be) simply hasn't worked for us or Watford or Hull. The guy doesn't learn. Time to go.

Dave @ 100, I can’t see how you can include the January window when Silva didn’t have any funds. Also, it was Moshiri who decided to sell Rooney before Silva and Brands arrived, while Niasse is not a miss on front of goal.

Agree on the zonal marking at set pieces though!

TWRs are the best.

If EFC, showed, a smirk of interest, like we do, then, there would be some hope.

The club hierarchy, board et all, must digest and understand how bad it is.

The pain is real and long bearing, for 30 years? The rest is as it is to see and say.

Rob, Stan, great memories. I think Phil Silver would do a better job than Marco Silva if he was still alive. As for the Clampett’s I’d prefer Granny Clampett to Theo sodding Walcott.

We need Big Sam back to stave off the fear of relegation and then appoint a new manager at the end of the season.

Repeat every season until we get the right man, just like Groundhog Day.

Rob
That's a good point.

Marcel is saying very little in support or against.

Is he just a yes-man for Moshiri or will he be the one to wield the axe in due course.

A clusterfuck indeed, Dave, just like the squad he inherited?

A very over-the-hill Rooney (Silva wanted him to stay) and Niasse, who has the touch of an elephant. I just can't believe he never got rid of Tosun as well.

I've seen comments from people on other article's on TW saying Silva's not-perfect English may be the problem. Well, Bielsa's is even worse.

These next couple of weeks are going to be long and tedious with the papers linking us with every manager under the sun. Expect Moyes to be named soon then half of TW will explode with joy.

We may be closer to the relegation zone by the time the Cardiff game comes around which will crank up the pressure even more on the players and Silva. If nothing has changed after having a couple of weeks to rest, regroup and figure stuff out and we lose, then I can't see him being around for the derby.

Anyone would think that we have a vacancy the way people are talking on here. Not saying I approve, but Silva's here for the season so we might as well try and do what we can by way of vocal support to help the team, and act like supporters rather than witchfinders.

Fucken tabloids do light our fuses, don't they?

Latest link this morning – Mourinho!

Vinny, the thing is has he ever won anything? :-)

I started the season off full of optimism with Silva.

The problem the club has is that they have made their move by publicly backing Silva as the right man for the job; he is stubborn as it is and this will only give him more belief that he can do what he wants. However, if the board didn't publicly back him then I would be crying that the club has left itself open to media speculation, so the board can't win really.

It would be so refreshing for Silva to come out and say "Hey, I got it wrong, I'm trying to find solutions." We are a forgiving bunch which has often been detrimental as we sometimes accept second best in order to be seen as a club who gives chances. The elite teams aren't so forgiving.

As mentioned earlier Silva has brought in some talent, one thing they all have in common is that none of them has the balls to get stuck in. I think Digne would be excellent if we had a no-nonsense centre-half next to him and someone in-front like Pienaar who could graft – Richarlison isn't that guy. Gomes is gifted but, like Arteta, needs an unfancied enforcer such as Neville to give him the freedom to influence games, Gana does not have the discipline.

This summer I want less Richarlison's for £40M and more Aaron Mooy's who offer graft, some technical ability and balance.

Pep was interviewed after they'd stuffed Chelski and he said about Sarri " you can't judge a manager on his first year it takes time to get your ideas over and the players you want in" And if I recall Guardiola at both Bayern and City was patchy first year.

Silva has not had a year at Hull, Watford or Everton so the only criterion is the players he has brought in which funnily enough most people would say are better than he inherited? As bad as it is, surely the sacking has to stop sometime or Moshiri will be penniless paying out compensation.

Len, having a patchy first year is one thing. Taking time for players to adapt to a system, learn ideas etc is all valid.

But that is not the case. We are not a 'work in progress', we are a team steadily getting worse, with a manager showing zero tactical nous. Same basic mistakes, and nothing positive to note.

Klopp's first season with them was patchy, with inconsistency and poor defending, and seemingly not fit enough to maintain the style for a whole game. But you could see what he was trying to do, there was a plan and it paid off perservering. Similar with Guardiola at Man City.

None of that can be applied to Silva.

You can't just not fire a manager because we have sacked too many before, Spurs also had to hire and fire a few times before landing the right man in Pochettino. Imagine if Spurs had said 'let's keep Villas-boas, or Sherwood because we've fired too many managers before them. '

We need a competent manager, not exactly a miracle worker, but a good solid manager. The man I think ticks the boxes is Rudi Garcia. Did a good job at Roma and is doing so with Marseille. Nothing fantastic, nothing to suggest he's a genius. But a good solid manager to who gets the best from his players, who plays a decent style of football, and has experience at the highest level.

Len, Pep's patchy and Silva's patchy are a mile apart.

We would all love Pep's patchy period I am sure.

Silva's history and form suggests he is on his normal trajectory.

Good start, popular with the players, seemingly nice guy but as useless as a punctured dinghy in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

I would give Silva time until the end of the season. Not because I truly believe he will turn the boat around, although I hope so. More because I believe we should be able to get a bigger selection of managers to choose. Who really wants to take charge of a team Whos losing in the month of March? Nothing to be done by then, really.

Regarding this fella from Leeds. Yeah. He might be right. Don't know too much about him other than he's done a good job With Leeds Utd.
I'd prefer Arteta myself, but he's really no resume as a man in charge, so it's a big chance. A chance we really should not take as it can send us straight Down to the championship.

Mina? Why was he bought, really? Because of 3 goals. Must be. Because his defense is nothing to boost about. Barcelona is still laughing. He's actually really bad..

Gomes seems to be... out of it. Maybe he never had "it"?

Bernard looked like a gem a while. But now he looks like a poor Leon Osman. Sorry to see.

Richarlison traded his game over to acting and a bad face.

What happen to our players? It seems someone (other than us at ToffeeWeb, of course) is making the players' qualities disappear in our team. None of them really improves, why is that?

Phil Greenough @71,

If Benitez is okay, why not? Listen if every fucking manager with a foreign name and who have won nothing then why not British managers and why not Gerrard? He's a winner and that's what we need... winners.

No Kim #107. Some of us don’t read tabloids and wouldn’t be so weak as to allow them to dictate our thinking if we did.

Brands will want Cocu – a bit too close to 'cock-up' for my liking.

EFC, eh... what a pile of you-know-what. By the way, folks, ffs, don't forgive them if they can somehow beat the RS. To me, that would just add insult to injury.

I know what you're saying, Jack, but I hope you are feeling very insulted after we beat those horrible reds in a few weeks though, mate!

Why in the world would Bielsa leave Leeds?

They will (surely?) gain promotion. Why leave a team, with a good history from all I know, good fans (your mileage may vary), that's on the up, and join a faltering team who's gone through 4 managers in what, 3-4 years?

Seems like a suicidal career move if you ask me.

I don't know who the answer is. Continue with Silva? Find a new manager? The Continent? British? Young? Experienced?

I've no clue.

But I think I'd place a wager that I'd jump naked in your River Mersey if Bielsa is hired as Everton Manager. Ain't gonna happen.

Jamie - presumably the same reason Koeman left Southampton, who he'd just guided to 6th and a place in the Europa League, in favor of an Everton side that was coming off back-to-back 11th place finishes... we pay way more money.

That being said, Bielsa would be a huge risk... he's done well at Leeds, but his managerial career was basically in ashes, which is why someone of his pedigree ended up in the Championship to begin with.

After 4 or 5 years of chopping and changing, my opinion is the effort and the money has to be properly invested in a elite quality manager. We have recruited from teams beneath us in general terms for years. Everton need to reach up and buy themselves a winner.

I'm not prepared to let a coach with at best, a mixed record, learn how to manage in England. Silva in his previous jobs in England and currently has shown no short-term control, his inability to slow a rot or right a listed ship is not good enough. If you cannot control the short term, then there will be no long term.

So on to his replacement, it has to be Simeone, and we might all scoff at once but I think this summer the time will be right to seriously look at a manager who has carried Atletico as far as he can. His style I believe precludes him from an elite job, evidenced that a Bayern or Man Utd etc haven't come for him during their travails in recent times.

He must want a new challenge, realistically it can't be in Spain, Barcelona and Madrid are unlikely. I think it really leaves Argentina and Inter. For me, he gets more out of players than most, even mediocre ones.

Everton I'd hope realise he's a good fit, loves a fight, has a snarling attitude. I'd break the bank for a this fella.

Jay Harris #104

Moshiri hasn't got where he is now by being honest and forthright, to survive around that Kazak gangster he's been making a fortune with, he knows a trick or two.

If Silva is sacked he'll probably say that the decision was made by Brands and that when he made his statemant of more time for silva, this is what Brands wanted and he was echoing his DoF's thoughts on the matter.

Now, if Silva does turn things around, It was then his Idea to give him more time and he insisted on it.

I wouldn't put it past Moshiri to hire Bielsa for all the wrong reason...

*Fades in to the boardroom of Sunshine Desserts, sorry, EFC...'I didn't get where I am today without seeing that the rs hired a nutter and it works for them...So I'm going to hire a bigger nutter.'

'Super.'

'Dynamic city Arizona C. J.'

*Cuts to...a pile of clothes on a shingle beach, topped by a blue and white scarf...*camera pulls away to show a rear of a naked TWer heading down the beach to the sea.

Too funny, DT.

Bill @ 120 -

We're not going to pay compensation for Silva and make another massive payday to a guy who has a penchant for not sitting still at his post for very long.

I think Bielsa is great entertainment. I want Leeds to go up just so I can watch his interviews more often. But I just don't see him at Everton – dangling massive wads of cash in front of him or not.

Mark @5, I agree with you.

We have so many players on our books that need to leave before we can build Silva's and Brands' team. Of course the results need to improve but I do like the players he has brought in and another two transfer windows should show better results.

I don't think the results are necessarily a tactical issue but rather an onfield leadership and quality issue. Pickford does not command his area properly and there is no synergy between the defenders. I'm not sold on Sigurdsson, he is too slow and doesn't seem to fit into the modern prem tactics which is a faster pace than he seems comfortable with.

Give them time. Chopping and changing managers never brings success.

Steve, your not seriously suggesting Silva can only be judged when he has signed his own 11 players from scratch? That's nonsense, no other manager in the Premier League has ever been afforded that luxury.

Pickford and Sigurdsson were doing fine until Silva turned up and his own signings have run out of steam dramatically after a decent start.

Trev, no, I'm saying he is stuck with a bloated squad of players with no on-field leadership.

We seem to slow down every time Sigurdsson gets the ball on attack and our defense is useless. I blame the players not the coach in this case.

Conceding last-minute goals is a lack of concentration, not poor coaching. Oddly, I thought one of our best fighting performances of the season was against Man City with a team full of players that no-one else in the Premier League would put in their starting lineup. But those goals at the end of each half were pathetic and showed a lack of concentration and leadership. These are on-field issues.

No mention of Mourinho on here?

https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/forget-bielsa-everton-would-find-perfect-silva-replacement-in-trophy-laden-58-year-old/

Forget the 'small club' statement, which for the last 20 years we have been, by the way, Rafa does make sense in a lot of ways. Goal leaking would stop (no need to bring up the Wolves equaliser guys no manager could be held accountable for that stupidity by the keeper).

Conte would still be my first choice but, as others have mentioned, it's probably unrealistic unless the big man comes and joins his buddy Farhad.

What is vitally important is to maintain Premier League status in the 'build up' to the Bramley-Moore Dock project. A spend of half a billion will not be justified by even one season outside the top flight and I'm sure the work would be put on hold – if not abandoned – were the worst to happen.

With only a handful of points needed to gain safety, I suspect Silva will keep the gig as long as we don't fall below, say, 14th place this time round. Thus, he will be given the time to rebuild that Moshiri has denied others before him and the fun will start all over again.

Who once said that money was the answer to all our problems?

Steve Pugh @ 128, they're keeping it quiet, in case it upsets Silva! :-)

Colin @ 77,

Knowing our track record we'd take a punt on Sgt Biko and end up with Pvt Dobermann.

Definitely no to Mourinho – after the way it went so badly at Man Utd, why would we want that happening to us? It would be a frying pan to fire situation for the club.

Simeone would be good if we could get him for sure. I agree with Sigurdsson being too slow also – he is one of the problems we have in our play currently. We got right ripped off there for what we paid – don't get me wrong, a good squad player if you paid a few million... but nothing more.