No sooner had the ink dried on the surprise news that The Friedkin Group had not only come back to the table, but had quickly and efficiently agreed a deal to buy our beloved Blues, than journalists, keyboard warriors and "in-the-know" sources started speculating as to who would be their preferred manager to lead us into the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

To be fair, it's not an enormous leap to make. New owners almost always seem to want to install their own people and Sean Dyche's current contract runs out at the end of this season, with little to no discussion (publicly at least) about an extension. It seems like a situation in which two plus two just might equal four.

But that's the point at which the bloggers-that-be seem to have parked their common sense at the door. Who could take the hot seat at Everton? Gareth Southgate, we were told. Lee Carsley, we were offered. And then the universal footballing sign that the bottom of the barrel is been well and truly scraped: The Special One's name is linked to the job. Yawn…

But I thought that the time could be right – away from the knee-jerk "get him outs" of a bad result – to take a somewhat realistic look at just who may be the man (although, I personally wouldn't mind Emma Hayes getting the job – talk about a club of firsts!) to lead us into our bright new future.

A few ground rules first, though. This is my article and so, for the purpose of this ToffeeWeb thought experiment, and in spite of previously arguing that Kevin Thelwell is actually doing a decent job, I'm making myself the Director of Football.  

Like all good DoFs, I arrive with a "philosophy". First, I want Dyche, Stone and Woan to finish out the season. I see them as pretty sure-fire ways to ensure we're playing Premier League football next season. However, I'll be looking to name the new head coach before the end of the season so there's full transparency and they'll have a full pre-season to work with the players. That's the way the best and most successful managerial changes have always been conducted. No mid-season search for anyone who's available.

Secondly, and most importantly, I am going to be very specific and targeted in my search. I believe that Everton football, at its very best, is hardworking, direct and pacey with a touch of skill. I think that we've spent a few seasons building a squad that matches that, as it's (to some extent) in line with the type of football that Dyche wants to play.

I don't think Everton is a tippy-tappy kind of club. If we look at superstar managers, we're much more Simeone than Pep. Therefore, the likes of Graham Potter, Roberto de Zerbi and Brendan Rodgers (yes, I know) are off the list. Not because they're bad managers but because they're not Everton managers.

Given all of this, you might well ask why I'm not just keeping Dyche in situ. Well, in short, because I don't believe that fast, direct, underdog football has to be this bad. 

Of the 96 teams that make up the big five European leagues, only Empoli – a yo-yo club with a total squad value of around £60M – has less than Everton's average of 38.4% possession. There's a vast difference between direct, pacey counter-attacking and lumping the ball over Calvert-Lewin's head every time you get the chance. 

Dyche does a lot of things well behind the scenes but I would say there's a pretty good argument to be made that Everton are currently the worst-coached team in the Premier League. Southampton make a lot of errors leading to goals, sure, but that's because they're trying to play a brand of intricate football that takes a high level of coaching. In fact, according to YouGov, fans consider Everton to play the least attractive football in the league. See, we're not just a bunch of bitter cynics. It really is utter crap!

If we're not the worst-coached team in the Premier League, Dyche is at least the most tactically naive manager in the top flight. Has he ever made a tactical tweak? Has he ever made a substitution to change the shape of the game, rather than just a like-for-like replacement? I honestly can't think of one example. 

Which brings me to my first two candidates…

Andoni Iraola and Thomas Frank

Bournemouth and Brentford fans might scoff at the idea that Everton could poach their head coaches, but let's park that for a moment.

This amazing piece from The Analyst shows that, in terms of playing styles, both Bournemouth and Brentford play in quite a similar way to Everton. They defend the box in a similar way and, most importantly, all three teams attack at speed with minimal passes per sequence (ie, they're direct). For context, Man City, who are slow and methodical in possession, are at the opposite end of this scale. See what I mean? Pep doesn't play Everton football…

However, Bournemouth tend to create more width and Brentford squeeze more players up in support of their forwards when they attack. While Everton's defensive solidity is all about "Parking the bus", Bournemouth do it to create space for fast wide players, whereas Brentford's defensive position is deep as an attacking tactic for baiting the press, as this graphic from Analytics FC clearly shows.

From their complex pressing traps, Brentford's set-piece excellence and Frank's ability to swap between formations depending on the opposition, to Iraola's ability to make tweaks that swing games in his team's favour, both managers are clearly huge tactical upgrades on Dyche while not representing a complete sea-change in styles.

Could we get them? More budget, shiny new stadium, potentially higher ceiling… were I called Friedkin, I'd certainly be making a call at least. And if I couldn't get one of these gents, I might drop down a tier…

Carlos Corberán

Other managers have taken plaudits for leading Championship teams to the glory and riches of the Premier League but Corberán has taken two struggling teams (Huddersfield and West Brom) and turned around their fortunes on a limited budget. I'd say there's an argument to be made that West Brom often look like the best-coached team in the Championship and they currently find themselves in 5th. And that's with Mason Holgate in their team!

Bielsa disciple Corborán, just 41, builds teams on a solid defense first and has a track record of picking up good young players, also generally improving players. Although potentially slightly more possession-based than the coaches above, he's also a pragmatist and is happy to concede possession and attack through the wings as the players he has available and the opposition he's playing demand. In that way, I'd liken him to Iraola.

The next time a mid- to lower-Premier League job comes available, you can guarantee Corborán's name will be mentioned. So far, nobody has pulled the trigger (though Leicester City came close), but maybe Everton will be the team to give him that chance.

But if we're feeling a bit more adventurous? Maybe we'll buck recent trends, get "a bit Brighton" and look a little further afield than the usual "British-based with Premier League experience" mandate that's served us so well until now.

A German, a Spaniard and an Italian walk into a bar… 

Hopefully, this isn't just the set-up to a 90s joke, but an insight into what the Everton interview process might look like.

If we're looking for evolution over revolution, a similar style of football but with a touch more attack and a little extra tactical nuance, then we could do worse than 50-year-old German manager Frank Schmidt. Schmidt has been coach of Heidenheim for 17 seasons now. He is Mr Heidenheim. Affable, personable,  inspiring, he's the kind of coach that players would run through a proverbial brick wall for. 

But that undersells his credentials as a coach. For most of their history, Heidenheim have floated around the lower leagues. That Schmidt has his team of mostly unfancied players 10th in the Bundesliga is a footballing miracle. Could he do the same elsewhere?

For many European football fans, the 59-year-old Villarreal manager Marcelino is one of the best coaches never to have plied his trade in the Premier League. He's a brilliant tactician who demands extreme physical conditioning and hard work from his players. Marcelino's teams are defensively compact and happy to absorb pressure but they explode on the transition and score some breathtaking counter-attacking goals. However rapid, those attacks are well choreographed and planned to take advantage of opponents' weaknesses. 

Unlike Everton's current passive, long-ball approach to defence and counter-attacking, Marcelino's teams don't actually concede huge amounts of possession as they often turn the ball over quickly and high up the pitch. They're also capable of taking the sting out of games, as proven by their current position of 3rd in La Liga with an average of 45% possession. Pipe dream, maybe, but I think Marcelino would be Everton's Unai Emery – a truly transformational figure – if he could be convinced to swap Castellón for Crosby.

What about a more realistic proposition? An ambitious young tactically astute manager who could be convinced to leave their current role for a stab at the big time with Everton? Step forward Genoa's 42-year-old manager Alberto Gilardino.

The former Italy international led Genoa from Serie B to Serie A in 2022-23 and somehow managed to keep them in the top league the following season. Admittedly, Genoa are struggling a little this season but they have a total squad value of just €144M, which is just a shade more than what Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez! Their all-time transfer record is €14M. 

Excellent in the transition, Gilardino actually had Genoa playing a much more possession-based brand of football when they dominated Serie B, but converted to a more transitional press-baiting style in Serie A, showing admirable pragmatism and a tactical flexibility that could be extremely useful in helping Everton to evolve. He also tends to line up in Dyche's favored 4-2-3-1 formation, so, again, he could represent the best kind of upgraded continuation. Could we get him? I think so. 

The wildcard

Speaking of taking a punt on a tactically versatile coach, I'd like to throw Will Still into the mix. Despite his not-actually-true Football Manager backstory and the sadly-actually-true fact that I have pairs of underpants older than him, the 32-year-old Lens manager is almost certain to get a bigger job one day. 

Philosophically, he's the most possession-hungry of all the coaches mentioned here. His teams tend to build up more from the back, with the goalkeeper dropping into the back line to make the extra man – a role that would actually, you'd think, suit Jordan Pickford. 

His teams press high and get players further up the pitch which can often lead to a 5-man attacking line. After so many seasons of seeing a 0-man attack or Calvert-Lewin so isolated that the only way he can ask for the ball is by sending a WhatsApp message, watching five Everton players lay siege to an opposition goal would have heads exploding all over the new stadium. 

However, in his young career so far, Still has shown himself to be tactically astute and also somewhat more pragmatic than, say, Vincent Kompany in terms of his footballing philosophy. He'd need to be backed by good recruitment and there'd certainly be some teething problems, but it'd signal a fresh and exciting new approach at Everton were he appointed.


So what do you think? Will Dyche be the man in those fancy new F1 driver dugouts that all new stadiums seem to have, or will there be a new man leading us into the Toyota Dome? 

Will the Friedkins (or even our Kev, if he's still in situ) take a chance on any of these names, or will it just be another uninspiringly obvious appointment of whoever happens to be on the dole (or Monday Night Football) at that point in time? Should we already start work on the "Welcome to Everton, Gary O'Neil" banners or do we at least wait for Wolves to sack him first?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on who should be in charge of the mighty Blues and what you think about my suggestions? Did I get the DoF job on a permanent basis or my P45?


Reader Comments (14)

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Micky Norman
1 Posted 30/10/2024 at 17:03:36
I don't think Dyche will even want a new contract. He could leave at the end of the season with his reputation intact and would be snapped up by one of next season's early strugglers on very good wages and a survival bonus.

As Allardyce gets older, Sean Dyche could take on the roaming firefighter role and make millions.

Joe McMahon
2 Posted 30/10/2024 at 17:14:14
Micky @1,

After being sacked by Burnley, he was out of work for 9 months before basket case Everton FC took him. He is made for Sheffield United, however.

He may not go anywhere else though as he's also minted.

Conor McCourt
3 Posted 30/10/2024 at 17:39:42
Really enjoyable piece, Matt, with some interesting names.

Though I am an Evertonian who would much prefer to see a bit of the old School of Science, as it's been a curse watching Everton probably since Marco Silva.

So to answer your last question, I have to send for your P45. Even the name that I should be interested in Will Still, I see that Reims have flourished without him and he seems like a streaky manager which we had under Silva. Anyway he will probably be Watford's next manager! 😝

I had heard that, with their Italian links, Maurizio Sarri was of interest to TFG. Not as ambitious or exciting as some of the names you have mentioned but plays great football, has overachieved in nearly all of his last 5 jobs, and the only one at which this is debatable was Chelsea as they never really took to his down-to-earth style. I think he would be better welcomed here.

Good work, Matt

Martin Mason
4 Posted 30/10/2024 at 17:57:17
Very well researched and reasoned article, Matt.

Great info.

Mike Gaynes
5 Posted 30/10/2024 at 18:13:51
Very interesting article, Matt. You've dug out some fascinating facts here. (I'll wave off my disagreement with some of your opinions.)

I think we can safely trim both Franks off the list. As I said on another thread, there's zero chance the incoming Friedkins will splash huge cash to buy Thomas Frank out of his long-term contract, and he already makes almost as much as Dyche. And as for Schmidt, a guy who has been at the same club for 21 years (player and manager) is going nowhere.

In previous discussions over the years, I've nominated both Iraola (then at Rayo) and Gilardino as possibilities, so applause for them, and Corboran's accomplishments have been remarkable. I'd like to see all three on our short list.

I'm an absolute no on Marcelino. The only time he's left Spain in 30 years was that 7-game disaster at Marseilles. And even in Spain he's had more jobs than Fat Sam. More likely to be transitional than transformational.

Nice find on Will Still. Never heard of him, but what a great name and what great songs we could create if he succeeded. ("We're still having fun, and you're still the one...")

Good job.

Sam Hoare
6 Posted 30/10/2024 at 18:15:10
Good piece.

I was very keen on Marcelino a few years back post Benitez but it concerns me a little that he is 59 now and has never managed more than a few games outside of Spain, whereas Emery was very experienced in many different leagues when Villa appointed him.

I know he's not flavour of the month and he wouldn't be my top pick but I do think Graham Potter will be an option.

Yes, he failed at Chelsea but that was less than one season at a strange club at a strange time. Perhaps the same could be said of us but I wonder if we are more like Brighton post-Hughton, a club who have survived flirts with relegation but now hope for something better and a style that goes beyond pragmatism.

Potter took Brighton over 3 seasons from 17th to 9th and turned them from 'solid' to playing some of the best football in the Premier League, all whilst having limited funds and Neal Maupay as top scorer!!

It depends on what type of football Friedkin et al want us playing but, if the aim is for a more aesthetic brand of football over the long term and without spending big bucks, then I'd say Potter is not the worst option.

Jay Harris
7 Posted 30/10/2024 at 18:26:23
Good post, Matt.

I think there are polar opposites to be considered. Do you go for an experienced manager who has won things, Mourhino as a bad example or a young up-and-coming manager who is hungry for success like Julien Stephan now at Strasbourg and Raúl González with Real Madrid Castilla.

I must admit I haven't done much research but the quality of coaches in Portugal, Spain, Germany and Italy is definitely a cut above most English coaches.

John Keating
8 Posted 30/10/2024 at 18:28:12
If he wasn't doing so well at Napoli, I'd go for Antonio Conte.

A winner, knows the game and style of the Premier League. More important – he's a great man manager.

Danny O'Neill
9 Posted 30/10/2024 at 18:47:15
Good, detailed article, Matt.

Like Mike Gaynes, I've commented on this on other threads.

It will all come down to what the new owners decide. Let Dyche see his contract out, or go for change early. Either way, change is coming.

I don't often get involved in the conversation with both players or managers, but on the latter, I wouldn't mind a punt with tempting the Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness.

Robert Tressell
10 Posted 30/10/2024 at 19:14:36
If you look at this from the perspective of the managerial options it probably looks a bit like this.

1. Will Everton pay me more?

2. Will I get a transfer budget to compete with top 4 (eg c. £500m), top 6 (eg c £300m) etc... or will I just be given the same sort of budget as the likes of Forest, Brentford, Bournemouth, Palace etc which might be about £50m net per season?

3. Does the academy have any players coming through of the standard of, say, Foden, Saka, Alexander-Arnold etc?

4. Is there some kind of blueprint for the recruitment of high calibre teenagers / players from lower-cost markets like South America? How far is this from bearing fruit for the first team?

5. What are the expectations and over what period? Top 10, Top 8, Top 6, Top 4, titles,trophies?

6. Do I have better options (including staying put)?

7. What will my reputation look like if it doesn't work out?

Some of the contenders won't get past question 1 (like Koeman). We don't want them.

Others will weigh up budgets etc against expectations and think about their other options. It certainly looks like many fans have high expectations of what should be possible after Dyche. Not sure fans' expectations will be aligned with the budgets available (and short-term delivery of high-calibre players to the first team). None of us know what the Friedkins' expectations are.

At Roma, they looked in-house for an appointment after Mourinho, so may even be looking at people like Baines. They then chose Ivan Juric who had taken a Torino side to a 9th-placed finish (with about the 10th best squad in Serie A).

If I can see any sort of pattern there, it looks to me like they don't place a great deal of importance in the manager position. After all, most managers do little more than deliver in accordance with the level of investment in the playing squad - and those who fail, like Mourinho at Roma, Ten Hag at Man Utd or Moyes at West Ham get sacked for it.

Or maybe I am reading far too much into it all.

Stu Darlington
11 Posted 30/10/2024 at 20:34:46
Entertaining article, Matt, although I think Robert covered most of the possibilities in his article in early October.

I really have no idea who would be the best manager to get the best out of what will still be a fairly limited squad next season (and I suspect no one else has either!)

My only concern is that TFG don't turn out to be “dabblers”. Why so many money men suddenly transition into football experts when they buy a football club is beyond me! Leave footballing matters to people who've proven they know what they are doing, or is that too much to ask?

Not going to give you your P45 just yet, but you will have to take gardening leave until the matter is settled!

Martin Mason
12 Posted 30/10/2024 at 21:02:20
My guess is that the new owners know already who the manager will be and have the details sewn up already.
Derek Knox
13 Posted 30/10/2024 at 21:12:34
Martin, I doubt whether that is indeed the case, but may be wrong. It is very difficult to keep anything from the media these days. Even a wet fart could make a scoop!

I think a lot will depend on how Dyche does between now and the takeover. If it looks like we are improving our league position, getting decent results, and looking pretty safe, I think they will review the situation, and possibly defer anything major till the Summer.

Tom Bowers
14 Posted 30/10/2024 at 22:04:00
It's easy to speculate but be careful what you wish for.

We have had some big names over the last few years, all failures and Man Utd have had a few big names since Ferguson, had a lot more success than Everton, but sack yet another experienced man after a very short time.

Some managers probably have come away laughing with big compensation packages but it seems like a thankless task for some.

Dyche may indeed be sent packing soon no matter what but he really has had nothing to work with.


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