Everton fans and the public should hopefully find out this weekend who the club’s new manager will be, as final talks with owner Farhad Moshiri are set to take place.
The three remaining candidates in the club’s never-ending circus of finding a new manager are Frank Lampard, Duncan Ferguson, and Vitor Pereira.
The fan-favourite among the Toffee fanbase seems to be Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, due to his experience of coaching in the Premier League and reaching the FA Cup final in 2020.
Moshiri’s favourite however, is rumoured to be Vitor Pereira, despite the angry backlash from fans after the Portuguese staged a surprising live interview with Sky Sports News in order to desperately plead his candidacy for the job.
Duncan Ferguson is still worth mentioning since he is already the caretaker manager in charge ever since Everton sacked Rafael Benitez mid January.
Rooney Says No
Meanwhile, news broke on Friday that former star-forward Wayne Rooney was approached by Everton in regards to their empty manager position through Rooney’s agent.
While Rooney is keen to one day return to the Premier League as a manager, he revealed in a press conference that he declined Everton’s approach.
Wayne Rooney: “Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the job. I turned it down. I believe I will be a PL manager and am ready for that 100%. But I have a job at Derby, which is important to me”. 🔵 #EFC @sistoney67 pic.twitter.com/BmRK4shl05
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 28, 2022
Rooney also went on to say:
"Yes, of course I did [think hard about it]. They got in touch with my agent and my agent let the administrators know as well. Of course it was a very difficult decision for me. (via Sky Sports)"
The Pressure Is On
Whoever owner Frahad Moshiri does decide to appoint as Everton’s next manager, it will need to be someone who can handle immense pressure, since the club currently finds itself only two spots above the relegation zone.
Some would say the responsibility of changing Everton’s fortunes does not lie solely with the new gaffer. Many have pointed fingers at Moshiri himself for lacking a sense of direction the past few seasons by continuously hiring the wrong managers.
The recent protests outside Goodison Park by angry fans this week with signs that read “Sack The Board” have only been testament to that.
If there was ever a time for a Premier League club to seriously reassess their present while reconstructing for the future, that time is now for Everton.