Following his appointment as caretaker manager, Duncan Ferguson will have spent his first training session preparing to face Aston Villa on Saturday.
It will be Fergsuon ’s second spell as the main man on the touchline, having led the Toffees to a win over Chelsea and draws with Manchester United and Arsenal after briefly stepping in before the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti in December 2019.
The ex- Everton striker will be joined by fellow former Blues John Ebbrell and Leighton Baines on the sideline, as well as goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly.
In a club statement, the Blues confirmed that Ferguson would remain in charge for Everton’s “upcoming games”, so here’s a look at who Ferguson could potentially come up against.
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January 22: Aston Villa (H)
With an Everton legend in charge, the Goodison crowd are likely to be in full-voice as the Blues take on Steven Gerrard’s side in the weekend’s early kick-off.
Ferguson will look to inspire Everton out of their current poor run of form, with one win in their last 13 league games ultimately costing Rafa Benitez his job.
Villa, meanwhile, have won one of their last five league games but will have taken some encouragement from their Philippe-Coutinho-inspired comeback against Manchester United last weekend.
February 5: Brentford (H) - FA Cup
Everton required an extra-time winner from Andros Townsend to progress past Hull City in the FA Cup third round.
However, instead of providing a much-needed confidence boost, the Blues subsequently fell to defeat against Norwich.
Ferguson will hope that another cup win can help build momentum, next time around.
February 8: Newcastle (A)
A midweek clash under the floodlights at St. James’ Park already feels like a big opportunity for Ferguson and Everton.
Despite appointing Eddie Howe and bringing in January reinforcements, Newcastle have still won just one game so far this season.
Plus there is the added narrative of Ferguson returning to the club where he spent two seasons, in between his time with the Blues.
February 12: Leeds (H)
Everton return to Goodison a few days later with the opportunity to record another statement result, this time against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Leeds currently sit three points above Everton in the table, having played a game more.
The Yorkshire side have been hit hard by injuries due to their small squad size, but have won their last two league games to provide breathing room between themselves and the relegation zone.
February 19: Southampton (A)
Ferguson will have just celebrated a month in charge, if he is still in the dugout against the Saints.
Similar to Leeds, recent wins over Brentford and West Ham have seen Southampton move away from the bottom end of the division and begin to look towards mid-table.
Depending on how results have fared in future weeks, the game offers another chance for Everton to earn points against a team relatively close to them in the league table - before facing the challenge of taking on Manchester City, the following weekend.
