Everton are on the hunt for a new manager following Frank Lampard’s sacking on Monday afternoon.
The Blues made the call to part company with their boss after a run of one win in 12 Premier League matches. That poor run of form has left the club mired in another relegation battle.
Lampard has overseen wins in only three league games this season and the search is now on for a new manager. With that in mind, Joe Thomas, Chris Beesley, Connor O'Neill and Paul Wheelock have their say on who should replace Lampard at Goodison Park.
Joe Thomas - I would love Frank...but Dyche makes sense
There are so many managers I like the idea of. I would love Thomas Frank. He has done a stunning job at Brentford and comes across as a really nice person behind the scenes.
But tempting him to Merseyside would be difficult given the issues facing the club. This is a role that needs someone who knows the terrain. Yes, Everton are three points from 14th, but this is going to be a gruelling fight and for that reason I think Sean Dyche makes sense.
I know he has gone down with Burnley but it is clear Everton have limited resources for the final week of the transfer window and he is experienced at helping an under-resourced side become competitive in the Premier League.
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Chris Beesley - A desperate situation
It’s been said in some quarters that Sean Dyche isn’t on Everton’s shortlist to replace Frank Lampard but if not, why not?
This is a far more desperate situation and genuine relegation battle than when Sam Allardyce came in and not the time for the Blues to deploy any kind of football snobbery that Dyche’s methods are somehow not worthy of the ‘School of Science.’
For almost a decade, Dyche got Burnley – a proud old club but one operating in the Premier League’s smallest market – to punch above their weight and even if Everton were to suffer the ignominy of going down for the first time in 72 years, which is becoming an increasingly likely scenario, at least he has a proven track record of getting a team promoted from the Championship on two occasions.
The Kettering-born gaffer grew up as a Liverpool fan from afar, which is less than ideal to say the least, but then how many boyhood Blues have gone on to become Kop Idols?
Connor O'Neill - All roads lead to Dyche
And so the search is on again. Just over 12 months after Everton started searching for Rafa Benitez’s replacement, the Blues are again on the hunt for a new manager following Frank Lampard’s sacking.
Marcelo Bielsa, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Nuno Espirito Santo are three names who have been mentioned, but for me the Blues should move for Sean Dyche. Most Everton supporters have often dreaded the thought of the former Burnley boss taking over at Goodison Park, but Everton now have no option but to turn to the 51-year-old.
The hope is that Dyche can come in and get a new manager to bounce that the Blues so desperately need. Dyche has also shown from his time at Turf Moor that he can set a team up to compete in the Premier League.
In addition, the possibility of the Blues dropping down into the Championship is very real, but at least in Dyche, Everton would have a manager who knows what it takes to get out of the division. All roads, in my opinion, lead to Dyche.
Paul Wheelock - Dyche is not the dream but could be the reality
So here we are again. When considering who Everton should choose to replace Frank Lampard, there may have to be two key considerations: footballing and financial.
Presuming Lampard’s coaching staff follow him through the door, it’s not difficult to imagine that the total settlement package will not be insignificant. Again. Therefore, at a time when it’s clear that money is tight, will the Blues be shopping in the free agent market for their latest Farhad Moshiri appointment?
Of those managers available, two names stand out: Sean Dyche and Marcelo Bielsa.
The latter’s name pulls on the heartstrings. Yes, his wild ride at Leeds United came crashing to an end. But what a ride. And if there’s one thing Evertonians need right now then it’s excitement.
However, Bielsa needs time to implement his methods, and the most important thing for the club now is to stay up, and in that respect, Dyche might be the best bet. Like Eddie Howe’s achievements at Bournemouth, I actually think Dyche’s stint at Burnley has been played down. And yes, while his football may not be as thrillingly cavalier as Bielsa’s, you only have to go back to recent matches at Goodison - the 2-1 when Dwight McNeil scored a beauty; the 1-0 that accelerated Ronald Koeman’s departure - to know that his Burnley side could play, too.
Is Dyche the dream appointment? No. Everton had that with Carlo Ancelotti. But is Dyche the right appointment for right now when this Blues side desperately need some on-field organisation? He could be.
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