Quietly, almost casually, there came an announcement from Everton in the afternoon following what turns out to be the night of the long knives.
Rafa Benitez ’s departure, confirmed on Sunday night, would be accompanied by the dismissal of four key backroom staff he appointed just six months ago, in his attempts to influence every part of the club.
The Spaniard’s assistant boss, first team coach (and importantly senior analyst), head of sports science and first team rehab fitness coach would all depart.
It leaves a vacuum at the heart of Goodison, as they face up to the reality of their position. Put simply, Everton are facing a relegation fight, which is why Benitez was sacked.
Starting with an absolutely crucial game against Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa (of all teams) at the weekend, they must do so without those four crucial members of staff, and also without a Director of Football.
Benitez, only weeks ago, presided over the departure of Marcel Brands, and that was not his only successful power struggle, with the manager also removing head of medical services Danny Donachie, head of recruitment Gretar Steinsson and manager of scouting Dan Purdy.
Add to that the arm wrestle he won over Lucas Digne, selling the popular defender and immediately spending the money on two signings of his own choosing, the club is firmly moulded in Benitez’s image.
And that is the problem Everton now face in searching for a new manager. They don’t just need a coach to galvanize the first team, they need a whole new philosophy to influence all parts of the club swiftly…while understanding what the club stands for, in the heat of a relegation battle.
Candidates who tick all those boxes are few and far between, and the best of them would rightly be wary of taking a job where there is an owner in Farhad Moshiri who blows with the wind, getting through six permanent managers in six years.
Graham Potter, ideal for the role, has ruled it out, Erik ten Hag, - the Ajax manager who would be perfect - is understandably looking at bigger fish to fry, while the likes of Wayne Rooney and Duncan Ferguson currently lack the experience of shaping a template for a club’s entire future.
It is no wonder then, there has been a dogged pursuit of Roberto Martinez even though his appointment is beginning to look a distant prospect now, with the Belgian FA steadfastly refusing to release him from the final year of his contract.
Martinez has spoken only recently about his “values” as a manager, which he says are based on “wanting to build a football club, the philosophy, develop players and have a long-term vision for style and recruitment.”
That is exactly what Everton needs now. In the words of one senior figure at the club, they need root and branch surgery from top to bottom, from youth team to first team, integrating the whole club with a clearly defined identity. Whilst staving off relegation.
Imposing a true identity is something Benitez failed to do, or Carlo Ancelotti for that matter, or Marco Silva, Ronald Koeman or Sam Allardyce. Moshiri hired them all, without understanding if they could deliver it.
Now, they are at a crossroads in Everton history. Get it wrong and the consequences could be disastrous: relegation, financial melt down, and with it serious implications for the build of the new stadium.
So Martinez may not happen, but if Everton really can’t deliver him - a different manager than the one sacked by the Blues who has found a way to get Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard to buy into his philosophy - then they must identify someone with a similarly clear belief in his methods and values.
For a club often described as a basketcase because of Moshiri’s weaving stewardship, that is the tallest of orders.
