Here at the Tavern, the Everton fans have been despondent after an inconsistent and disappointing season that promised so much after the flurry of transfer activity in the summer, it set the Toffees up to mount a serious challenge on the top six.
After a woeful start to the season, Ronald Koeman was shown the door and Sam Allardyce was brought out of retirement to enter the managerial office at Goodison Park. Despite currently sitting ninth in the table with ‘Big Sam’ steering the team clear of any calamitous relegation, there have been echoes of discontent from the terraces at the playing style of the Merseyside club.
An exit in the Europa League group stage, as well as early cup exits, left Everton just playing for pride since early January in a less than thrilling season. With the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney, Yannick Bolasie and Theo Walcott they should undoubtedly be outperforming the likes of Leicester and Burnley both of who sit above them in the table.
With Allardyce seemingly on his way out at the end of the season, we take a look at two managers who could bring back the exciting times on Merseyside….
Luis Enrique
One of Pep Guardiola’s predecessor’s Luis Enrique has followed in his path playing an exciting exuberant brand of football. After a difficult beginning to his managerial career at Serie A side Roma, which saw him leave the Italian capital after one season, Enrique has turned his managerial career around.
A positive stint at Celta Vigo led to a ninth-placed finish and resulted in him stepping into the hotseat at the Nou Camp. After a trophy laden spell with the Catalan-based club which included two La Liga titles, three Copa Del Rey titles and a Champions League, he decided to step down in the summer of 2017.
His sabbatical is over and he will be keen to challenge himself in the Premier League, and with Everton being a club to a similar standing of Celta Vigo but with more financial backing. the 47-year-old could be the man to bring back regular European football to Goodison Park and end the clubs long wait for a domestic trophy.
Slaven Bilic
A former Everton player with Premier League experience, Bilic was controversially sacked by West Ham in November following the London sides disappointing start to the season. After making 30 appearances for the club towards the end of his career the Croat will know the club inside and out and will not need time to adjust to the Premier League.
Promising managerial spells with Croatia, Lokomotiv Moscow and Besiktas came at the beginning of the 49-year-old’s post-playing career, but his work at West Ham and his relationship with the fans is where his work came to light guiding the club in Europe in his first season in charge finishing in seventh place.
Despite being sacked in this season with the Hammers languishing in the relegation battle, he showed his abilities to make good signings with the decision to take Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Angelo Ogbonna to East London all of who have thrived. Those type of dealings will stand Everton in good stead if they want to challenge for Europe without having to break the bank.
Everton fans- Let us know who your preferred manager would be?
