Everton manager Sean Dyche is under no immediate pressure of being sacked despite the club’s poor form of late, although they have started looking at some potential replacements as part of normal succession planning.
The Toffees are currently in a transitional period under their new owners, The Friedkin Group, who are in the process of conducting a 100-day review of the club.
TFG, who also own Italian giants Roma, are reluctant to make any knee-jerk decisions regarding Dyche’s future, and don’t have to given the Everton boss’ contract expire this summer.
Everton currently sit 16th in the Premier League table, three points outside the relegation zone. They have won just three of their 18 games so far and are in a battle against the drop again.
TFG accept that Everton’s fixtures in the December period have been tough. A delegation at Goodison Park, including executive chair Marc Watts, were impressed with their performance in a 0-0 draw Chelsea. The draws against Arsenal and Manchester City away were also seen as positive. The 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest shows how tough the challenge ahead is for the Toffees but crucially, they remain outside the bottom three.
Sources have informed TEAMtalk that TFG view Dyche’s performance as manager of Everton as competent under difficult circumstances and will take their time before deciding on Everton’s long-term manager, whether by extending Dyche or finding a new boss. Dyche has had limited funds to play with in previous transfer windows and has had to front up Everton’s difficult ownership situation since he took charge.
TFG want to take things step by step and have a smooth transition. Sources say it is not simply a question of whether Dyche is sacked or not. The third option is that he simply leaves when his contract expires at the end of the season, which would be much more mutual and amicable parting of ways should be change be deemed necessary.
Southgate, Potter, Moyes and Allegri are on TFG’s radar
Dyche was never promised a contract extension by Everton’s previous owner, Farhad Moshiri, and TFG haven’t had enough time to assess and discuss that possibility with him.
TEAMtalk understands that TFG ARE succession planning, but that is not to be confused with them interviewing any potential new managers yet, it is just a case of looking at the options that are, or could be, available.
Another thing to bear in mind is that TFG are cautious about making any footballing changes before they’ve found a new CEO and addressed the future of sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who is well-regarded but sees his contract end at the end of the season. Colin Chong will NOT stay as CEO and will help find his replacement, and executive chair Marc Watts is expected to appoint a day-to-day executive to represent the group in Everton as part of a board expansion.
Dyche is naturally aware, due to his contractual situation, that TFG may choose to make a managerial change, but at this point, it would take a significant decline in both results and league table position for them to consider sacking him mid-season. Also, the names that TFG have looked at are more inclined to take a job next summer.
As TEAMtalk correspondent Ben Jacobs has previously revealed, former England manager Gareth Southgate is one of TFG’s targets but Southgate has already said he’s inclined to wait a year before taking his next role.
In fact, Southgate may not take a new job for the best part of a year and if he does, it might not even be in the dugout. There is a possibility he could take on a role within the FIFA hierarchy. Southgate is carefully exploring his options before diving back into the game.
As we have reported previously, Sergio Conceicao has also been looked at by TFG but they have missed out on him, as he’s just been appointed as the new manager of AC Milan.
Interestingly, Milan’s outgoing manager Paulo Fonseca worked under TFG at Roma for several months and they parted ways on amicable terms.
Fonseca is now a free agent and while there is no indication that he is under consideration by TFG, he is open to the idea of managing in the Premier League one day.
The two other main candidates to have been looked at by TFG are Graham Potter and David Moyes.
Potter is being very careful and picky about the kind of job that he’s prepared to take. TEAMtalk understands that West Ham, should Julen Lopetegui be sacked, is a more likely destination for him than Everton at this stage.
From Moyes’ point of view it’s the opposite, as sources say the Scotsman would be much more open to returning to Everton than West Ham.
TEAMtalk can also reveal that former Juventus manager Max Allegri was sounded out by Everton in their succession planning during Moshiri’s time as owner and he IS on TFG’s radar, too.
We understand, however, that Allegri is telling all of his suitors, including West Ham, that he won’t take any jobs mid-season, and will assess his options next summer.
Everton are set for a major squad reshuffle next summer
Although it might seem odd, TFG find themselves in quite a ‘fortunate’ position as new owners given the amount of players, executives and also the manager being out of contract next summer.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Michael Keane, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Ashley Young, Seamus Coleman, Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia are all on expiring deals, while Armando Broja, Jack Harrison, Orel Mangala and Jesper Lindstrom are only at the club on loan.
This means TFG don’t have to make too many big calls that might be disruptive or unpopular as they have the option of letting some of these contracts run down. It’s clear that Everton do need major changes to be competitive, so this could prove to be a blessing in disguise.
For now, TFG’s focus is on stabilising Everton financially, since all Everton’s debt is now owed to blue-chip lenders, but that doesn’t mean they can make big-money signings or offer huge wages to players.
An advantage of TFG taking over is that the £200million they previously invested in the club, which included paying off a loan owed to MSP Sports Capital, is now a capital injection. That has helped in terms of imminent payments or debts that were disrupting the club.
TFG, meanwhile, feel that Everton’s board is thin and it will require some new positions being created – more executives, more recruitment staff and more resource behind the footballing department.
TFG won’t just be deciding on individuals, including Dyche, they will be expanding the network of the club and therefore we will likely see some new positions created once the transitional period is over.
Barring a horrendous run of results, Dyche is not in any imminent danger and will remain Everton’s manager. A decision on his future beyond this season has not yet been made.
