Moyes safest choice now for Everton after wheels come off for Dyche

After days of assessing the direction of the club and the future of manager Sean Dyche, Everton’s new owners ‘The Friedkin Group’ came to the decision that a parting of the ways was in the best interests of the club.

It’s not a decision the Americans wanted to take at this time. Their plan was to let Dyche see out the remainder of his contract, which was due to end in June, and then embark on a detailed review of the club from the top down.

There was a recognition of Dyche’s work over the two years he’d been in charge, at times traumatic, at times uncertain both on and off the pitch.

Indeed it’s fair to say he had to deal with a situation which no other Everton manager has ever had to deal with – a relegation battle in his first five months, PSR points deductions, severe financial restrictions and a complete change of Board and so much more.

However, despite all that, results this season have not been good enough. Performances this season have not been good enough and the stats suggest something needed to change. That is what ultimately convinced TFG that they had to act.

The prospect of relegation in their first six months and beginning life in their brand-new stadium in the Championship next season was too much to leave to chance.

Of course, that remains a concern and their choice of replacement for Dyche has to be a balance between the need to look to the future but also the necessity to secure the short-term safety of their Premier League status.

Now attention will turn to who’s next.

There are a number of candidates and I understand the new owners would prefer to bring in somebody who is not currently in a position at another club, for two reasons.

Firstly, they need to make an appointment quickly and do not want a drawn out negotiation with another club, and secondly, probably more importantly, they would see any compensation that would need to be paid as wasted money, which needs to be directed towards player acquisitions.

There has been lots of talk about Jose Mourinho, but this is highly unlikely, and it’s understood there has been no contact with TFG’s former manager at Roma.

More likely a target is former Everton boss David Moyes, currently available following his departure from West Ham and someone who The Friedkin Group are interested in.

Clearly, he has a long association with the club and would hit the ground running at a place he knows well without too much description in transition.

Moyes knows the club better than most, spending 11 years there. Importantly, from that time, Seamus Coleman remains at the club and if Moyes was to return that relationship could prove crucial.

Moyes recently said he did not want to go to a club that was in a relegation battle, however Everton is different, there is a bond and I would think it would be very difficult for him to turn down an offer – should it come.

If Moyes does take the job, I think he is the safest choice. Changing managers in this position is high risk, to have someone who knows the club inside out and can hit the ground running is a big plus.

Everton need the club to get safe, I think he can do that.

Paulo Fonseca is also a name that has been mentioned, he was manager at Roma when the Friedkins took over the Serie A.

He also has a history with wanting the Everton job, he was a serious candidate before Marco Silva got the job and also a contender before Roberto Martinez was employed when Bill Kenwright owned the club.

However, whoever comes in there is always a risk factor when changing a manager with a club in the position as Everton.

The owners will understand this from their dealings at Roma, and they will have learned that the minimal risk is the safest way to go, as shown with Claudio Ranieri’s return to the club.

Whoever does get the job will have a big challenge on their hands. Make no mistake Everton are in a relegation battle but there are many games left and things could look a lot better quickly if the right man is brought in.

The Friedkins have a huge job ahead of them, both on and off the pitch.

The club has been in a state of paralysis for the last few years due to the prolonged takeover drama but it is also a club that has been trophyless for nearly 30 years, the longest period without silverware in its long and illustrious history.

The decision to change manager is just the first of many big decisions that will need to be made in the coming months as TFG look to bring the glory days back to this once main contender of the English game.

The fans want and expect better, managing Everton comes with an expectation as big as any club in the Premier League but for a few, ask any former player or manager about the pressure of playing at a club which, before the inception of the Premier League, was known as one of the ‘Big Four’.

Of course, it’s been a long time since Everton were a part of the elite and they’ve never looked like adding to their nine league titles during that time but that expectation, mis-guided or not, has never gone away.

There is a generation of supporters that have not seen success in any form, left only with a sense of anemoia and the generations before them have been left bewildered by the failure to keep up with, not only seasoned big clubs but the newcomers which have overtaken Everton as Premier League achievers.

Whoever takes over from Dyche has a wonderful opportunity, with a fantastic new stadium, financial stability with the new owners and the prospect of a fresh start to rebuild an English football institution – but only after a fight to save it from a more pressing challenge.