Frank Lampard arrived at Goodison Park in January 2022, and although he helped the club avoid the drop last year, he leaves Everton in 19th place in the Premier League; Ralph Hasenhuttl, Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank are all admired by Everton hierarchy
Friday 27 January 2023 14:34, UK
Everton have made former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa their first choice to become the club's next manager after sacking Frank Lampard on Monday.
Bielsa, who has been out of work since he left Leeds in February last year, has already held talks with the club's hierarchy about taking over and has indicated his willingness to take on the job. The Toffees' next game is not until February 4, when Arsenal visit Goodison Park.
The Argentine was in talks to succeed Scott Parker as Bournemouth manager before the World Cup, but the role was ultimately given to caretaker boss Gary O'Neil instead.
The Toffees' approach to Bielsa follows their dismissal of Lampard on Monday afternoon, on the back of a 2-0 defeat by West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday - their third consecutive loss in the league.
Bielsa guided Leeds back to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence and led them to a ninth-placed finish in their first season in the top division before he left the club midway through the 2021/22 season with the club just outside the relegation zone.
The 67-year-old has been cited by colleagues, including Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, as one of the world's best coaches, and has been credited with the success of a number of Leeds players, including Patrick Bamford and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
Bielsa and his backroom staff will likely cost Everton up to £1m a month as the Argentine requests a large fee which he then distributes throughout his coaching team, who come as a non-negotiable part of the package.
Sky Sports News understands there are concerns at Everton about the cost and making such wholesale changes to their coaching staff structure.
Former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is also seriously being considered for the job should a deal for Biesla prove too difficult. The Austrian's Premier League experience is a factor in Everton's thinking as they search for Lampard's successor.
Sean Dyche, the ex-Burnley boss, has also been discussed and Everton are big admirers of Brentford's Thomas Frank but are unsure if he can be convinced to join them.
Lampard arrived at Goodison Park in January 2022, and although he helped the club avoid the drop last season, he leaves Everton with 15 points from 20 games and three wins this term - the worst victory record in the division. Everton are 19th in the table, with only Southampton below them on goal difference.
Joe Edwards, Paul Clement, Ashley Cole and Chris Jones have also left the club. Paul Tait and Leighton Baines will take training until a new manager is appointed, while Alan Kelly will remain as goalkeeping coach.
Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
"There are a lot of managers in the game at the moment who wouldn't want to go to Everton because of the size of the task and the damage it could do to their reputation if they were to go there and it didn't work out.
"The club are talking to a number of candidates. People like Marcelo Bielsa, who has been mentioned. Sean Dyche is someone Everton like a lot. I don't know if he would want to take on a job the size of Everton. Another name mentioned to me is Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager.
"I've been told there are people at Everton who are big admirers of him, but people at the club aren't sure if he would be happy to leave Brentford and work for Everton.
"One thing mentioned to me is that Everton may look to someone until the end of the season, on an interim basis. Because they just need someone to go in there and keep them up.
"A lot of the time when you see managers sacked, the club already have someone else lined up. But is it them talking to a number of candidates because they haven't made up their mind, or because the people they're talking to need some convincing to come to Goodison Park?
"Ultimately, Farhad Moshiri will be the man to make that final decision."
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"Nobody knows a football club better than their own supporters. There were no banners against Frank Lampard, they were against Farhad Moshiri and the board. I have said Everton are the worst-run club in the country. That wasn't a flippant remark as an ex-Liverpool player, I'm saying it as an ex-Everton fan.
"When I made that comment, Everton got in touch with me and I admired it, being on the front foot to defend your club. But I didn't think I was wrong then and I'm not wrong now. Moshiri doesn't know what he's doing but he's got a lot of money.
"The same sorts of players are getting brought in, managers are getting changed left, right and centre. Why does every Everton manager fail? Lampard, Champions League-winning managers like Benitez and Ancelotti, Silva, Koeman has been around the world. So when a club fails, you have to look at the top. It's a mess."
Sky Sports News reporter Vinny O'Connor:
"It's been a case of results ultimately deciding Frank Lampard's fate.
"There were painful defeats at home to Wolves and Southampton, fellow strugglers around Everton in the table. The fact that they weren't able to get maximum points from those games set alarm bells ringing at the club.
"The Crystal Palace game in October was highlighted as the blueprint of how Everton want to play but they've not been able to repeat that kind of form since then. One bright spot was the equaliser from Demarai Gray against Manchester City at the Etihad.
"It's been a desperate situation all round. I think the fans look at the situation and say Lampard isn't entirely to blame for the situation Everton find themselves in.
"Everton are not getting a return on the over £500m they've invested in recruitment. Richarlison was sold in the summer and the replacements have not been at the same level.
"When Lampard came in, there was a lot of respect for him from the Evertonians and the media here on Merseyside because of how he dealt with things and that they were successful in beating relegation last season. Everton have not been able to build on that and find themselves in another relegation battle.
"The fans will say a change is needed to be made to give Everton the best opportunity to stay in the Premier League."
February 4 - Arsenal (H), kick-off 12.30pm
February 13 - Liverpool (A), live on Sky Sports, kick-off 8pm
February 18 - Leeds (H), kick-off 3pm
February 25 - Aston Villa (H), kick-off 3pm
March 4 - Nottingham Forest (A), kick-off time TBC
March 11 - Brentford (H), kick-off time TBC
