* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Rafa Benitez wasn’t particularly popular at Everton from day one. Being a legend across Stanley Park didn’t help. Neither did previously calling Everton a ‘small club’.
A strong start to the season saw some of the fan discontent quieten down but the Toffees’ form dipped after and the club are now looking over their shoulder at the drop zone rather than up at the top-seven.
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He survived losing 4-1 at home to their neighbours in the first Merseyside derby of the season back in early December – after which we decided to pay out on Rafa getting the chop.
FULL-TIME! Everton 1-4 Liverpool
We have seen enough and are paying out on all bets for Rafa Benitez to be the next manager to leave his post. pic.twitter.com/xe83oYmOaR
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) December 1, 2021
And the club finally put the Spaniard out of his misery after a dismal 2-1 defeat away at Norwich proved to be the final nail in the coffin. But who could replace Benitez as Next Everton Manager? Here are the current leading candidates…
Vitor Pereira
Vitor Pereira is currently out of work and has a chequered managerial career. He was last in charge of Fenerbahce, but he’s also managed Porto, Shanghai SIPG and Olympiacos. It’d be a rogue appointment considering he has no Premier League experience but who knows with Everton…
Frank Lampard
This could be the opportunity to lure Frank Lampard back into management. He’s recently been linked with a few high profile jobs and pulled out for various reasons. He did well at Derby but the Chelsea job was a bit much for him. With Everton somewhere in-between the two it could be a good fit.
Wayne Rooney
Wazza’s made a decent fist of his first managerial job at Derby, keeping them in the Championship last season in a final day shootout with Sheffield Wednesday and mounting an unlikely survival bid this season despite a huge points deduction.
With the Rams in all sorts of financial difficulty, getting Wayne Rooney out of the club shouldn’t prove too tricky, and would surely appeal to the boyhood fan.
Duncan Ferguson
Everton legend Duncan Ferguson has been a constant at Goodison Park, having survived the Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti reigns. He’s taking caretaker care of the club again, just like he did back in 2019. He would be a very popular appointment but if it meant a reduction in his heart-warming/terrifying video messages to fans we’d be dead against it.
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro was one of the best defender’s of all time, however, his managerial career has been a little different. He’s mostly managed in China, most notably Guangzhou, and he even briefly took over as the manager of the China national team. Is the Italian the right fit for the Toffees?
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho‘s already managed four Premier League clubs so why not make it five? The Portuguese has done an average job at Roma since heading back to Italy in 2021. His tactics have been criticised for being outdated but could he be the perfect fit for Everton?
Roberto Martinez
Could the Spaniard be set for a return to Goodison Park? Martinez has done a decent job with the Belgium national team since being sacked by the Toffees in 2016. After a decent first season as David Moyes’ replacement things ended up turning sour for the ex-Swansea and Wigan boss, but he could yet get a second crack at impressing with the Merseyside club.
Graham Potter
Would Brighton boss Graham Potter be tempted to swap the south coast for Merseyside? Potter has been linked with a number of roles, including Spurs in recent times, but remains in position at Brighton so far.
Kasper Hjulmand
Denmark national team boss Kasper Hjulmand enjoys a growing reputation in the game after delivering some great performances and results with his country. He’s right at the top of the market and has proven he can squeeze every ounce of talent out of an average squad. Could be perfect for Everton, then.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Former Wolves and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo also features highly on Paddy’s traders’ list but would he be a good fit? The spark looks to have gone out for him at the moment and he ended both of his previous jobs with a moody whimper. Being out of work could count in his favour here, though.
Daniel Farke
Fancy getting relegated in order to have the chance at winning a few games in The Championship? Daniel Farke might be your man. The former Norwich boss is the king of the second tier but has a woeful record in the top flight. Would be a maverick appointment.
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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