It is the end of an era at Manchester United after 27 years of Alex Ferguson’s leadership. But similarly at Everton, 11 years of David Moyes’ management comes to an abrupt end.
There may not have been any trophies at Goodison Park in that time, but the Scots can be regarded as a stellar success in the circumstances.
With the best players moving on and the purse strings zipped shut, Moyes has delivered top half finishes in abundance as well as a 2009 FA Cup final.
And just as much as Moyes stepping into Ferguson’s shoes is seen as a daunting task, Moyes’ replacement also has a tough task to maintain the high standards that have been set in the blue half of Merseyside.
Michael Laudrup, Roberto Martinez, Mark Hughes, Neil Lennon and Martin O’Neill are the early favourites for the job. But first things first, it is important to analyse what type of club Moyes has left behind.
Everton’s squad has an average of 27.6 years (middle of the road in this season’s Premier League) with a few talented youngsters like Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman, but also many important players that are now over 30. Rejuvenation will be one of the key tasks for the manager.
Fortunately the Everton academy has a rich tradition for producing first team players, which will be all the more crucial given the paucity of funds available at the club.
Tactically the team has been playing a variation of 4-4-1-1 and 4-2-3-1 during much of Moyes’ time. However, some key cogs like Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini may not be fielded in those formations unless they are still at the club come next season.
Roberto Martinez
The Wigan manager is highly rated having masterminded survival every season since his summer 2009 appointment, after previous success at Swansea City.
During his time at Wigan he has been astute in the transfer market, while showing a penchant for developing and integrating young players into his squad. Recent beneficiaries include Ireland midfielder James McCarthy who is beginning to fulfil his rich potential.
Martinez has not been afforded much funding during his time at the DW Stadium which means he should be able to cope with the restrictions at Everton.
Tactically he has utilized radical formations with the 3-4-3 used very often this season, although he has increasingly used a 4-3-3 in recent weeks. Unless he alters his preferred philosophy, he would need to make use of the transfer market to find players capable of slotting into his favoured system.
Michael Laudrup
Everton have allegedly put the Dane at the top of their wish-list after his brilliant year in charge of Swansea. Winning the Carling Cup and improving the team that Brendan Rodgers had left behind, has made his star sheen more brightly than ever.
Laudrup has achieved this without spending vast sums of money, making excellent acquisitions in the transfer windows with the Spanish market – where he managed at Getafe and Mallorca – proving a good source of players.
Laudrup is also an advocate of the 4-2-3-1 due to his time spent with Denmark manager Egil Olsen. And although he has proven to be quite pragmatic, his teams tend to play fast flowing attacking football.
Everton may be more conservative, but formation-wise he is ideally suited to Goodison Park.
Mark Hughes
The former Manchester City and Blackburn boss’ star has faded considerably with the nadir being his spell at QPR which saw him sacked in November, despite heavy expenditure.
However the 49-year-old Welshman has had a reasonable track record during most of his management career. Aside from the season with QPR, he has achieved a Top 10 place in six of his seven seasons in the Premier League.
His preferred formation is also a 4-2-3-1, which would allow him to slot in seamlessly.
But questions remain over his confidence after the shambles at QPR and whether he could take Everton forward.
Martin O’Neill
The former Celtic boss is another manager at a low ebb after his sacking by Sunderland in March. At one-time a favourite to replace Alex Ferguson eventually, results in recent seasons mean he will have to set his sights lower.
But even so he is not a favourite for the Everton job.
However the 61-year-old does suit the club in terms of his favourite formation as he favours the 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1. He could also make an instant impact as he did at Aston Villa and Sunderland, although in both cases he was unable to progress the clubs.
Money will also be an issue as he spent significant sums at Villa and Sunderland to no avail. Everton cannot afford to provide a sizeable budget.
Age could be a factor however as Everton may be looking for a manager who can match Moyes’ longevity and the other candidates are either in their very late 30s or in their 40s.
Neil Lennon
Lennon did well with Celtic this season. The SPL title was always a given, but progress to the Champions League knockout stages, beating Barcelona on the way, was an enormous achievement.
Like Everton, Celtic also do not have much cash to spend, but Lennon and his scouting team did well to acquire promising yet cheap players like Victor Wanyama, Fraser Forster, Gary Hooper and Emilio Izaguirre who played crucial roles in the European success.
With the sectarian abuse and physical threats he has had to contend with during his time as Celtic manager, Lennon has the character to succeed at the Toffees but whether he is tactically prepared for the role is unclear.
