Former Watford boss Marco Silva is the bookies’ favourite to become the next Everton manager after Sam Allardyce was sacked today.
It is reported by Sky Sports that Allardyce has left the club “with immediate effect” after meeting Everton’s major shareholder Farhad Moshiri this morning. Allardyce, 63, was appointed as the Goodison manager seven months ago.
In a statement Everton confirmed Allardyce’s departure. Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the club’s deputy CEO, said: “On behalf of the chairman, board of directors and Mr Moshiri, I’d like to thank Sam for the job he has done at Everton over the last seven months. Sam was brought in at a challenging time last season to provide us with some stability and we are grateful to him for doing that.
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“However, we have made the decision that, as part of our longer-term plan, we will be appointing a new manager this summer and will be commencing this process immediately. Again, we’d like to place on record our sincere thanks to Sam for his work with us over the last few months and wish him well for the future.”
Who will take over at Goodison Park?
The Liverpool Echo says that former Watford boss Silva is the favourite to become the next Everton manager. Silva’s Portuguese compatriot Paulo Fonseca, the manager of Shakhtar Donetsk, is second favourite. The Echo reports that Oddschecker has seen a “flurry” of bets coming in from punters for Fonseca’s appointment.
Everton’s biggest issue with appointing Silva is a dispute with his former employers Watford. Silva was favourite to take over at Everton when the job became available last November. But according to Sky Sports the Hornets have made an official complaint to the Premier League over the alleged “tapping up” of their former boss.
Watford “remain furious” that Everton’s interest last year unsettled Silva and a poor run of form led to his sacking in January.
In a statement Watford said at the time: “The club is convinced the appointment of Silva was the right one and had it not been for the unwarranted approach by a Premier League rival for his services we would have continued to prosper under his leadership. The catalyst for this decision is that unwarranted approach, something which the board believes has seen a significant deterioration in both focus and results to the point where the long-term future of Watford FC has been jeopardised.”
Other candidates
The Daily Express adds that former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has emerged as a “shock candidate” while Leicester’s Claude Puel and Burnley’s Sean Dyche are also in the running.
Outside bets
The Sack Race website, using odds from Paddy Power, has former Everton managers David Moyes and Roberto Martinez as third and fourth favourites to replace Allardyce. Moyes is also without a job after leaving West Ham today.
Everton next manager betting odds
Latest prices according to Oddschecker (as of 16 May):
- Marco Silva: 4/7
- Paulo Fonseca: 7/2
- Louis van Gaal: 20/1
- Mark Hughes: 20/1
- Claude Puel: 25/1
- Roberto Martinez: 25/1
- Claudio Ranieri: 25/1
- Martin O’Neill: 25/1
- Eddie Howe: 33/1
- Sean Dyche: 33/1
- Rafael Benitez: 33/1
- Duncan Ferguson: 50/1
- Arsene Wenger: 50/1
- David Moyes: 50/1
