Chris Sutton has claimed on BT Sport that Everton are close to appointing Sam Allardyce as their new manager.
The pundit and former Celtic striker revealed that he had “heard from a good source” that the experienced manager, 63, was at the Merseysiders’ training ground this week in a major development in their search for a new manager.
The Toffees have been searching for a new boss for almost two weeks after Ronald Koeman was shown the exit door at Goodison Park following a wretched start to the season.
? Murty
? McInnes@chris_sutton73 looks at the vacant Rangers managerial position…#BTSportScore pic.twitter.com/K8d8nP3EA0— BT Sport Score (@btsportscore) November 4, 2017
David Unsworth has taken charge for the last three matches but they have all be lost and Everton were eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday night following a 3-0 hiding at Lyon.
Asked on the BT Sport Score programme on Saturday afternoon who he expects to take over at Goodison Park, Sutton said: “I think Sam Allardyce. I heard from a good source he was at the training ground this week.
“They’ve got to stay up and your man to stay in the division, we all know who he is.”
Everton are languishing second bottom of the Premier League despite spending £150million on their squad in the summer, with just two wins from their opening 10 games.
Good move for Everton?
In terms of avoiding relegation, without a doubt. In terms of breaking into the Champions League elite, possibly not. Allardyce is a proven and successful Premier League manager who has developed into something of a survival specialist either side of his disastrous England tenure. He knows the English game inside out but there are question marks about his appetite for the long haul as well as managing a leading club for a lengthy tenure. Getting the Everton job would be the biggest coup of the 63-year-old’s club career.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Very possibly. It appears to be a battle of the Brits between Allardyce and Burnley man-of-the-moment Sean Dyche. Both are no-nonsense operators who have reputations as outstanding organisers able to get teams punching above their weight.
This Is Futbol rating 6/10