Stoke assistant Mark Bowen has become the latest to back Brighton’s Hughton for the Everton job – should the Toffees seriously consider him?
David Unsworth, caretaker manager of Everton, looks on during the Premier League match against Watford.
The search for a permanent successor to Ronald Koeman as Everton manager goes on, with the Independent reporting David Unsworth will continue as caretaker for this weekend’s Premier League clash at Crystal Palace.
This week Sam Allardyce has ruled himself out of the running, while Watford have knocked back two approaches made for Marco Silva.
Marco Silva, manager of Watford, gives his team instructions during the Premier League match against Everton.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche was strongly linked initially, but is understood to not even be in the running and it seems the Toffees are no nearer finding a replacement for Koeman from when they sacked him more than three weeks ago.
However, Stoke City assistant Mark Bowen has become the latest high profile figure in English football to admit his surprise that Brighton and Hove Albion’s Chris Hughton has not been considered for the vacant position.
“I think he is very much underrated as a manager, and it really surprises me when I don’t see his name linked with other jobs that crop up – like the Everton one for example,” Bowen, who played with Hughton at Tottenham Hotspur, told Stoke’s official website.
This comes after pundits Ian Wright and Garth Crooks also cited the 58 year old as a good choice to take charge at Goodison Park.
Chris Hughton, manager of Brighton and Hove Albion, reacts during the Premier League match against Swansea City.
“When you talk about managers and who should be in there, I’m very surprised Chris Hughton’s name doesn’t get thrown in at any time,” Wright told The Debate on Sky Sports (broadcast on 24 October, 2017).
Crooks then wrote in his BBC column: “Chris Hughton is doing such a fantastic job at Brighton it is almost an indictment that Everton have not approached him to fill their vacancy.”
Despite this significant backing, Hughton has not even been given odds by Skybet, who believe that Wayne Rooney at 100/1 is a more likely prospect.
Yet during his managerial career the former full-back has been a huge success, guiding Newcastle United to the Championship title before, in many people’s’ eyes, being unfairly sacked. Hughton then led Birmingham City to the second tier playoffs and has now taken Brighton up and made a decent start to the new campaign.
Maybe he would not be such a bad choice?
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