Jamie Carragher believes Farhad Moshiri was ‘fortunate’ Marcelo Bielsa refused to replace Frank Lampard at Everton. The Argentine’s rejection saw the Toffees appoint Sean Dyche.
Everton are now on their eighth permanent manager of Moshiri’s ownership since he first bought shares in February 2016. He fired Roberto Martinez just three months after taking control at Goodison Park. Ronald Koeman then arrived as the first of his chosen managers.
But Koeman did not last and neither did Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti or Rafa Benitez before Lampard. Now, Dyche must try to steer the Merseyside ship away from the relegation zone. He took over Everton with the club only 19th in the Premier League table.
Everton endured a miserable season under Lampard, who secured their top-flight survival in their penultimate match of the 2021/22 campaign. The Toffees have won a division-low three games from 20 so far this term. Only Wolves (12) have also scored fewer goals (15).
Only Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray (3) and Dwight McNeil (2) have also hit the net more than once this season. So, one of Dyche’s early tasks must be to get Dominic Calvert-Lewin performing again. The 25-year-old and Neal Maupay have scored just one goal each so far.
Carragher feels ‘Moshiri is fortunate’ Bielsa rejected Everton before hiring Dyche
Yet Dyche was not Moshiri’s top choice to replace Lampard having wanted Everton to hire Bielsa. But The Guardian reported the 67-year-old rejected the opportunity to take over at Goodison. He, instead, wanted to work with the U21s before taking charge in the summer.
Bielsa’s desire to work behind the scenes implementing his high-energy style saw Moshiri move for Dyche. Sky Sports News (28/1, 11:03) reported the former Burnley boss penned a two-and-a-half-year contract on Merseyside worth £5m-a-year to take over from Lampard.
Carragher has full belief in what Dyche will now bring to the Goodison hot seat. He claims there was ‘no one available better equipped’ than the Kettering-born coach to come in to replace Lampard. He also believes Moshiri was lucky that Bielsa could refuse the position.
“I think Dyche is a good appointment and the right fit for Everton,” Carragher wrote in his column for The Telegraph. “The move for Bielsa making no sense given the demanding style of football he wants would have taken months to fine-tune.
“Moshiri is fortunate that Bielsa is such a man of principle he could refuse whatever financial incentives were offered.
“Dyche will give the supporters what they demand with a team in his image; hard-working, no-nonsense, trying to simplify the game to maximise the full potential of the squad.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
