Does Watford form suggest Everton were lucky not to get Marco Silva?

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Everton wanted Marco Silva to replace Ronald Koeman as manager but does Watford form show they were lucky it never materialised?

Marco Silva, manager of Watford, looks on prior to the Premier League match against Manchester City.

Everton were left disappointed back in November when it became clear Marco Silva would not be leaving Watford to succeed Ronald Koeman as their manager.

As the BBC reported at the time, Silva quickly became the Toffees’ prime candidate to replace Koeman following the Dutchman’s sacking and were even prepared to pay £10m in compensation to land him.

Ronald Koeman during the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal.

Yet the Hornets stood firm and with no sign of the Portuguese resigning from the two-year contract he only signed at Vicarage Road over the summer, the Merseyside club instead appointed Sam Allardyce on November 30.

Since then the side have won three, drawn three and lost two of their eight Premier League encounters to move up to ninth in the table and well clear of the early relegation trouble they were threatened with under Koeman.

Everton manager Sam Allardyce gestures before the English Premier League football match against Manchester United.

In fact Allardyce’s men are now two points ahead of Watford, who during the same period have won one, drawn one and lost six – the latest a 3-1 defeat to leaders Manchester City.

Is it a turnaround in form for both teams that suggests that Everton were in fact lucky that Silva could not be prised away from his current post, with the Hertfordshire outfit continuing to slip down the standings?