Ryan Lowe has shared that Wayne Rooney told him that if he had become Everton manager, then ‘they wouldn’t have to got relegated’, as Farhad Moshiri looks for Frank Lampard’s replacement.
That conversation was seemingly held 12 months ago, when Everton were in the same position they are in now after sacking Rafa Benitez.
If Rooney, who is now the coach at MLS side DC United, felt that he could have helped the Toffees survive relegation last season, then he will probably be thinking the same now.
If anything, things are a lot worse now than they were when Benitez was in the Goodison Park dugout, which says something given the state of the club.
A number of names have been in the running to come in next, including Rooney himself, but it seems as though former Leeds United boss, Marcelo Bielsa, and former Burnley coach, Sean Dyche, are the main men in the running.
In regards to Rooney, Liverpool-born Lowe shared a conversation he had with the former England striker about the Everton job, as he told Sky Sports News (24/01/23 at 7:20 pm).
“I will let you into a secret,” said Lowe. “Wayne Rooney said to me once ‘if he had taken the job, there is no chance they would have got relegated’.
“But they didn’t offer him the job. For me, yeah, 100%. He earned his stripes at Derby County when they were in a financial pickle. He has gone over to DC now for an opportunity.
“Will the players respect Wayne Rooney? Will he knock a few heads and say ‘look, come on. Get yourselves together’. Yes, he would do.
“Do Everton need someone like that? I told you. They have lost their identity. There is no better person than Wayne Rooney. I do think he will need a little bit of help and experience alongside him. The fact of the matter is, if it’s somebody like him, who knows the football club. He’s an Evertonian. Yes, I wouldn’t be against that, to give Wayne Rooney the job.”
EVERTON’S IDENTITY
Slowly but surely Everton fans aren’t recognising their club and they are getting further and further away from the players and those who run the ship.
In some cases, the relationship between fans and players can be sorted by winning games of football.
But in others, with those who sit on the board, nothing will ever probably change until they head for the exit door because it’s probably best for the future of the club.
Either way, Everton need a manager who can bring back the identity of the club. Something for fans to cheer about. Yes, they might struggle to get over that line, but at least they know the effort is there.
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