Could Sunday’s trip to Southampton prove Unsworth’s last in charge?
Sunday’s trip to Southampton could be David Unsworth’s last in charge of Everton, if Friday’s reports are anything to go by.
According to Talksport host Jim White, spotted alongside Everton owner Farhad Moshiri at the Watford game earlier this month, Moshiri says the club are close to making a permanent appointment.
After Thursday’s Europa League humiliation at the hands of Atalanta – his fourth defeat in six games as caretaker manager – it is perhaps safe to assume that Unsworth, despite his best efforts, will not be considered.
That should not, however, make the former Toffees defender any less determined to halt his club’s worrying run of form at St Mary’s, and wholesale changes can be expected given Unsworth’s scathing post-Atalanta comments.
Jordan Pickford should return in goal, with Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines following suit in defence, giving Everton the same back five that started and finished Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.
Morgan Schneiderlin is unlikely to be fit, so Beni Baningime, one of the few positives from Thursday’s performance, should keep his place, although Idrissa Gueye will perhaps return to partner the youngster in place of Tom Davies.
And the remaining four places could go to anyone from Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney, Aaron Lennon, Ademola Lookman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Sandro Ramirez, who scored his first goal for the club last time out, with Oumar Niasse beginning a two-match ban.
Here’s how we think the Toffees could look…
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