Former Lyon coach Remi Garde is the latest name on Everton’s managerial shortlist – despite taking Aston Villa down in his last Premier League spell.
Everton appear to have cast their net wide in the search for Ronald Koeman’s replacement. From continental veterans such as Carlo Ancelotti and Walter Mazzarri to highly-rated homegrown tacticians a la Sean Dyche, it is as yet unknown which direction The Toffees will head.
But few would have seen the latest name on Everton’s shortlist coming. According to French publication InfoMercato, the Merseyside giants are genuinely considering Remi Garde, best known in England for a disastrous spell in charge of one of the Premier League’s worst ever teams.
Garde replaced Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa in November 2015 but, just five months and two wins from 20 games later, and the former Arsenal defender departed by mutual consent.
Garde was understood to be furious with Villa’s inability to bring in any new players to improve an awful squad during the January transfer window but his failure to make bring about any kind of improvements left a reputation he had built up with an impressive spell at Lyon in tatters.
Villa eventually finished bottom with just 17 points.
The 51-year-old has not worked since, however, which would prove a major boost to Everton if they want to give him a second chance in the Premier League at Goodison Park.
Lyon played some of the most thrilling football in Ligue 1 under Garde between 2011 and 2014, however, and the former six-time France international should perhaps be judged more for his exploits across The Channel rather than a spell in charge of a Villa team that looked doomed from the start.
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