Report: Everton expected to make managerial decision today, three managers left in the running

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Everton are seemingly closing in on a new manager.

According to the Daily Mail, Everton are expected to make a decision on their new manager today, with three potential appointments in the running.

The Toffees sacked manager Ronald Koeman last month, but have struggled to land a replacement having failed with a move for Watford boss Marco Silva.

After a 5-1 Europa League defeat to Atalanta on Thursday, Everton lost 4-1 at Southampton on Sunday afternoon, which has seemingly sparked the Toffees into life.

Everton’s managerial search has been ramped up, and the Daily Mail now report that a decision on a new boss is expected to be made today.

It’s claimed that Sam Allardyce is the favourite after new talks with the club, but the agent of Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca has been spoken to, as has Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill.

Allardyce, 63, is ideal for Everton’s situation right now. The Toffees find themselves mired in a relegation battle, and Allardyce’s record of keeping up teams like Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland and Crystal Palace means he could be perfect in the short term.

However, the long-term prospect of Allardyce’s football at Goodison Park may concern fans, and it seems that he will require at least an 18-month deal to return to management, meaning Everton are signing up for a hefty dose of ‘Big Sam’.

The other candidates couldn’t be more different; 44-year-old Fonseca has bounced around Europe with the likes of Porto, Braga and now Shakhtar Donetsk, boasting a 78% win rate with the Ukrainian side whilst pushing an attractive, attacking brand of football – but his lack of Premier League experience may just harm him.

Meanwhile, veteran boss O’Neill is more in the mould of Allardyce; an experienced Premier League manager who focuses in a strong defence, but his failure with Sunderland may be a major worry for Everton supporters.

With a decision on who to target expected today, it appears that one of these three managers will land the job – and it remains to be seen just who is finally named as Koeman’s replacement.