Marco Silva has led Everton to the hardly dizzying heights of 11th in the Premier League – so should The Toffees be looking at a high-profile replacement?
Is Marco Silva really the man to take Everton back into Europe?
Not according to the former Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland defender Micky Gray. Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (22 January, 11am), Gray has cast doubt on Silva’s credentials and encouraged The Toffees to consider two rather high-profile replacements.
“If Everton have got any ambition of finishing in that top six, and they’re drifting further away rather than getting closer, they have got to go out there,” he said.
“There are rumours (majority shareholder Farhad) Moshiri is not happy with the position that Everton find themselves in.
“If they are wanting to get anywhere near that top six they’ve got to go out and look for somebody who has had success already and we’re talking (Roberto) Mancini, (Antonio) Conte, we’re talking that calibre.”
Big claims from a man who clearly expected more from an Everton side chock full of quality. And Gray certainly has a point.
Everton are 11th right now, closer to the relegation zone than the top six, and have won just three of their last 10 games with their most recent outing a 2-1 defeat at Southampton. The pressure on Marco Silva is starting to increase.
Conte, for what it’s worth, is still without a job after leaving Chelsea in the summer. The Italian is one of the most demanding and successful coaches of the last decade, winning the 2017 Premier League title with Chelsea and turning Juventus into the dominant force in Serie A once again.
Mancini, meanwhile, led Manchester City to their first ever Premier League title eight years ago but it seems that he won’t be going anywhere soon. He was hired as the coach of the Italian national team in May 2018.
Either way, Silva needs to turn things around and fast with Everton showing in recent years that they aren’t afraid to make a change.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
