Everton came from two down to beat Watford in their most recent game under caretaker boss David Unsworth.
Nearly a month has passed since Ronald Koeman’s sacking and Everton still have not found a permanent successor.
According to the Daily Star, approaches for Watford manager Marco Silva and Sam Allardyce were rebuffed over the course of the international break, leaving David Unsworth in charge for this weekend’s visit to Crystal Palace.
After three straight defeats, Unsworth oversaw a 3-2 comeback victory over Watford, but if Toffees fans were hoping that this was the beginning of something better under their caretaker boss, little can be read into that result.
The manner of the win – Everton scoring three goals in the final 25 minutes to come from two down, and Jordan Pickford saving a penalty deep into stoppage-time – points to the old addage of the team ‘playing for’ Unsworth.
However, in September, the Merseysiders showed similar character to come from behind to beat Bournemouth under Koeman, and then immediately returned to their poor form as the Dutchman was sacked five matches later.
This suggests that Unsworth’s influence in the Watford comeback has been overstated.
It will take a string of more convincing results before Unsworth truly puts his name in the frame to get the job full time.
A trip to bottom-of-the-table Palace is the ideal opportunity for the 44-year-old to get a run going.
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