Pochettino and Allardyce 'contacted' by Everton as top-choice manager emerges

24 January 2023 , 10:14

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Mauricio Pochettino is still without a job after being sacked by PSG (Image: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri reportedly contacted Mauricio Pochettino and Sam Allardyce before making the call to sack Frank Lampard.

Lampard was sacked as Everton manager on Monday after suffering a 2-0 defeat at West Ham. Everton made the decision to relieve the 44-year-old of his duties with the Toffees 19th in the Premier League on 15 points from 20 games – their worst ever start to a campaign.

They are now looking for a replacement, with a whole host of names linked to the vacant position on Merseyside. Former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has emerged as the front-runner for the role, but Moshiri has not put all his eggs in one basket.

According to the Daily Mail, the billionaire reached out to Pochettino and Allardyce to assess their interest in the job. The club spoke with Pochettino way back in November, while he was working for the BBC as a pundit at the World Cup, to gauge his stance on succeeding Lampard.

Pochettino is out of work, following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain last year, but it is not believed that he is on the shortlist for the job. Speaking on the BBC in November, Pochettino said: "After Paris we decide to wait until after the World Cup. Paris was a tough experience, a great experience, but tough, and you need to process every single thing (when making a decision).”

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Owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright are the decision-makers at Everton (Getty Images)

Allardyce knows Moshiri from his previous experience with the club. He managed Everton for 167 days in the 2017/18 season, but has not met Moshiri face-to-face to discuss a possible return, with Everton reluctant to go back to the 68-year-old.

Sean Dyche, who is available after being sacked by Burnley in April 2022, is also thought to fall into the same category as Allardyce. Both are known for playing direct football and Moshiri is thought to favour a more modern approach which has pressing at its forefront.

That is why Bielsa is Everton’s preferred candidate at this early stage. The Argentine made quite the impact at Leeds by implementing his high-intensity pressing style before being sacked and replaced by Jesse Marsch with his side two points above the relegation zone in February 2022.

Sam Allardyce managed Everton in 2017/18 (Getty Images)

Bielsa has spoken with Moshiri, but wants reassurances about the club’s strategy in the remaining week of the January transfer window before committing.

Lampard’s coaching staff of Joe Edwards, Chris Jones, Paul Clement and Ashley Cole have all left with the former Chelsea and Derby manager. That has left youth coaches Leighton Baines and Paul Tait to take training in the meantime.

Everton are out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, meaning they are not in action until February 4, when they welcome Premier League leaders Arsenal to Goodison Park. There is then another significant gap until the Merseyside derby against Liverpool on February 13.

Felix Keith