25 January 2023 , 09:00
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Marcelo Bielsa could be back in the Premier League after less than a year away as Everton eye his services.
The Argentine was axed by Leeds back in February but is now the prime candidate to replace Frank Lampard, who lost his job at Goodison Park on Monday. The Toffees are languishing in the bottom three with problems on and off the pitch mounting as they look to retain their top-flight status.
Any manager coming in will not have the luxury of a pre-season and, therefore, need to hit the ground running whilst working with what he inherits. Bielsa performed wonders in Yorkshire but did so after several weeks with his players on the training ground as well as a summer transfer window.
He will not have those benefits on Merseyside should he decide to take the job. The former Athletic Bilbao boss is not one to take up a vacancy likely and will want assurances before he considers such a challenge. Bielsa has been willing to walk away if circumstances are not right - infamously leaving Lazio just days into his tenure.
A power play
Nowadays few managers get the control they want. The game has increasingly favoured sporting directors and chief executives with club owners preferring to build a playing group first before then choosing a manager to suit. Bielsa though is something of a throwback.
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He demands to lead on several issues that would, generally, go above a manager's head. The Argentine wants to be making major calls on player contracts, who is retained and who is let go. That would require Everton's leading figures to show some serious humility, which could also massively backfire.
Marcelo Bielsa is a hugely demanding manager to employ (Getty Images)The likes of Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright will need to give up elements of their authority if Bielsa does opt to take up any job offer. No doubt a relegation clause may be included in his contract, which would allow him to walk away if he wished. That places even more risk on any decision to let the former Leeds boss call the shots, with the stakes incredibly high as they roll the dice once more.
Under Moshiri's tenure, the Toffees have blazed through managers. Too many of them have impressive CVs for the club's failures to be attributed to the man in the dugout. They've tried everything - proven winners in Carlo Ancelotti, Premier League tried and tested in Sam Allardyce and the young manager on the rise in Marco Silva.
All those tenures, some of them short-lived, have potentially left Bielsa with a squad that is put together by several different managers who signed players to suit contrasting systems.
What then for the playing group
The Argentine's impact at Leeds was immediate. He took hold of a group that, like Everton, had been compiled by a host of different managers. His first game as Leeds boss, a win over Stoke at Elland Road, was achieved by starting with 10 players he inherited in his starting XI - Barry Douglas the only man he signed who played.
The Argentine's methods have been successful in England (Getty Images)He will need to repeat that trick at Goodison Park, but the mark of the manager is how he works with what he's got. Several players at Leeds, some who've now moved on, have credited their careers to Bielsa such was the impact he had.
The 67-year-old showed during his time in Yorkshire that he will not compromise on his philosophy, which was arguably his downfall come the end, albeit it yielded huge success. He's given his assessment of the squad at Everton and addressed concerns according to the Daily Mail, but few thought highly of the Leeds squad before Bielsa worked his magic - and it is feasible he does similarly on Merseyside.
Jordan Pickford provides a strong base with James Tarkowski and Conor Coady the usual pair to play in front of him. Everton have leaked goals and some may question their centre-half pairing, but many did similarly with Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson at Leeds.
Dwight McNeil and Alex Iwobi are two players capable of much more than they're showingThe possession-based style of Bielsa though meant that defenders spent less time defending and more time distributing, which could allow for a different side of both the centre-halves at Everton.
Kalvin Phillips became the linchpin of Bielsa's Leeds side, eventually earning a move to Manchester City. Bielsa will look at this Everton squad and see good players who are desperately underperforming. The Argentine will hone in on the likes of Alex Iwobi and Tom Davies - two players who've not gone close to achieving their potential - and see them as individuals who can have a huge impact in the final third.
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Summer arrival Amadou Onana, who cost the Toffees over £30m but is attracting attention from the likes of Arsenal, could well be the man who commands the base of midfield, but there will be huge demands placed upon his passing ability, composure and distribution.
Dwight McNeil, Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray are also players whom Bielsa may relish working with. The trio, who have only scored six goals between them this season, are all capable of much more than they're currently showing.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains a crucial asset for the Toffees (Emma Simpson - Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images)At Leeds, Bielsa watched on as Pablo Hernandez and Ezgjan Alioski thrived in his high-energy attacking system. The aforementioned Everton trio would all appear capable of employing similar ideals, which will give the Argentine tactician confidence.
Any hopes the Toffees have of staying afloat is likely to come down to their ability to score goals, however. Lampard will bemoan the lack of times he was able to call upon Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been plagued by injuries. Bielsa teams have previously excelled with forwards like Patrick Bamford and Fernando Llorente and Calvert-Lewin has the skill set to do likewise.
Players are unlikely to be an issue for Bielsa, it will be their willingness and desire to buy into his methods in an incredibly short time. His stature will lift the entire club, although they will have to accept some slightly bonkers football at times, which is part and parcel of backing Bielsa.
Everton are one of just seven clubs to be constants in the Premier League era and the board's next move is likely to determine whether or not that run continues. The Bielsa system is relatively simple - give him the resources and he's odds on to deliver. Fail to do so however and you can't complain about the outcome.