From Moyes and Mourinho to Carsley and Cooper, 10 contenders after Dyche

Despite Everton’s uninspiring record under Sean Dyche, the near-immediate decision by new owners the Friedkin Group to sack the former Watford and Burnley boss has come as a surprise.

Less than three weeks after completing their takeover of the club – and 20 days after Dyche described executive chairman Marc Watts as “fully supportive” of him – the Toffees are seeking a new manager to lead them to their new 52,888-capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season

Jose Mourinho is the most high-profile potential target, while the likes of David Moyes and Lee Carsley have a strong history at the club.

101GreatGoals.com takes a look at some of the candidates to succeed Dyche following the end of his two-year stay.

2 – Across Sean Dyche’s final 10 games in charge of Everton, the only player to score more than once for them was Craig Dawson, who scored two own goals playing for Wolves in December. Nonsense. pic.twitter.com/SXOlR6k9Gi

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 9, 2025

Jose Mourinho

While Mourinho’s odds are as short as his temper occasionally proves to be, the three-time Premier League manager of the season and two-time Champions League-winning coach seems unlikely to leave Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

As well as his stated lack of appetite for a relegation battle, Mourinho and the Friedkin Group’s relationship was in tatters after they sacked him as manager of their Italian club, Roma, in January 2023.

The 61-year-old responded in typically barbed style by claiming that the organisation’s owner, Dan Friedkin, “doesn’t understand football”.

Mourinho is one of the most successful managers in English football history, winning every major domestic trophy at least once at Chelsea, as well as the EFL Cup and Europa League with Manchester United. Would his ego allow him to make up with the Friedkins and settle for survival?

David Moyes

Moyes made his name during 11 years at Everton, guiding them to eight top-seven finishes – including fourth place in 2004/05 – alongside four European campaigns and the 2008/09 FA Cup final.

The Scot’s stock was such that he briefly succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson in an ill-fated Manchester United tenure in 2013/14, ultimately rebuilding his reputation over two spells with West Ham between 2017 and 2024.

The 61-year-old won the Hammers’ first European trophy since 1965 with the 2023/24 Conference League, and his departure at the end of last season had more to do with his side’s perceived style of play than their ninth-placed finish.

After being awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours last week, Moyes said he is open to a return to football but wouldn’t “want to be at the bottom fighting relegation”. He has reportedly already discussed replacing Dyche.

David Moyes has held discussions with The Friedkin Group and could make a return to Everton as early as this weekend 🔵 pic.twitter.com/YIw6YGGYRO

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 9, 2025

Russell Martin

Should Everton want a contrast to Mourinho and Moyes’ reputation for caution, Martin’s expansive passing style – effusively praised by Pep Guardiola this season – might appeal.

The 39-year-old honed his style at MK Dons and Swansea City, with his finest achievement coming at Southampton last season, when his first campaign ended in promotion through the play-offs.

A gamble on Martin would require Everton to ignore Southampton’s dreadful start to the season, when his bullish defence of his tactics looked naive, rigid and lacking in the pragmatism required to survive in the Premier League on limited resources.

He was sacked on December 15 after a 5-0 home thrashing by Tottenham that left the Saints nine points from safety.

“I’m going to live and die by the sword in what I believe in” 🗣️

Russell Martin discusses Southampton’s style of play 🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/K3qInjRtsF

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 27, 2024

Steve Cooper

Welshman Cooper remains a hero at Nottingham Forest, where he guided the club into the Premier League after less than a season in charge in 2021/22 and kept them up the following year, only for a run of one win in 13 matches to herald the end of his reign in December 2023.

Cooper had become known as an expert in coaching young players, guiding England Under-17s to world and European titles and reaching the Championship play-offs in consecutive seasons with Swansea City, culminating in defeat in the 2020/21 final.

The 45-year-old was interviewed for Brighton & Hove Albion’s vacant position before embarking on a forgettable five-month spell at Leicester City this season, where a widespread lack of belief in his methods among fans was reportedly replicated among his players.

The Foxes were 16th after 12 games when they sacked Cooper, who has been out of work since and may not have emerged with sufficient credit to land a Premier League job next.

Lee Carsley

Initially signed by predecessor Walter Smith in 2002, Carsley became an integral part of Moyes’ midfield at Everton between 2002 and 2008 and remains highly thought of at the club.

As a coach, his considerable greatest achievement was winning Euro Under-21 with England in 2023, and he went on to take interim charge of the senior squad following Gareth Southgate’s resignation last July.

Carsley was the favourite to become England’s permanent manager after winning his first two matches in charge, but a surprise home defeat to Greece and comments in which he appeared to distance himself from the job meant he effectively ruled himself out of the running.

The 50-year-old led England to Nations League promotion in his subsequent games and is always likely to be discussed when Everton need a manager, but the Friedkin Group may be keen to appoint a name they have greater familiarity with.

“Hopefully I’ll be going back to the U21’s”

Lee Carsley gives an update on his future 💭 pic.twitter.com/XhOjx20VQY

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 10, 2024

Andoni Iraola

Perhaps the longest shot on this list, Iraola initially caught the eye on a major stage with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano before joining Bournemouth in 2023, where his team has become increasingly impressive.

The Cherries play attractive football and have only once come higher than the 12th position they finished in last season, although only West Ham conceded more goals among the teams not to be relegated.

This time around they have been much more watertight while winning nine and losing only five of their first 20 games, putting them three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea under the watch of the 42-year-old Spaniard.

Whether the astute Iraola would see an approach as a step up is a matter of conjecture. While Bournemouth’s history in the top flight does not compare to Everton’s, it would be a brave call to give up the ambitions his current club has for a high-pressure rebuilding job.

Paulo Fonseca

An intriguing option, Fonseca’s split with the Friedkins appeared amicable when he left Roma at the end of his contract in 2021, having been in charge when the Americans took over the club a year earlier.

The 51-year-old Portuguese is adept at creating a pleasing – occasionally cavalier – style of play and nurturing young talent, and he arguably faced unfortunate circumstances during his time in Rome, including navigating the Covid pandemic and injuries to a string of key players.

Fonseca has a knack for overachieving with underdogs, including taking Pacos Ferreira to the Champions League for the second time in their history and reaching the last 16 with Shakhtar Donetsk as part of a campaign taking in a win over Manchester City.

His sacking by Milan in December was seen partly as a sign of instability behind the scenes, although the Rossoneri had never looked like mounting the title challenge Fonseca had promised when he arrived in June.

Thomas Frank

Brentford’s dire away form this season has damaged their chances of challenging for European qualification, and there is a sense that Frank may have achieved as much as he can with the Bees more than six years into his tenure.

Simiarly to Iraola, Everton would have to make a persuasive case to lure the 51-year-old from one of the most stable jobs in the division to a far riskier role. A run of the kind that saw Brentford lose 14 of their 18 league games between last November and March would surely not elicit patience.

Frank was linked to Manchester United earlier this season, with reports even suggesting that he was auditioning to take over from Erik ten Hag before the doomed former boss secured a 2-1 comeback win over Brentford at Old Trafford.

There is also the question of whether the Friedkins are pursuing a bigger name or would see Frank as a risk, given that his current position has been his only job in England. The call to become Denmark boss, too, seems inevitable at some point.

Edin Terzic

Terzic’s last game as a manager was last season’s Champions League final, ending an association with Borussia Dortmund that had lasted more than a decade following defeat to Real Madrid at Wembley.

The 42-year-old has Premier League experience from two years as Slaven Bilic’s assistant at West Ham, and his Dortmund team would have won the German title in 2022/23 had they not drawn at home to Mainz in their final game of the season.

Dortmund won the 2020/21 German Cup under Terzic but their final position of fifth last season was their lowest since 2014/15 and they fell out of the title reckoning at an early stage.

The German’s pedigree and availability could entice Everton, in which case Terzic would have to decide whether he wants a challenge in the lower reaches of a division for the first time in his managerial career.

Leighton Baines

Born in nearby Kirkby, Baines played for Everton for 13 years and could be as dependable an option as he was during his days at left-back for the club.

The 40-year-old became an academy coach at the club two months after his retirement from playing in 2020 and has long been touted as having strong managerial potential.

Whether that move happens now may depend on whether Everton can secure their first-choice targets to replace Dyche. Under-18s manager Baines and club captain Seamus Coleman stepped in on an interim basis for the 2-0 win at home to Peterborough United in the FA Cup third round.

“There’ll be a new manager coming in – and that brings opportunity,” Baines said afterwards. For now, the former England international is almost certain to return to his youth-team role.