Broadcaster Kweku Afari believes that Marcelo Bielsa would be the perfect manager for Everton.
The Lowdown: Moshiri could go for another big name
It was reported fairly quickly after Frank Lampard was sacked by Everton that Farhad Moshiri had Bielsa near the top of his list as a potential candidate to replace the English manager.
However, given the intense demands Bielsa may put on the Everton players over such a short period of time, it could be a very difficult task for all involved to make that relationship work.
Bielsa enjoyed a very successful time at Elland Road, getting Leeds United back into the Premier League for the first time in many years while also improving many players such as Kalvin Phillips, who earned a move to Manchester City after being under Bielsa’s wing in West Yorkshire. The Argentinian also got Patrick Bamford firing in the top flight – something that had been eluding the striker up until that point.
The Latest: Bielsa potentially what Everton need
Amid reports that a high-stakes move for Everton to potentially get Bielsa could be of interest to Moshiri, Afari highlighted that the former Leeds United manager’s ability to improve players would make him a perfect fit for the Toffees.
Speaking live on Sky Sports, he said: “He’s the definition of a coach. If you look at the players at Leeds that he did make better: Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas; Kalvin Phillips is probably the biggest one.
“He was deemed an average Championship player, he now plays for Manchester City who are champions of England – I say ‘plays’, he sits on the bench for Man City – but he is an England international and he is a player that developed massively under Bielsa.
“He is a coach that can make players better, and that’s what Everton need right now because there’s not much time to bring in players that maybe fit his style of play. He needs to work with what they’ve got.
“I think he’d be a perfect fit – whether or not they get that deal over the line in terms of bringing Bielsa in, remains to be seen.”
The Verdict: High-risk for high-reward
It’s true that Bielsa could well work some of his magic that took Leeds from an average Championship side to a top-half Premier League outfit in very little time at Everton, but recent revelations could well prove a stumbling block.
Reports have suggested that Bielsa already has reservations about the Everton squad after analysing it from afar. as they are thought to be too slow for how he would like to play, which could suggest it would be a huge uphill task from the start for the Argentinian.
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Everton and Moshiri have to decide very quickly what style of manager they wish to go for this month, as the two favourites appear to be Bielsa and Sean Dyche, and they couldn’t be much further apart in terms of management styles, which just goes to show how unorganised everything is at Goodison Park.
