Everton board split over whether Sam Allardyce should be given manager’s job as owner Farhad Moshiri eyes Diego Simeone
Former England boss in the frame to succeed Ronald Koeman but some at Goodison Park have reservations as owner Farhad Moshiri eyes Diego Simeone
EVERTON'S board are split over whether to hire Sam Allardyce as the new manager.
Allardyce is one of the leading candidates to succeed Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park as the club tries to claw away from relegation trouble.
Though Allardyce has refused to admit it in public, it is understood the former England boss held informal talks with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri over the weekend.
But there has been no contact between club and manager since then as the Toffees look at the other options open to them.
And the Mail say the board is due to meet today with figures split on whether Allardyce is the right man for the job.
Owner Moshiri has one eye on ensuring the club stay in the top flight this season, and another on appointing a big name boss with a long-term plan for success.
And that has seen him highlight Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has his ideal target - although it would be hard to prise him away from the La Liga club.
The revelation that Simeone was on Moshiri's radar has gone down badly with Allardyce, who believes it is important to have the full backing of a club before he makes a return to management.
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But the Everton job is the kind of role he would love to take, giving him the opportunity to build a squad backed by a good-sized transfer budget.
His track record at West Ham, Sunderland and Crystal Palace gives him a huge selling point to the Goodison Park board, because they know Premier League survival is the top priority.
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But some members believe other candidates such as Burnley boss Sean Dyche or Watford's Marco Silva would be a better option in the long-term.
Both have made a huge impression on senior figures at Everton with their work this season, but both would be hard to prise away from their clubs.
Allardyce is available immediately, which is another advantage he has - but the side's 3-2 win over Watford last week has given them some breathing space.
It means caretaker David Unsworth can be left in charge at least for the next week as the international break provides a welcome respite.
Unsworth is still under consideration for the role on a permanent basis, but it would have been impossible to stick with him had they lost again last week.