Everton have reopened talks with Sam Allardyce about becoming their new manager, following a 4-1 defeat at Southampton which has increased their fears of relegation.
Despite spending heavily on their squad during the summer transfer window, the Toffees have endured a horrendous season thus far which resulted in Ronald Koeman being sacked last month. David Unsworth has since been in charge on a caretaker basis, but the former Goodison Park defender has failed to impress and his chances of taking the job permanently are all but over.
A number of names have been linked with succeeding Koeman, and Allardyce was said to be amongst the early frontrunners. But Everton’s apparent lack of urgency to appoint the experienced former England boss prompted in him ruling himself out of contention, but the drubbing at St Mary’s now looks to have forced the Merseyside club into making the 63-year-old their priority target.
Sky Sports believe talks have reopened between the club and Allardyce, who is understood to want a longer deal than the one which was initially in the pipeline until the end of the current campaign. Director of Football Steve Walsh is a known admirer of the manager, and it would now seem that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is also prepared to offer him a route back into the game.
Allardyce spent eight years in charge of Bolton Wanderers where, against all odds, he transformed them into Premier League regulars, but he was sacked by Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers, decisions which were later regretted by both clubs. He also took West Ham United into the top-flight and kept them there, and preserved the same status with Sunderland and, last season, Crystal Palace.
So it is quite understandable why Everton would be interested in acquiring his services. The loss at Southampton leaves them two places and two points above the bottom three, with their former boss David Moyes visiting with his West Ham side on Wednesday night before the weekend visit of Huddersfield Town, two games where maximum points will be considered a realistic target.
