Marcelo Bielsa rejects Everton hours after jetting in from Brazil
Marcelo Bielsa has told Everton he doesn’t want the vacant managerial position, after flying into London for talks with owner Farhad Moshiri, according to the Daily Mail.
The former Leeds United boss emerged as a top choice for Moshiri to replace Frank Lampard who was sacked on Monday [23 January] because of the club’s dreadful run of defeats in the Premier League.
Bielsa reportedly flew into London [BBC Sport, 26 January] from Brazil for talks with Moshiri, despite having reservations about the current Toffees squad and their potential struggle in adapting to his methods.
Reports in the Daily Mail [25 January] revealed Bielsa told the board that the squad was “too slow” for his high-intensity style. And as shown through latest developments, that may have well been a major factor in his decision.
According to the Daily Mail [27 January], the Argentine boss has told the Everton board that he doesn’t want the Toffees job right now, but would prefer the role in July in order for him to have a “proper pre-season” and to “start from scratch”
Fellow top candidate Sean Dyche is now believed to be in pole position for the job, with the former Burnley boss seeking a longer-term contract.
Relief
These latest developments could come as a huge relief to the Everton faithful as appointing Bielsa could well have been a disaster, considering the squad at his disposal just wouldn’t suit his risky methods at such a crucial point in their season.
It is clear the club need a fire-fighter style manager at the helm, someone with the character, and spirit to galvanise a depleted squad and one with relevant experience to get them out of trouble.
As good as Bielsa is and has been throughout his career, he isn’t the current choice. Dyche is the man.
The 51-year-old seems ready to return to management after his Burnley sacking back in April, and his relevant experience of leading the Clarets to lofty positions in the Premier League consistently and on a small budget is what the club should be looking for right now.
It remains to be seen whether Dyche can do that right now but he still represents a very suitable pick. He’ll arguably possess a much better squad than the one he harnessed at Burnley, and his relevant experience in leading a squad when faced with trouble is the more likely to get the club out of the mess they’re in on the pitch.