Why haven’t Everton replaced Ronald Koeman?

It is 31 days since Ronald Koeman was sacked by Everton and search began for his replacement. But after playing five games and going through an international break, the search continues and frustration is building amongst fans.

This predicament is far from what Evertonians envisaged during a summer when they were daring to dream but it is a predicament that is becoming increasingly serious. 

Here Sportsmail examines the key issues that have arisen at Goodison Park over the past month.

So, why haven’t Everton got a new manager?

A good question and one that is driving Evertonians to distraction at the moment. It was anticipated that when Ronald Koeman was sacked on October 23, a new man would arrive during the international break but that has been and gone and Everton are still no nearer to making an appointment. 

They have looked at several candidates but, so far, every avenue has reached a dead end. Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s major shareholder, is leading the search and it is fair to say that his approach differs to the way Everton have done things in the past. It is time for the Iranian billionaire to be decisive.

Everton have had five games and an international break to recruit a new manager 

They want Marco Silva. Why?

That question should read ‘they wanted Marco Silva’. Over the last 24 hours, the realisation dawned on Moshiri that he would not get the man he had in mind and alternatives are now being considered. 

The appeal of Silva was obvious: he has made a big impression at Hull and Watford since arriving in the Premier League 11 months ago and his list of admirers continues to grow by the week for the way his teams play football.

Marco Silva was the front runner for the role but it seems unlikely he will leave Watford

Why isn’t the deal getting done?

The deal could not get done for a couple of reasons. Firstly, despite being offered £10million in compensation by Everton, Watford steadfastly refused to consider doing business. The finances they were being offered, for example, would not tally with the amount they would lose should they be relegated. 

With Silva not having a release clause and showing no sign of wanting to resign – for all that he wanted to manage Everton – the move ran aground. Silva will stay at Vicarage Road and Everton will now go back to look at other names on their list.

The Toffees did not think they would find themselves in this position after the transfer window

What happened with Sam Allardyce?

After successful fire-fighting jobs with Sunderland and Crystal Palace, Allardyce is the man favoured by Steve Walsh, Everton’s Director Of Football. Walsh had spoken to Allardyce’s advisors and asked who Allardyce would bring with him to Goodison – Craig Shakespeare would have been his assistant with Martyn Margetson his goalkeeping coach. 

Moshiri met Allardyce on November 5 but there was not unanimous support for him amongst Everton’s hierarchy or, crucially, from supporters and he claimed he had to make a decision to rule himself out of the race. Given the way the situation has gone, though, it would not be the biggest shock in the world if he re-enters the picture.

Sam Allardyce was in the frame to take charge but it was not unanimously supported

Any other contenders?

Several. The dream appointment would have been Diego Simeone but Atletico Madrid’s manager publicly swatted down the link with him and the Blue half of Merseyside. 

Sean Dyche was the early favourite but the fact he has a relatively cheap release clause in his deal and it has not been activated suggests Everton are not going to move for him. The latest name to emerge is Ralf Rangnick, the vastly experienced German coach. 

He was interviewed by Everton for this post in the summer of 2013 when David Moyes left for Manchester United but he lost out to Roberto Martinez. Moshiri now has Red Bull Leipzig’s Sporting Director under consideration and will take time before making his next move.

Ralf Rangnick, the sporting director at RB Leipzig in one possibility under consideration

What do the fans think?

As we said at the beginning, they are being driven to distraction. The relief that accompanied the end of Koeman’a reign has now been replaced by mounting frustration at the impasse. 

You would think that a Director or Football would have a firm candidate in mind to replace a sacked manager and take decisive action but that has not been forthcoming. 

This was supposed to be the season when Everton put pressure on the top four after their £150million summer spend but dreams have turned to dust.

The mood is one of frustration among fans in a season that promised so much 

Could David Unsworth stay in charge until the end of the season?

The longer this predicament goes on, the more likely it will be that Unsworth will take the reins until next May. 

He is operating on a game to game basis and while there is nothing riding on the outcome of tonight’s Europa League Group game with Atalanta, Unsworth will view it as another chance to remind Moshiri that he could do the job for the foreseeable future. 

He is a popular figure with the players and his methods on the training ground have been well received but he still has much to prove in terms of securing Premier League results. That will be in the back of Moshiri’s mind.

David Unsworth is popular but inexperienced at the top level of management 

And what will happen should results get worse and Everton drop into the bottom 3?

At this moment, it is impossible to say. Even if Moshiri was to make a permanent appointment tomorrow, there is no guarantee that Everton would not drop into the relegation zone in the coming weeks. 

Unsworth has worked hard to steady the ship and four points from the last two games have been critical. But the thought of dropping into the bottom three should not be influencing Moshiri’s thinking. 

He has got to make an appointment with the future in mind. He has got to be quick, forthright and – to repeat a word – decisive. The uncertainty that has been created is doing nobody connected with the club – be it players, supporters and directors – any favours whatsoever.