By IVES GALARCEP
With David Moyes ready to leave Everton on July 1st, the Toffees are about to embark on a new era and it remains unclear just who will lead it, and which players will still be around to see it.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has been installed as the favorite to replace Moyes, but we are unlikely to know who will replace Moyes until the current season is over.
What we do know is that whoever takes over will have a tough act to follow, much like Moyes has at Manchester United. But unlike United, Everton won’t have as easy a time finding someone with a rock-solid background and more than a decade of success in the English Premier League.
U.S. Men’s National Team and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard addressed the possibility of Moyes leaving last summer, making it clear getting Moyes’ replacement pick right will be vital to the team maintaining the level of success they’ve enjoyed under Moyes.
“If David Moyes were to leave I think it would change the dynamic of the club because he’s become a figurehead,” Howard said. “When you’re talking about your Arsene Wengers, Sir Alex Ferguson, now Moyes is in that conversation, they have become the figureheads of their clubs. Everything runs through them.
“If he were to leave, the club would have to make a massive decision that the next person hired would have to be so perfect.”
And what of Howard’s future at Everton?
There seems to be a belief that Howard could join Moyes at Manchester United, but that’s just an unrealistic scenario for a variety of reasons. For one, United has David DeGea, who was recently named EPL Goalkeeper of the Year. With United having other issues to address (like the midfield), goalkeeper is highly unlikely to be a priority.
There is also the fact Tim Howard recently signed a new contract that will keep him at Everton until 2018, the kind of deal that would mean an interested team would have to pay top dollar for Howard. That isn’t to say Howard couldn’t potentially make a move somewhere, but it just seems unlikely Manchester United would be that team.
Howard has also made it clear that he would like to stay with one team, and appreciates how meaningful it is to play for one team for a long time. Right now Howard is a beloved figure at Goodison Park, and giving that up for a move back to Manchester United is probably not that appealing for a player who has already experienced life as a Manchester United player.
Everton will also want to hold onto Howard because the team is already likely to lose Marouane Fellaini and could potentially lose Leighton Baines (who seems to be the most likely Everton player to join Moyes at Manchester United).
As for Moyes’ replacement, Roberto Martinez makes sense given his ability to keep Wigan afloat in the Premier League despite the club’s lack of funds. As good a candidate as he seems to be, you can’t help but wonder if Everton won’t look for a British manager to replace Moyes instead of Martinez or Porto manager Vitor Pereira, another contender for the job.
Who would fit that description? Celtic Boss Neil Lennon has done well in Scotland, and could be tempted by the chance to coach a quality Premier League side. Former Chelsea boss Roberto DiMatteo isn’t British, but he has the strong ties to the EPL (and a Champions League trophy on his resume) to offer an intriguing option.
What do you think is next for Everton? Who would you like to see the Toffees hire? Hoping Howard stays at Goodison Park, or would you like to see him move on?
Share your thoughts below.