Replacing Moyes: Mission Impossible?

It was always going to happen. It was always likely that this season would be David Moyes’ last at Goodison Park. For 11 years he has gallantly swam against the mighty financial tide of the Premier League and led Everton to top half finishes over and over again.

As many have pointed out, he never won a trophy of course, and ‘big games’ often left Evertonians with a sense of missed opportunity and frustration at what was perceived to be an overly cautious approach.  The truth is, before his arrival the only ‘big games’ Everton had were relegation six pointers.

No current manager in England has punched above his weight as consistently as Moyes and while a not insignificant portion of Everton’s fan base have grown frustrated at his inability to break into the top four since 2005, the reality is that Everton have repeatedly over achieved during his tenure. His departure won’t leave a hole on Merseyside. It will leave a chasm.

Moyes departure from Everton is bitter blow for Bill Kenwright

There are good managers available of course, there always are. Despite their financial restrictions, Everton remain an attractive proposition due to their history and substantial fan base. The main problem for whoever the incoming manager is will be how to go about the task of replacing and replicating the success of the often under-appreciated Moyes.

While Everton look set for yet another top 6 finish this season, their squad will likely require an overhaul over the next few years. Key players like Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin and Tim Howard are no spring chickens. Their leading lights Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines will be courted by larger clubs. The squad currently at Everton is one that suits Moyes’ style down to the ground. They are exceptional when play is in transition. They can go from back to front as quickly and effectively as any team in England bar Manchester United. Every player has been used to Moyes’ playing style and has a clear understanding of what is required of them. They are a team totally in tune with Moyes and his brand of football. The new manager could well seek a completely fresh approach and new players to implement such a change. It will be a mammoth task to keep Everton where they are, let alone to improve them.

Take the front runner Roberto Martinez, for example. He likes to create a team whose football is almost exclusively on the ground with short passes and an emphasis on attractive, expansive play. This Everton squad would be ill suited to such a style. It would take time for such a different brand of football to become second nature to Everton’s players and time is not something that football fans are too eager to give a manager these days. If a different approach could potentially make Everton better, they would probably get worse early on. The transition would likely be a slow and painful process.

Martinez is the favourite for the Everton hot seat

The alternative solution on offer to Bill Kenwright is to appoint a manager who can continue in the same vein as Moyes and attempt to carry on a seamless transition. In theory that is fine, but in reality is it likely that anyone can make this current squad as successful as Moyes has by merely seeking to continue his work? Could Mark Hughes or Neil Lennon realistically get more out of this Everton team than the Manchester bound Glaswegian? Probably not.

As David Moyes waves goodbye to Goodison, Everton are left at a daunting crossroad. Do they stick with what has served Moyes so well and hope that decline doesn’t set in or do they take a new route, overhaul and trust in supporters patience and a new manager’s new style?

After eleven years of stability and over achievement, David Moyes will be a hard act to follow. Evertonians who bemoaned the lack of a trophy under their outgoing manager could well be looking back on the Moyes era in a few years as a relative golden period.

With Financial Fair Play looming and United, City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool all far better off in monetary terms, the notion of Everton finishing higher than 6^th in the Premier League any time soon seems unlikely. Whoever Bill Kenwright selects as his next Everton manager faces as tough a task in replacing Moyes as Moyes does in replacing Alex Ferguson.