As Everton seek to avoid the grim prospect of being relegated to the Championship, it is no surprise they have turned to Sam Allardyce to save them.
The former England manager, currently a free agent, has a fine track record of keeping clubs in the top flight and seems increasingly likely to take the reins at Goodison Park.
The Toffees lie just two points above the drop zone after losing five times in seven games since David Unsworth was placed in temporary charge.
Make no mistake about it, Everton are in a crisis right now.
They could easily be another Leeds United, Nottingham Forest or Sheffield Wednesday – big clubs relegated from the Premier League and never seen again.
Everton spent more than £140m in the summer but failed to replace top scorer Romelu Lukaku after his move to Manchester United.
Their squad is a mess and Unsworth has been powerless to halt the club’s alarming decline, with Sunday’s 4-1 hammering at Southampton increasing the Toffees’ relegation fears.
Allardyce was an early candidate to succeed Ronald Koeman, who was sacked on October 23, but publicly withdrew after Everton delayed making an offer.
Now they have turned back to the 63-year-old after their efforts to lure Watford boss Marco Silva to Goodison Park ended in failure.
He may not be everyone's cup of tea but Allardyce's record of keeping teams in the Premier League is outstanding.
Bearing in mind some of the clubs he has managed - Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland and Crystal Palace - it is a major achievement.
As Everton seek to avoid the grim prospect of being relegated to the Championship, it is no surprise they have turned to Sam Allardyce to save them.
The former England manager, currently a free agent, has a fine track record of keeping clubs in the top flight and seems increasingly likely to take the reins at Goodison Park. The Toffees lie just two points above the drop zone after losing five times in seven games since David Unsworth was placed in temporary charge.
Make no mistake about it, Everton are in a crisis right now.
They could easily be another Leeds United, Nottingham Forest or Sheffield Wednesday – big clubs relegated from the Premier League and never seen again.
Everton spent more than £140m in the summer but failed to replace top scorer Romelu Lukaku after his move to Manchester United.
Their squad is a mess and Unsworth has been powerless to halt the club’s alarming decline, with Sunday’s 4-1 hammering at Southampton increasing the Toffees’ relegation fears.
Allardyce was an early candidate to succeed Ronald Koeman, who was sacked on October 23, but publicly withdrew after Everton delayed making an offer.
Now they have turned back to the 63-year-old after their efforts to lure Watford boss Marco Silva to Goodison Park ended in failure.
He may not be everyone's cup of tea but Allardyce's record of keeping teams in the Premier League is outstanding. Bearing in mind some of the clubs he has managed - Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland and Crystal Palace - it is a major achievement.
