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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Michael Ball

Everton new manager solution is staring club in face as Kia Joorabchian questions raised

What is really baffling me in our new manager hunt is that the whole world seems to know who we are talking to.

I understand that some of that could be coming from agents trying to push their clients forward for the job, but I just don’t think it helps us at all.

Everyday there is a report about a different person who is going to be approached by us and it just leaves supporters asking more questions.

I, however, disagree with what has been said about Duncan Ferguson and why he shouldn’t be given the job on a permanent basis.

The whole argument about experience annoys me because I’m not sure how many years as an assistant he needs to do to be in with a shout of the role.

I know many ex-players who I have played with have been given massive opportunities by clubs despite having very little experience.

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Look at Steven Gerrard for example, he was only Liverpool's under-18s manager when he was offered the first-team manager position by Rangers.

You could say the same about Mikel Arteta getting the Arsenal job and even go back as far as Howard Kendall when he was given the Everton job for the first time.

He was 35 and he had little experience of being a football manager, but still went on to do a great job.

What does Duncan do? Stay on another two years as assistant manager, but is that going to make a massive difference? I don’t think it does.

Duncan’s dream is to become our manager and I think whoever gets the role is going to be a massive gamble given the situation we find ourselves in.

We’re in a massive state both on and off the pitch and we are currently a shambles of a football club the way things are being run.

There is no point bringing in a sporting director if the owner is just going to carry on picking the managers and thinking he knows better.

But all the fans care about right now is getting points on the board and climbing away from trouble as fast as possible.

At the end of the day, Duncan has had just four days to work with the players and implement what he wants from them.

And because of this, and the break we now have, I still feel that Duncan is our best option, because he simply ticks so many boxes.

We need heart, desire and everyone giving 110% commitment, because the quality side of things isn’t going to change overnight.

A new manager from the outside coming in isn’t going to suddenly improve all the players and make Michael Keane play like Franco Baresi.

The team needs to play together and needs to be united to get points on the board and get out of danger and up the table.

And that’s why I would go with Duncan over all the managers we have so far been linked with, and are likely to be linked with, plus, Everton haven’t got time on their side.

The upcoming Newcastle United games would normally be described as six pointers, but I would actually say they are going to be 12 pointers for us and them.

So time we haven’t really got for a new manager to come in and to try and implement his way of doing things and for him to adapt to the Premier League.

It is easy for me to say this in the ECHO, but I would say it to anyone's face that Duncan Ferguson is the man who should lead Everton forward.

He’s been here for six or seven years under some top managers and now is his chance to be his own guy and do things the way he wants them to be done.

And I really think that this is what Everton need right now. No-one knows more about these players than Duncan, and he is the person best equipped to get us moving up the table.

Howard Kendall told me a number of years ago that Duncan Ferguson should be Everton manager - and I think that time is now.

Kia Joorabchian issue highlights club not listening to fans again

A lot has been made about Kia Joorabchian and the fact he was in the directors box for Saturday’s game with Aston Villa.

But sadly it is not just Everton Football Club where an agent may have a huge say in various things.

I was at Manchester City when they had money and I remember there was an agent there and he was looking after every transfer that came through the door.

But as soon as things start going wrong or the players that are brought in aren’t good enough, the club normally moves that agent on.

The time has now come for Moshiri to step away. Step away from talkSPORT and step away from agents.

This should be common sense and obvious, as it certainly is for supporters, but it feels like Farhad just doesn't see it.

He is getting a lot of stick, Kia, but when he turns up at the game it just makes the rumours grow and leaves fans scratching their heads as to what is going on.

And once again the club aren't listening to the fans’ issues. If they came out and explained the reasons why, fans might be able to understand them, they might not agree, but at least they will understand.

But the silence around the whole issue just makes you think that the same mistakes are going to keep happening time and time again.

The board aren’t listening and what we are seeing right now is not enough, and Evertonians have every right to be demanding better.

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