Duncan Ferguson became Everton’s caretaker manager in December 2019, following the sacking of Marco Silva.
Duncan Ferguson was given four games in charge at Everton and picked up some crucial results before Carlo Ancelotti replaced him.
- Everton 3-1 Chelsea
- Manchester United 1-1 Everton
- Everton 2-2 Leicester City (lost 6-5 on penalties)
- Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Ferguson steadied the ship after Silva lost three on the bounce, but he was heavily criticised for one controversial decision he made.
Against United at Old Trafford, the Scotsman decided to substitute the substitute Moise Kean, which didn’t go down well in the media.
Now, Ferguson has lifted the lid on exactly why he made that decision.
Duncan Ferguson explains the infamous Moise Kean substitution at Everton
Duncan Ferguson explained in his audiobook what was going through his mind when he decided to controversially bring Kean off at Old Trafford, having only brought him on minutes earlier.
“We were winning 1-0 and I took Bernard off in the 70th minute and I put Moise Kean on,” the 53-year-old said.
“Centre-forward, I told him, Richy going to the left, it was simple. But Kean ran right to the left and right away my back was up.
“I was thinking, I’ve just told him to go centre-forward and Kean didn’t have a clue. The atmosphere, the noise, my language, the p—– rain, who knows, maybe it was my Scottish.
“I was standing there thinking, this is not working. United had equalised within seven minutes. I thought to myself, I could keep running with it and we’d just get beat, it wouldn’t matter and nobody would say a word.
“I knew full well if I took Kean off and United scored again, which looked likely, I was finished. Totally finished.
“The press would slaughter me… ‘out of his depth, terrible decision, sub off, sub on, got beat. Shambles’.
“I knew that Marcel Brands would destroy me for doing it and being naive.”
Ferguson continued: “In hindsight, I should’ve been more caring to Moise Kean. I was too focused on the game.
“It was a bad look that I blanked him on the way off, I should’ve shaken his hand.
“But in my mind, I was right to sub him. Kean has 19 touches in 19 minutes, Niasse has four in two.
“Kean lost the ball six times and didn’t make a tackle.
“Niasse never lost the ball and made two tackles, do the maths… they add up the right decision.”
Moise Kean now flourishing at Fiorentina
Everton sold Kean on a permanent deal back to Juventus in 2023, and he now finds himself at Fiorentina, where he’s flourishing.
Kean has been in prolific form in Italy and is the second top scorer, only behind £50m-rated Mateo Retegui of Atalanta.
The 25-year-old has made his way back into Italy’s national team and his form is alerting a number of Premier League suitors.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim wants to sign Kean, with his £44m release clause seen as a real opportunity in the market.
Arsenal have also reportedly made contact to sign Kean, with Mikel Arteta in the market for a centre-forward this summer.
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