Everton’s recent history under Farhad Moshiri has been highly questionable, given the numerous missteps made regarding both transfers and managerial appointments.
Whilst the likes of Ronald Koeman and Marco Silva failed miserably, their arrival made sense at the time given they were young, up-and-coming coaches who could have led the Toffees into the brighter era promised.
However, with torrid recruitment and some baffling decision-making, both would fall flat, alongside other bosses like Rafa Benitez, Frank Lampard, and even Carlo Ancelotti, who jumped ship after just his first full year.
And yet, it could be argued that Sam Allardyce stands out amongst them all as a panic appointment, even if he did lead his side to an eighth-place finish.
Almost always employed to save sides from the drop, Moshiri acted quickly following Silva’s failed tenure to recruit the former Bolton Wanderers boss to save them from the drop of which they were never in any real threat.
Now, the 69-year-old tactician is seeking to give his verdict on Sean Dyche’s side, with talkSPORT leaning on his knowledge of the mess accumulated at Goodison Park.
What did Sam Allardyce say about Everton?
He noted: ‘Everton are doing fantastic now in terms of solidarity, looks like they’ve got the right pattern, looks like they’ve got the right direction.
‘I’m not sure whether the club’s going to be sold or not, but certainly they’ve got a massive opportunity I think at least of finishing in the middle of the table.
‘The teams at the bottom are struggling a lot this year because they’ve not spent as much as anybody else and the three teams that went up are the three teams that are struggling.
‘Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton haven’t really gone for it, haven’t really spent enough so that should be good for the rest for the rest of the teams who may struggle a bit down there and they should focus on the massive experience they have at Everton and pushing up for the middle of the table and better.’
Did Sam Allardyce succeed at Everton?
Given he was brought in to ensure they avoided relegation, it could be argued that Allardyce easily surpassed that objective, although it was never a high bar to clear.
After all, he joined officially just after their 4-0 win over West Ham United, which saw them propelled up to 13th in the table.
That being said, to finish where they did was admirable, although the football was hardly sparkling. The fanbase drew issue with that, and in the end, forced Moshiri’s hand.
It must also be noted that, during his sole transfer window, the former defender would spend big to bring in Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott, neither of whom enjoyed lasting impacts on the club.
It was likely the right decision to move on from him even though he remains aggrieved to this day, and now in Dyche they essentially have a more modern-day upgrade, with positive tweaks in key tactical areas.
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