Why Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is unlikely to be Everton-bound - next manager odds, Rangers candidate early frontrunner

Everton have sacked their manager Frank Lampard after a dismal run of form left the Toffees in severe danger of being relegated from the English Premier League.

The former Derby County and Chelsea boss’ position at Goodison Park was left hanging by a thread in the wake of Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by fellow strugglers West Ham and the Everton board have decided that a change is needed. Lampard was appointed in January last year and while the Merseyside outfit managed to escape the drop in the 2021/22 campaign, a dismal recent run of 11 defeats in 14 matches this term has sealed the 44-year-old’s fate. Everton are currently joint bottom of the league.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has now axed six managers as many years in his spell in charge of the Merseyside outfit. With construction work for a new stadium under way that is expected to cost in the region £550million, relegation from England’s top flight could be financially catastrophic. There is also a disconnect between the fans and the club’s hierarchy and after selling key forward Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, the squad was not reinforced adequately.

Could Everton be interested in Postecoglou?

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou applauds the fans after the 5-0 win over Morton in the Scottish Cup. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou applauds the fans after the 5-0 win over Morton in the Scottish Cup. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou applauds the fans after the 5-0 win over Morton in the Scottish Cup. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
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Sean Dyche, the former Burnley manager, is the early favourite with the bookmakers to succeed Lampard at odds of 9/4. Dyche was sacked by the Clarets towards the end of last season and despite being linked with a number of clubs, including Rangers, he remains out of work. Duncan Ferguson is the second favourite at 7/2. The Scotsman is a legend at Everton and has twice been caretaker manager. However, he left last summer to become his a No 1 in his own right but has yet to find work. Other frontrunners include ex-Evertonian Wayne Rooney, currently managing in the US with DC United, and Nuno Espirito Santo, a former Spurs and Wolves boss who is at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is rated at 16/1 to be the next manager of Everton and is an unlikely candidate at this stage. Everton are expected to turn to someone who has prior experience of a relegation battle in the EPL, which makes Dyche so attractive. While Postecoglou is admired in England for his work at Celtic Park, he would more likely fit a summer appointment with proper time to rebuild, plus it is unlikely the Australian would swap Celtic Park for a relegation battle. Reports also suggest that Everton could hire someone temporarily until the end of the season.