Everton are keeping cool heads despite Ancelotti rumours
EVERTON say no contract offer has been made yet in their search for a new manager, amid reports that Carlo Ancelotti will be installed by the end of the week.
Ancelotti remains strongly linked with the role and he is expected to be confirmed as manager tomorrow or on Friday on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The 60-year-old Italian, who won the double in 2010 with Chelsea, was sacked by Napoli last week.
Everton issued an update as their search for a successor to Marco Silva continues.
“In the days since Marco Silva left the club, the Everton board has been working to recruit a new permanent manager
— and has held meetings with a number of candidates,” the club said.
“We can confirm that thus far no contract offer has been made and no candidate has chosen to withdraw from the process.
“While the club is keen to confirm a new permanent manager as soon as possible, the only important duty is that the right appointment is made.
“While our process continues, Duncan Ferguson will remain as caretaker manager and will take charge of the side for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester City.”
Following the sacking of Silva on December 5, Ferguson (above) has been in charge for the club’s last two Premier League matches — a 3-1 home win over Chelsea and a 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Sunday.
Former Everton striker Ferguson has distanced himself from taking the job on a permanent basis, but he will be in charge for a third successive match with the visit of the Foxes in the Carabao Cup tonight.
The appointment of Ancelotti, should Everton complete the deal, would be a major coup for the Merseyside club.
Ancelotti is one of only three bosses to have won the Champions League three times — twice with AC Milan and once with Real Madrid — as well as winning domestic titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany.
A popular figure at Stamford Bridge, Ancelotti was sacked despite finishing runner-up in the Premier League in his second season in charge.
He has since managed Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich before a troubled start to his second term at Napoli came to an end last week. Meanwhile, Ferguson has challenged the Everton faithful to rouse themselves again at a sold-out Goodison Park for tonight’s Carabao Cup clash.
“After the Chelsea result and that atmosphere at the ground, which was incredible, I’m sure they’ll want to go again on Wednesday and for us all to pull together again,” said the 47-yearold Scot.
“We need them to deliver. Leicester are a great team, very strong in the transition, and they’re going to be a really tough test.
“But we’re at Goodison, we’re at the fortress, and we need to make it a bear pit.”
Gylfi Sigurdsson and France international Djibril Sidibe missed out on Sunday through illness and will be assessed, while Lucas Digne is unlikely to feature after sustaining groin injury at Old Trafford.
PREDICTABLY, Liverpool’s youngest-ever starting line-up was comfortably beaten while the seniors are away competing at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Aston Villa progress to this year’s Carabao Cup semi-finals after a brace by Jonathan Kodjia, an unfortunate Morgan Boyes own goal, a late Wesley strike and a Conor Hourihane free-kick which Kodjia attempted to claim.
To lose by five unanswered goals is a heavy defeat in any circumstances. But the balance of play was not as one-sided as the scoreline, and Neil Critchley — Jurgen Klopp’s stand-in for the evening — could tell his players to leave Villa Park with their heads held high.
The only ones embarrassed here were the game’s authorities, as they are the ones responsible for the fixture pile-up which resulted in this warped take on a quarter-final.
Liverpool named five debutants, with their line-up’s average age only 19 years, six months and three days. Their average squad number was 67, the actual squad number of Harvey Elliott. The 16-yearold is the likeliest member of Critchley’s side to become a first-team regular and was central to a purposeful and bright start by the visitors.
Elliott stung goalkeeper Orjan Nyland’s palms nine minutes in having drifted into the penalty area unchallenged. The summer signing from Fulham had already presented Luis Longstaff with an opportunity, albeit from an offside position, and Herbie Kane forced Nyland to save with his feet.
But once ahead, Villa took control. Their breakthrough was preventable from Caoimhin Kelleher’s perspective, though Kodjia’s run across his line of vision did not help.
The young goalkeeper was left unsighted for Hourihane’s free-kick from the right and allowed the cross-cum-shot to pass through him. Kodjia claimed to have made a touch.
Minutes later, Boyes would suffer a stroke of terrible misfortune. Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross deflected off the Wales Under-19 international’s ankle, looping high over Kelleher’s head and dropping a yard inside the far post. It was the type of freak goal that a team concedes once every few years, but it fell on Boyes’ senior debut.
Young players will make mistakes. Sepp van den Berg — Liverpool’s only summer signing other than Elliott — was culpable for the third, losing the ball while out of position in midfield and thereby