EVERTON WANT ALLARDYCE TO SAVE SEASON
have invited Sam Allardyce for further talks in a bid to sign him as their new manager. Allardyce rejected Everton’s advances earlier this month after it became clear that, despite telling him he was wanted, Everton’s first choice was Watford’s Marco Silva. But the club’s hierarchy now appear to have conceded defeat in their pursuit of Silva and Sportsmail understands a further approach was made to Allardyce at the weekend. He is likely to want to bring former Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare and goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson to form part of his backroom staff. Everton players have been told to report for training at 6pm this evening. It will not be lost on Allardyce that the move smacks of desperation prompted by Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at Southampton. And if the Goodison Park club are going to persuade
Allardyce, 63, to take the reins from caretaker-manager David Unsworth, they will have to convince him they are united in wanting him to join the club. It certainly seemed that key figures at Goodison were divided on Allardyce, although major shareholder Farhad Moshiri was believed to be a fan. Less than two weeks ago, Allardyce distanced himself from the vacancy, saying: ‘For me, such a long time without a decision, I had to make a decision myself. And the decision was that it was probably better it wasn’t me. It would have been a fabulous job, but it just didn’t feel right. I think when you’re in my position you want people to be decisive and feel like they want you. I didn’t get that feeling overall. ’ The agent of Paulo Fonseca — the 44-year-old Portuguese coach of Shakhtar Donetsk — and Martin O’Neill have also had talks with Everton. A decision is expected today and Allardyce remains the favourite. Former Everton boss David Moyes has urged Unsworth to seek a job elsewhere if he is not given the full-time Everton position. Moyes said: ‘I would be telling him to go and manage somewhere and earn your corn. Go and get a job in the Championship or the first division and see where it takes you.’