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Darren Bent that Everton should be turning to Wayne Rooney as they look to appoint their next manager following the departure of Rafa Benitez at the weekend.
Benitez left the Toffees on Sunday after a torrid spell on Merseyside. He was never a popular choice at Goodison Park.
The Spaniard did buy himself some time with a bright start to the campaign. However, they have won once since the end of September. And they fell closer to the bottom three at the weekend after a 2-1 defeat against a Norwich City side who had been hapless at times in the weeks before the fixture.
So Benitez’s departure will have come as no surprise. It now appears to be imperative that the Everton hierarchy make the right decision in their pursuit of their next manager.
A number of names have been discussed. But with Everton way off the level a club of their size should be at, it is difficult to know where they will be able to go from here.
‘You want to get that connection back’
Unsurprisingly, one of the names mentioned by some as a potential Everton boss has been Rooney. The former Toffees star is working wonders at Derby County at the Championship. Their weekend win has lifted them off the bottom of the table despite a 21-point deduction.
Bent played for the Rams during the latter stages of his playing days. And he insisted that Everton simply have to turn to the 36-year-old.
“For me, I’d go Wayne Rooney all day,” . “I feel bad saying that, because I want Derby to do well. I want them to stay up.
“You want to get that connection back, because they’ve had Ancelotti, the superstar manager, it didn’t work. They’ve had Rafa Benitez, that’s not worked. If you want someone who loves the club, feels what the fans are feeling, he’s an Everton fan.
“He’s on the rise, his stock’s as high as it’s ever been as a manager.”
Everton must be wary of making emotional Wayne Rooney decision
Rooney has done a remarkable job at Derby. Former Rams midfielder George Evans labelled him ‘‘ earlier this season. But the Everton post would be a completely different position for the Englishman.
Of course, there is huge pressure at Pride Park. While they are in administration, Rooney will be worried about the club’s future. Jobs are very much on the line.
On the pitch however, Rooney’s stock probably experiences no dip should Derby fail to keep themselves in the second tier. And there have been plenty of teams who have been galvanised when they suffer a points deduction.
Rooney is completely untested in the conditions Everton would provide. So an appointment would surely be much more of a gamble than Bent would perhaps suggest.