Former Chelsea coach Frank Lampard has reportedly become the favorite candidate to lead Everton football club as fans’ protest reduced the chances of Vitor Pereira.
Initially, when Everton sacked coach Rafael Benitez this January, the owner of the club, Farhad Moshiri wanted to appoint Vitor Pereira but the fans staged a sit-in protest against Moshiri’s interest in the 53-year-old Portuguese coach.
The fans are protesting that Vitor Pereira does not have the right credentials to lead the club after spending less than a season at Fenerbahçe before he was sacked in December 2021 due to a poor run of games.
Even though the fans hate to have Pereira at Goodison Park, the club’s owner is still very interested in having the Portuguese coach at the club. But the fan’s protest has helped to make Frank Lampard a more serious contender for the job than Pereira.
Also, the club’s caretaker coach, Duncan Ferguson is seen as the third choice for the job even though he lacks the kind of high profile Pereira and Frank Lampard possess.
The three candidates are scheduled to meet with Everton’s owner separately today, January 28, 2022, for the last phase of discussions. After the discussions, Farhad Moshiri would decide on who he will appoint as the club’s new coach.
It is left to see if the fans’ protest against Pereira would influence Moshiri’s decision. Pundits in the United Kingdom believe it might be difficult to appoint the Portuguese coach as Everton’s coach since the fans are already agitating against his potential reign at the club.
Hence, Frank Lampard who was sacked by Chelsea in January 2021 after leading the club to a top-four finish and FA Cup final in his first full season is seen as a candidate that can unite the disgruntled fans at Everton.
Ahead of the scheduled interview with the owner of Everton, Pereira told Sky Sports that it was hurtful that the fans were already against him ahead of his potential appointment.
The Portuguese coach who has won two Primeira Liga for Porto and led the club to UEFA Super Cup final in 2011, stressed that he has all it takes to bring Everton back to reckoning in the Premier League.
“Of course (I am hurt by the criticism) because this is the first time in my career I have seen this kind of thing and comments about me”, the Portuguese coach said.
“My CV speaks for itself. But I think these critics do not understand me. It is the environment now because the club is not in a good position.
“The supporters have passion and this passion is the power of the club. The passion in football can be on the positive side and negative side. I do not take this as a personal attack.
“In my opinion, some of the critics do not know me, they do not know me as a person or my work. They do not know my CV. We got several titles.
“Before you start work and know the person, you cannot judge. I understand the feeling of the supporters because in the last years the club did not get good results and, normally, they are not happy.
“But I came here with spirit and intention to bring again good football and the spirit of the supporters. This is my target.”
🗣 "You must look how many titles in different countries that I got."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 26, 2022
Everton managerial candidate Vítor Pereira defends the criticism about his managerial career pic.twitter.com/LiCk7lz1mi
Everton are currently sitting on the 16th spot on the league table with 19 points in 20 games, four points away from the relegation zone.
Even though the fans of the club believe that Pereira can not lead the club to safety and prominence in the Premier League, the Portuguese coach stressed that he is still very interested in the job.
“I did my work as a professional and now it’s the club’s decision”, the coach said. “I came for a meeting. I did my work. And now the decision is not controlled by me.
“A few years ago I remember the time of Baines, Jagielka, Howard and I remember Goodison Park as a fortress and that is what appeals to me.
“Tas is a historical club. The challenge for me is to approach the spirit of the club and fans to get this fire on the pitch that I watched a few years ago.
“I’m not the manager but I think the first decision as a manager in the club is to bring again the organization and the way to press – the pressing game – and the intense game I saw a few years ago at Goodison Park.
“To see a match at Goodison Park inspired me. It is very difficult to play there.”
🗣 "I will move forward with my life and if they want me they must call me."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 26, 2022
Everton managerial candidate Vítor Pereira is asked what he wants to happen next after his interview for the position pic.twitter.com/ZYvRnrKmzH
