LAST UPDATE | Dec 5th 2019, 7:55 PM
MARCO SILVA HAS been sacked as Everton manager.
He leaves the club languishing in the Premier League’s relegation zone as a result of a wretched start to the season. Everton have collected just 14 points from 15 games thus far, winning just four games.
Silva was appointed to the job in May 2018, but leaves having taken charge of just 60 games, winning 24 of them.
He is the fourth Premier League boss to lose his job in the last fortnight, following Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham), Unai Emery (Arsenal) and Quique Sanchez Flores (Watford.)
Everton confirmed the news with a brief statement this evening, which reads:
“Everton Football Club can confirm that manager Marco Silva has left the Club.
“Majority Shareholder Farhad Moshiri, Chairman Bill Kenwright and the Board of Directors would like to thank Marco for his service over the last 18 months and wish him well for the future.
“Duncan Ferguson has taken temporary charge of the first team and will manage the side for the game against Chelsea on Saturday.
“The Club aims to confirm a new permanent manager as swiftly as possible.”
🔵 | Everton Football Club can confirm that manager Marco Silva has left the Club. #EFC pic.twitter.com/R2JqAMBdu2
— Everton (@Everton) December 5, 2019
Silva had been given a reprieve after a home loss to Norwich but the 5-2 hammering in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool last night ultimately have sealed his fate. It was Everton’s eighth defeat from their last 11 games.
Not only was Silva the first Everton manager since Howard Kendall in 1982 to concede five goals to their bitter city rivals, they find themselves in the bottom three after playing a minimum of 15 games for the first time since April 1999 (32 matches).
Silva – whilst never the most cheerful or emotional figure on the touchline – cut a dejected figure during the match at Anfield.
“I am not the right person to talk about this situation,” he told the BBC after the game.
“You are asking me and I don’t have the answer.”
Potential successors are thin on the ground with veteran David Moyes touted as a likely temporary stop-gap.
The 56-year-old Scot earned his managerial top flight spurs at Everton, but has had a chequered career since.
Fired both by Manchester United and Real Sociedad, he has hardly sparkled at either Sunderland or West Ham.
Silva’s failure represents a blow to owner Farhad Moshiri as well as he had fought long and hard to procure his services.
Indeed Everton got themselves into trouble when they went after Silva in October 2017 when he was still in charge of Watford.
Silva was the fourth manager of Moshiri’s spell in charge.