Everton managerial search: Final talks with Vitor Pereira, Frank Lampard and Duncan Ferguson on Friday | Football News

Everton will hold a final round of talks with three candidates for the vacant manager role on Friday, with Vitor Pereira, Frank Lampard and current caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson in the frame.

More to follow

This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.

Sky Sports brings you live updates as they happen. Get breaking sports news, analysis, exclusive interviews, replays and highlights.

Sky Sports is your trusted source for breaking sports news headlines and live updates. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.

Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. You can receive push notifications from the Sky Sports app for the latest news from your favourite sports and you can also follow @SkySportsNews on Twitter to get the latest updates.

Everton Q&A: Why are the fans protesting?

How are things going at Everton?

Not well. The Toffees are 16th in the Premier League having secured 19 points from 20 matches, with the side starting 2022 with three Premier League defeats.

A 2-1 loss to embattled Norwich was the final nail in the coffin of long disliked manager Benitez and came just days after the club allowed France international Lucas Digne to join Aston Villa.

Fan favourite Duncan Ferguson took temporary charge but failed to steer Everton to a much-needed victory, with Aston Villa winning 1-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday with Digne providing the assist.

What is the current mood in the fanbase?

Fury fuelled by a need for change. Before Saturday’s match a plane flew over Goodison Park calling for long-standing chairman Bill Kenwright’s departure, with the trailing banner reading “22 years of failure, Bill. Time to go”.

There was more anger on display after the final whistle as around 150 fans stayed behind to protest, chanting “Sack the board”, “Bill Kenwright, get out of our club” and “We want our club back”.

Frustration has continued to be expressed since then, with a number of supporters congregating outside the Liver Building – where Everton’s commercial offices are based – before another protest took place on Wednesday night outside Goodison.

What issues are there at the club?

Everton have no manager, director of football, head of recruitment or scouting chief, with few trusting those at the top of the club to make the right decisions and improve things.

The club have been owned by Farhad Moshiri since 2016 and the Iranian businessman certainly cannot be faulted for his financial backing, having already spent over half a-billion pounds on transfers since his £200m takeover in 2016.

Last week he committed another £100m to the club after increasing his stake to 94 per cent but he has consistently made poor decisions. On Wednesday, fans voiced their objections to potential new manager Vitor Pereira, agent Kia Joorabchian – reportedly advising Moshiri – and Kenwright.

What’s next for Everton?

There is a lot to fix but appointing the right successor to Benitez is key.

Ex-Porto and Fenerbahce boss Pereira looked to be the frontrunner and said he was hurt by fan opposition to his potential appointment, with graffiti sprayed on to Goodison Park saying ‘Pereira out, Lampard in’.

But that has not put the Portuguese off wanting the job – something he explained having taken the rather extraordinary step of speaking mid-process to Sky Sports News.

Who else is in the running for the job?

Pereira has already had two interviews with Moshiri, who is reportedly set to do the same with former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.

Other names mentioned along the process have been Wayne Rooney, Roberto Martinez and Fabio Cannavaro as Everton look for their seventh permanent manager in six years.

Follow Everton with Sky Sports

Follow every Everton game in the Premier League this season with our live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch match highlights for free shortly after full-time.

Want the Everton latest? Bookmark our Everton news page, check out Everton’s fixtures and Everton’s latest results, watch Everton goals and video, keep track of the Premier League table and see which Everton games are coming up live on Sky Sports.

Get all this and more – including notifications sent straight to your phone – by downloading the Sky Sports Scores app and setting Everton as your favourite team.

Hear the best Premier League reaction and expert analysis with the Essential Football and Gary Neville podcasts, keep up-to-date with our dedicated Transfer Centre, follow the Sky Sports social accounts on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and find out how to get Sky Sports.