Is Marco Silva all that?

Then this affair has run its course and the matter is over.

 

Everton wouldn’t have made an approach unless they’d been given word from Silva’s advisors that he’d be interested. Everybody should know this now. Nobody expected him to be here for 5-6 years, but 11 games is ridiculous. The players now know how willing he is to jump ship, so whether he shows up and continues to work the same as always, he’s likely lost credibility in the dressing room. The squad clearly bought into his methods and there’s been a definite togetherness that’s been lacking previously.

Ultimately, we’re a stepping stone for all of our squad, many of whom no doubt hope to do enough with us to earn a move to somebody bigger, but as I said previously, being willing to move on so quickly isn’t a very good look for Silva, in our eyes, and probably the eyes of his team.

 

Yep, if you know your bosses heart isnt in it, why should yours be?

Also, there's nothing at all to stop any of our players speaking to any club who come in for them now. If the manager can do it, why shouldnt they? I know they'd probably do it anyway, but this just means they can do it with a clear conscience.

What a mess.

 

But the other side of that argument is the players will know football inside out - they will know what Everton are likely offering him in terms of package, and might not begrudge him that chance. Then if he has to stay, they’ll get on with it as that’s part of the game. There is NOTHING in this to indicate anyone, Silva or players, will down tools or throw toys out of the pram. You may well expect better from managers or players in these situations (as is your right as a supporter), but to cast anyone as Judas for heaving their head turned by something bigger and more lucrative is naive.

And as for Everton not making an approach unless he was interested? The length and manner of which they have conducted this whole thing tells me they don’t know what they are doing. So I’m not entirely sure that’s true. Everyone from Simeone to Allardyce has been mentioned and most people in between. I’m nowhere near convinced they’ve had any word that’s Silva actually wants the job.

 

What entitlement? All I reckon we're entitled to is a bit of loyalty after eleven matches. The has he/ hasn't he spoken to/expressed an interest to Everton bit is indeed speculation but it seems strange to me that he's said nothing yet which suggests there's no smoke without fire. Gino may have indeed required his silence but that would also seem strange unless Gino was unsure about what he'd say. It's Silva at the centre of this storm and a few words of reassurance from him on Monday afternoon would have seen the whole thing laid to rest.

For me it's simple. If he stays then I'm perfectly willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and support his efforts unconditionally until the end of the season as I was prior to this whole thing blowing up. If he goes now then he's a c.nt and it will be a very sad day for football.

 

Shortly before stating that the club clearly never wanted him in the first place if this all goes **** up for them, which hopefully it looks like doing.

Whilst I think the idea that Silva expressed an interest is almost certainly true, probably via *******, sorry agents, I suspect he did so with the full intention of honouring his Watford contract should the club not be interested.

That said, it is still pretty poor form. At the very least he should really have put this to bed once the club made it abundantly clear they were not interested. It was even touted that the wages and money available for transfers would get anyone’s attention.

Apparently these figures were in the region of £3.5m and £70m respectively. Not really the jaw dropping figures i was expecting but admittedly this is just via the press so who knows.

One thing that is clear is that Everton have behaved appallingly throughout this. Ever since reportedly asking permission to talk to Silva when we played them they have strutted around using agents and the press to unsettle our club. Real Madrid they sure as hell are not!

 

Completely wrong end of the stick. My comment nothing to do with Silva's loyalty or otherwise, the fact that some have decided, after a start we could only have dreamed of, that 3 defeats mean he's ****.

 

I honestly wouldn't wish Koeman on anyone except Liverpool, he's a terrible manager and he did nothing to suggest that he's interested in anything other than playing golf and living it up on a huge salary at (insert clubs name) expense. there'll be numerous fall outs with players and at first you'll think you like his no-nonsense approach, then you realise he's just **** at everything.

If he didn't have the playing career he had he'd have been nowhere near half the jobs he's had.

 

Ha! OK. Well like you, I'm most impressed with the start but he does need to work on conceding from crosses from both corners and open play. How many on this thread are saying he's sh.t though? Only a couple I can think of and probably more for effect than anything else. Most don't want him to go for exactly the opposite reason.

 

Agreed.

It would be professional suicide for Silva to down tools.

His best chance of getting a better club in the summer is take Watford to the highest possible league position.

 

Yep, totally classless. This is not what I expected of a so called "big" club. Surely Bill Kenwright is horrified at what's happening?

 

I'm not sure that's true. Unlike with players the club don't hold registrations of managers/coaches. If he resigns it'll be a simple breach of contract. Watford would be entitled to compensation from him and potentially anyone who induced him to breach. Although normally it would go to court the PL has a arbitration process the club would have to follow first.

I mentioned putting him on gardening leave earlier in the thread but the more I think about it it doesn't make sense that way round.

 

Gardening leave? I'd put him on litter duty around the training ground.

 

It's completely different. Any head coach that we've released from their contract has had their contract honoured and are then free to seek new work wherever they like. That's completely different from jumping ship after eleven matches and leaving a club in the lurch.

Anyway, I don't think it's gonna happen. Gino has made that clear. And it's all gone much quieter today.

 

Gino will probably get the local kennels to walk their dogs round the training ground first and ensure Silva picks up every last terd.

 

As long as Watford pay up his contract, according to agreed terms, I would imagine they could get an injunction forbidding him to work for anyone else.

 

From the info I could find about football manager's resignations - provided they are under contract with no release terms, then the club can refuse to accept the "offer of resignation". That would mean they would have to keep paying them, but it would also prevent them from being employed anywhere else. Of course, an individual could sulk and down tools by refusing to come into work - but that would be professional suicide after just 11 games at a club.

Not wanting to sound like a broken record - but there's still zero evidence that Silva wants to join them. Of course journalists with a preference for Everton are claiming they have sources - funny that they've yet to be revealed? They're desperate - they sacked a manager without anybody lined to replace him, and wrongly assumed Gino was a soft touch.

I'm certain during Friday's press conference that Marco will confirm he's had no contact with them at all and has spent the week preparing his team (not including defending corners though).

 

It must have already been said but Silva did say he wasn't interested in Everton at his pre Everton press conference.
Does he have to say it daily? Or would you prefer him to prepare for the weekend game?

 

I’d love to see the comment where he says specifically that he’s not interested....? He’s doesn’t have to say it daily. But once would be preferable.

 

Stop putting facts in the way of our rage pal

 

So a club would offer £10m compensation for a manager they didn't even want? But no, it is Watford sacking managers and signing a load of foreign mercenaries that is all that's wrong with modern football.

 

I saw it. He said it.

 

You missed out 'end of'.

 

The problem I have with this situation is quite simple. I don't mind Everton showing interest in Marco Silva or even making an offer. What I do take exception to is this archaic, self-glorifying attitude of some Everton fans who think - and say - "if we want him, we'll get him. End of." Remember all the Leicester fans saying that when they tried to sign Deeney? God, that seems like a world away now.

Nobody's debating that Everton aren't a bigger club than Watford, but that seems to be the arguing point for a lot of their fans. But Everton in 2017 is hardly the epitome of ambition or stature in the Premier League. My view that I have shared with Everton fans is that, if Silva is so easily swayed to vacate a managerial post for another after four months, then he will be just as easily swayed when an even bigger club with even more money and bigger ambitions comes along. "Oh, but that wouldn't happen at Everton" - the exact words one of their fans uttered to me.

I'm sick of this whole thing. It doesn't make Everton look particularly good to be scrambling around in desperation for a manager. I guess that's one reason why I am glad we have the owners we have; they're always a step or two ahead of the game.

If we keep telling Everton to stick it, they'll eventually give up and look elsewhere. And no doubt their fans will erupt into frantically-penned tweets of "we were obviously never interested in him". I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of them claimed that the aforementioned approach and offer never occurred. I don't imagine Marco's going to start rocking the boat. If he forces his way out, other clubs will question his commitment. There's always going to be a bigger, more lucrative job elsewhere, and if he ends up forcing his way out of Watford, yet it doesn't work out for him at Everton*, it will reflect worse on him. But Marco is not stupid, and I'm sure he will have taken this into consideration.

*"but it will work out for Everton. [They're] not going to be in the bottom half for ever" - another quote from an Everton fan.

 

I still think Silva will leave in the next couple of weeks. The Pozzo's will want someone who is at least committed to the club for 12 months.

However, we will deal with a Head Coach change more professionally than Everton in that a replacement Head Coach will be secured BEFORE Silva is released. Oscar Garcia?

 

The lionisation of Gino on here gets crazy sometimes. Why would they think he’s a soft touch? If true an opening offer of £8.5m, which would probably be a record paid to an English club for their manager, doesn’t suggest that. He’s a businessman. Everyone has a price and Silva is no different. Whether Everton meet that price is up for debate but I doubt it’s too far in advance of the £10m allegedly already tabled. At that price Gino could probably have his pick of crazy Italian journeymen for years to come and I'm sure he's salivating at the prospect.

I’m scratching my head about ‘journalists with a preference for Everton’. This isn’t just the Liverpool Echo making up stuff for a laugh. The story has been reported in depth by the BBC’s top football journo, the Daily Telegraph’s football correspondent and half the Portuguese media. Do they all have Evertonian sympathies? Even if 90% of the stuff being written is cannibalised from elsewhere that still leaves 10% based on reality. And the line coming out of the more reputable sources is pretty consistent – he’d like to talk to Everton if the clubs can agree terms.

These stories play out in the media because the people involved can’t do their talking publicly. Clubs, agents, even Silva himself have to run it that way. It’s a big game of chess being played between middlemen. If you want the sources to be revealed you’re asking for something that’ll never happen. I can't remember the last time one of these drawn out stories came to nought.

In reality this sort of story is very easily squashed. Gino grabs Silva by the collar and has him in front of a camera and Jon Marks ready to say he’s staying if that’s the case. It hasn’t happened yet because I’m sure Silva is playing both sides like anyone sensible would do in his situation. He’ll be demanding new terms from Gino for staying while batting his eyelashes at Everton too.

 

Certainly not called him Judas. Far from it.

You mention players not begrudging him moving on to a bigger club, but I’m not sure I buy that. Ultimately, players are in this for their own gain. Silva has clearly raised the profile of our club and improved the style we play. We are making progress with Silva at the helm. There is no promise that progress will continue under a new manager, harming plenty of chances to move on for bigger and better. Clearly togetherness and a common goal have made a big difference in our club this year, it’s hard to see how this won’t be impacted by the rumors.

You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Everton went after Silva without getting word from his people that Marco was interested. It they’ve begun this pursuit without any indication he’s interested, it goes in the face of every transfer/managerial pursuit in the last decade.

 

He may even toss them over the fence in order to curry favour with Spurs for when Poch leaves them.

 

Bring back Slav!!

 

But he didn’t though did he? He skirted around the issue giving soundbites that could be construed as him being more interested in us than them - as he should given he was, and is, employed by us and not them.

‘Focussed on the game’
‘Got a job to do here’
‘Employed by Watford, not Everton’
BLAH BLAH BLAH ETC ETC

If I actually had to guess, I’d say he doesn’t want to go. And I don’t expect him to have to say as much repeatedly. But he hasn’t once, clinically, said he has no interest in the Everton job. Or that he has either.

 

I've nearly given up with the words but I like the pretty pictures being posted!
Has any media outlet asked for Jenny Seagrove's view on this charade yet? Might be a new angle.

 

Look its quite simple really. Everton have made an approach. We've said sorry, Silva's going nowhere. And we've backed that up with threats of reporting Everton to the football authorities for tapping up. That should the end of it.

 

There are parts of that I don’t argue with and think you are quite right with. I don’t doubt it will impact the squad or already has. But you have said at the top ‘players are in it for their own gain’. Agreed. So why shouldn’t a manager be like that as well in the modern game? They both know what to expect out of one another. I agree it would put some noses out of joint in the squad were he to leave now - it would be remiss of me to suggest otherwise. But I think in this day and age it’s much more open that both players AND managers are very ambitious and it works both ways.

I apologise if you took what I was saying as that it wouldn’t impact us. That wasn’t the intention. More that modern players know that these young ‘next-Mourinho/Guardiola’ type managers are just as open to a move to bigger pastures as they are. There is very little loyalty in football, and even if there were, our actions with managers in recent years leaves us well down the table of any honour, regardless of how justified those actions were.

Your last part for me is up in the air. I definitely agree with you in that it follows patterns of many managerial chases of the past. But I would say that Everton’s game has been speak or approach as many people as possible, so (for me) it’s ambiguous at best that he’s interested. You only have to go on any Everton forum to see how many people they believe have been approached or spoken to. Quite a fair few think they approached Atletico for Simeone - you think he’s genuinely interested? I think Moshiri is playing Football Manager in his head with most of this.