Unsworth advice and warning for next Everton manager

It’s looking like Everton will finally have a permanent manager soon, and it just might be Sam Allardyce. Either way, interim manager David Unsworth has had a rocky time of it and despite five losses in seven games, he would still welcome the opportunity of becoming the main man on a full-time basis.

"I think you never turn down the opportunity to be Everton manager," he told reporters. "I think it's very important you help the club out in a difficult time. Five weeks ago I was asked to do a job to come in to lead the team. I did that. I've been doing that.

"I wouldn't have turned it down five weeks ago, five days ago, five minutes ago. I would still do exactly the same. I'm a proud man and this is my club, and I love this football club, but at the moment we're in a difficult time, difficult moment and it's been tough.

"But it's time for people to stand up now and I'll stand up there as long as I have to, as long as I need to, for my football club."

When asked about who was being interviewed for the role and his thoughts on Sam Allardyce -

"As we sit here right now, I believe the board are talking to a few people. Talks are ongoing, but nothing has been finalised yet with anybody. So I continue to do what I was asked to do five weeks ago.

"Sam is a top manager, but I think it would be wrong of me to talk about individuals.

"I have seen the names that have been bandied about - all top managers. Whether there's truth in the names of some, or all, or none, I don't know.

"But whoever gets the honour of being Everton manager will have my full support and my full backing."

On the ills that have plagued the Blues this season, and what it will take to start climbing up the Premier League table -

“I don’t think there’s a quick fix in football. There’s been fundamental problems on the pitch. We need our best players fit, quickly.

“I think we need some proven Premier League recruitment in January, in early January. We need to win a couple of games and get confidence flying again.

“I don’t think there’s a quick fix, whoever gets the job needs time and patience. They’ll get all of that from me.

"I think we need our best players fit, quickly, some proven Premier League recruitment in early January and I think we need to win a couple of games and get confidence flying again.

"When confidence is low, it takes a bit of time to build that back up. I don't think there's a quick fix - I think whoever gets the job needs time, patience, support and backing."