clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Laurent Blanc linked to Everton manager job

An improvement over Fat Sam?

Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The last time Laurent Blanc managed a club, it was the constantly on the brink of something at Paris St. Germain. He was not able to take Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edison Cavani, and company to the promised land, and eventually enough was enough. According to a France Football report shared by Sportwitness for us English speaking folks, Everton have shown interest in the French manager.

Now, let’s get a few things out of the way. First of all, the comments about player quotas that got him in trouble back in 2011 were long enough ago that they no longer affect my personal evaluation of the manager’s qualities to lead Everton. Others may feel differently and they are more than welcome to do so, I respect that.

Second, in a world where my options are Fat Sam Allardyce or Laurent Blanc, give me the French manager.

Third, those are not our only options and I don’t want the French manager.

His career resume isn’t actually that good when you look at it overall. He coached Bordeaux where he was very good, and probably elevated the side. Then he had a rather meaningless two year spell in charge of the French national team before babysitting at PSG for three years. I say babysitting because really the managers who could win French league and cup titles is very, very extensive. Essentially, I don’t have verifiable proof that he’s made a side better since 2010.

Some of you may be high on him and that’s fine, I don’t hold anything against that view, Blanc just doesn’t move the needle for me. The real story here, in my opinion, is Everton continuing to actively search for Big Sam’s replacement. I’ve seen comments from Everton fans recently wondering why folks like me are so sure that Sam is on he way out, and reports like this offer some substantiation to our assumptions. Step one in any process to fixing Everton right now is firing Sam Allardyce, and I think the links to Blanc show that it’s a step the club is willing to take.