Everton: 5 Managers Who Could Replace David Moyes

With David Moyes officially agreeing a deal to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, there remains one big question: Who will be manager of Everton next season?

Moyes faces a daunting role in filling the shoes of a legend, but his successor will face a similarly tough task, following a much-respected manager who has exceeded expectations for 10 seasons. 

Here are five candidates who may be offered the big job at Goodison Park next season.

Roberto Martinez

Former midfielder Roberto Martinez has a formidable record working with sides with limited budgets.

In 2007-08, his first season in management, he won the League One Manager of the Year award for helping Swansea become League One champions. This success started a fortuitous spell for the Welsh side that has led them to become an established Premier League outfit.

Somehow, Martinez has also managed to keep Wigan in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons, and the Latics will play their first FA Cup Final this weekend.

Wigan, however, are in grave danger of failing to pull off a relegation escape this season, which means the Spaniard could be seeking a new Premier League employer next term.

The Daily Mail believe Martinez is the front-runner for the Everton job, an opinion shared by the bookmakers.

Having spurned advances in the past from Aston Villa and Liverpool, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan is resigned to losing his manager. However, he told BBC Radio 5 Live that he feels that his manager should hold out for a "bigger club" than Everton. 

Michael Laudrup

After a glittering playing career with the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, Michael Laudrup transitioned into management with Danish side Brondby, where he won a league title and two cups.

After keeping Mallorca afloat with limited means, Laudrup joined Swansea in 2012, filling Brendan Rodgers' highly respected boots on the sideline.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright will need a manager who can deliver success without a hefty transfer budget, and this appears to be one of Laudrup's strengths. His signings at Swansea have been uniformly praised, most notably Michu, who was a steal at €2.5 million.

Laudrup has also delivered Swansea's first ever major trophy, and has undoubtedly improved upon the attractive brand of football Rodgers instilled at the club.

For these reasons, The Mirror are among the newspapers who believe Laudrup features highly on Everton's managerial shortlist.

The Dane signed a contract extension at Swansea in March that should keep him in Wales until 2015, but he is believed to have a similar £5 million release clause to the one Rodgers used to join Liverpool.

Neil Lennon

Since taking the hot seat at Celtic in 2010, Neil Lennon has delivered two SPL titles and a Scottish cup, but his crowning glory with the Hoops was the shock win over Barcelona on the day after the club's 125th anniversary. "As a manager, I don't know if I will top this," he said in the aftermath of the Champions League victory (quote via The Guardian).

If rumors are to be believed, Everton will be hoping that Lennon can top that famous night at a new club. The Northern Irish coach has been linked to the Goodison Park job for some time, but speculation has intensified since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement announcement.

The Scotsman believe Lennon might get Fergie's recommendation for the job, based on the fact they are regularly in contact to discuss football matters.

The former Celtic and Leicester midfielder is on a yearly rolling contract at Parkhead, so there would be few logistical obstacles involved in his move. 

Phil Neville

Former Toffees hard man Duncan Ferguson is now a youth coach at the club, and the bookmakers consider him a rank outsider for the managerial job. But a man who has worn Everton blue with a better chance of moving into the dugout is Phil Neville.

Shortly after Everton's captain announced his intention to leave the club at the end of the season, David Moyes offered him a coaching role.

Neville has made no secret of his desire to enter into management, and while it is possible he will choose to go and join Moyes' staff at Manchester United, he is also in the frame for the main job at Goodison Park.

On Wednesday, The Guardian outlined Neville's interest in the role, but his lack of managerial experience may inevitably put him behind in the pecking order.

Martin O'Neill

A decade ago, Martin O'Neill probably could have had his pick of any managerial job in Britain. Probably even the Manchester United one.

In recent seasons, however, his stock has fallen. In the games leading up to his dismissal from Sunderland, the Northern Irish manager was no longer the same animated character on the sidelines, and his unimpassioned side reflected this.

Despite recent failure, O'Neill has appealing attributes: his impressive pedigree and lack of current employment.

The Sun recently suggested O'Neill could return to promotion-chasing Leicester, the club where the 61-year-old carved his reputation. If they are successful in their promotion attempts, however, one would suspect The Foxes would give current manager Nigel Pearson a shot in the top flight.

O'Neill's chances of being the next Everton boss are currently being priced at around 16-to-1 by the bookmakers. These seem like reasonably long odds, considering the fact that he is a great manager without a contract tying him anywhere.