He leaves with his ego inflated and a chip on his shoulder that he can use for multiple interviews in the future about boo hoo poor old me getting a 6 million pay off for taking a team to 8th my best seasonal finish since managing Bolton.
He'll be back at it within a year at another club who panic and appoint him knowing you get what's on the tin, rough as hell football but an effective strategy for squeezing out points.
The media can view us as a fanbase how they like but football from a fan's perspective is about entertainment and getting behind the team you love, 2 thing's that won't happen under a Big Sam reign unless you're used to backs to the wall fighting for your survival football aka Sunderland and Palace, even Palace would be tainted now as Hodgson has done a better job with attacking intent.
I'm realistic, we ain't challenging for the title, the top 4 is near enough a dream compared to reality and closing the distance on the top 6 is a difficult but needed next step. Likely hood is we'll finish 7th or 8th again but if we start to close that gap and make me passionate about watching Everton again, like the feeling we had the 1st season under Martinez that to me is more important than anything after the past 6 months.
Can now look forward to the new season beginning and having a little bit of optimism that we might see some good football back at Goodison.