PREMIER LEAGUE
Sam Allardyce’s job under threat from Porto coach Sérgio Conceição
exclusive
Matt Hughes, Gary Jacob
May 9 2018, 12:01am, The Times
Everton have identified the Porto coach Sérgio Conceição as a candidate to replace Sam Allardyce should he leave Goodison Park this summer. The former England manager is under pressure because of discontent among fans, who have booed him at away matches throughout the season and called for his dismissal during the final home game against Southampton last weekend. The club’s board have yet to offer him any public backing.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...t-from-porto-coach-sergio-conceicao-pr09t0scc
Sam Allardyce’s job under threat from Porto coach Sérgio Conceição
TiberiusMay 9 2018, 12:01am,
Allardyce has succeeded in guiding Everton away from relegation but time appears to be running outAction Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Everton have identified the Porto coach Sérgio Conceição as a candidate to replace Sam Allardyce should he leave Goodison Park this summer. The former England manager is under pressure because of discontent among fans, who have booed him at away matches throughout the season and called for his dismissal during the final home game against Southampton last weekend. The club’s board have yet to offer him any public backing.
Allardyce has 12 months left on the contract he signed in November and would be due his final year’s salary in full if he were to be dismissed. Everton had initially sought to appoint him on a contract until the end of the season after sacking Ronald Koeman and failing to secure the appointment of Marco Silva but, with the club in a difficult position and battling against relegation, the 63-year-old successfully held out for a longer deal.
Allardyce has succeeded in guiding Everton away from relegation trouble and they will finish eighth in the table, but his style of football does not appeal to supporters who have also taken issue with his public statements.
Since Silva’s star has faded after his sacking by Watford in January, Everton have been considering other options and Conceição is viewed as a leading contender. The former Portugal winger has enjoyed an outstanding first season with Porto after joining them from Nantes last summer, leading them to their first league championship for four years. His side are on course to break a club points record held by José Mourinho and a goals record held by Sir Bobby Robson with the final round of fixtures this weekend.
Conceição has managed six clubs in the past six seasons since spending two years as an assistant coach at Standard Liège and is likely to welcome Everton’s interest. The club would comfortably be able to double his £1.7 million salary and pay the release clause on the year that remains on his contract.
The 43-year-old’s success at Porto is all the more notable as he has had little money to spend due to financial restrictions imposed after the club were found to have breached Uefa’s Financial Fair Play regulations before his appointment last summer. Porto were only permitted to register 22 players in their Champions League squad but still qualified for the knockout stages, where they lost 5-0 to Liverpool in the last 16.
Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s majority shareholder, has been eager to appoint a continental coach committed to attacking football and wants to speak to Conceição to see if he fits the bill.