At this point, it appears that Benitez is going to be the new manager. Parking all emotion and sentiment, we need to get on with making the appointment as soon as possible so that the job of work can begin in earnest - because it's a big one. A summer of major transfer activity is a must. However, the biggest detail that I am now interested in is not the identity of the new manager. It is the length of the new manager's contract. In football terms, Benitez has the most impressive CV of the plausible contenders. That's not a surprise. His CV is obviously superior to 99% of managers. But we should be giving him a two-year deal and nothing more.
In the modern game, managers last an average of 18 months. It would be crazy to give any manager longer than two years. One year is too short a contract for the job ahead - there must be a modicum of stability and a fair time frame for a manager to make an impression. Three is too long - twice the length of the average managerial tenure. Two is the sweet spot. If he has a stellar first season, we can extend it by another year and roll it over. If the first year is a disaster, the pay off will be less than it would be if Moshiri loses the run of himself.
As for Duncan Ferguson, well, clearly he has inveigled his way into a very comfortable position. He's far too useful to the hierarchy as a token fan gesture than he ever would be as an actual coach. He is the fig leaf of respectability to whatever managerial ticket they put together, and the ideal caretaker when it all goes wrong. That's a job for life. He clearly has no interest in being his own man when being a kept man is far more secure and lucrative. I respect that, for what it is. But it means he will never be the Everton manager - and that, frankly, is a good thing as far as I am concerned.