The person with the best CV who wanted the job. Sorry, that's not meant to be glib. I'd start by contacting Diego Simeone's representatives to see if 11m a year, a chance to work in England, and build a club from the bottom up would remotely interest him. I would then work my way down the list, prioritising those with tangible achievements. A club that can offer 11m a year will have lots of interested applications. We should be looking to appoint somebody with proven credentials, i.e., people who have won one of Europe's top five leagues or taken a side to the last four, at least, in the Champions League or Europa League, if only to eliminate the chaff and shorten the recruitment process. Serious operations do not take a punt - unless they can afford for that punt to fail and start again.
So, by my criteria, I wouldn't entertain somebody who hasn't won things or gone far in European competition. So, a Nuno would be at the bottom of my possible appointments (by dint of his European experience only), but would almost certainly not get interviewed. Appointing him would show us to have the ambition of Crystal Palace. I think we need to show faith in our bargaining position. Nobody gave us a prayer of getting Carlo last time. Erik ten Hag is somebody we should be interested in. Christoph Galtier is the current French champion. Unai Emery has won yet another Europa League. These men have credentials. I would sound out the representatives of managers of interest at the European Championship. That could lead to potential candidatures from people like Roberto Mancini, Luis Enrique, and Joachim Löw. I would also be leaving emotion out of any appointment decisions. Therefore, if we continue down my list without luck, one would then consider people like Rafael Benitez.
The Everton job is too big to be given to a novice or somebody who has never won anything. That eliminates the likes of Howe, Potter, and Moyes - managerial detritus in world terms. I am not saying they are not capable or even admirable managers. I am saying that, in my opinion, they do not have the credentials to be appointed to one of the 20 richest clubs in the world. Others will disagree, but I don't see a young Brian Clough just waiting for his chance in any of the familiar local names being proposed.
