Key decisions to be made by Everton ahead of festive fixtures

Everton travel to face Manchester United on Sunday eager to build on last weekend's thrilling 3-1 victory over Chelsea.

Caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson inspired a power-packed performance from the home side that belied their lowly league position.

Ferguson may not be in charge for the trip to Old Trafford, with the Toffees seemingly intent on bringing in a manager from outside the club.

However, the 47-year-old has highlighted that Everton do have the players to beat the top sides if they are organised correctly.

Ferguson lays down a marker

Some of the best sports betting odds in the industry made Chelsea favourites to win at Goodison Park, but they were simply blown away by the home team.

Ferguson didn't have long to work with the players following Marco Silva's dismissal, yet somehow managed to galvanise the players into their best performance of the season.

It could be argued that those same players had let Silva down, although it's fair to say that the former Watford boss didn't help himself with some of his tactics.

Ferguson ensured that Everton played with plenty of energy and the players must now maintain that level for the rest of the season regardless of who takes over as manager.

Board must get next appointment right

There are plenty of Everton fans who would be happy to see Ferguson appointed on a permanent basis, but it appears that the board will head down a different route.

Vitor Pereira, Unai Emery and Niko Kovac are amongst the managers linked with the role, while former boss David Moyes has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.

However, none of the first named trio are particularly appealing while a return for Moyes would undoubtedly be a backwards step.

Former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick is rumoured to be on the club's shortlist and his work in German football marks him down as a serious contender.

Everton paying for the lack of a plan

Although neither would publicly admit to this, it is clear that Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright do not see eye-to-eye.

Disharmony at board level is a major destabilising factor for any club and the pair need to find some common ground as a matter of urgency.

With Director of Football Marcel Brands also in the mix, it begs the question of who is actually pulling the strings at Goodison Park.

If Everton are to reach their potential over the next few seasons, there needs to be a much greater level of stability in the boardroom.

Fixture list gives Everton hope

Sunday's trip to Old Trafford certainly won't be easy, although it's fair to say that United are not the force they once were.

With the Red Devils in Europa League action on Thursday, the Toffees could have an advantage fitness-wise this weekend.

Subsequent fixtures against Arsenal (H), Burnley (H) and Newcastle United (A) also give Everton realistic chances to get some more points on the board.

A minimum of eight points from those four matches shouldn't be beyond Everton and would put a completely different complexion on their season.

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