Show caption Marco Silva is tasked with rebuilding Everton’s identity and the connection with its fans. Photograph: Everton FC/Getty Images Sportblog Marco Silva’s in-tray: what is lying in wait for Everton’s new manager Andy Hunter Instil an identity into a drifting squad, dovetail with the director of football, stay put after four short-term appointments, and show he appreciates the opportunity he has been given Fri 1 Jun 2018 12.24 BST Share on Facebook

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Contrary to what Sam Allardyce’s friends at TalkSport/Sky may suggest, Everton fans did not expect the former England manager to transport the team from 13th into European contention during his six months in charge. Nor did they expect a seriously flawed squad to become the great entertainers. They did hope, however, for some sort of style, identity or a modicum of entertainment to develop. Instead they had to endure football that yielded the fewest shots, the fewest shots on target and the fewest chances created during Allardyce’s brief tenure. Silva inherits a team with no identity – a factor in the widespread disenchantment among fans – and needs to implement a clear and positive philosophy to repair that fracture.

Work closely with Marcel Brands

Everton have gone to great lengths and expense to lure Marcel Brands from PSV Eindhoven where, as technical director, he helped the Dutch club to three league titles in four seasons. In doing so, Everton have given their new director of football greater authority and control than the first man in the role, Steve Walsh, and hopefully removed the ambiguities that produced a dysfunctional relationship between Walsh and Ronald Koeman. Brands’ vision is backed by the Everton hierarchy. Silva has to fit into that rather than disrupt it. As Brands said after his appointment: “In football, it is important to choose your direction, which you do with scouts and managers, but you must get the time and the chance to build something up and that is what I will be doing at Everton. Everton are planning to have a different model and they are trying to get Everton to reach a higher level in the coming years.”

Provide and receive stability

For all the relief over Allardyce’s departure at Everton, replacing him represents a sizable gamble. Silva has won a total of 13 Premier League matches and not spent more than a year at any of his past four clubs – Watford, Hull, Olympiakos and Sporting Lisbon. The 40-year-old needs to demonstrate he can build for the long term and create more than an immediate impact. Equally, Everton’s reputation for stability and backing managers through a downturn has been shattered since Farhad Moshiri’s arrival as major shareholder. Moshiri is on to his third permanent manager in a little over two years, a scattergun approach that has cost Everton more than £30m in compensation and caused inevitable disruption to the squad. A touch of loyalty from both sides is required.

Turn existing players into better ones

There is no question the Everton squad is weak in parts – Phil Jagielka, for example, remains the most dependable centre-half and he is 36 in August – but there has also been a distinct lack of individual development under recent managers and that has contributed to regression. From experienced players such as Gylfi Sigurdsson to a crop of young talent who have delivered on the international stage, very few have shown improvement under Koeman or Allardyce. A rapid turnover of the coaching staff has had an inevitable impact. Ademola Lookman made progress last season but only after defying Allardyce and joining RB Leipzig on loan. That the 20-year-old felt he needed to leave for the Bundesliga to develop, and was proved right, does not reflect well on Everton.

Embrace the club

Silva does not have to talk up Champions League prospects or name Everton’s 1966 FA Cup-winning team on day one. Supporters would see right through him if he did. After Koeman and Allardyce, a manager with ambition for Everton, belief in what the club can accomplish with an improved financial position and who does not settle for mediocrity would be warmly welcomed. Koeman always gave the impression Everton was a stepping stone to managing Barcelona while Allardyce sought to dampen expectations and promote the idea the club was fortunate to have him. Neither approach, unsurprisingly, helped the relationship between manager and fan. Silva can learn from their mistakes.

Marco Silva to be demanding 'in every moment' as Everton manager – video