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Marco Silva has been handed a temporary Goodison reprieve - but his Everton fate is sealed.

And that has seen former boss David Moyes emerge as the most likely candidate to replace him.

The experienced manager is seen as the perfect man to steer the club away from the threat of relegation they find themselves facing.

The Blues board met immediately after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Norwich which so incensed Everton fans, they joined in a chant of: “You’re getting sacked in the morning”.

Afterwards, supporters confronted owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright.

Kenwright could do no more than listen to their complaints, and agree it wasn’t good enough. Moshiri watched in horror, unable to speak.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

On Saturday evening, he met with Silva, and said his instinct was to remain loyal for as long as possible.

Initially, the Everton owner said he wanted his manager in charge against Leicester next weekend, but the wider feeling within the club is there is no time to delay - with the overwhelming majority of fans calling for immediate action.

Moshiri spoke with his board again on Sunday, and heard the majority feel Silva’s departure is inevitable. The experience of Moyes is also a key factor - he knows the club inside out, and understands the demands and desires of the fans.

He also showed a track record in keeping West Ham up when they were in a similarly desperate position.

(Image: Getty Images)

And Everton are deep in the mire. They are only four points off the relegation zone, and in their next five fixtures face Leicester, Liverpool , Chelsea , Manchester United and Arsenal .

By Christmas they could be cast adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table, and Moshiri knows he has to act. He will spend Monday considering his options, and speak to Silva once more.

But Moyes is the overwhelming favourite to return, quite possibly on a short-term contract initially. He has already indicated he would love to go back to Goodison, and still lives in Preston, not far from Merseyside.

He has been out of managerial work since the end of the 2017-18 season, where he took over West Ham in November, and steered them out of the relegation zone, to a respectable 13th place, 11 points above the drop.