Is now the opportunity? Should Everton go for Iraola? | OneFootball

(Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Sometimes, you don’t change because things are going badly. You make a change because there’s an opportunity to be better.

From the outside, few would think David Moyes should be facing any scrutiny or questions over his position as Everton manager.

Since Moyes took charge for his second stint at Everton in January of last year, the Toffees have accrued 80 points from 55 games — the ninth-most in the Premier League in that time.

Moyes has had to oversee leaving Goodison Park, the start of a rebuild (which will need longer than one summer transfer window), and the move to a new stadium.

All the while, he has made Everton competitive again. They have now surpassed their points tally from last season, and could yet add seven onto that total, should they win their last two matches.

But that does not tell the whole story.

While I do not think there can be any reason to move on from Moyes due to points tallies, or the results in general, there are other factors to consider.

Moyes is heading into the final year of his contract. That does not have to be an issue, as such, but it does begin to raise questions over the club’s longer term plans.

At 63, is Moyes really the manager that Everton’s ownership — and the CEO they have put in place, Angus Kinnear — see taking the Toffees forward?

Then, there is Moyes’s use of the squad, and in particular, the new signings from last summer. Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were instant hits, but of the other recruits, discounting the two back-up goalkeepers, all of whom were signed when they were aged 23 or under, only Thierno Barry has seen significant game time.

I do not see the huge rush for some of those players, but that does not mean Moyes has done a good enough job in managing his squad, keeping players fresh, or giving the younger players more time on the pitch. A few things can be true at once, and that is the case here.

Moyes has made it clear all season: He wants Europe. Ultimately, if Everton fail to hit that aim, that will be on him and the players as much as anybody, for their failings in recent weeks. However, as I have written in other pieces, there should also be a recognition that the club elected against pushing the boat out for signings in the winter transfer window.

While we can all be disappointed at how the end of the season is turning out, there has been progress. But sometimes, changing from a position of strength can be the right option, especially if there is an opportunity — the kind that may not come around again soon.

Andoni Iraola has worked wonders at Bournemouth. After a tough start to his tenure in 2023-24, there is a very real possibility that the Spaniard will leave the Vitality Stadium at the end of the season, having taken the Cherries into Europe. It could be even better — if they finish 6th, and Aston Villa were to finish 5th and win the Europa League, Bournemouth would be a Champions League team next season.

It would be a hell of a legacy for Iraola to leave.

He has been linked with both the Manchester United and Chelsea jobs, but it is Crystal Palace who have made their move. They want Iraola to succeed Oliver Glasner.

So, the question is, should Everton be in the mix?

According to the ever reliable Bobble, on A View From The Bullens, Iraola would be open to holding talks with Everton, should they show an interest.

The stars have not quite aligned, as it would be incredibly harsh, and likely quite risky, to move away from Moyes now. It would also be expensive.

But can you look a gift horse in the mouth, and turn it away?

Moyes has done nothing to deserve the sack. He has done a very good job. But Iraola is potentially a world class, long-term coach. One that could well fit into the vision TFG seemingly has for Everton.

There has been an onus on recruiting younger players, and Iraola, unlike Moyes, is much more willing to trust youth.

Moyes is of course willing to play younger players too, but he does keep them on a shorter leash and is more ruthless when they make mistakes. Look at Dwight McNeil, James Tarkowski and Micheal Keane — playing time and time again despite numerous poor performances. It’s fair to say Moyes is stuck in his ways and isn’t going to change in that regard.

Iraola is certainly a bit less pragmatic than Moyes, but a look at the expected goals against (xGA) statistics, via Opta Analyst, show that Everton actually are slightly worse than Bournemouth, who are significantly better than the Toffees going the other way.

Making Iraola’s achievements even more impressive is the squad churn at Bournemouth. Last summer, the Cherries sold their two first-choice centre-backs, to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, respectively, no less, and then they sold attacking talisman Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in January.

Since Semenyo’s departure, Bournemouth have not lost a game in the Premier League. They are on a 16-match unbeaten streak; it’s extraordinary.

Now, Iraola’s team did go on a 10-game winless run before that, but then before that, they went nine unbeaten.

Bournemouth are by no means an amazing team; they have their flaws. And there is a world of difference between managing a club the size of the Cherries, and then stepping up to Everton. The pressure and expectations are totally different.

I am not for one second saying Everton should take the gamble. The squad is still in need of a rebuild and throwing a new manager into the mix now is not a guaranteed recipe for success, especially with how swiftly the tide can turn in the Premier League. I would be perfectly happy for Moyes to stay in charge for the remainder of his contract, and possibly even earn another year’s extension.

But, if Everton did decide to be opportunistic at this unique moment when a potentially much more dynamic manager is coming available, then there is certainly logic to it.

This is a good question, Patric. You suggest he could be a long-term manager but that raises the obvious question: why is he leaving Bournemouth?

Andoni Iraola is leaving Bournemouth at the end of the 2025-26 season because his contract is expiring and he decided it was the "right moment" to end his 3-year tenure, aiming to leave while the team is in a strong position. He sought a new challenge after feeling it was time to move on, rather than risking a fourth season of diminishing returns.

If that's true, sounds a lot like he's a glory hunter at heart and wants a 'big club' -- which we were once but arguably that status has been systematically eroded by Kenwright & Moyes with their 'plucky little Everton' bullshit.

But one thing Everton have been happy to do is pay their managers vast sums of money -- way beyond their status in the game (with the exception of Ancelotti) -- and moey talks as we know../

4 Posted 13/05/2026 at 10:27:39

More context...

Asked why he had decided to leave Bournemouth at the end of his third season at Vitality Stadium, Iraola said: “It has been a decision that has taken me a lot of time to take. “It has not been a clear decision. Always during this process, this season, I've been talking to the club about the situation. “They were very aware that this could happen and there is not always one main reason. “I think the decision I've taken is because probably I don't want to risk the feeling I have right now of pride and satisfaction of these three seasons. “And you try to envisage yourself in a possible fourth season, in a possible fifth season. Everything costs more. “We, as human beings, get tired of always watching the same faces. And I suppose I've decided that this was the right moment to put an end to this journey that for me has been really, really special. “The club is in a great place. I have things in this club that I will not find anywhere else. I come to work every day with a smile and this is very valuable for me. “But as managers, you learn because you have experience as a player, you've had a lot of managers, you have to choose very well when to start, where to start, when to end things. “And it's not a decision that I had super-clear. Sometimes, I've been thinking, ‘oh, I definitely am continuing here'. Other times ‘I'm not continuing here'. It's a matter of feeling. “There is a moment where you have to take a decision. And this is the decision I've taken. “I suppose I prefer to make the mistake of ‘maybe I could have stayed one year more', but I don't want to make the mistake of ‘it was one year too much' and there is a small margin that you are playing with and this is what it is.”

Brian Harrison 6 Posted 13/05/2026 at 10:49:12

I think he is a terrific manager and I really like the ways his team plays. I don't quite know why he made the decision so early; had he waited, it looks like his team could qualify for the Champions League.

There are obviously plenty of rumours as to where he might be going, many saying he is going back to the club where he spent 12 years: Athletic Bilbao. Other rumours have suggested Chelsea or Crystal Palace... I don't think he would fancy either.

I know him and Moyes went out to dinner when both clubs were in America for pre-season. I wonder, would Moyes move upstairs and let Iriola take over the first team? I have said for a while we need someone to oversee our whole coaching set-up from the youngsters right up to the U21s. I think Moyes would be perfect for that job.

But I think the deal for Iriola is already done... and alas, I don't think that deal includes Everton.

Jim Bennings 7 Posted 13/05/2026 at 10:52:55

I'm not an anti-Moyes type fan, he's done a steady job for this club since he took over from Dyche and he is a far superior manager than Sean Dyche.

We can't however get ourselves into this mindset that any kind of change going forward now is bad for the club.

We have become a fanbase that is always thinking of the catastrophic worst-case scenario, we have become that mentally scarred by relegation battles over the years that many just want to feel a constant comfort blanket.

The new stadium should really be signalling now the birth of a new 21st Century Everton Football Club and should be the dawn of a new era.

This club has been to one Cup Final in 31 years, for heaven's sakes, is that really the standard we want now?

Paul Hewitt 9 Posted 13/05/2026 at 11:03:36

Apparently he only wants to stay in the premier League so I'd say we'd have a good chance of getting him. None of the big clubs are looking for a manager apart from Chelsea who want Alonso. After that I can only think of palace looking to replace Glasnier( my number 1 choice).

John Collins 10 Posted 13/05/2026 at 11:04:41

"I have said for a while we need someone to oversee our whole coaching set-up from the youngsters right up to the U21s. I think Moyes would be perfect for that job"

He doesn't generally have much contact with anyone under 21, Brian.