Everton sack Silva: Ratcliffe surprised by lack of immediate replacement

Silva's 18-month spell in charge at Goodison Park came to an end on Thursday, with the former Watford coach sacked following a dismal start to the season.

The club sit in 18th after 15 matches, with a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Premier League leaders Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday proving the final straw as Everton acted to offload Silva.

Everton said fan favourite Duncan Ferguson – who has been a first-team coach at the club since 2014 – would take charge for Saturday's match against Chelsea.

However, Ratcliffe was bemused by Everton not having a new full-time manager in place to come in and begin work.

"I'm quite surprised, with the way results have been going, that they haven't had somebody to come in straight away," Ratcliffe, Everton's last league title-winning captain in 1986-87, told Sky Sports News.

"A bit like Tottenham when [Mauricio] Pochettino left and [Jose] Mourinho came in for him.

"They've had time to assess it and maybe approach somebody and that hasn't been done obviously because they haven't made a decision, or if they have got somebody that they have got in mind there's a stumbling block along the way somewhere."

| Everton Football Club can confirm that manager Marco Silva has left the Club. #EFC pic.twitter.com/R2JqAMBdu2

— Everton (@Everton) December 5, 2019

David Moyes, who managed Everton between 2002 and 2013 before leaving to replace Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, is the favourite to replace Silva.

Although Ratcliffe acknowledged his former club must face the reality of a potential relegation scrap, he would have liked to see them be in a position to attract the world's top managers.

"I think that's the situation we're actually in now. I think we need somebody to come in who knows something about the club to get us out of this mire really, because we are hovering in a relegation battle," he said.

"If they've got aspirations of being in the top six, they've got to try and get the best that's out there and they're not even linked with them.

"I know it's hard really to entice somebody in the position – you've got no European football – but at least you should be trying to get the best manager that's out there.

"I've always said Pochettino and [Atletico Madrid coach Diego] Simeone. But they won't come. I don't think the position that we're in, that it's an attraction to them.