Everton, as expected, sacked manager Marco Silva on Thursday, with the Mail Online reporting Alan Pardew is interested in the post, while David Moyes has also been linked.
So a Newcastle-Sunderland battle with a difference could loom, with both clubs’ former managers jostling for the high-profile role on Merseyside.
With the Toffees currently finding themselves in the relegation zone, whoever takes over at Goodison Park will have a tough task on their hands to keep them in the top division.
The two managers had contrasting fortunes in relegation battles while in the north east.
Alan Pardew was much-maligned by Newcastle fans, despite winning manager of the year awards for his achievements at St James’ Park after the 2011/2012 season for a fifth placed finish.
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His lowest finish with the Magpies was 16th, with most of his work at Newcastle done on minimal budgets, and as a result, he could be a good candidate for Everton, if they want to pull away from the bottom three.
David Moyes, on the other hand, took Sunderland down in the 2016/2017 season, which saw the Black Cats finish bottom of the Premier League with just 24 points – losing 26 of their 38 games.
So while some people think Moyes would be a good appointment, he may not be the man to stave off the drop to the Championship.
Pardew and Moyes both had controversies in the north east
Both managers also had controversies during the spells in the region, with Alan Pardew infamously head-butting Hull City’s David Meyler as they squared up to each other in front of the visitors’ dugout.
Pardew received a deserved seven game suspension for the incident.
During Sunderland’s relegation campaign, Moyes found himself in trouble for making a sexist comment to a female reporter, who unbeknown to him, was still recording after completion of an interview.
Moyes said: “You were just getting a wee bit naughty at the end there, so just watch yourself. You still might get a slap, even though you’re a woman. Careful the next time you come in.”
So it seems that despite both managers having controversial histories, on management ability, Pardew would be the most likely to keep Everton in the top flight, and could be a better appointment than his former Sunderland counterpart.