Everton’s manager chase has been something of a lesson in how odds work, and how the longer a saga goes on the more protected bookmakers become, and the more money they ultimately make.
It’s no good if a club sack a manager and there’s immediately an obvious favourite who is appointed with a couple of days, situations like Everton’s are far better. There’s already been a series of favourites who have seen their odds shrink quickly and dramatically, only to then drift away from the supposed chase again.
Now is the turn of Louis van Gaal and it’s hard to see how much of it is Merseyside whispers, and how much of it is Everton fans simply having a laugh.
The former Manchester United manager has seen his odds shrink, which leads to bookmakers publishing and pushing stories about the odds shrinking, which leads to more bets, which leads to the odds shrinking further.
You get the picture.
This Everton news has all made its way to the Netherlands, where Soccer News cover it, but point out that Van Gaal is actually retired. Whilst LVG may be interested in a director of football role somewhere, or a job with the Oranje, it’s not thought likely that he’ll come out of retirement for a straightforward coaching job.
Of course, things change, but Van Gaal made a promise to his family, specifically his wife, that Manchester United would be it, the last big hurrah, and it’d take some turnaround for him to then become Everton manager.
