As the Everton hierarchy will tell you; finding a new first-team manager is incredibly hard.

The Toffees have had to do it on multiple occasions over the last decade but they’re now back at square one as they hunt Carlo Ancelotti’s successor.

What’s the word?

This has been a week of twists and turns in the club’s chase for a new head coach.

Nuno Santo was the favourite but after talks stalled, Everton turned their focus to former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.

Gennaro Gattuso is now believed to be in the frame too after Tottenham ended their short chase of the Italian on Friday morning.

Benitez was on the verge of becoming the new boss at Goodison Park according to talkSPORT and Sky Sports News host Jim White but there is another name in the frame.

Per ESPN, the 61-year-old faces competition for the role from Roberto Martinez. He’s a coach that Bill Kenwright has been keen on bringing back since their search began.

Forget Gattuso

Martinez would be an interesting hire for the Toffees based on his previous reign in Merseyside.

He told Kenwright that he’d deliver Champions League football to Goodison Park but departed after just three years having won 42.7% of his matches.

The Spaniard came close to delivering on his promise in his first campaign, taking them to a fifth-place finish.

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However, what followed was mid-table mediocrity for Everton as the manager was dubbed “stubborn” for his tactical approach by Lyndon Lloyd, editor of popular Everton fansite ToffeeWeb.

Based on that, he’d be a poor appointment. As Ancelotti was keen to reiterate, the Toffees have a goal of reaching Europe’s top table and Martinez has already had one bite of the cherry and failed to do that with them.

However, he would be a much better choice than Gattuso. Everton need someone who can bring them stability and it’s evident that the Italian is not up to that task in that area.

He left Fiorentina after only 23 days in charge and has never managed more than 100 matches at a single club throughout his managerial career.

The hot-headed coach has a stern attitude but is an unknown quantity in English football. Martinez, on the other hand, now has experience of managing the highest-ranked side in international football; Belgium.

Crucially, the 47-year-old also has experience in England and knows the surroundings at Goodison Park.

Very rarely should you go back to a past lover but if Gattuso is the only other alternative, Everton would have to consider Martinez instead.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Benitez: Everton must sign £266k-p/w beast who dubbed Rafa "amazing"...