Sacking Marco Silva has forced Everton to evaluate where they're at as a club right now. 

The Toffees seem to have got progressively worse under Farhad Moshiri's ownership, far from his millions catapulting them into the elite. 

So what have they concluded as they begin to take stock of what must be done to avoid relegation?

That may sound like an over-dramatisation of the situation, but they now sit in the drop zone propped up only by Watford and Norwich after being thrashed 5-2 by an under-strength Liverpool side. 

Back to basics? Appointing Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill as caretaker and his assistant respectively is one way of trying to restore a bit of the identity which has been lacking at Goodison Park. 

David Moyes is also among the favourites to take the job on a permanent basis. 

However, it seems the Everton board are setting their sights a little higher. 

The Times report that several coaches have been approached, including Mauricio Pochettino and Carlo Ancelotti. 

Yes, that is the same Carlo Ancelotti who has won the Champions League three times and the domestic league in four different countries. 

Their only real hope lies in the fact that his current team Napoli are engulfed in crisis. 

Pochettino, meanwhile, was managing in a Champions League final just six months ago and has also been heavily linked with jobs like Real Madrid and Manchester United. 

The Argentine has said he's now open to offers just weeks on from being sacked by Tottenham - but surely his stock hasn't fallen that quickly, even if he did leave the north Londoners 14th in the table. 

ANALYSIS

GIVEMESPORT'S Kat Lucas says:

In many ways, Everton's approach to finding Silva's successor sums up their lack of direction.

Once again, just as they did after firing Ronald Koeman, they have no permanent replacement in mind and last time, with David Unsworth placed in temporary charge, it cost them big time. 

While it's great to see ambition, Everton must assess what they are like as a club now - not the nine-time champions of England, but a long way off even competing for the European places. 

Speaking to the likes of Pochettino and Ancelotti is simply going to waste time.