Ancelotti's quick impact at Everton impresses assistant Ferguson

Everton have been transformed under Italian Ancelotti, whose shrewd signings during the close season - including the capture of James Rodriguez - and tactical nous have helped them win their opening four league games of the 2020-21 campaign.

Ferguson was Everton’s interim manager for a brief period before Ancelotti’s arrival in December. The Scot said he was immediately impressed by the veteran manager.

“The first thing I noticed when he came in was that he never changed anything. A new, younger manager could have decided to do things (differently) straightaway,” Ferguson told the Daily Mail in an interview on Friday.

“They could have forced their philosophy - I hate that word - or style of play on to the team. Some managers would have just come in and gone... ‘Change this. Change that. Change it all.’ He never did it. I thought that was class".