Season › 2016-17 › News
Walsh excited to be part of new era at Everton

Walsh was plucked from Leicester City where he was Claudio Ranieri's assistant and one of the architects of that club's stunning Premier League title triumph last season to become the first occupant of a brand new role at Goodison Park.
Having identified a shakeup in the team management structure as desirable following Roberto Martinez's departure in May, major shareholder Farhad Moshiri moved to lure Walsh away from the King Power Stadium and the Lancastrian's switch back to his native northwest — a chance to come "home" as he describes it — was confirmed last week.
“It is a massive, massive football Club," Walsh said in his first interview for evertontv. "I think it has an excellent infrastructure and looking at the building work that is going on at the moment [at Finch Farm] and the work on the pitches, it looks like a brand new era. Hopefully we will be able to make the team so that we can achieve.
“My title is Director of Football, my expertise is that of recruitment and that is the first point of call as far as that's concerned.”
Walsh will be getting his feet wet at Everton at the same time as new manager Ronald Koeman alongside whom he will be working in the coming weeks to identify ways to strengthen the team before the transfer deadline at the end of next month.
He described his admiration for the Dutchman as a player and as an experienced, well-travelled coach and he sees the Toffees as being ripe to take a big step towards reclaiming their place at the top table of English football.
"Ronald was a legend as a player and has a very good reputation as being one of the leading coaches in Europe,” Walsh continued. “He has worked at a multitude of excellent clubs and he has obviously seen the project and the challenge of Everton Football Club and decided he wants to put his name to it. It was a really big pull for me to come, no doubt about it.
Much is expected of Walsh after the stunning events at Leicester over the past 18 months but he admits that it "wasn't done overnight." Nevertheless, he admits that there wouldn't have been many jobs he would have considered leaving the champions for and he is looking forward to helping Koeman build a new period of success at Goodison Park
“It had to be a massive opportunity and I think that is the case here. It is primed and ready to go and hopefully we will be able to achieve the success we had at Leicester.
“The expectation doesn't weigh on my shoulders, not really. It took a long time to put the team together at Leicester, it wasn't done overnight ...so it was [a case of] putting those foundations down and making sure you are bringing the right age but also the right attitude of player to buy into what the manager wants to do.
“Mr Koeman certainly knows what he wants and I am going to try and fulfil that with the players that he desires in the positions he wants.
"I can't wait for [the new season] to start."
Reader Comments (31)
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
2 Posted 27/07/2016 at 22:00:44
3 Posted 27/07/2016 at 22:12:13
Those comments sound fine by me. Early days, but all the soundbites coming from Everton sound good. Nothing yet to be concerned about. I'm sure that the right players will be brought in and no new contracts will be given to deadwood. (Gibson could come good).
Foundations need to be put in place Rome was not built in a day and all that jazz. All very routine comments .but still a lot more refreshing than anything that we heard from Martinez's back room staff. Remind me , who exactly were they did they ever speak what did they do???
Speaking just for myself I think that Koeman and Walsh will be the real deal at Everton. I think that we will see an upturn of form. I think that we will see a few players regain their form. I think that we are in for a few good seasons .the sleeping giant has been stirred. And about time as well.
Well you have to be optimistic and after almost giving up with Martinez's brand of football (could any of us have even contemplated another season of that). I'm more than willing to give Koeman and Walsh every chance.
Routine comments from Walsh nothing to worry about now go and unearth a few gems. A few gems to compliment the talent that is already at the club. I have faith. Funny how a new set up... major share holder new manager a DOF, a transfer kitty a few friendly wins can put a spring in this old supporter's step.
The old set up is almost forgotten Wiped from history... confined to room 101. Roberto Who?
5 Posted 28/07/2016 at 00:57:14
I read on another thread that the marquee signing won't happen; I say it will... and before the season starts.
6 Posted 28/07/2016 at 01:45:50
"..where is our £100million?"
7 Posted 28/07/2016 at 01:55:19
8 Posted 28/07/2016 at 04:24:02
10 Posted 28/07/2016 at 08:47:50
11 Posted 28/07/2016 at 09:18:46
All managers rely on a team of scouts to bring suitable players to their attention so Walsh won't be doing anything different in that regard. It will be interesting to know who has the final say but I would fully expect there to be plenty of conversation between them.
12 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:01:56
The season kicks off in 2 weeks and the squads in worse shape than last season if that's possible.
Are our fans in a permanent coma?
13 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:10:07
Robles, Coleman, Jags, Mori, Baines, McCarthy, Besic, Mirallas, Barkley, Deulofeu and Lukaku.
We need players, and there is no doubt about that. But there is something important to remember: Our team is not a bottom half team, it is a team capable of pushing the top six which has been degraded by Martinez's nonsense tactics. We now have a manager capable of getting our players to play to their potential. We need a goalkeeper, a centre back, another dm, a playmaker and a back up striker. Personally I'd like another right back too. But we are not going to get destroyed on the opening day if we have only brought in a couple of players. This is a truncated pre-season with alot of managerial change and plenty of teams will be suffering from a lack of pre-season. Our team has lots of potential, even before the buys, and I expect the early performances and results will remind people of that. Let's not over-react.
14 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:14:12
15 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:30:18
16 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:37:50
17 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:49:18
As Steve Walsh stated, the Leicester team was built over a period of time and no doubt a lot of the first team squad of last year will be gone in the next 12 months, either not or no longer good enough.
We have the right backroom team in place, we will just have to be patient and let them build something special.
I expect 2017/18 season, the season when we can start getting really excited, by then the transition hopefully will be complete.
18 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:51:41
John nor sure where the actual £100million number came from, but the point is after years of selling to buy we now have a significant transfer pot but not the pull as a club. It's a bit of a smack in the face, and not good for the club.
19 Posted 28/07/2016 at 12:58:44
I do not want us buying average "panic" buys at inflated prices just because it is felt necessary to please the fans. The market is ridiculously over-inflated at the moment anyway, so let's give the new DoF a chance to establish a plan. This season will be a transitional period so let's all remain a little realistic here and look to a bright medium to long term.
20 Posted 28/07/2016 at 13:06:19
What? The same old dummy, Mike?
You miserable, tight, Moyesesque, minge bag. We're minted now.
Surely Andrew would be well within his rights to demand one of these?:
May as well throw in a new bottle as well while you're at it:
">Link
𧶲,000 for the pair? Pfffftt. Small price to pay when you consider the statement such marquee sucking will send out. Everton are back and their fans are feeling fucking entitled already.
21 Posted 28/07/2016 at 13:22:43
Those narrow defeats would turn into narrow wins, and we'd be sniffing around Europe.
We probably only need 1 or 2 new faces to replace those who might be out-going!
22 Posted 28/07/2016 at 13:30:57
23 Posted 28/07/2016 at 13:52:05
24 Posted 28/07/2016 at 13:57:39
Mike @22: I agree. No reasons to say otherwise as far as I'm concerned.
25 Posted 28/07/2016 at 14:12:26
Seamus Coleman said himself this week that it is going to take time to kick the bad habits from the Martinez era. If you don't introduce new blood then it will take even longer. You can guarantee if things start badly Lukaku will be moving around the pitch like he's carrying a piano on his back and Barkley's confidence will fall through the floor again.
26 Posted 28/07/2016 at 14:23:57
27 Posted 28/07/2016 at 14:33:48
28 Posted 28/07/2016 at 14:50:57
But I suspect Uncle Bill has retained responsibility for negotiating fees and wages so it may be well into August before 'we cop a live one' !
29 Posted 28/07/2016 at 14:59:44
This seems the converse of when the Scottish manager went to Manure. They performed badly when he was there. He was fired, money was spent on transfers. They then improved. So we can't say for sure whether that was a failure of the Scottish manager or a failure (initially) to spend.
Please, that's not to open up a debate again about the Scottish manager. Just an interesting converse parallel (can you have a converse parallel?).
Like you, Phil, just one or two big signings and see how well he can bring on the current squad.
30 Posted 28/07/2016 at 15:16:47
I reckon one of Witsel/Carvalho plus Gueye will be an Everton player by this time next week if not sooner. A top goalie, Stones replacement if City fork out and a left winger who can cover as striker and we'll be cooking!
31 Posted 28/07/2016 at 15:32:51
32 Posted 28/07/2016 at 16:02:35
33 Posted 28/07/2016 at 18:24:42
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.


1 Posted 27/07/2016 at 21:36:37