Reboot
Marcel Brands and whoever is drafted in as head coach have a big rebuilding task at hand. It won't happen overnight but where the director of football is concerned at least, Everton appear to have made a significant appointment
Where there was genuine despair among some Evertonians at the prospect of having to watch another season of Sam Allardyce football, there is now cautious optimism among supporters for both the short- and long-term trajectory of the club.
While the identity of who will be standing in the technical area as Everton's new manager next season is yet to be confirmed — the strongest indications are that it will be Marco Silva — the club appear to have made a strong move and something of a statement in appointing Marcel Brands as the new director of football.
With due deference to Silva's standing as a diligent and pro-active coach and a rising — albeit still largely untested — young star among Continental coaches, the capture of Brands may prove to be the most important move the Everton hierarchy will make this year.
Reportedly considered by Chelsea last December when Michael Emenalo left Stamford Bridge, the Dutchman has built enormous respect in Europe and his native Netherlands in particular, having transformed the fortunes of his main club as a player, RKC Waalwijk, and AZ Alkmaar, before recently unseating Ajax as the dominant force in the Eredivisie with three league titles over the past four years.
He has made all the right noises since his departure from PSV after eight years of service was confirmed on Wednesday, signalling a desire to immerse himself in a project with his new club. “In football, it is important to choose your direction, which you do with scouts and managers,” he said. “But you must get the time and the chance to build something up and that is what I will be doing at Everton.”
If there is one that was sorely lacking under the stewardship of Walsh and Koeman, it was a distinct lack of focus on building a functioning team. Instead, there was a curious pre-occupation with augmenting Everton's central midfield at the expense of two particularly glaring holes up front and at left-back.
By reputation, at least, Brands promises to address that critical failing. He became renowned in Holland for his ability to shape teams and target players based on need rather than whim. Whether he will be a director of football in the truest sense — ie, one who dictates everything from personnel recruitment to the fundamental playing style that is embedded right through the Everton setup from youth level to the first team and everywhere else in the Academy in between — remains to be seen but his initial comments suggest he plans to be.
“I have explained to the big boss (Moshiri) how I am used to working,” he told Dutch media. “I like to get involved everywhere. From scouting to youth training to what the kits look like.” He certainly promises to be better qualified than his predecessor.
In keeping with the somewhat awkward image of him uncomfortably huffing a suitcase along the pavement during a trip to Milan last summer — one that, on the basis of visible results, appears to have been futile — and private anecdotes that he was something of an “old woman” at Finch Farm, Walsh never looked like he held the gravitas that his position demanded.
Brands, meanwhile, with his impossibly thick coiffure and aura of refined sophistication, cuts the altogether more confident image of a true technical director. It may sound superficial but impressions matter when the dealings can be so complex and high-stakes. A Dutch observer remarked that he has “the strongest handshake in football” which speaks to a character confident in his abilities and able to command respect in the game. Who better to navigate the modern game's shark-infested waters pool of agents?
The Coming Cull?
While Brands and whomever is appointed as the club's next manager might not choose to do too much too quickly, they will hopefully look at the squad and see a group of players that's too big, too old on the one end and two young and inexperienced on the other.
As Brands says, “The squad still counts 38 men, although 14 players have been loaned out. As Director of Football I have to break that ad hoc policy.” The new management setup will discover a desperate lack of creativity and will note that it's a team without a defined way of playing. Their challenge will be to bring in players for specific positions rather than merely assembling a collection of individuals that look good on paper in the way that Koeman and Walsh did.
Some positions require obvious strengthening. Joel Robles is out of contract and likely to return to Spain and, while Maarten Stekelenburg still has a year left on his, he will turn 36 in September, meaning that a viable deputy for Jordan Pickford should be on the shopping list.
Marcel Brands
So, too, should a long-term replacement for Leighton Baines. With his 2017-18 season disrupted by medium-term injury and the first signs that he probably won't be able to play, week-in & week-out, at the top level for much longer, identifying a new left back should be a priority.
They may need to be ruthless as well, with a few players deserving of being shown the door in short order. At the time of his suspension in March, it looked as though Ashley Williams had played his last game in a royal blue jersey and there is surely no future for him at Everton. Likewise Kevin Mirallas whose career has swirled down the pan with alarming speed over the past year.
In many ways, the central defensive unit at Everton could be almost completely overhauled and few Evertonians would complain. Damningly for the club's previous recruitment setup, the 35-year-old Phil Jagielka was the Blues' best centre-half this season. At the mercy of his confidence to a worrying degree, Michael Keane has looked slow and positionally suspect; Ramiro Funes Mori has always looked like a player more suited to the Continental game than the rigours of the Premier League; and it's highly probable that, regardless of who comes in, Williams will be seen as surplus to requirements.
Of the bunch, only Mason Holgate truly looks worth considering as a first-choice starter week-in, week-out and he would unquestionably benefit from two high-calibre signings in that position to guide his development. One reliable acquisition with Williams being moved on is conceivable; beyond that, it would probably take one of Funes Mori or Keane being sold as well and you would think the huge fee Everton paid for the Englishman, combined with his age, would make it more likely that he will stick around.
The central midfield area is simply overstocked but is almost bereft of creativity. Idrissa Gueye is the pick of the holding midfielders in terms of the job he performs and, based on his late-season form, Morgan Schneiderlin might be worth retaining to see how he fares under a new manager but, with Beni Baningime showing such rich promise, James McCarthy and Muhamed Besic are dispensable assets in that area of the squad.
Further forward, the Wayne Rooney situation looks at the moment as though it could sort itself out with a move to America. (Otherwise, his continued presence in a team that needs to be retooled and reenergised with youth is just a distraction.) Likewise, amid rumours that Napoli are still after him, Davy Klaassen could remove a serious question mark by securing a transfer away. Despite what Bill Kenwright said at the end-of-season awards, the Dutchman needs to demonstrate he can cut in England and might be better off returning to Europe… but then again, the incoming director of football is Dutch and well-acquainted with what he can do – so you never know.
That leaves Tom Davies, Nikola Vlasic, two potential beneficiaries of some stability and arm-around-the-shoulder management, and Gylfi Sigurdsson, with further room for the acquisition of a couple of top-class creative types to transform what is a squad short on guile and dynamism.
In terms of the wide areas, Theo Walcott has shown himself to be an excellent addition to the squad and one who would thrive in a more cohesive side with better players around him. Conversely, Yannick Bolasie is an expensive luxury, a player of limited end-product even before his injury who should probably be offloaded if we can get a decent return for him. Again, that would create room in the team for Ademola Lookman and Kieran Dowell to grow into and for further attacking signings.
Up front, the willing but limited Oumar Niasse will have done this transfer value no harm with his scoring exploits off the bench — of course, having taken him to Hull on loan last season, Silva might elect to keep him if he is the chosen manager — Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains a work in progress and Cenk Tosun is ripe for support and, perhaps, a regular strike partner so he can build on his bright start to life at Goodison Park. If there was one thing Sam Allardyce was right about, it's that Everton need another striker capable of getting 15-plus goals a season.
The biggest question mark among the strikers, therefore, is Sandro Ramirez. Yet another player who might benefit from the arrival of Silva, the Spaniard's comparatively small transfer fee means that there is scope to give him another try in a better-functioning team under a new manager. He has been adamant that he doesn't want to return to Goodison — and, if Sevilla elect to buy him, he won't have to — but the change in management personnel may give him pause to soften that stance.
Of the other players out on loan, they will obviously be assessed over pre-season, but it's hard to see any of them being considered as first-team options come the start of next season. Based on reports on his progress before he left for Bolton, Antonee Robinson could provide back-up for Baines in the same way that Jonjoe Kenny has for Seamus Coleman but the noises coming from Leeds United fans suggest that Matthew Pennington struggled to assert himself in the Championship.
Men At Work
If Marco Silva is to be the next Everton manager, given that Farhad Moshiri has been after him since November and he has been twiddling his thumbs since January, he will at least have had plenty of time to analyse the Blues' squad and formulate his own ideas of what it needs.
Likewise, Marcel Brands, whose move to Finch Farm has been mooted for weeks and while he claims he only made his mind up this weekend, he too has had time to at least take a cursory glance at what he would be inheriting if he took the job.
In concert, the two new men will surely be in contact so they can hit the ground running on 1st June but, in a protracted World Cup summer, it's likely they might feed the powers that be a few names to sound out before then so that the groundwork can be laid.
Again, in the main, they're unlikely to be hasty and a healthy dose of patience and understanding might be required from Blues fans in what will be a period of transition after a tumultuous campaign.
Of utmost importance was ushering the previous regime out and now getting the right management team bedded in for the hard work of rebuilding to come. It'll take time to come to fruition but, in the meantime, it feels like Evertonians can dare to dream a little again as another attempt to awaken the sleeping giant gets underway.
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Reader Comments (80)
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3 Posted 18/05/2018 at 07:43:35
I think what the squad needs can be summed up in three words: Pace, drive, and energy. Of those 38 players in the squad, far too many have none of the above.
4 Posted 18/05/2018 at 07:49:13
5 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:08:41
The playing staff will need some serious assessment and work to formulate some vision and playing style. In my opinion, and as you have pointed out, this is no mean task ahead for Brands and the new Manager. There is a lot of hard and creative work ahead and this will take time to put into place.
At least now we see a practicable plan for a way forward. COYB
6 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:09:40
A massive summer. Really hope we get someone who can give us some pride back.
7 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:21:21
I am now more hopeful as both Allardyce and Walsh have been replaced by people who have reputations for attractive football.
8 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:37:14
9 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:41:10
I am cautiously optimistic that we are going in the right direction. Last season was a real eye-opener of how to do things badly so let's hope we have learnt our lessons and finally show some progress on and off the field.
10 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:50:33
His default tactic is 4-2-3-1. As favoured by Martinez and used often by Koeman and by Allardyce.
Martinez 4-2-3-1 saw Barry and McCarthy at defensive midfield. Barry was the passer McCarthy was the tackler. Barry went forwards slowly and McCarthy was encouraged to get forward quickly, after the ball. Both fullbacks bombed on.
Koeman played variants. However, Schneiderlin and Gueye were his go-to guys. Schneiderlin never went forwards and Gueye mainly did so to tackle. Koeman certainly had handcuffs on Baines although he did allow Coleman to get forwards.
Allardyce largely played two of Gueye, Davies and Schneiderlin. The two would sit deep and the midfield was largely by-passed. The fullbacks were handcuffed until Coleman was fit and unable to stop cavaliering forwards, although he didn't repeat his Leicester performance again.
So what will Silva do? The full backs will be allowed to get forward like Martinez. The defensive two are still there. However, the gripe about playing two DMs will be gone, as they defend only and on winning the ball and activating the counter-attack, they race forwards.
This is what makes Silva so attacking for Watford, and what made him defensively frail. It's possible to counter the counter-attack and find a defence exposed.
Anyway, back to personnel, McCarthy is made for this system. As is Davies. Defensive players who sit deep but love to get forward at pace and are good short passers looking to work triangles with the fullbacks and each other. Gueye will probably still be first choice but he will need to get forwards and his attacking skills are sub par. A young Schneiderlin would have done well, pace aside, but the present one, barely able to cross the halfway line, is a bad fit. Silva has a tendency to sign old players who know how he works, so I expect William Carvalho to come in.
Fullback wise, Coleman is ideal. Baines of five years ago would be too. However, his legs are going and he can't get up and down the way Silva would want. A left back is a certainty.
Gylfi fits in as a Number 10. He gets the ball to feet and his brief is to switch play. Quick turn and pass onto the opposite side of the pitch to attack down the flank.
Lookman would fit the inside left role Silva prefers perfectly. Coming inside and letting the left back overlap him whilst shooting on his right and looking for triangle passes. Walcott will be a safe better on the opposite side.
Striker wise, contrary to popular opinion, Silva didn't like and didn't pick Deeney. He wants a mobile striker able to get the ball to feet. Tosun could do this, but Calvert-Lewin seems better suited. Goals are not essential from the number 9 as long as the other 3 front players weigh in. Expect Walcott to hit double figures.
Defence, Keane will be the main man. Silva likes a passing defender to launch counter-attacks. Keane is that man. Holgate should also play and Funes Mori is likely to be retained. I would still expect another centre-back as we do lack quality.
Left back and Carvalho are the two main signings I expect. I wouldn't be surprised if that is it this window. It'll be more about Brands getting players out the door, and maybe if he can offload enough for decent money, then we can bring in more quality. I'm not expecting it.
11 Posted 18/05/2018 at 08:58:44
Thanks and your article goes a long way in explaining what the position of Director of Football (DoF) consists of. Perhaps you or others could answer a few other points?
Firstly, who will our new Manager report to directly? I understand that Allardyce reported directly to Moshiri. I also understand that our previous DoF reported to Allardyce.
However, your article suggests that the DoF position demands greater responsibilities than the Manager (Chief Coach). So will our new Manager report to the DoF and in that scenario will the DoF report directly to Moshiri? Anybody know how this all works with other clubs, Continental or English?
A detailed breakdown of duties of the two position DoF and Manager would be useful.
12 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:20:44
I am surprised by your in-depth description of his overall role at the club Lyndon, it seems to me that it has to be a continental manager/coach to be used to working within that framework – basically a coach only.
Steve (#10) – great post as always. Not sure about William Cavalho though, from what I have seen he is little different from Schneiderlin or Gueye but maybe I am missing something (more than likely).
I just keep coming back to the same point in each of my posts in that only 12% of those who have voted on ToffeeWeb had gone for Silva.
13 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:31:27
14 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:32:31
He's far more mobile than Schniederlin and much better on the ball than Gueye. The midfielder best suited to Silva on our books already is James McCarthy. Hopefully he recovers fully and puts his injury nightmare behind him.
As for 12%, I think the fans will get behind any of the managers on that list. They're just stating their preference. Also, many haven't seen a full-on Silva charm offensive and that would sway a lot more in favour. Of course, he'd need to back it up on the pitch. I believe he will and so everyone will then get behind him.
The worry is if he starts badly and those not behind him initially make their feelings known. I don't think that will happen as it won't be Allardyce football.
15 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:34:13
To add to the 12% point. If you put enough reasonable choices on a list you're naturally going to get a wide spread of preferences which will result in an overall BIG split resulting in low "scores".
Only way you'd get a huge swing one way is if you shortened the list, something like.
R. Charles; S. Wonder; M Silva.
16 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:34:47
Garage sale to off-load the deadwood ASAP. Start fresh and hopefully Finch Farm will start delivering a winning and entertaining team.
17 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:42:44
We have just had a mish mash of a system were we had a manager a DOF and possibly the Chairman buying players. thats why we ended up with 3 number 10s and no striker to replace the one that was sold. I just hope that the new DOF will work closely with the new manager something that didnt happen the last time. But for me the new manager should decide style of play and type of player. Then the DOF makes the managers wishes come true. I know Chelsea have been very succesful so its very difficult to criticize, but look what happens when the manager doesnt have the final say. They have had 2 succesive managers who both won the league yet were not allowed to buy the players they want. Chelsea have signed Drinkwater and he has hardly started a game and although injured for a lot of the time doesnt seem as Conte wanted him either.
18 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:45:00
19 Posted 18/05/2018 at 09:58:58
Having said that, I think that patience should also apply to the appointment of the next Manager, after all 12% is not a significant figure from the poll, and almost confirms there is skepticism among those who voted.
Incidentally, I am one of those skeptics, while I believe Silva would be a major improvement to Allardyce, I am still not sure he is the right choice.
20 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:05:22
Just where the fuck was Walsh when Hull let Maguire and Robertson go for such paltry sums? In those two players, our defensive woes would have been a thing of the past.
21 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:18:15
Thank you. You have listed my concerns much better than I did.
22 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:25:19
If I had to pick someone from the list it would be Arteta. My reasoning - he has worked for two of the best coaches in the world and one of them, Arsene Wenger, has said he is good enough for the Arsenal job. That's a good enough reason for me.
So given my record for predicting the future, expect a Silva announcement any moment.
23 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:53:27
"“I have explained to the big boss (Moshiri) how I am used to working” he told Dutch media. “I like to get involved everywhere. From scouting to youth training to what the kits look like.†He certainly promises to be better qualified than his predecessor."
I believe that is what Moshiri desires most. A genuine football man at DoF who he can leave to do his job while Moshiri focuses on moving the Club along on all other fronts. He tried that this season and it failed miserably. But he's made the moves to correct that. Here's hoping (Again).
One other thing. I love McCarthy for the hard-charging trier he is. But he's through and has been. We need the Jimmy Mac of his first season here under Roberto. And that guy is gone and not coming back.
And even in that first season, no one would describe him thus: "love to get forward at pace and are good short passers looking to work triangles with the fullbacks and each other." The James McCarthy plays for Everton? No.
24 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:55:08
A fish out of water springs to mind.
25 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:55:41
I would like to see Maguire and Chillwell from Leicester coming in, with Son from Spurs, Dembele from Celtic, or Alcacer from Barca (12 appearances 7 Goals) I would keep Jags on the coaching staff ( a great servant to Everton, and may be a future Everton manager?)
Whatever, type of 'reboot' that it may be, the pressure will be on for an improvement from 8th or else Sam will be crowing from the sidelines!
26 Posted 18/05/2018 at 10:56:52
27 Posted 18/05/2018 at 11:00:35
28 Posted 18/05/2018 at 11:02:01
Making PSV great again was achieved in a moderate Dutch League. Obviously I hope Brands will succeed in the much more competitive Premier League but I do wonder if he knows what he is taking on. The gap between eighth and the top four is much greater than the gap between eighth and eighteenth. It is easier to see our current, ridiculously expensive but painfully inadequate squad plummeting down the league than it is to see it climbing four places.
If someone offered me 49 points and eighth next season I would take that now. That's me showing patience and understanding.
29 Posted 18/05/2018 at 11:20:43
30 Posted 18/05/2018 at 11:45:45
He said he wants Pace and Athleticism. Jack falls short.
As has already been mentioned above, if any proposed signings can't get 10 out of 10 on those two criteria, cross them off.
It is not enough in the 2018 Premier League just to be technically gifted. A player has to have that and more.
31 Posted 18/05/2018 at 11:52:08
This team needs a major overhaul, not fixed in a few weeks over summer – several transfer windows, I feel.
Things are taking shape off the field, but too many issues on the pitch where it matters... creativity, solid central defensive partnership, left-back... wingers... another centre-forward.
Massive misfire last season with the same outlook as today, lock n reload for another dawn in Everton's new history.
32 Posted 18/05/2018 at 12:43:14
Emery ticks all those boxes and is available right now. Conte will be available after the FA Cup Final. My expectation is that Brands is looking at this level of candidate with Silva as the plan B. We might not get a top manager (probably won't), but we should try for once. If we can't an Emery, then why not try Howe ahead of Silva? I just don't see how Silva's track record is better and, let's be frank, Silva has some character issues in relation to loyalty.
33 Posted 18/05/2018 at 12:43:54
34 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:00:30
I would do my best to move on the likes of Williams, Schneiderlin, Bolaisie, Mirallas and Niaise but I'm afraid that is going to prove almost impossible because of their wages. Gana Gueye, McCarthy, Davies would prove more attractive to other clubs
Next season has to be better than this season but recruitment will be crucial as will the appointment of a quality coach.
35 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:11:25
36 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:12:20
37 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:17:51
And could a Portuguese manager bring back the Renato Sanches of 2 years ago?
38 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:23:35
If the Hammers are going for ex-City manager, then we should aim for someone higher than Silva, someone like Conte or Wenger with Vieira as his Number 2 if we are to be in the top 6 for the next 2 years.
39 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:34:33
We should be okay then....
40 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:38:26
We all should reserve any optimism for next season after what has happened over the last 3 seasons and maybe more.
Certainly some expensive players did not perform and yes, in some cases injuries can be used as a partial excuse.
Bolasie has been a big disappointment as was Gylfi although he was improving before he got injured.
Mirallas, Williams, Martina along with the aging Baines and Jagielka should be considered as liabilities.
It's hard to see what younger players will develop further to a level necessary for Everton to become a much better team and a new manager may have a big say in what happens with them.
41 Posted 18/05/2018 at 13:59:33
You'd have to be blind not see that.
42 Posted 18/05/2018 at 14:05:56
We're talking then about Keane playing the John Terry role, stepping in front of the defence, heading away, tackling and intercepting and then passing the ball. Meanwhile, someone like Holgate uses his pace to sweep up behind.
This assumes the opposition have one man up top, of course.
43 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:20:24
I agree that Marcel Brands appointment looks like it is going to be the most important thing we will do this summer. Steve Walsh has been a total failure as our Director of Football with nearly all of our signings last summer becoming extremely expensive duds. Only Pickford has been a success but I still feel we paid way over the odds for him. There wasnt any plan in our transfer structure and it seemed like a “Football Manager†approach to our business. The fact that we sold our best player with a washed up player spoke volumes and no new left back and two other number 10s brought in showed that he and Koeman were clueless.
Now its not all entirely Walsh's fault. He just wasnt qualifed for the job, he was a chief scout, nothing more but was a panic appointment because Moshiri didnt get his top target in Monchi.
Now that we have Brands we may finally see a modern aporoach to team building for the now and in the future. Hooefully we will see a style of play introduced to all ages of the club and the right players in specific positions brought in and no more of a “scattergun†approach.
Now it looks like Marco Silva will be our new manager who'll be more of a head coach capacity as apposed to a traditional manager.
Now id prefer a top coach to come in such as Emery, Simeone etc, which is still possible but highly unlikely.
Silva almost worked wonders at Hull but ultimately was unable to save them from the drop whilst his Watford side started off brilliantly last season but fell ofc once our interest in him became concrete.
He is young at 41 and judging by Steve Ferns testimony he is highly meticulous in his coaching and is very much a hands on coach.
My one reservation which is a huge one is that he seemed to down tools and sulk when Watford rejected our advances even though he was only new in the Vicarage Road dugout. I just hope that he truly believed in the “project†here and didnt see it as a stepping stone like Koeman or a cash cow like Big Sam.
In regards to transfers, we need to get rid of alm tge mediocre dross we have on our books such as Williams, Joel, Stek, Garbutt, Funes Mori, Schneiderlin, Besic, Bolasie, Mirallas, Tarashaj and Sandro. Question marks remain over Keane and Klaassen but they might improve under a proper coach.
Id keep Baines and Jags as backups and Rooney if he rejects DC but only as an impact sub.
Seamus should be made captain because he embodies everything that is right in football and is a true leader plus he in my view, is one of the 10 best right backs in the game.
I don't want to see loads of signings made. Only key positions. Namely a LB, CB, Playmaker, Pacy forward.
I hope we keep Lookman because he has frightening potential but I fear Leipzig will come back in for him or maybe even Bayern.
44 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:21:29
I hope it's down to all the chaos of the season plus playing alongside Williams (who remember was also suppose to be the John Terry role) but it seems he needs to man up in character and step up massively in play. We all hope he succeeds.
45 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:36:37
46 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:37:28
So, do we go into the transfer window, all guns blazing, as Koeman and Walsh did? Or should we be patient and give players a chance to prove themselves, without the hoofball football?
We cannot get our fingers burnt again.
47 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:48:00
I think Brands should be the central figure. He is the one who should have the final say over the manager. If it is Silva, then the relationship should be clear with Silva reporting to Brands or at a minimum Silva deferring to Brands on recruitment.
Part of Walsh's weakness was that both Koeman and Allardyce both appeared to have a joint say, with Kenwright meddling in the background. A cluster fuck of note.
Brands will need to recruit appropriately for the tactical set up the new coach wishes to implement with a clear demarcation line between who sets tactics, trains the players and who identifies the players to be bought.
We simply cannot have a repeat of last summer where we ended up without a no 9, no left back cover and no pace.
Also the nonsense of buying players for the U23 is part of the reason we have 38 "men" as Brands put it.
48 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:55:33
49 Posted 18/05/2018 at 15:58:00
Paul, we won't really know what went on. Did we contact his agent? If so, prove it. It was known that we made big bids for him and Watford turned them down. I suppose the truth will out.
50 Posted 18/05/2018 at 16:02:33
Steve, excellent technical analysis.
My tuppence-ha'penny worth:
We must not allow Kenwright to interfere in anything.
We need to bring in some characters who do not bottle it.
We must remain patient and get behind the team and management as this is major surgery time and we all know how long that takes to heal and gel.
We need a top-quality left-back (Danny Rose will do; I was shouting for him all last season), A centre-back who leads by example (Jagielka is getting too old; Keane is like a rabbit in the headlights). We need central midfield players who can win the ball and get forward. Gueye may make it, A fit James McCarthy might make it but we need someone in the Manny Fernandes, Yaya Toure bracket who can score goals.
We need to decide where Sigurdson and Walcott fit in and we need a top No 9. Tosun is not good enough. Niasse is a good impact sub. Calvert-Lewin still has to improve his strike rate.
Out:- Sandro, Bolasie, Mirallas, Williams, Besic, Rooney, Garbutt, Robles
Under review:- Tosun, Klaassen, Keane, Vlasic.
To be developed: Davies, Kenny, Baningime, Feeney, Browning, Dowell, Calvert-Lewin and Lookman.
51 Posted 18/05/2018 at 16:10:50
I'd forgotten all about that now quaint little domestic spat due to kick off at 17:15 on Satdee... What chance young Ross will feature? It might at least provide some passing interest while watching from afar.
52 Posted 18/05/2018 at 16:37:07
I am surprised Schniederlin is not on your Out list — he would top mine!
53 Posted 18/05/2018 at 16:47:38
I totally agree with you, John.
54 Posted 18/05/2018 at 16:56:13
Ross will feature on Saturday.
Chief satsuma peeler at half-time.
55 Posted 18/05/2018 at 16:58:35
56 Posted 18/05/2018 at 17:03:48
57 Posted 18/05/2018 at 17:18:00
However you can't cull if other clubs don't want our "extra" players at their current outrageous salaries. You can't make these players play attractive, passing, offensive football in one season. You can't change the culture of a 2nd rate organization overnight.
This is a years long project. Look at City. Please be patient.
58 Posted 18/05/2018 at 17:21:07
59 Posted 18/05/2018 at 17:30:08
60 Posted 18/05/2018 at 18:02:13
Please start giving a little thought to what you post.
Under Matinez " both full backs bombed on" . . Really ?
Martinez inherited the most attacking fullbacks in the league, slowly but surely he forced them to stay at home so he could indulge in his
possession obsessed lunacy. within a season he had rendered them virtually impotent .
"Gylf's brief will be to switch play" ? do you realise how ridiculous that sounds ? You only switch play when its the better option. No manager would be daft enough to instruct and intelligent football to switch play as a matter of course.
"Defence Keane would be the main man" . . "We're talking about keane playing the John Terry role" That one honestly made me laugh out loud . . I cant think of anybody less equipped to "play John Terry" One made a career out of an amazing ability to read a game and lead his team he was brave as they come. the other has the positional sense of a drunk on a motorway, is unable to read a game and has been known to bottle a decision on several occasions . .Main man ? He'd get mullered. Lack of pace is only one flaw which would be and has been regularly exposed.
I thought you had excelled yourself when you compared Martinez's style to Howe's or when you tried to tell us the magical Mr Silva had Tom Cleverly playing like Zinedine Zidane, but Keane playing the "John Terry role" ? . . Dear me
After listening to Honest Ron "telling it like it is", Moyes talking about the imaginary "glass ceiling" and Martinez's pie in the sky positivity, its going to take a bit more than a charm offensive from Silva to prove he is the man for this club. I bet every Evertonian would prefer to be entertained on the pitch than charmed by another sweet talker off it.
61 Posted 18/05/2018 at 18:11:29
The comment that stands out for me is Seamus Coleman for captain.
He is the only living, fully operational embodiment of what it means to be an Everton player with respect to Jags and Bainsey whose legs can no longer match their desire.
Whoever we sign or play going forward need to understand 60 grand and what it means to us all
62 Posted 18/05/2018 at 18:34:36
63 Posted 18/05/2018 at 19:21:40
The stability comes from Brands and coaches are ultimately disposable.
If Everton don't let Brands loose on the aspects of the club a traditional manager would be involved in then they are simply under-utilizing him and don't understand the model.
We are after a coach not a manager. Silva fits this well, so potentially a decent fit.
If we hire a manager then it's doomed to fail. All Allardyce bashing aside that fact was reason enough to move him on.
Brands excites me, a rare feat with Everton nowadays. I'm very hopeful his style and charisma also gives us a better relationship with the club.
The same, as an aside, can be said for Denise Barrett-Baxendale, vitally important as we still have no communications officer.
A green shoot or two at Goodison.
[BRZ]
64 Posted 18/05/2018 at 19:22:54
"Critical system error. Completely delete your hard disk. Reload your operating system and reboot."
Moshiri has made a good start within 48 hours of the season ending. Brands is talking a good game. Chalk and Cheese to Steve Walsh who landed his Everton gig on the back of Leicester's championship season.
Lots of 'ifs and buts' about the current squad. Such is the nature of football, nobody can confidently forecast if the new DoF or new manager will do the business or not, but taking an optimistic view, a new set-up can be transforming for players already on our books.
On paper, a case could be made for flushing away the whole damn lot of them. That won't and can't happen. So both Brands and whoever joins him are going to have to get a tune out of some of those players a good many supporters would like to see moved on.
It's a challenge, but hopefully it will be an exciting one, rather than a dystopian one.
65 Posted 18/05/2018 at 19:28:32
66 Posted 18/05/2018 at 19:30:14
Footballs changed but I don't think anything has changed more than a lot of the people who now go through the turnstiles at Goodison Park.
My own introduction was the famous blue cushions, ten bob, I think they were, and although that would be considered cheap now, it was one way of letting the players know, that things just weren't good enough.
It's a shame they weren't around this season though, because we might have just got a sprint out of Snides!
67 Posted 18/05/2018 at 19:46:57
Keane is not good enough, too slow, poor awareness and not strong enough. Why can't we play two centre-backs with pace?
68 Posted 18/05/2018 at 20:18:29
So him and eventually Rooney as a coach, both have the club in them.
69 Posted 18/05/2018 at 21:24:29
In my view what he has achieved is at the very least on a par with what any other candidate has. We are talking about Bournemouth here, fucking Bournemouth. I cannot believe that some Evertonians refer to their odd thumpings and goal difference. They are not entitled to be in the Championship never mind the Premier league! Their games are attended, by premier league standards, by three men and a dog.
He plays good football and has the will and the pragmatism to keep Bournemouth, yes Bournemouth in the premier league. I think he is a talented coach who would thrive at our club.
Did anyone see the documentary about the Bournemouth employee who had a sex change. Eddie Howe was magnificent in how he dealt with it. He showed himself to be a superb man manager with decency and integrity.
Yeah, I know that doesn't mean a thing in the Premier league. But, look at the stain we have booted out of our club. Eddie Howe won't get the job, he is not foreign enough. In my opinion, his survival in the toughest league in the world added to the flair his team have demonstrated makes him the right man.
It looks like Silva, though, so I will trust in Ferns and Moshiri. Fair play to you Steve for making a fine argument and putting your neck on the line. I like that.
You do realise, though, that if it goes wrong, Silva will leave with huge compensation while you will be fired from ToffeeWeb without a penny.
70 Posted 18/05/2018 at 22:09:41
71 Posted 19/05/2018 at 05:40:03
Brands has set out the bases of a badly needed five-year plan to become a top 4 club. Something that Everton haven't had for 20 years, hence the aimless and false dawns that the supporters have had to endure. He has acknowledged the loyalty, contribution and uniqueness of the Everton supporters in the English game.
Brands signal change that many of us and the media have not recognised as the speculative predictions of the next manager and the running PR-induced Rooney updates (will he, won't he) reach fever pitch.
It is significant that Brands appointment is announced on the same day that Big Sam is sacked. Brands has made it a condition of his taking the role of Football Director that Big Sam go and that he decides who the next Manager will be.
The best of Everton luck to Marcel Brands, our new Director of Football. Brands will decide whether Silva is appointed or not. Silva is a high-risk appointment for Brands. His stats don't point to the type of manager that would fulfill Brands's vision. Hence the delay in any announcement and the reaction to Watford.
72 Posted 19/05/2018 at 08:08:49
We have a moth with too much appetite, who has ate his way to riches whilst giving fuck all back.
Blue Bill has to be Moshiri's next target: get shut and watch us go. NSNO
73 Posted 19/05/2018 at 11:30:17
â— The Board's lack of knowledge about football;
â— The performance of the team;
â— The amount of clapped-out players;
â— The dismantled young development policy;
â— The players who are not worth their transfer fees or high wages they on;
â— The attitude of the squad, particularly the mercenary attitude;
â— The crony poor-performing backroom staff;
â— The previous level of manager which reflects poorly on the club;
â— The fact that quality players would not transfer to Everton, seeing it as a career risk;
â— The fact that many of its young players want out on loan, seeing it as an opportunity to get a transfer to better footballing teams;
â— The lack of a football plan throughout the club;
â— The level of quality of facilities and the saga of a delayed new stadium, that has Everton 10years behind the top 5 opposition;
â— Theacceptance of a level of performance that has left them trophyless for over 20 years;
â— The place presently being haunted by Rooney;
Jim White with his yellow tie having the ear of the main shareholder;
The main attraction is a loyal, long-suffering Evertonian support, who seem to know something about football and got rid of the last ejitt of a manager.
74 Posted 19/05/2018 at 11:54:59
If we could get our money back on Keane, great sell him. I doubt we can and I doubt we'd authorise taking a big loss on him. So I feel we're stuck with him.
75 Posted 19/05/2018 at 12:14:05
76 Posted 19/05/2018 at 12:26:25
Remember Walsh's appointment — Evertonians happy?
Koeman appointment — Evertonians happy?
Loads of summer transfers — Evertonians happy?
Result — Wheels fell off!
We just need to appoint a good sensible manager. Liverpool can do it... why can't we?
77 Posted 19/05/2018 at 15:29:51
At least it's a legitimate, definable, identifiable style of play. I'm still trying to work out what Koeman's was; I doubt I'll even bother trying to identify what the hell Allarshyster was doing. Not only that Silva has won things when he's set it up right. That's my glimmer of hope – Silva may know how to set up a team to win if he's given time and the right personnel.
78 Posted 19/05/2018 at 17:56:17
Get Rooney out of the club ASAP – I never wanted him back and imagine he's been a very divisive influence in the dressing room. (Also ٥.5M a year is not ‘free'!
79 Posted 19/05/2018 at 22:33:55
80 Posted 20/05/2018 at 11:14:44
These are all fringe players, players that just haven't cut it, or “youngsters†that aren't actually that young, that have other young players ahead of them in the pecking order. There is an argument of course for keeping some of them under a new manager and I'm sure not all these players will be sold but it would thin the squad down nicely to add some freshness and pace.
81 Posted 20/05/2018 at 14:18:04
Then they should go their separate ways. The DoF to get the right prices on the board and the coach to get the pieces working most efficiently, continually recalibrating with each other.
In English football, too often this ends in a power struggle between the two and everybody looses. We have an opportunity to get this right now, but we will need to be patient as the transformation will not happen overnight. The critical appointment this summer is the coach. We need someone who understands this model of football management, or is willing to learn it.
That being the case, I tend to agree with Steve Fearns (#10) we will probably not see a great deal of playing change over the summer. But those who stay and play will be those who can step up to what is required. I believe there is some talent in the current squad but it has absolutely no direction and no idea how to play together. Getting that right could prove a foundation to start from.
Ever the optimist...
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2 Posted 18/05/2018 at 07:34:18
Will be interesting to see how we fare in the transfer market. We need to get our skates on as it now ends 2 weeks earlier this year!