Dutch pundit's bizarre rant at Marcel Brands

Reported by tonight's Echo is a Dutch coach having a go at Brands, his transfer strategy and failings at PSV and this season at Everton.

I certainly felt the same this summer and we can't have many more windows like that.

Actually Paul, it's not a Dutch coach, but an ex-player turned pundit as the report clearly states.

You know, like Paul Merson or Phil Thompson.

Take their word as gospel also Paul?

Next...

Paul

It was Wim Kieft, that joker who broke Irish hearts with the winner at Euro 88. He may be bitter because he was an assistant coach at PSV when Brands arrived but was let go within a year.

Jay,

Take their word as gospel? Odd way to look at football opinions. I don't think the dutch pundit (as you correctly put) was up in court, it was just his opinion and yes I took it as real.

I reckon he knows more about Brands than I do and I agree with his comments on our transfers this season so I take his comments on board.

Next.

Kieran, that could be very true mate he may well be bitter but it fits in with our latest window in my opinion so I think he has a point.

I don't believe in Director of football genius either to be honest and i'd like to find some reasons why some club owners think its the right thing to do?

I don't really like the man but if I had to have someone choosing transfers in that capacity it would be Moyes.

Paul,

I do think the Director of Football muddies the water in terms of accountability. Mike Walker was in charge, he signed crap players and the team played crap and he was sacked.

With a Director of Football, the coach can blame the director for bad signings, while the director can blame the coach for wasting their talents. So if things go wrong, what do you do? Fire one, fire both? If you fire one and are still useless do you bring him back and fire the other one?

It's called confirmation bias, Paul.

You like what Wim Kieft sounded off about as it echoes your own sentiments about Marcel Brands.

And you put up Moyes as a better alternative?

I thought you were big on 'pride' at EFC?

Hmmm. 'n if you know yer 'istory, 'n all that.

He didn't really say anything about our transfer strategy though - didn't go into any detail or cite any specific signings... it sounds like he just glanced at our position in the league table and used it as an excuse to go off on Brands.

Ah!!!! The Echo...that clarion of absolute shite and true journalism...Now just imagine some German failure with an axe to grind over Herr Klopp and being pissed off with him for not getting the lead role in “Das Boot”... well... no way would our lovable paper ever be equal thinking and consider printing that... but anything to stir the pot to put little Everton in their place...well let’s not pass the opportunity by!!

Journo needs a piece to submit, finds someone ready to spew some bile for a few quid. Editor fills a few column inches.

Evertons Marcel Brands today.
Man U's Ed Woodward yesterday.

Not every journalist uncovers "Watergate" every year.

90% forgettable fiction, 9% pure gossip, 1% well researched, accurate truth. And even then the good stuff is rarely bloody earthshaking.

"I reckon he knows more about Brands than I do". Paul A Smith, have you ever even been in the same room as either of these men ?
No. No I bet that you haven't, so do yourself a huge favour. Talk about what you DO know. It's the very first rule of writing anything. Say what you like, but admit that it's conjecture or opinion. IF it is factual, then substantiate with evidence.

Just a Kleftomaniac trying to pinch the headlines.

Wim Kieft, now there's a blast from the past. From what I remember, he was quite good at heading goals but not much else. Maybe all those headers loosened a few screws.

Das Boot... Best funny comment on here in a long time. Had me laughing.

Wow, he really does seem to have a personal gripe with Brands.

He patently ignores Brands's highly successful time with PSV and then doesn't put his time at Everton in context. When Brands and Silva came in, they were, whether we like to admit it or not, inheriting an eccentric squad. It was a bizarre mix of knee jerk buys, failed Walsh, Koeman, Allardyce's and Martinez's signings along with original Moyes players in key positions who needed replacing. We had way too many No 10 types but not enough defenders and centre midfielders.

I find it stupid to criticise Brands based on us finishing 8th after his first season following the events of the previous 3 years. Perhaps judge his role and performance next summer and remember that he's not the one who sets out the tactics or team selections. But do look at the balance of the squad, how his players have progressed.

To me it looks like Brands has three objectives. To bring in youth either to eventually play in the first team or to be sold on for profit. Secondly, to do some surgery in certain positions long term and he's addressed that in defence to some extent. Lastly, to recruit pace for the attack which he's done with Iwobi and Bernard.

The only signing we have made thus far under his leadership that has puzzled me is Delph. Which is a lot better than under Walsh where I was constantly baffled by the signings of Vlasic, Bolasie, Williams, multiple No 10s...

Or Chris @ 9 a role in "Das boot room".

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Wim Kieft is usually quite moderate with his opinions.
You could take a swipe at him for being an alcohol and drugs addict, but this is besides the point.

He named Adam Maher and Bert Ramselaar.
I know very little about the latter, but I can say that Maher was once considered a big talent at my local team AZ Alkmaar, and even played 5 times for the Dutch national team.
It was no real surprise that PSV bought him.

It then came out that he had a suspect sexual life, often with married women in public places.
His playing days at PSV were over.
Via Osmanlispor in Turkey, he came back to our country via FC Twente, and AZ again.
He now plays for FC Utrecht.

To blame Marcel Brands for this, is a bit rich for an ex-coke addict.

It has always amazed me how that cretin Van der Meijde got away with his shambolic behaviour when at our club. Acting like a second rate George Best.
In my opinion Moyes shoulders more blame for that, than Marcel Brands for not suspecting Maher would go off the rails.

I doubt Brands listens to Klefts lip.

Francis, wasn't the Calvert-Lewinan der Meyde transfer made in full knowledge that the player was damaged goods? We got him on the cheap, Everton were aware of some issues, and Moyes fancied himself as the man to fix him.

Turns out Van der Meyde was only just starting to go off the rails and he took it to new levels at Everton. So we couldn't be ready for all that happened. But alarm bells were there before we signed him and that was reflected in the price.

But you're Dutch so you probably know more about this and whether some of the above was actually incorrect.

Steve, to be honest, I've no idea.
We fans are outsiders, unless you know someone within the club.
What you say could be correct.
But if so, Moyes failed miserably, as v/d Meijde was a useless drunk.
He's made money on boasting about it in a book, and even had a tv programme on some shitty commercial station.
On the book, I just read a short summary on-line.
He's not from a good sound family, his father was a gambling addict and a drunk.
The book is called Geen Genade (No Mercy), and he doesn't spare himself.
What I can remember is his girlfriend leaving him was the catalyst for his demise (he had betrayed her with a stripper..)
Drink, sex and drugs (coke) kept him going in Liverpool.
He even stole sleeping tablets from the team doctor for two years (wow, no idea about that)

36 readers gave it an average ranking of 8 (out of 10)

What I forgot to mention, his life, and he is not alone in this, shows how some (footballers) cannot deal with fame and fortune.

A funny story I remember from his time at Inter Milan, he lived on the verges of Lake Como, which is a very nice part of Italy.

Once when arriving home, he walked through the dark garage, he got licked by something. Which turned out to have been a camel..., bought by his girlfriend to surprise him.

They were building some sort of mini-zoo together.