Brands agrees to a contract extension with Everton

Hand on heart I don't think he earned the three year extension, however, I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he can help push us into the Champions League during the period of his contract extension.

Think it's a good thing.

Meanwhile, I thing Carlo will be looking to get in some "older" players in key positions to consolidate the progress we made this season and give us a platform to grow on with the younger players that we also bring in.

That is my hope - anyway.

I like him. I think he's had a lot of shit to sort out from that scattergun approach of his predecessors. And once he got a manager who gave him clear direction, we actually went out and got 4 very good signings last summer; ones the manager wanted. Be they the type of player or actual individuals.

The Josh King one in January still confuses me thought. Whose idea was that and why? Seems the manager doesn't rate or want him.

You can equally rattle off many top quality Dutch players who have graced these shores and those across the continent.

I don't care who he signs as long as his name isn't Iwobi.

I'd rather see a quick right sided player that isn't Iwobi and Rodrigues play the advanced midfield no. 10 role ahead of Allan and Doucoure.

Walcott, Bolasie and Besic all end their contracts. It seems that Kean will be sold for a healthy profit, Kenny will be sold and Bernard will be transferred too. That is a lot of spondulix off the books before there is any investment from the Chairman.

Since Ancelotti and Brands have worked together, Everton have brought in Branthwaite, Nkounkou, Allan, Rodriguez, Godfrey, Doucoure, Olsen on loan, and King on loan. So far, for me anyway, King has been the only suspect signing, albeit only a loan. He may prove valuable yet in the last 7 games or so.

I for one think that the partnership has delivered so far. There is still a long way to go, but cause for optimism it seems.

The inherited players that have attracted mixed responses/criticisms have either come good - Davies when played with Allan, Sigurdsson in his proper position, or improved after injury - Gomes, or (I wait to be shot at here - and maybe rightly so) could offer something in the likes of Iwobi/Delph. Iwobi at times looks like he has just stepped onto a pitch not knowing his team mates, but has looked reasonably effective as a wingback - where he has the space to run at people, or more central - he always comes inside anyway when playing as a winger: he isn't a winger in my reckoning. Delph, well if we actually get hi fit, he can provide decent cover in midfield and at left back - big if I know.

Tosun - well he is out injured, so he will not be moving anywhere for a while.

Well, that seems better than going back to the days of Koeman and Walsh, which did not seem a partnership whatsoever. It ain't that long ago either!

Anyways, let's wait and see!

And an impact player. Seems he doesn't start regular for Wolves and has his best games when he comes on for the last 20 minutes.

No stats to back that up, just a hunch from what I've seen.

I have to slightly disagree about Brands shifting the deadwood, the players who will leave at the end of the season are players whose contracts are finishing. The fact is that Brands cant do a dam thing about moving a player on if that player doesn't want to move. That's why players who might be surplus to requirements like Iwobi will be here till the end of his contract unless he stands to make more money by leaving.

Brands should be judged on the players he brings to the club, and I think Carlo has said that Godfrey wasn't on his list so that is a massive plus for Brands. I also give brands great credit in setting up a South American network as a lot of the best players in Europe emanated from that part of the world so lets hope we can pick up some gems before they attract the attention of the bigger clubs.

The brass really need to have a purge soon otherwise we will continue to be a mid-table team.

Once listed, take away young prospects who anyone could have got a buyer for, take away those whose contracts ran out and take away anyone who we lost more than £20m on. I've not looked myself but I'd be curious to see what's left

And whilst I am happy with Moshri's direction for Everton, I really do question what some fans want...

Like, how do the transfers work? Surely Moshri says to Carlo, come to Everton, you'll have £100M to spend each season. Brands mean while has also been told the same thing, and whilst Brands would have signed potential with that £100 Carlo wants proven winners (and can attract them).

Carlo then brings in his players - Rodriguez, Allan, etc. and Brands is left with £20M to go and make some gambles on. His gamble last season paid off massively, and from the season before (Kean) he's going to double his money.

But the idea that he's going to go out, spend all 100M on five unknown world beaters is fanciful and best. He'll get scraps after Carlo has attracted Kabouli for 35M.

And Kabouli like Allan and Rodriguez will make us so much better, and without Carlo we could never get them, but in five years time they have no resale value and where are we then?

My question is can two opposing strategies work simultaneously, or is it ultimately going to be our undoing like when Walsh, Koeman, Kenwright each signed a number 10?

Go and get this actual player (James, Allan) and this type of player (Doucoure, Godfrey). And the beauty of that is a blend of ready made experience with future potential. If that is the model moving forward, I'm happy with 3 more years of building on that.

Yes, that year when our transfer strategy was Koeman, Kenwright and Walsh all going out to the shops without consulting each other and bringing back their own new toys!!

Last summer we brought in Allan who is a fine player but has become worryingly dogged by injury, James who is a world class player but again dogged by injury, Doucoure who is proven at Premier League level and is the only midfielder we have with energy and of course Ben Godfrey who reminds me of a modern Joleon Lescott.

I'm still fuming we missed out on the players that West Ham and Leicester poached, Tielemans and Soucek should have been wearing Everton shirts if we had enough about us and the fans would have loved them.

Brands and Carlo need to strengthen us in summer to avoid yet another missed opportunity next season.

Has he really taken us forward, he's had three years, where have we finished, 8th, 12th and where will we finish this season?

Bernard through to Iwobi, bloody embarrassing!

I don't remember him singing " Strengthen the right side of the team and another attacker and that's a start." How did that go ? 😜💙

11th this season I'd make a fair guess at.

Scouting players is one thing. Getting them in an Everton jersey is another.

They are both incredibly difficult. The former is a skill in being able to spot talent. The latter is based entirely upon network and relationships.

What strikes me with Brands is when a player is identified to him, he is very good at getting his man. Clearly Carlo had a big say in the identification of Allan and James Rodriguez. Brands brought them to Everton Football Club.

Recommendations for Godfrey and Doucoure by Carlo's admission came from elsewhere. Brands got these deals done.

I don't think there's too many he hasn't tied up since being here. Zaha seems the obvious one and fair play to Brands on this one too, he wouldn't held to ransom.

Iwobi leaves question marks but there are other people in the equation identifying the players.

The key will be in the identification of talent as if this is done successfully then Brands' track record tells me that he'll get the deal over the line.

Yes us critics... I totally understand Brands job, to drive this club forward, has he done that, are we actually any closer to the top teams, I'd say we're not, you?!

In 2018 we had finished 8th. With a -14 goal difference and 49 points.

We had been in relation danger earlier in the season.

We finished the season with a manager who has never won a major trophy.

2021 and less than 3 years later. We have one of the most decorated managers of the modern game as our manager. A World Class player in our starting XI (most weeks). We are on 49 points with 21 left to play for and we have a positive goal difference. We've won a Merseyside derby at Anfield for the first time in 21.5 years.

So whilst we may not be ‘close' to the top teams. I'd say we are considerably ‘closer' than the final day of the 2017/2018 before Marcel Brands joined Everton.

Hopefully we will finish a bit higher than 8th over the next three years, then us critics can petition for a statue of The Architect outside BMD to honour him for taking us foward!

I said we are closer.

But not close.

So closer. But still far.

A bit like getting the train from Southport to Hunts Cross.

When you stop at Birkdale. You're not that close to Hunts Cross. But you are closer than when you were in Southport.

That train you are on from Southport, stop at Kirkdale for a detour to salute that statue of Brands at BMD, then walk the rest of the way to Huntscross, its a little bit closer but still not that close...

If he buys another Iwobi I'll want him out the gates a Finch Farm pronto, without even a taxi and jogging his merry way down Speke Boulevard to the airport.

Delph, Bernard, Davies, Holgate. To name a few.

If Moshiri has ambitions and trusts Brands, and we have aspirations for top four, we must rebuild our midfield and have more options up front.

Surely the club will finally get rid of all the players who just don't cut it anymore and don't show any consistency.

I cannot see the point of bringing any loanees back such as Walcott and Kean. If Carlo didn't feel they would fit in this season then they won't fit in next season.

We are woefully short of another class striker and midfielder and if that doesn't change then next season will be just as disappointing.

Tommy Carter, I love an analogy so like your train one. If Southport is the end of the line (the bottom), then surely we're at Brunswick, approaching St Michael's?!!

I thought Marcel Brands came over quite well on the USA Live forum and I believe a further three years, now having his feet under the table knowing what the fans demand, is better than starting again with a new appointment.

If I have one gripe, Godfrey apart, we haven't picked up players from the lower divisions, who will make the grade. Surely there is a wealth of young talent (Ollie Watkins for example), on whom we can take a chance?

The South American market might also prove to be a profitable hunting ground - anyway that's for Mr Brands to sort, starting this summer.

There is some truth in what you say.

Brands is a total fraud. And the fact that Kenwright has announced the deal tells you everything you need to know. Ludicrous.

Slightly ironic to throw out the term 'deluded', don't you think?

When he says "Me and Carlo will sort it so you guys on the web can fuck right off and, if you want a grovelling John Henry apology about it, you can do one!" – I will know we have turned the corner.

4 first team players this summer, maybe one or two younger gems that I've never heard of with potential too. Would love, Aarrons, Koulibally, Bissouma and Neto.

This coming transfer window will determine things to a large degree, I have faith in Ancelotti and Brands to get it right.