Angus Kinnear talks recruitment structure ahead of ‘unprecedented summer’ for Everton

Interesting that he said DoF is not a role for the modern game, instead espousing his desires for experts in all fields of football, ie, analytics expert, recruitment expert, scouting expert, and contract negotiation expert as part of a committee headed by the CEO and the manager.

If he can direct the club to achieve an upward trajectory, then it all sounds like good news.

It's nothing short of what we have cried out for for long enough: vision, direction, foundation… I'm liking it so far.

*Moise Kean, right idea, wrong player.

Shake the Kenwright curse, hopefully.

I am very heartened to see he has used the word “aggressive” when describing our ambitions, and used other clubs as examples to explain what should be our ambitions in the medium term – although I would have preferred him to use “in the immediate term!”

I've been attending Goodison for 50 years now and can probably count the number of genuine world class players playing in a blue shirt on one hand. And I've seen enough of David Moyes to know he is definitely not a world class manager.

This isn't me being negative; it's just me saying, "Cut the hyperbole, Angus, because a lot of Evertonians are not stupid people when it comes to understanding football."

I obviously hope we do get a great recruitment team and I definitely hope that David Moyes continues to improve us, but at least he was being realistic and talking a lot more sense when telling us we need to create a firm foundation that we can build on.

Do us a favour, Angus, just help bring in some players that help us win a trophy!

Sorry, I'll get mine then soon. :-)

As Tony A said, I picked up on David Moyes "being a World Class Manager" too, and hope that this may be the end of his hyperbolae. Testicular Accentuation = Talking Bollocks (?) Looking forward too, to him putting his promises into fruition.

Not every young signing will be a gem, but the potential to at least get our money back will be there. Recruitment's been one of our main problems over recent years. How much money are we going to recoup from the players out of contract at the end of this season?

Easier said than done of course. But that should be our strategic focus.

Changes are being implemented. Get used to it because this club is coming back and I can't wait for the journey.

As I've said to friends, it's not for me, it's for those young supporters I watch, week-in & week-out.

Spirit. Forever.

I wish him the best of luck but we need results, not promises — we have had promises for the last 30 years and none have come to fruition.

As the saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words".

Likewise the executive searches for a Director of Football Operations and a Director of Player Identification, to fill the holes left by Thelwell and Purdy.

Friedkin likes to keep things very close to the vest and Kinnear will certainly follow that guidance.

"But David and I see that as an opportunity to... have a team that is moving up the table."

"David, who we think is a world-class manager."

“Perhaps Nottingham Forest making a run in Europe, Crystal Palace getting to an FA Cup Final. They’re all things that should be in our ambitions for the medium term."

“We have to be pragmatic. We have to be balanced. We have to be sensible in our decisions."

“We have to work in a structure where we’re not worried about relegation... We need to create a firm foundation that we can build on.”

Hardly Henry V before the Battle of Agincourt is it?

As for the transfer window, I'm quietly confident we'll be pleased once it's over.

“Perhaps Nottingham Forest making a run in Europe, Crystal Palace getting to an FA Cup Final. They’re all things that should be in our ambitions for the medium term."

Why did you leave out the bit where he also said there's no reason why Everton can't challenge the top teams in Europe?

Because I was highlighting Everton's ambitions in the short to medium term.

Of course we can challenge the top teams in Europe but I think even Angus qualified that as a "longer term" goal.

Just 18 months earlier, we had started George Orwell's 1984 nearly as bad, as the basket case of a football club we have become over these last few years.

From a basket case of a football club to being voted World Team of the Year inside 18 months — and we were denied bigger and better things because of events that happened elsewhere and had absolutely nothing to do with us.

Football is different now, I know, but it wasn't that long ago that a 5000/1 shot won the Premier League, which means that anything is possible if you get the right players, playing the right system, because this will always get the crowd behind you.

Anything is possible — especially if it's already been done before!

Look at Forest last season to this! Okay, they're struggling to keep it going, but Europe and an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley/

IIt doesn't take much for fortunes to turn around in football, you just need the stars to align, a bit of luck, and a few decent signings.

Performance measurement.

"I think David has done a wonderful job since he came in..."

Sounds like Davey is earning an A+ from Angus for his first 4 months?

This is what the new owners goal should be!! Ambition and Aggression!!

Do you think that's what Angus is saying?

40 years ago, I was living my Everton dream every week. We were almost invincible.

I watched us parade two league titles around Goodison. Saw Ratcliffe lift the FA Cup for the first time in my life. Saw us win a European trophy. Narrowly miss out on another league title and two FA Cups.

Denied the chance to win the European Cup for a crime we didn't commit. And we would have won that competition. We were that good.

When people think I'm a dreamer or deluded, I won't accept it. We can and will be winners again.

No one is taking my expectations away from my or our Everton. The Blue Boys are on the rise and we shall not be moved. Not by anyone.

What's your take on what Angus said?

That team of the '80s would, I'm pretty certain, have won the European Cup the following year, and maybe even another one or two. We wouldn't have sold some of that squad, only added to it, and Howard Kendall I'm sure wouldn't have gone to Spain.

That squad, management and our potential dominance of English and maybe European football was totally extinguished in around 2 hours of mayhem in Brussels.

Bitter… you'd better fucking believe it!

Rob, I will never forgive them. I don't have it in my usually diplomatic self. We would have won that European Cup but now get mocked with that disgraceful mocking Steaua Bucharest banner on the the piss-riden Kop.

Yes I'm bitter. With reason. Every single one of them.

It looks like there is ambition there — but over a realistic time horizon

Boring… but we won't be complaining in 3 years if the squad is high quality and we're genuinely competing for silverware and Champions League qualification!

I should have been more exact.

In relation to the quotes I put up @13 (& @15) and in terms of the "reigning in expectations" criticism of previous Everton regimes... how would you respond to each of those?

Take your time...

They have never challenged for domestic silverware but have been to the Europa League semi-finals three times and the final once.

When I watched the Final back again on video days later, Brian Clough did the co-commentary with Brian Moore. Clough said "Everton will be a force in Europe for many years"!! Us fans, the manager and coaching staff were robbed!!!

But the biggest upset is for those players who were denied so many games playing in Europe's top competition!! I as an Everton fan never got over it but imagine being one of those players that played in the Bayern Munich games and the Rapid Vienna game. Then, "Sorry, lads, but that is it for you lot for 5 years!!"

"7th, 6th, 6th, 6th and 6th."

Angus Kinnear's short/medium term ambitions for Everton by numbers.

Yes, I know what Roma have achieved and the Freidkins probably want the same for us.

7th, 6th, 5th, 5th add a Cup Final. That would certainly be more success than our last 4 years have been.

David #22... suggests he wouldn't be happy with that?

Which is it mate?

"A world-class football operations team in place who'll be there to support David, who we think is a reasonably good manager."

Nothing like a bit of boosting your staff's confidence — and the alternative is nothing like a bit of boosting your staff's confidence.

No, I want the owner to go all in on my first post but think the Freidkins would see success if they can match Roma's.

My 4 seasons would be what I would like the owners to try and achieve!

Tumbleweed pretty much sweeping across ToffeeWeb in the aftermath of Kinnear's vision for the immediate future of Everton.

We've been afflicted with incompetent CEOs but apparently this guy's lack of ambition isn't an issue.

Plus ça change…

I will try and send my 4 season targets to Angus and see if I get a response?

I think he would say I'm not realistic and too aggressive!

We all want your first post.

But if TFG want the Roma progress… and achieve it... it's a massive improvement but not good enough for everyone.

I think there's no reason why Everton can't challenge it at the top table of European football.

If he had said "a world-class football operations team in place who'll be there to support David" and left it at that... would we be even discussing it now?

It would be great if we had owners who wanted to make Everton the best in England and one of the best in Europe.

Robert, I read the same thing between the lines; I can see unspectacular recruitment but pragmatic — and hopefully a lot more money is available than we had previously predicted. Moyes alluded to it too.

I'm optimistic but it will take time.

He says he wants to make Evertonians proud, and to put the football first, and my inner voice is saying 'Bullshit'.

My gut tells me that the list of priorities he's listed there are very different from the list of priorities he's been discussing with his new bosses. I don't think Davey is going to find him very supprtive, this guy will turn on a sixpence.

Red card... see my post #17.

In case you have not been listening:

The major role Angus Kinnear played in getting Everton their FFP points deduction

Top job at the club he helped in nearly relegating us, unbelievable!

Who the fuck gave him this job? The more things change etc.

If you are referring to my posts... I'm just repeating what Angus has said with admittedly sometimes my added emphasis in bold.

I don't disagree with him... although two positives.

"We think he's a world class manager… We're gonna have a world class football operations team." Are we? What does that even mean?

He's full of warm words, or piss and wind as they used to say. It would have been infinitely better if he'd done a Friedkin and just kept his mouth shut.

I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this new regime. This is a key appointment, and this guy sounds like the Chief Exec of a local council.

Don't think you can be a back-stabbing bastard if you haven't had a connection or relationship in the first place.

It's a bit like blasting a girl for her previous boyfriends?

Actually no. Angus is quite measured in his ambitions.

Read my post #13... if he was any more grounded he'd need watering.

Not bang on, just bang.

Welcome to the club. Good luck. You'll be judged on your actions and the improvement of the club.

As soon as we find somewhere to put the new computer, somebody to plug it in, and one to turn it o,n we'll give the manager a list of players to pick from and then see if it matches the transfer budget before passing it to the other bloke from Leeds who will negotiate the fee and wages — no more one-man DoF.

Yes, CEO.

But this being ToffeeWeb, of course there's going to be lots of complaints when we do get communication.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

I basically ignored those comments as hyperbole, though Moyes has done better than expected. I concentrated on the 'flat structure' comment.

A world class manager would not buy Soucek or Coufal, Let's see if Angus shuts those ideas down immediately, sends Harrison back, and lays down a positive marker for younger players with pace and drive by signing.

Oh, and buying Alcaraz.

I'm still bitter about WW1 and WW2 which robbed us of titles. 🤣🤣

Apologies, Brendan. I wasn't taking my time. I had family around. More to follow coming down from Liverpool this afternoon.

Okay, in response to what you specifically asked:

"I think David has done a wonderful job since he came in..." "But David and I see that as an opportunity to... have a team that is moving up the table."

There is no denying he has done the job he came into do, and he's done it well. Even original pessimists like me acknowledge that. Now he will be given the opportunity to progress. This is what he's saying?

"David, who we think is a world-class manager."

Well, that's a bit of a stretch. He's a proven Premier League Manager with his limitations, especially when it comes to dining at the top table.

“Perhaps Nottingham Forest making a run in Europe, Crystal Palace getting to an FA Cup Final. They're all things that should be in our ambitions for the medium term."

They should. It can be done. Nottingham Forest survived by the skin of their teeth and were odds-on favourites to be relegated this season. Anything is possible in football.

“We have to be pragmatic. We have to be balanced. We have to be sensible in our decisions."

“We have to work in a structure where we're not worried about relegation... We need to create a firm foundation that we can build on.”

I understand we need to build, but we can move quicker than some predict. He's probably looking at the reality, but I suspect underneath the umbrella, he won't be patient.

Hardly Henry V before the Battle of Agincourt is it?

Not really. Nor is it Churchillian. But the guy has been in the job for 2 days. He will assess and then start to drive the ship. It's a bit like when the owners took over. After a month, which included the Christmas period, people were questioning what have they done for us? Reminded me of that scene from the life of Brian. "What have the Romans ever done for us"?

When I've been in jobs, I've always been asked what my 30-60-90 day plan is. 30 days is assessment. 60 days formulating and converting thoughts and opinions. 90 days, you start implementing the vision and strategy.

Eric, I agree. He's communicated, as you would expect, but can't win. I don't think we will hear too much from The Friedkin Group. That's why they put their own people in place to run their many businesses. But, and without the benefit of a crystal ball, I don't think these guys will hang around if their expectations are not met.

As I keep pointing out, their investment in Roma has seen 5 managers in 5 years. Hardly a case for stability. But they have won a European trophy, been in finals and semi-finals, and are in with a shout for Champions League qualification this month.

Back to Brendan's questions, he might be managing immediate expectation but, unlike the previous regime, who systematically beat it down over decades, I don't think this lot will hang around if things aren't happening.

Echoes of, “What a manager!”

Roma are in pretty much exactly the same place they have been in before TFG bought them – possibly a touch lower in fact.

The 6th place finishes at Roma don't represent improvement.

The difference under TFG is that they are achieving this on a much lower budget.

As the saying goes, proof will be in the pudding.

I've got a soft spot for Roma. When I lived there around 2000-02, I used to go to the Studio Olympico and watch them. Lazio too, but their supporters were horrible. I can't think of another phrase other than Mussolini-supporting fascists.

Both teams won the Serie A during that period. I watched Francesco Totti live. Great player who only had eyes for Roma, despite overtures from Real Madrid. Born and bred in the city. There is a great documentary out there with his story. It's in Italian but with subtitles.

I know and understand your views on expenditure. I don't think any of us dispute that. The successful teams generally spend the most.

But I will maintain my view. How you spend can be equally as effective, especially for a club where we are now.

As you say, the guy has been in post 2 days, it's no time at all to get to grips with the club or the task at hand, therefore I am forgiving of any mildly misplaced words or phrases.

Jeez, we are a tough lot sometimes; let the man do his job and we'll judge him on that over time.

So this represents a whole new beginning, which is great; what we don't need is the added bullshit stuff like 'worl-class manager', that's unnecessary and, many would argue, untrue.

I imagine Mr Kinnear's in-tray must be full to overflowing and he and the new management team will be judged on what they do. In just a few weeks, our hastily assembled new team will be off on a pre-season tour to America… not sure whose great idea that was?

And importantly 50,000 plus supporters will have to be transferred safely to and from our shinny new stadium. Surely that's enough to be getting on with for anybody?

Good luck, Mr Kinnear, if you didn't know before, this is a big job you have taken on.

We used to be a tough crowd until a lot of people got kidded by the most divisive person ever connected to Everton, when you consider how both KEIOC and The Blue Union were treated by parts of the Everton crowd.

We used to be a tough crowd until a lot of people started telling us to be careful what we wished for and started celebrating coming Best of the Rest.

Actions have always spoken a lot louder than words, so I'm intrigued to see if Dan Friedkin actually attends what is an absolutely enormous occasion in the history of the club he has just purchased, on Sunday.

My view of world class is Messi, Cruyff, Iniesta, Zidane, Maradona and our own Neville Southall.

Another person's view of world class might be to remember how David Moyes kept Everton around 7th in the Premier League for so long, when he never had the biggest budget.

My thoughts for quite a while now have been that this summer is going to tell us a lot about our new owners. The situation the Friedkin's have bought into with regards the amount of players whose contracts are ending definitely requires a lot of action.

We are a tough audience and rightly so. We've earned that over the generations and know our shit, so to speak.

I have no apologies for repeating, but the quote from the late Sir John Moores is what we should measure our expectations on:

“Everton expects success. We've a very good crowd and our crowd are very loyal. But, of course, they pay money and they expect to see us do well. If we don't do well, then something should be done about it, and something will be done about it,”

Notwithstanding our motto, I hope the owners and their management team have this on the walls of their offices.

But Roma have been regulars in the Champions League for years. It's probably only the Milan clubs and Juve who qualify more regularly from Serie A. As I say, this does not represent improvement.

TFG are going about this the right way definitely – but it doesn't follow that our league placing etc will catch up with Roma just because we've got the same owners.

In the Premier League, there are 8 very rich clubs with a big head start on us. There are then quite a few other clubs that are well run and prepared or able to spend money.

That is very, very unlike the dynamics of Serie A.

Given the state of our squad come June, it's going to take some time before our squad quality merits the sort of league places Roma are getting.

But Forest have done it?

Not yet they haven't. And they have risen up the table (like Bournemouth) off the back of very heavy year-on-year spending. We have some catching up to do…

In fact they have. They are guaranteed 7th. No one is breathing down their necks.

I think the owners have ambitions for Everton.

Not to long ago, Manchester City, Leeds and Nottingham Forest were in the 3rd tier of English football. Newcastle and Aston Villa were relegated. We've somehow never been subject to that in our lifetime.

If we invest and spend wisely, anything is achievable.

In fact, we should be there now except Moshiri pulled the plug 4 years ago (after 4 prior years of incompetence).

As for Forest, are we seeing the Santos glass ceiling, a lack of ambition etc – or does that only apply to Everton? After all, making the Champions League has never been easier than this season given 5 places available and Spurs and Man Utd will surely never be this bad again.

You can't compare Forest to Everton. Different gravy.

I have a soft spot for Villa due to my wife. They've been more through the mill than we have with at least two relegations in my experience since the 80s.

I don't think Forest will maintain it, but never take away the joy of watching your team succeed. Leicester may have been relegated again, but there is no doubt their supporters will ever forget lifting the Premier League trophy.

I'm a little nervous about this summer. He's right that it is fairly unprecedented for an established Premier Leaue club to need this big a restructure. Palace did quite a big one in 2021-22 when they spent £80M on Guehi, Anderson, Mateta, Edouard, Olise and Will Hughes amongst others.

Thelwell and Purdy are big holes to fill and we don't have a lot of time. I hope that those roles are not filled by people who have worked alongside Moyes before but by experienced, reasonable people who can provide balance to what sounds like a committee-led transfer process.

Someone who could point out, for example, that spending £16M on Soucek might not be the best allocation of resources for mid- to long-term plans. Not that I don't trust Moyes but most managers will lean recruitment processes towards short-term aims and this is exactly where we have run into problems previously.

What’s wrong with sending scouts out, watching a potential signing and reporting back to make a decision on signing?

At this rate we will recruit using bank transfers instead of using player transfers.

I see Everton as 27th in Deloitte's list of football clubs in terms of revenue. Leeds aren't there to be seen. Maybe you read it somewhere else.

You're an intelligent lad with interesting views that are welcome. Maybe just hold back off on the one liners with no back up.

I would welcome your discussion in a pub on Country Road, where we could discuss properly.

What a player. What a coach. What a servant

There have been some truly great Evertonians... Colin has to be the greatest

The boy from Fazakerley who lived every we wished for.

"If things had not been happening on a Saturday, on the Monday (Howard, Alan and me) developed a few moves between us doing training ground practice and in five-a-sides. We were on the same footballing wavelength. Then Wilf Dixon [the trainer] would try to put us through drills and we’d say, ‘Wilf, we invented this – this is what we do!’"

Colin Harvey in his own words.

“When I look back I did my very best at everything I did,” he insists. “I wasn’t very good at managing but I did my best and achieved some wonderful memories.”

Colin Harvey had the hardest challenge in the world to follow Howard Kendall in 1987, but he had a win ratio of 42.61% and took us to an FA Cup Final.

To my mind, he did a good job as manager.

This isn't a simple fix and we can't throw money at it as we have tried before. Get ready for the long hard slog. Slowly, slowly, catch the monkey.

I need to get this weekend out of the way.

I'm staying away from my home city on the 26th. I couldn't stomach it. I still have flash backs to that embarrassment when someone agreed we would follow behind them in 1986 on their victory parade. God knows who agreed to that, but they should have politely declined. Our players and supporters didn't want to be there.

Then we can respectfully remember the 39, as they probably won't pay it much attention. Bitter? Yes. They shamed English football and we all payed for it.

We all respectfully remember the 39, but the most shocking fact is that horrible bitter club and hooligans have erased it from their history, it never happened.

Jesus, Sam, that was some window for that lot. £80m! Olise went to Munich for a little north of £50m. Anderson cost Fulham £30m. That's the £80m covered, and then we have Guehi ...

Freedman was a proper DOF. We have never had one anywhere near the quality of his wheeling and dealing.

If we can pull off a 2025 version of Palace in 2021/2022, we'll be smiling on August 16.

Tier 1: Over £200m pa

City

Tier 2: £170m to £185m pa

Man Utd
Chelsea
Arsenal

Tier 3: £128m pa

Liverpool

Tier 4: £80m to £105m pa

Villa
Spurs
Newcastle
West Ham

Tier 5: £50m to £70m

Us
Palace
Forest
Leicester
Brighton
Wolves
Saints

Tier 6: £35m to £50m pa

Bournemouth
Brentford
Ipswich

Begovic and Virginia not offered a new contract

***awaits the fume***

We will, in all likelihood, have to retain two or three of the end of contract/loan players who are quite often bashed on here. This is simply down to the number of folks at the end of their contracts/loans and what I imagine will be our financial commitment to incoming that will not fund the required overhaul.

Young is someone in these circumstances who will most likely get one more year.

Ashley Young has been an example to young players and alongside Tarkowski gives us much needed leadership on the pitch.

When he has featured, he has been important to us this season.

Coleman (bless him) looked as shaky on his legs as I do these days when he came on Saturday.

I've criticised jobs for the boys in the past and I don't think this new regime will have any room for sentiment, but I'd like to see him have a role at the club.

I just don't know what that would be. I've not heard or seen anything about his coaching credentials.

Let's hope we keep him in some way.

Despite the grief he has been given he’s been a good signing. Need to keep rummaging in the Championship for players like this.

This is planned and practiced. It’s not spontaneous. It also helps to whip up the crowd and energise the atmosphere in Mordor.

You have to give it to them. They use every trick in the book to earn an advantage. We are so lacking in so many areas.

Well continue to be too nice under Moyes but hopefully he can sign some total arseholes to move the club culture on

That is definitely something Beto can add to his game.

I like how Tarkowski laughs at opponents and is always over to the Ref. Young too, although slightly different. He is a proper nark, who would wind up the best of them.

A combination of the two would be a hell of a player.

On the limited occasions I have seen him I think there is a player in the making in young Dixon. He is brave and has loads of pace, but seems to lack concentration.

I hope we don't give up on him and he becomes another Antonee Robinson.

Not much between them as players other than my point about leadership and style.

Colin. Tough call. The screamer at Goodison from Tarkowski or the one from Jagielka in front of the Kop? Both spectacular first time Exocet missiles hit first time and in the dying throes of games we were about to lose against them.

50-50 call.

The Jags goal brings back fond memories as the scream I let out almost gave the mother-in-law (who was visiting and wouldn't stop nattering) a heart attack.

It sounds like he's calling the shots about incoming players. I have no problem with that. His recruitment was second to none first time round.

And the club has said that a team of people under the new CEO will call the shots on player recruitment.

The supreme leader model lives in the past in my opinion.

Moyes should be involved, but not have overall say and control, as he is unlikely to be here in 18 months or two years from now.

He made some very good and astute signings first time around. But he made some questionable ones. Name me a manager of any football club that hasn't done both?

Anyway, this weekend is about Goodison, the team and most importantly, the supporters.

Apparently it's not a DOF. It's a different approach.

Is that TFG led, or Moyes… or perhaps the new CEO?