Kevin Thelwell - New Director of Football

[PhilM]

Nice to see the usual suspects have decided he’s useless.

Indeed. It's nice to see all the recruitment and football experts are out there suggesting it's easy to fulfil these roles.

I'm not saying he's doing an amazing job, but if he's trying to build an effective coaching setup and academy then it'll likely take time and expertise.

It's like a CEO or COO of a company being criticised because they have a number of department heads and specialist roles within their business.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

Indeed. It's nice to see all the recruitment and football experts are out there suggesting it's easy to fulfil these roles.

I'm not saying he's doing an amazing job, but if he's trying to build an effective coaching setup and academy then it'll likely take time and expertise.

It's like a CEO or COO of a company being criticised because they have a number of department heads and specialist roles within their business.

One of the main complaints directed at the current administration has been lack of cohesive structure yet when evidence of a structure being put in place people can’t wait to complain.
There seems to be a deliberate naivety or determined simplicity in refusing to contemplate how successful football clubs are administered.
Jumpers for goalposts and all that.

 

[PhilM]

One of the main complaints directed at the current administration has been lack of cohesive structure yet when evidence of a structure being put in place people can’t wait to complain.
There seems to be a deliberate naivety or determined simplicity in refusing to contemplate how successful football clubs are administered.
Jumpers for goalposts and all that.

The direction and efficiency (output) from out academy has long been criticised; people have moaned about the lack of youth players getting competitive game time.

I've read many complaints about the failings of our medical department or how we appear to lack the ability to analyse performances and develop players.

Surely, those roles are part of creating a system that, in the long-term, reaps the benefits of an efficient and organised academy and back-room staff?

This isn't a quick fix: there isn't a silver bullet that's going to repair years of poor managements. Yet, people are expecting quick fixes to deep rooted problems.

 

[Bedfordblue]

How is kopite kev getting praise for this when it's the middle of June and we still don't have a head of recruitment

Yeah but it’s a self fulfilling prophesy, can’t recruit a head of recruitment without a head of recruitment you see.

 

[Terrarian]

I really hope they have a plan and not just hit and hope for transfers

 

[Eggs]

…..he talks of being a ‘team leader’. I wonder if he’s not identifying players at all, but he’s reliant on others to do that (including Lampard). His job is to manage the spend envelope and work with Lampard to decide who comes in and who goes out.

When it comes to transfers, he’s the Co-ordinator rather than the identifier.

 

[Lobster Johnson]

…..he talks of being a ‘team leader’. I wonder if he’s not identifying players at all, but he’s reliant on others to do that (including Lampard). His job is to manage the spend envelope and work with Lampard to decide who comes in and who goes out.

When it comes to transfers, he’s the Co-ordinator rather than the identifier.

The identifying is what we pay scouts for, no?

 

[Timak]

Seems to be creating roles to act as a buffer or excuse to hide behind, "no that wasn't my fault that was the Head of Performance Snacks that decided to feed them all 10 deep fried Mars bars a day".

What is he doing if all these people are making the decisions? I'm sorry but there can't be THAT much to do on a day to day basis that it needs to get spread so thinly.

Lol.

I've never seen a Premier league team with fewer staff than Everton. I've spent time at other PL teams who have 30+ people just in sports science.

You could argue other clubs are overstaffed but when you have £30m players on £100k a week then having a decent size team of experts around them is worthwhile.

 

[Eggs]

The identifying is what we pay scouts for, no?

….i think thats more about supporting the DoF to cover the global markets but he’s the man with the real ‘eye for a player’, the man who will take in lots of games and generate targets himself.

I’ve not seen or heard anything of Thelwell doing anything but Co-ordinating and managing the effort, which is fine as long as we end up with the right talent.

At least everybody will be pulling in the same direction if he is co-ordinating the strategy but posters seem to expect him to be the one identifying targets.

 

[The binman chronicles]

Lol.

I've never seen a Premier league team with fewer staff than Everton. I've spent time at other PL teams who have 30+ people just in sports science.

You could argue other clubs are overstaffed but when you have £30m players on £100k a week then having a decent size team of experts around them is worthwhile.

You've misunderstood what I wrote, you can have lots of workers but there should be one director when it comes to the footballing side. If you have a load of directors below him you water down the message and create escapegoats.

So coach educator is fine, he and the under 23 coach should set the tone of how they set up to play as directed by the DoF. The DoF with the scouting team should be picking the players to be bought to supplement the local talent as well as first team acquisitions. Having a director of the Academy is overkill as the DoF should cover that position.

I feel same about a loans manager. He can have assistants to go off and do his bidding but I want it to be him who decides what moves the players make for accountability. Just my humble opinion.

 

[brieverton]

…..he talks of being a ‘team leader’. I wonder if he’s not identifying players at all, but he’s reliant on others to do that (including Lampard). His job is to manage the spend envelope and work with Lampard to decide who comes in and who goes out.

When it comes to transfers, he’s the Co-ordinator rather than the identifier.

We need the scouting process to be global, so if he is co-ordinator rather than identifier that's fine by me. He can't be everywhere.

He can put a process in place, and its the process that's critical.

I'd like to see evidence of as broad a scouting network as possible being utilised, not necessarily over this summer, but hopefully over the next couple of years.

Thelwell (and Lampard) should really only need be involved when a particular player has drawn attention over a period of several months or more of scouting, but undoubtedly there will be times when either of them might have an eye on a particular player themselves. That's fine too, but needs more caution. Solo-runs on player scouting can leave us vulnerable to overlooking key details, and we have no room for that.

 

[DanEFC92]

Sort it out Kevin you lazy, lazy man.

 

[Goat]

Sort it out Kevin you lazy, lazy man.

Fellas getting praise for hiring staff while we have Rondon as our back up Striker.

 

[Toffeelover]

Fellas getting praise for hiring staff while we have Rondon as our back up Striker.

What a nonsense remark. Needs staff to help him and they do not come with a big transfer fee. Clarify how can he be rid of Rondon and who to replace him. Will need some one there with Richie going and hope not DCL as well. We will need cover.

 

[Goat]

What a nonsense remark. Needs staff to help him and they do not come with a big transfer fee. Clarify how can he be rid of Rondon and who to replace him. Will need some one there with Richie going and hope not DCL as well. We will need cover.

Mauro Emanuel Icardi.