2023/24 Kevin Thelwell

[Zatara]

….if true, that’s a positive.

Thelwell talks like a politician but he nearly relegated us last season. I’d be delighted if 777 see right through him and bring in a proper DOF.

Never understand how you can be so down on Thelwel mate and a strong defender/mitigator of Brands.

Do you know something we don't?

….I wouldn’t defend many of decisions that happened during Brands’ tenure as DOF (new contracts for Keane, Holgate etc). I will defend his role as a ‘diplomat’ keeping the disparate sections of the club together. I know he was liked and respected by players and staff at FF, I know that the warring factions on the Board actually liked him. He kept the plates spinning.

I believe Brands kept the madhouse afloat, it’s no coincidence how it’s gone since Benitez forced him out.

i can’t have Thelwell. I judge him on leaving us for virtually 3 windows without bringing in an effective striker, not his slick talk. I know he’s not widely respected at FF. I understood he’s impressed prospective buyers but I’d see it as a real positive if 777 have seen right through him.

I think its daft at this point to slate Thelwell.

The £30mil in fees for Gray and Iwobi along with decent amounts for a few kids show he can sell a non-essential player. Weve not been successful there for a long time.

Also, clearly hes been working with basically zero budget for new players. Weve not spent anything in this calendar year so the books will be improved.

Those crying about a centre forward a year ago would have been weeping about a midfield if we hadnt signed Onana and Garner (Gana i dont believe was his pick).

Very happy with him at the moment and if he had cash he'd do far better than Brands/Walsh i think.

Rumours that we'll be back for Gnonto in Jan which is positive.

 

[malcson]

….i’d like to think one goes with the other.

Wrong, Unsworth won plenty of games with the academy and never turned it into a unit that generated players for first team or sale. Academy’s sole role should be to generate players for the first team or to sell on, I really could not care less on their results on the field. It is completely feasible that an academy team could have a poor season by maybe playing younger players up an age group to increase experience and loan their best players of the age group to league clubs to get experience. This would be better for player development but not the academy results.

 

[Eggs]

Wrong, Unsworth won plenty of games with the academy and never turned it into a unit that generated players for first team or sale. Academy’s sole role should be to generate players for the first team or to sell on, I really could not care less on their results on the field. It is completely feasible that an academy team could have a poor season by maybe playing younger players up an age group to increase experience and loan their best players of the age group to league clubs to get experience. This would be better for player development but not the academy results.

…too much is made of the U21 team. Unsworth got them functioning and well organised when they won PL2. The Academy starts further back and any U21 Manager can only work with what he inherits.

It’s usually an indication of a top player or a top group of players when they reach the final of the FA Youth Cup. Certainly the case with Everton, even Rooney’s team got to the final. Osman and Hibbert won it with us as did Richard Dunne.

its been a while, but if we do well it could be that we have a diamond.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Just don't rate Brands at all mate, he was awful for the club, Emperors new clothes for me and he had his part to play in running this club n to the ground financially, i never buy the whole what could he do with Moshiri narrative (wholly).

Weirdly from a management perspective we are better with no money then with, its drives good decision making, resource management and creativity - because well it has to.

I honestly believe the model we should follow is, is Arsenal and Spurs - self sustainability is and always the only sustainable show in town.

I just don't know that we can say much that's substantive about the ability of Brands, under the circumstances. The remit was "win now" and he tried to execute it, despite interference from above. Now, if you want to take the position that Brands must a mercenary for hire to the highest bidder who soaked the club for salary and expensive jeans, given that he didn't talk sense into Moshiri or refuse the job given the impossible remit, I can't argue with that one. Dislike is more than fair.

I agree that we desperately needed the fiscal discipline long before circumstances forced us into it. Reality is that UEFA and the Prem pulled up the ladder due to pressure from other clubs. The influx of unlimited spending affected competitive balance, which in turn made all the other clubs worth less. Clubs are prepared to tolerate the odd nouveau riche nation-state engaging in legalized financial doping if they prop up club values with eyeballs. They won't tolerate a full-on race to the financial bottom where the only beneficiaries are players and agents.

 

[Neiler]

I just don't know that we can say much that's substantive about the ability of Brands, under the circumstances. The remit was "win now" and he tried to execute it, despite interference from above. Now, if you want to take the position that Brands must a mercenary for hire to the highest bidder who soaked the club for salary and expensive jeans, given that he didn't talk sense into Moshiri or refuse the job given the impossible remit, I can't argue with that one. Dislike is more than fair.

I agree that we desperately needed the fiscal discipline long before circumstances forced us into it. Reality is that UEFA and the Prem pulled up the ladder due to pressure from other clubs. The influx of unlimited spending affected competitive balance, which in turn made all the other clubs worth less. Clubs are prepared to tolerate the odd nouveau riche nation-state engaging in legalized financial doping if they prop up club values with eyeballs. They won't tolerate a full-on race to the financial bottom where the only beneficiaries are players and agents.

I can give lee way for the approach mate - win and win now - but he was also given the budget particularly wages and to my mind invested poorly an d brought scant return - we had players we paid 10s of million for and on 100k a week loaned out and some leaving on frees - that's unforgivable and led to our demise.

It really does show you how much incremental growth is actually healthy - we went from 0 - 100 miles an hour in a season and we didn't have the corporate governance, nor the skills in the business' or footballing dept to absorb it, what we got was a mess. If we climb 204 positions season after season from this point on and grow accordingly ill be happy.

 

[Efcjake]

It would have been more honest if he just said Moshiri had me sell everything that wasn't nailed down to get the accounts sorted for the takeover.

 

[MACCA75]

Keep reading about what a remarkable job he’s done. He’s assembled an absolutely appalling team that can’t put 3 passes together and look miles away from even staying in the division.

 

[Dublin blue 75]

Sack him Thelwell.

 

[Mrk]

I hope this guy has the authority to make the inevitable decision over Dyche eventually. I also hope he's actively thinking about his replacement.

 

[Billy Dean]

Just don't rate Brands at all mate, he was awful for the club, Emperors new clothes for me and he had his part to play in running this club n to the ground financially, i never buy the whole what could he do with Moshiri narrative (wholly).

Weirdly from a management perspective we are better with no money then with, its drives good decision making, resource management and creativity - because well it has to.

I honestly believe the model we should follow is, is Arsenal and Spurs - self sustainability is and always the only sustainable show in town.

I agree with this mate. I think he did sweet FA. Landed us a lot of duds on high wages and also didn’t do a great deal behind the scenes by the look of it

 

[Eggs]

I hope this guy has the authority to make the inevitable decision over Dyche eventually. I also hope he's actively thinking about his replacement.

….from what we’re hearing of 777, I think Thelwell will be more concerned about his own position.

 

[nsno-chris]

….from what we’re hearing of 777, I think Thelwell will be more concerned about his own position.

Good

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

Not only has he assembled the worst team in the prem, he quite possibly has also assembled the worst U21 side and u18 team as well. Quite impressive to be so bad on so many levels.

 

[Del-boy]

Can’t blame this guy. He’s working with both hands tied behind his back whilst wearing a blindfold.

 

[MACCA75]

He signed 9 of the players that got on to the pitch today. And 13 since he’s been here for what will probably be the lowest points total in the history of the club.