2024/25 Kevin Thelwell


Lanolin said:
I think the key part of your post is the (possibly inadvertent) acceptance that there isn't really such a thing as a traditional DoF. What the job entails at different clubs appears to differ hugely, and so the type of person needed differs depending on what you actually want them to do. Thelwell appeared to do a pretty solid job of restructuring the football side of things here, and overseeing a sensible transfer policy under tight financial constraints. That was what we needed at the time and he should be applauded for doing it well. Doing well in the role as it was, and doing well in the role as it would be now, or as it would be at another club with a different set up, are not the same thing, and it's quite possible that he wouldn't be the right man to take the steps we're looking to take now. It's no different to some managers being suited to a certain type of job or even players working in specific systems.
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I see what you’re saying, but surely if someone does a good job (which I think he did), then he deserves a chance to carry on when circumstances get better - especially when he’s contributed to things getting better?

I just worry that we are going from something that it’s very easy to say has worked to something that is a gamble, again. I mean, what are TFG intending to do with us now that is going to be so different from Thelwell’s time? I really hope we’ve learned our lesson from spending tier one cash on tier two and three players.
 
JLW said:
I still dont know if Thelwell done a great job or terrible job, us fans only see what he provides to the squad but we dont know if he had prevented any disasters happening coming from the previous owner and chairman.

One thing i think he did do was stop the chaos, the squad was crying out for better quality but that might of been secondary to the finances (PSR breaching) although us fans couldnt see it, we only care about what we have on the pitch.

Maybe his primary task was not to improve the squad as such but to settle the finances and keep our heads above water at the same time, if so then he done a good job.
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I think it’s difficult to say he hasn’t done a good job - I mean, find one thing about the club that was better before he arrived than it is now he is on his way out.

Even his biggest mistake (Maupay) cost what, £12 million of which we’ll recover at least half? Compared to the other errors by managers and DoFs - to Tosun, Walcott, Iceland etc - it’s not even in the same league.
 

tsubaki said:
I see what you’re saying, but surely if someone does a good job (which I think he did), then he deserves a chance to carry on when circumstances get better - especially when he’s contributed to things getting better?

I just worry that we are going from something that it’s very easy to say has worked to something that is a gamble, again. I mean, what are TFG intending to do with us now that is going to be so different from Thelwell’s time? I really hope we’ve learned our lesson from spending tier one cash on tier two and three players.
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I honestly think it depends on what we would want him to do and whether there was any evidence he could do it. Like I said, being good at doing one thing doesn't mean you're going to be good at doing another. It's not just a football thing, it happens in business all the time, a CEO comes in to steady the ship in a time of turmoil, does a great job and the moves on to somewhere else to do the same type of role while the business looks to recruit someone who's better suited to delivering in the market they're now operating in - it's just a generally accepted business practice that all parties are happy with. If - purely as an example, not saying it's the case - Thelwell's strengths were his administrative qualities and a natural tendency towards to caution, and his weaknesses were strategic planning and dealing with high level clients, then no you don't necessarily want to 'give him a chance' in a role where his weaknesses are what you need him to deliver on. That just isn't how successful businesses operate.
 
Bally1989 said:
Some of our fans said he was superb.

Forgetting he’s judged on who he signs not who he wanted.

He wasn’t awful and appreciate he had a tough gig but I wasn’t a fan.
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Just because someone did a good job at Everton under the circumstances doesn't mean he's ready to move to a big club. Thelwell's job was more like damage control and no club in the PL was in such dire straits during his time. He did a great job wheeling and dealing the little resources he had but which big club would look at that and think that's the type of skillset we need? A club of Everton's size could be a good stepping stone, but that would require healthy finances. The only big money signing he made was Onana.
 


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