2020/21 Marcel Brands

[Efcjake]

I can say it's his fault he's not even choosing the free players and bargain basement gambles.

"Hi Rafael, my name is Marcel, Director of Football."
"Hi Marcel - so, who are you bringing in?"
"Who do you want?"
"Oh, erm, Andros Townsend is on a free, worked with him before, he's alright."
"Wow, what a coincidence, I was thinking about him too! I'll bring him in."
"Great, and Demarai Gray is-"
"WOW! He was second on my list! Consider it done!"

'kin weird.

Love to see people applauding this genius business of replacing an overpaid Bernard with some useless players on frees without acknowledging that Bernard was a waste of money in the first place and another mark against Brands.

 

[nsno-chris]

There is serious concerns with our recruitment policy since moshiri came in, it extends beyond the DoF.

The debacle over the 3 number 10’s; the Tosun signing; there seems, IMO, to be numerous people pulling in different directions.

I may be totally wrong, but it’s so strange. There doesn’t seem to be any cohesion when it comes to first team purchases

 

[Oasis1878]

No managers or players we bring in show any form of a unified way of playing- isn’t that the whole point of a DOF? What is our style of play? With a DOF, that should be obvious, but we’re a total mess.

 

[JLW]

Anyone can do that. That's not directing football - that's being a nodding dog.

I want to defend him as, in theory, the DoF models means the manager turnover we've had in recent years wouldn't matter as much due to stability at that level.

But what the hell does this one actually do?

The problem I have is he’s allowing managers to get 2/3 of their players in mixed with whatever his/our business model is, it’s just a car crash at the minute. He’s either in charge and has the say on every incoming player or he doesn’t therefore he’s not needed. Now we have 2-3 Ancelotti players I guess by the end of the window 2/3 of Benitez players and the rest are his. He should be building a squad that’s workable for any manager who comes through the door. He’s looking very weak sanctioning deals like the Townsend one.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Love to see people applauding this genius business of replacing an overpaid Bernard with some useless players on frees without acknowledging that Bernard was a waste of money in the first place and another mark against Brands.

He only has to be really right once to turn both the gambles and himself into 'not a waste of money'.

We just have different expectations over the likelihood of one of them paying off, and consequently the rationale.

 

[Nymzee]

I genuinely believe I could build a better Everton squad for cheaper. Like legit.

 

[Martin Alvito]

I genuinely believe I could build a better Everton squad for cheaper. Like legit.

Well, yeah.

You'd have to go back and get a re-do on Walsh, Koeman and Allardyce, though. That's what tied Brands' hands.

 

[hktoffee]

At least sign Dumfries please as your signing.

 

[Tubey]

The problem I have is he’s allowing managers to get 2/3 of their players in mixed with whatever his/our business model is, it’s just a car crash at the minute. He’s either in charge and has the say on every incoming player or he doesn’t therefore he’s not needed. Now we have 2-3 Ancelotti players I guess by the end of the window 2/3 of Benitez players and the rest are his. He should be building a squad that’s workable for any manager who comes through the door. He’s looking very weak sanctioning deals like the Townsend one.

It's like Matheus Nunes. I have no doubt that Nuno was well down the pipeline and that deal was set up to bring in when he arrived. Brands was fine with that.

Nuno falls apart, we drop Nunes interest. Brands was fine with that.

That deal should have been either fine or not fine regardless of who the manager was.

There's no recruitment plan whatsoever. I mean blatantly so, it's not a conspiracy theory. And this is in many ways the core reason for having a DoF - nobody give me the "oooooh wha abar StuF he duz wit der aCaDemYYYYY AN STUF" nonsense; it's downright shocking he's not doing the principle part of his bloody job; directing football.

 

[Nymzee]

Well, yeah.

You'd have to go back and get a re-do on Walsh, Koeman and Allardyce, though. That's what tied Brands' hands.

They're partly tied. He's had money to spend, he's had/has wages to spend, it can be spent A LOT better. We're just adding dross wages to a large wage bill.

 

[Moomin]

He is basically that nodding dog Churchill from the insurance adverts.

 

[orly]

Player Liaison Officer.

 

[Harryflashman]

His job appears to be buying who the manager tells him to , which seems to negate the whole reasoning behind his role . Like most things Everton it’s probably not his fault but it’s certainly no way to fulfil his job description.

 

[JLW]

It's like Matheus Nunes. I have no doubt that Nuno was well down the pipeline and that deal was set up to bring in when he arrived. Brands was fine with that.

Nuno falls apart, we drop Nunes interest. Brands was fine with that.

That deal should have been either fine or not fine regardless of who the manager was.

There's no recruitment plan whatsoever. I mean blatantly so, it's not a conspiracy theory. And this is in many ways the core reason for having a DoF - nobody give me the "oooooh wha abar StuF he duz wit der aCaDemYYYYY AN STUF" nonsense; it's downright shocking he's not doing the principle part of his bloody job; directing football.

His arse falls out of when a manager walks through the door! Do we need a DoF if each manager walks through the door and demands certain players? There shouldn’t be a discussion of who’s signing they are, they are all his every one them because without his say so the deal doesn’t happen. He should be saying to Benitez “a washed up 30 year is not how we’re doing this here but what I do have on my scouting list is xxxxxxx who’s attributes are very similar and he’s 7 years younger.”

 

[Martin Alvito]

They're partly tied. He's had money to spend, he's had/has wages to spend, it can be spent A LOT better. We're just adding dross wages to a large wage bill.

Unless they aren't dross wages. My point is more or less that we don't know that yet. We can only judge that one retrospectively. We can make an informed guess, but we don't actually know.

Now, if you want to have a go at him for Iwobi, that's extremely fair. Gomes is debatable, in terms of the information available. Delph was bad, but I'll cop to having been in the majority thinking that one was a good dice roll. The rest seem like decent buys, given the available information and options at the time.

If Godfrey doubles his value as an incoming, or if Branthwaite turns into a player, that more or less pays for Brands and the gambles. He needs another major hit to pay for Iwobi.

Is he crushing it? No. Is he destroying the club? Probably not, in my estimation.