Marcel Brands

[Gilbert..]

Glad he has gone , getting away from the transfer situation.
The club hasn't moved forwards at all ,underneath the first team either, can't think of a time as an Everton fan there has been so little coming through the ranks , and when you watch the kids in the under 23's the football is dire most of the time, rigid system , no expression, which personally I would encourage, rather than play for points.
I can't think of one area this club has done better in , since Brands has been involved,(maybe the non football charity side, but that's more than likely nothing to do with him) so why keep him?
Kenwright needs to go as well , same reason , offers nothing going forwards.

But but wait. It was nothing to do with him. He wasnt the director of football at all as it turns out. He was a cook in the kitchens.
Cant actualy blame him for the smoke and mirrors now. He's protecting his reputation for future employment. Who would want the last 3 years at Everton on their CV. Not that he possibly has to work again. 3 years on the gravy train at Everton has seem him alright.
So long marcel. Its not been fun.

 

[Eggs]

We're in a mess FFP wise is because Brands bought some terrible players on £100k a week.

Signing Ben Godfrey didn't throw us into a FFP mire, signing Mina, Gomes, Delph, Bernard, James etc on £100k a week and then the previous regime of Siggy, Keane, and Pickford for £100kl+mill for a start did

….but we don’t know who he recommended & who he advised against. James, for example, appears an Ancelotti acquisition.

i do agree, it’s likely he recommended some of the deadwood. I’m not actually against him resigning, but I think it reveals the problems rather than solves problems.

My point for a while has been the processes in place at our club. The Manager and owner weild the power over transfers, not the DoF. The owner ignores FFP guidelines despite DoF intervention.

If the DoF had the authority to manage the processes at Everton he’d be solely accountable for the mess, but the processes are managed by the owner & Manager. The reality is, nothing will change with Brands departure.

 

[kenada_blue]

No I agree we shouldn't be focussing on any individual deal, but I do think that last year's summer window under Ancelotti where we signed Allan and James was a big mistake. If James was genuinely on like £10m + per year, then that was a ludicrous piece of business for a player who has questionable commitment and can't keep himself fit.

You have to look at things in the round, but when you spend extravagantly there comes a point where the answer should be no to buying more players. Unfortunately we got to that position too late and now have a sqaud full of overpaid rubbish.

In terms of finances...maybe there were mistakes. But in terms of quality, not one bit for me. It comes into question the scouting and decisions Brands made.

Put into context...Gomes and James were on £100k a week. One a Brands signing, the other Ancelotti. Both sick notes. Yet, one was more beneficial in terms of quality. We needed more midfielders. Delph was a Brands signing, Allan a Carlo one.

It's chalk and cheese. It's an accumulation of buys and wages and for the most part...Brands put us in this position (Walsh to a big extend too).

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

I originally defended Brands because of the FFP mess he inherited and the state of the squad. Also injuries completely blighted us meaning we couldn’t sell Tosun when we wanted to Bolasie etc. and we had to buy the likes of Docuoure and Allan because Gbamin and Gomes effectively were rendered useless through injury.

I thought he was navigating us through a financial fair play tightrope. The contracts of the 17/18 squad were not being renewed, and one by one they were rolling off the squad list to be replaced by better players for cheaper.

Then he renewed Michael Keane and the wage for James rather than being the 90k we thought at the time was perhaps 200k, a figure that we couldn’t afford a season later. We’ve also shown a complete mismanagement of the Moise Kean situation and the inability to solve the right back problem. As time has gone on as well it’s become clear that he’s made no progress on improving the conditioning side of the operation, the scouting and recruitment, or the academy.

The final nail in the coffin is Moshiri obviously doesn’t trust him to select new managers.

Abramovich used to be similar, meddling all the time at Chelsea, buying Shevchenko for the manager, picking new managers. Then Emenalo and subsequently Granskaiova got control of the operation and manage Abramovich properly.

Brands wasn’t strong enough as a DOG and couldn’t earn Moshiri’s confidence to let go of the train set. Simple as that.

best typo ever

 

[kenada_blue]

….but we don’t know who he recommended & who he advised against. James, for example, appears an Ancelotti acquisition.

i do agree, it’s likely he recommended some of the deadwood. I’m not actually against him resigning, but I think it reveals the problems rather than solves problems.

My point for a while has been the processes in place at our club. The Manager and owner weird the power over transfers, not the DoF. The owner ignores FFP guidelines despite DoF intervention.

If the DoF had the authority to manage the processes at Everton he’d be solely accountable for the mess, but the processes are managed by the owner & Manager. The reality is, nothing will change with Brands departure.

The owner is an accountant. I think he knows about FFP.

I agree that there's a power struggle. But it's one Brands was happy to accept which is the real point.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Again, arguements over budget it's a distraction.

Godfrey was scouted by Brands. We needed a CB. It's a decision to either buy or loan one and Mosh sanctioned a buy.

To suggest his hands were then tied for this year (our spend doesn't relate to our performances this year) there's no excuse for the previous 3 years and lack of decisions in other positions.

Key one - full backs.
Well documented Brands was a huge admirer of Kenny and didn't invest in a right back. Then the whole Dumfries thing this season is far too late.
Left back. Who sactioned Nkounkou to go on loan?

I think that we have to recognise that budget management is fundamental to a businesses success and survival.

If Brands identified a risk that meant a loan was the only possible spend in that cycle and then another party with the ability to interfere does, well that would throw your planning out of the window.

This would have had a knock on effect in other areas, maybe pushing the squad as it was overbudget, thus the need to shift Nkounkou's wages and James - especially if the manager had the backing from above for Rondon, Townsend and Gray.

It is documented that when speaking to Everton about players you have to speak to three different people. The old saying about cooks and broth is an age old way of describing this problem. It is dysfunctional.

 

[ToffeeTim]

In terms of finances...maybe there were mistakes. But in terms of quality, not one bit for me. It comes into question the scouting and decisions Brands made.

Put into context...Gomes and James were on £100k a week. One a Brands signing, the other Ancelotti. Both sick notes. Yet, one was more beneficial in terms of quality. We needed more midfielders. Delph was a Brands signing, Allan a Carlo one.

It's chalk and cheese. It's an accumulation of buys and wages and for the most part...Brands put us in this position (Walsh to a big extend too).

I genuinely think James was on more like double that. There is no way he signed a contract on lower terms than some of our highest earners. It was far too extravagant for a player with constant injury issues. I know he has quality, but he was a luxury we definitely could not afford, especially since he was never fit.

Gomes should have been sold by now, although I would play him tonight in a midfield 3 if he is fit.

Allan I just don't rate. I don't see what the fuss is about. He is never in the right position and offers nothing at either end of the pitch. Good midfielders are effective at both ends.

 

[royvernon39]

There has been no more justified a sacking than that of Brand's.

However in the next few months we will hear his side of the story.

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

….but we don’t know who he recommended & who he advised against. James, for example, appears an Ancelotti acquisition.

i do agree, it’s likely he recommended some of the deadwood. I’m not actually against him resigning, but I think it reveals the problems rather than solves problems.

My point for a while has been the processes in place at our club. The Manager and owner weild the power over transfers, not the DoF. The owner ignores FFP guidelines despite DoF intervention.

If the DoF had the authority to manage the processes at Everton he’d be solely accountable for the mess, but the processes are managed by the owner & Manager. The reality is, nothing will change with Brands departure.

It will be more honest. If it’s going to be that way then let’s dispense with the fiction of a DOF. If they want the responsibility then we’ll know who to hold to account.

 

[kenada_blue]

He can be both victim and culprit

He's been made out that he's hand his hands tied. It's rubbish.

He was happy to work within whatever structure we have for years, signed a new deal.

He just didn't want to do it under Rafael.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

There has been no more justified a sacking than that of Brand's.

I mean that's just not true, but ok

 

[allen]

I hope those that are glad he's gone are right, because the alternative is very bad news for Everton.

I see an abyss, personally, and I'm not enjoying Everton being so rudderless in the face of it.

 

[Little Ralphy]

….there is a suggestion Moshiri engages directly with players agents. Godfrey was on the clubs radar but not at a price that took us over FFP, it seems Moshiri ignored that and authorised the transaction.

The more we hear, the more disturbing Moshiri’s involvement is. I think time will demonstrate much of the flack aimed at Brands was incorrectly directed.

By all accounts Moshiri is pretty much picking the players himself. James was always his favourite player, and when he had the chance he bought him regardless of ability/fitness/finance. Moshiri has made the same mistake that so many other successful businessmen who buy football clubs make. They don't run it as a business, they think they're playing Championship Manager and get too involved in the football decisions instead of sticking to what they were successful at and making difficult business decisions. i.e. If you've got an experienced football manager in your office, as an owner you shouldn't really be showing them videos of other teams about how you want your team to play. Do your homework and bring in a manager who plays the way you want instead.

 

[kenada_blue]

I think that we have to recognise that budget management is fundamental to a businesses success and survival.

If Brands identified a risk that meant a loan was the only possible spend in that cycle and then another party with the ability to interfere does, well that would throw your planning out of the window.

This would have had a knock on effect in other areas, maybe pushing the squad as it was overbudget, thus the need to shift Nkounkou's wages and James - especially if the manager had the backing from above for Rondon, Townsend and Gray.

It is documented that when speaking to Everton about players you have to speak to three different people. The old saying about cooks and broth is an age old way of describing this problem. It is dysfunctional.

Of course.

But Brands orchestrated Bernard, Mina, Gomes on large £100k a week contracts. Delph on £90k

Then Walsh with Tosun, Walcott, Bolasie circa £70k+ week

All those land massively for FFP and none of which we can/could shift.

We shouldn't have multiple £100k a week signings on our books. Yet it was allowed because someone persuaded someone that these signings would be worth it

 

[Billy Dean]

Not defending Brands but it seems anyone newly recruited on the backroom side who doesn’t have some kind of prior connection to the club doesn’t last too long