Possible Director of Football

[ToffeeDoug]

Don't dismiss it straight away, just think about it for a minute.

Ok.

Hmmmm.

 

[JustOpp]

It's not just a bit wrong though. It's alarmingly bad.

But if you're going to ignore Niasse then it's only fair to ignore Lukaku as well. Without Rom his signings weren't that special.

I think we're a few years away from knowing for sure (it's too early to assess Galloway, Holgate, Foulds, Tarashaj), but in my inexpert eyes I'd say Martinez has done more good than bad.

Kone and McGeady were awful, and Niasse is looking like a debacle, but there's also a good number of players who are outperforming what the club paid for them.

 

[malfosse]

I am only half serious, but he may actually make a good DoF, just not with us.

 

[boris]

To be director of football you need somebody who is,

Liked by the chairman and the players

Find potential targets

Able to use their extensive scouting network

Able to spot good young players

Frugal in their spending on transfers

Lads may I present my candidate

View attachment 22891

He dithers too long over transfers which will be costly now we've got a few quid.

He spent his money well when it was restricted but very poor with big money which is what Ged be spending now.

I know if some cracking players we were really close to getting before they hit the big time who we lost out on due to his dithering.

 

[Hantakun]

I quite like the concept of splitting responsibilities between manager and director of football. Letting the DoF play the long game, keep a healthy distance to the day-to-day man management aspect of the head coach role. It's a gamble though. When the DoF model fails, it can be a recipe for disaster.

 

[malfosse]

He dithers too long over transfers which will be costly now we've got a few quid.

He spent his money well when it was restricted but very poor with big money which is what Ged be spending now.

I know if some cracking players we were really close to getting before they hit the big time who we lost out on due to his dithering.

I put his dithering down to, having to be careful with the budget. If the rumours are to be believed we don't have to worry as much with Moshiri as our owner.

 

[The Dunc]

If they see that as the way forward then fine, I'm not against it, as long as the new manager understands that's how it will be. It shows a thorough review of how the club is being run which can only be a good thing.
I think alot of the negativity is because you only ever hear about directors of football when they cock it up.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

There's good management reasons for separating managing the club, handling personnel and dealing with transfers (the administration and negotiation, but not the selection exclusively) and the coaching of the first team.

Firstly it relives some of the burden of management on the head coach, secondly it provides a single reporting structure for the junior team management and the general coaching staff.

In the case of Everton there's possibly a more Machiavellian reason - it significantly reduces the roles of our existing Chairman and CEO. It paves the way for Bill to be just a figurehead for the time he remains on the Board (if he's not looking for investors (as he was 24/7) or being involved directly with the manager what does he do?) other than a figurehead there's really no role for him. Similarly it frees up the CEO to just manage the business and as I said earlier today concentrate on growing revenues and building infrastructure. You can guess where I am going here

You da man!

 

[rascal]

I know a man, an Evertonian to the core, who would be able to get the job done and catch the big fish.


That man is Tony Hibbert.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Interested to know then how much input the manager would have with signings. Does he identify players and then it's up to the DoF to pursue them or something different?

 

[bizzaro]

Don't dismiss it straight away, just think about it for a minute. I was going to say loved by the fans, but thought I might be pushing it.

I'm thinking about it...

 

[malfosse]

I'm thinking about it...

Take your time mate, no rush.

 

[bizzaro]

Take your time mate, no rush.

I'm taking my time about it...

 

[brieverton]

DoF is a rather silly title, but I do like the General Manager/Head Coach model.
It has a bad rep in these parts principally due to guys like Damien Comolli who come in and dictate who is signed over the (traditional) manager's head.
It works best in the context of the DoF acting as a consultant/advisor to the board and executive management, on football matters as most, if not all board members come from a general business background.
The DoF should have overall responsibility for the academy, all junior and underage teams, scouting, sports science, and player contracts. The manager/coach reports directly to the DoF who reports to the CEO/board.
They should also handle transfer negotiations and have an input in the selection of transfer targets provided the head coach has the final say on players either joining (by transfer or through development) or leaving the first team squad. That is key to making it work.
They can of course take first team duties on an interim basis if required, and should make a recommendation to the board on the appointment of a new head coach/manager.
Get the right person in and it can be a big positive. The manager has too much to do in the modern game and should be left with the tasks of day to day game preparation, training, team selection, tactics, and team building.

 

[catcherintherye]

DoF is a rather silly title, but I do like the General Manager/Head Coach model.
It has a bad rep in these parts principally due to guys like Damien Comolli who come in and dictate who is signed over the (traditional) manager's head.
It works best in the context of the DoF acting as a consultant/advisor to the board and executive management, on football matters as most, if not all of them come from a general business background.
The DoF should have overall responsibility for the academy, all junior and underage teams, scouting, sports science, and player contracts. The manager/coach reports directly to the DoF who reports to the CEO/board.
They should also handle transfer negotiations and have an input in the selection of transfer targets provided the head coach has the final say on players either joining (by transfer or through development) or leaving the first team squad. That is key to making it work.
They can of course take first team duties on an interim basis if required, and should make a recommendation to the board on the appointment of a new head coach/manager.
Get the right person in and it can be a big positive. The manager has too much to do in the modern game and should be left with the tasks of day to day game preparation, training, tactics, and actually making a group of players into a team.

This is spot on. I think the key is finding one who supports the manager as opposed to try to undermine them. I know Esk has mentioned DOF and also stated that his role would be decided in part by the manager. I like that idea, the manager outlines areas he could do with support in and has a part to play in that process. I think a lot of the difficulties are when; a) the manager is told what the DOF does and has no input on that or b) where a more old school manager just flat our refuses to engage in the process.

I am throwing a name from left field here but with very little other than him being loosely linked, but I would like to see someone like Joachim Loew. He's a very big name who players would talk too. At Germany he has been central to not just coaching the first team but helping to restructure and improvement German football from youth up. I think he could bring a lot of that expertise to Everton. His weakness may be that he may not be the most astute in the transfer market.

Overall though he is a very talented individual but I am not convinced he has a track record of club day to day management. What he has done at Germany would suit a more DOF role.