Steve Walsh - no longer our Director of Football

[banno]

Can someone enlighten me on the DOF role. I know he finds the players but does he negotiate a deal with them or is that left to someone else. If it is the latter then surely Walsh has done nothing wrong. If Walsh does negotiate then surely he has a budget to work with that he cannot exceed which could have put a few deals out of reach.

 

[kithnou]

So what does he do now then until January?

 

[Jags..class]

So what does he do now then until January?

Really? Or a poor form of sarcasm

 

[kithnou]

Really? Or a poor form of sarcasm

You expect an answer?

 

[bring the ghost on]

So what does he do now then until January?

I heard Moshiri has asked him to read this.

 

[Stan Lee Park]

[Poor language removed] me, are you serious? He spent the summer thinking he was looking to tie up deals for a club with champions league football on offer, that changed when he came here, he's only been here a few weeks. i seriously don't know what some people expect.

You're missing my point completely. Walsh may or may not be a genius and our best signing since Alan Ball, but people getting carried away with his arrival need to judge him on what he's done - and so far, I'm not aware that he has done anything.

 

[Stan Lee Park]

Why don't you ask for his appraisal documents?

That may be a great question, but I have no idea what you mean.

 

[Lowste]

You're missing my point completely. Walsh may or may not be a genius and our best signing since Alan Ball, but people getting carried away with his arrival need to judge him on what he's done - and so far, I'm not aware that he has done anything.

What are people honestly expecting from him in such a short space of time

New club, new priorities, new ambitions, new everything....

I think the critiscsm of him is very harsh, taking into account of the time he has been here

 

[The Esk]

Can someone enlighten me on the DOF role. I know he finds the players but does he negotiate a deal with them or is that left to someone else. If it is the latter then surely Walsh has done nothing wrong. If Walsh does negotiate then surely he has a budget to work with that he cannot exceed which could have put a few deals out of reach.

Hi mate, I wrote this in June as it represented what I believed would be the best division of responsibilities between DoF, Manager and CEO:

The model I would deploy for a Director of Football would be a senior footballing person, sitting at board level whose tasks would include the following:

• Represent the club's footballing interests at board level
• Responsibility for all football related strategic planning
• Responsibility for all player transfers and contract negotiations
• Control over player research and non playing staff recruitment
• Advisory capacity over all non first team divisions within club
• Control over all sports science related matters
• Responsibility for all football related facilities
• Responsibility for all football related PR and media strategies

The relationship between DoF and manager would be very close, each being aware that all the club does must be centred on the ability to perform and compete on the pitch.

The role of the football manager would be very much that of a head coach, meaning responsibility for and sole focus on:

• Team selection
• Team preparation
• Training & maintenance of fitness levels
• Technical development of first team members
• Tactics
• Injury prevention & management with sports scientists

Interestingly this model then allows the club to recruit a CEO who does not necessarily have a football background. The club can then recruit from a much wider talent pool focusing on commercial acumen, and operational and management excellence.

Whilst Koeman's role is fairly established it seems over this window that many of the responsibilities normally associated with a DOF were shared:

• Represent the club's footballing interests at board level - currently a combination of BK/RE
• Responsibility for all football related strategic planning - would hope SW but not sure
• Responsibility for all player transfers and contract negotiations - seems a combination of BK/RE
• Control over player research and non playing staff recruitment - would hope SW but not sure
• Advisory capacity over all non first team divisions within club - would hope SW but not sure
  
• Control over all sports science related matters - would hope SW but not sure
• Responsibility for all football related facilities - would hope SW but not sure
• Responsibility for all football related PR and media strategies - no one.

The bigger question is that if SW does not have the experience to perform all the above, or his role is more narrowly defined, who looks after the areas he's not looking after. From the window it would appear that is the problem.

 

[Goat]

Probably the worst DoF we have had in our history.

 

[Khalekan]

Give the bloke a chance!

New club, new role. He's got 4 months now to put a structure in place.

I would say even four months is a big ask.

I reckon it will be next summer before he is firing on all cylinders with his own systems and team at Everton in place.

 

[jal123]

Probably the worst DoF we have had in our history.

£1.2m a year for finding bolasie and Valencia tho

 

[Khalekan]

So what does he do now then until January?

I think he does a bit of coaching as well

 

[Muggins]

Probably the worst DoF we have had in our history.

Can't believe you just said that.

Let's argue.

 

[Goat]

£1.2m a year for finding bolasie and Valencia tho

Travelled DER WURLD to find dem lad.