Steve Walsh - no longer our Director of Football

[danny=)]

if this time next week there is still no left back and another window has passed with the blindingly obvious gap remaining unfilled just like a striker in the summer then this utter fraud really is just:

 

[Raino85]

Highly doubt they'd get a guy in this week and let him instantly sign players mate haha.

i would wager that htey could get any of 80% of the population in as DOF and the first thing they will identify is we need a left back

 

[foxedup]

The 'manager' role is the problem though?
The DoF should be defining the style of play that all teams, from youth to 1st team adhere to.
He, is the manager and all the teams are 'coached', to play the same way.
Sam Allardyce should not be our manager, he should be our coach! (or neither as you like)
It doesn't seem to working that way and Walsh is basically, with BK, our head of player recruitment.
We need to either, immerse ourselves with this philosophy or, have a chief scout answering to the manager?
I don't think the wishy washy attempt at it has been good so far.

Has it been spelt out to you, what his role was / is or are people just guessing that he's meant to be implementing some grand plan. We have a DOF, but he has no say in style whatsoever. He's no more than a pen pusher. So, different DOF's will be assigned different roles by different owners.

If you get rid of Walsh, then I'll happily take him back. People calling him a fraud is funny, when he built a team that won the top three leagues for a grand total of about £30m.

Unfortunately I think you've been stuck between two different things. A team wanting to spend money to progress, whilst also buying some cheap hidden gems and not really doing either. You've not spent enough to get the ready made best and wouldn't give rough diamonds time to develop if you had them.

If we'd sacked Pearson and Walsh at the first sign of a bad run or signings not hitting the ground running instantly, we wouldn't have had success. It took time for the players to develop into what they are now. We also had a manager and a assistant manager / chief scout who had total belief in each other and had trust.

Seems to me Koeman had different ideas and tried to force his will, a lot of the players you've signed and overloading in certain positions screams of someone else sticking their oar in, compared to what I experienced of his work in all his time here.

We always had a balanced squad, with different types of players all complimenting each other. Not 12 no.10's and no strikers.

 

[brieverton]

Has it been spelt out to you, what his role was / is or are people just guessing that he's meant to be implementing some grand plan. We have a DOF, but he has no say in style whatsoever. He's no more than a pen pusher. So, different DOF's will be assigned different roles by different owners.

If you get rid of Walsh, then I'll happily take him back. People calling him a fraud is funny, when he built a team that won the top three leagues for a grand total of about £30m.

Unfortunately I think you've been stuck between two different things. A team wanting to spend money to progress, whilst also buying some cheap hidden gems and not really doing either. You've not spent enough to get the ready made best and wouldn't give rough diamonds time to develop if you had them.

If we'd sacked Pearson and Walsh at the first sign of a bad run or signings not hitting the ground running instantly, we wouldn't have had success. It took time for the players to develop into what they are now. We also had a manager and a assistant manager / chief scout who had total belief in each other and had trust.

Seems to me Koeman had different ideas and tried to force his will, a lot of the players you've signed and overloading in certain positions screams of someone else sticking their oar in, compared to what I experienced of his work in all his time here.

We always had a balanced squad, with different types of players all complimenting each other. Not 12 no.10's and no strikers.

Good post.

I think its fair to say that the vast majority of Evertonians are disappointed with Walsh in the DOF role, and the outcome of signings to date.

He can't be held responsible for everything of course, but I think the move here and "promotion" to DOF over Chief Scout was a reward for his reputation and achievements, so if you take the job you have to accept the flak too.

My concern, in relation to your point in bold, is that he is simply not a managerial type personality and so may find it difficult to hold his own, not only with Koeman who thinks very highly of himself, but also anyone else with status and reputation in the game.

It's a world away from being Chief Scout. DOF is, or should be, a managerial-level position and if he ever felt unable or unwilling to ensure his opinions have weight behind them, which is a suspicion of mine, then he is in the wrong job, and doing both himself and Everton a disservice.

 

[foxedup]

Good post.

I think its fair to say that the vast majority of Evertonians are disappointed with Walsh in the DOF role, and the outcome of signings to date.

He can't be held responsible for everything of course, but I think the move here and "promotion" to DOF over Chief Scout was a reward for his reputation and achievements, so if you take the job you have to accept the flak too.

My concern, in relation to your point in bold, is that he is simply not a managerial type personality and so may find it difficult to hold his own, not only with Koeman who thinks very highly of himself, but also anyone else with status and reputation in the game.

It's a world away from being Chief Scout. DOF is, or should be, a managerial-level position and if he ever felt unable or unwilling to ensure his opinions have weight behind them, which is a suspicion of mine, then he is in the wrong job, and doing both himself and Everton a disservice.

Quite possibly, does look a little like that. The board need to take a lot of blame really, they've promoted him to entice him away without ever seemingly thinking it through.

I don't like seeing Walsh abused on here, he's a really nice bloke, quiet and reserved. As you say, probably not cut out for management position and I could see him getting swayed by a stronger character, rather than sticking to his own beliefs.

It's so difficult, to work the DOF and manager need to be so in line with their thinking. If it's not you just get a mixed bunch of signings.

Who do you think wanted Rooney? Seemed like a board signing to me, heart over head.

 

[Sir Alan]

Quite possibly, does look a little like that. The board need to take a lot of blame really, they've promoted him to entice him away without ever seemingly thinking it through.

I don't like seeing Walsh abused on here, he's a really nice bloke, quiet and reserved. As you say, probably not cut out for management position and I could see him getting swayed by a stronger character, rather than sticking to his own beliefs.

It's so difficult, to work the DOF and manager need to be so in line with their thinking. If it's not you just get a mixed bunch of signings.

Who do you think wanted Rooney? Seemed like a board signing to me, heart over head.

Really nice block? Met him have you?

Came across an arrogant so and so in the AGM

 

[peteblue]

Has it been spelt out to you, what his role was / is or are people just guessing that he's meant to be implementing some grand plan. We have a DOF, but he has no say in style whatsoever. He's no more than a pen pusher. So, different DOF's will be assigned different roles by different owners.

If you get rid of Walsh, then I'll happily take him back. People calling him a fraud is funny, when he built a team that won the top three leagues for a grand total of about £30m.

Unfortunately I think you've been stuck between two different things. A team wanting to spend money to progress, whilst also buying some cheap hidden gems and not really doing either. You've not spent enough to get the ready made best and wouldn't give rough diamonds time to develop if you had them.

If we'd sacked Pearson and Walsh at the first sign of a bad run or signings not hitting the ground running instantly, we wouldn't have had success. It took time for the players to develop into what they are now. We also had a manager and a assistant manager / chief scout who had total belief in each other and had trust.

Seems to me Koeman had different ideas and tried to force his will, a lot of the players you've signed and overloading in certain positions screams of someone else sticking their oar in, compared to what I experienced of his work in all his time here.

We always had a balanced squad, with different types of players all complimenting each other. Not 12 no.10's and no strikers.

Excellent, will you pick him up or would you like him gift wrapped and delivered.......

 

[foxedup]

Really nice block? Met him have you?

Came across an arrogant so and so in the AGM

Yes I have actually. Always had time for people, loved by all the staff and players down here as well.

Perhaps your fans abusing his daughter on twitter has got his back up!

 

[KaiserEFC]

Has it been spelt out to you, what his role was / is or are people just guessing that he's meant to be implementing some grand plan. We have a DOF, but he has no say in style whatsoever. He's no more than a pen pusher. So, different DOF's will be assigned different roles by different owners.

If you get rid of Walsh, then I'll happily take him back. People calling him a fraud is funny, when he built a team that won the top three leagues for a grand total of about £30m.

Unfortunately I think you've been stuck between two different things. A team wanting to spend money to progress, whilst also buying some cheap hidden gems and not really doing either. You've not spent enough to get the ready made best and wouldn't give rough diamonds time to develop if you had them.

If we'd sacked Pearson and Walsh at the first sign of a bad run or signings not hitting the ground running instantly, we wouldn't have had success. It took time for the players to develop into what they are now. We also had a manager and a assistant manager / chief scout who had total belief in each other and had trust.

Seems to me Koeman had different ideas and tried to force his will, a lot of the players you've signed and overloading in certain positions screams of someone else sticking their oar in, compared to what I experienced of his work in all his time here.

We always had a balanced squad, with different types of players all complimenting each other. Not 12 no.10's and no strikers.

Absolutey irrelevant what he did for Leicester, he hasn’t done it for us. He’s a fraud.

 

[Sir Alan]

Yes I have actually. Always had time for people, loved by all the staff and players down here as well.

Perhaps your fans abusing his daughter on twitter has got his back up!

Fair enough.

He came across arrogant at our AGM.

As for that nobody condones that and that’s just bang out of order.

 

[Lanolin]

Has it been spelt out to you, what his role was / is or are people just guessing that he's meant to be implementing some grand plan. We have a DOF, but he has no say in style whatsoever. He's no more than a pen pusher. So, different DOF's will be assigned different roles by different owners.

If you get rid of Walsh, then I'll happily take him back. People calling him a fraud is funny, when he built a team that won the top three leagues for a grand total of about £30m.

Unfortunately I think you've been stuck between two different things. A team wanting to spend money to progress, whilst also buying some cheap hidden gems and not really doing either. You've not spent enough to get the ready made best and wouldn't give rough diamonds time to develop if you had them.

If we'd sacked Pearson and Walsh at the first sign of a bad run or signings not hitting the ground running instantly, we wouldn't have had success. It took time for the players to develop into what they are now. We also had a manager and a assistant manager / chief scout who had total belief in each other and had trust.

Seems to me Koeman had different ideas and tried to force his will, a lot of the players you've signed and overloading in certain positions screams of someone else sticking their oar in, compared to what I experienced of his work in all his time here.

We always had a balanced squad, with different types of players all complimenting each other. Not 12 no.10's and no strikers.

The problem with posts like this is you're doing exactly what you're accusing others of doing.

It's true that none of us know exactly what Walsh's role is, but then nor do you have any idea whether you would have had success had Pearson and Walsh been sacked, nor exactly what the relationship was between your management team, nor I assume, whether Steve Walsh is really a nice bloke. You're putting 2 and 2 together based on the success you had, while we're putting 2 and 2 together based on the failure we're seeing.

You make some strange assumptions about Everton as a club, ones that don't ring true to me as a fan. What gives you the impression we wouldn't give rough diamonds the time to develop? The amount of games played by Holgate, DCL etc this season, and the previous development of Stones, Barkley, even Lukaku flies right in the face of what you're saying. Similarly saying we've not spent enough to get the ready made best. Haven't we? OK £45m doesn't get you Messi quality, but it should be plenty to sign a player who hugely improves your team. Sigurdsson hasn't done that for us though.

The signing of some big name, big money players, and of some exciting unknowns isn't some weird hybrid of plans as you suggest, it's exactly what most teams try to do. Unfortunately, very few of the signings we've made have worked out so far. Whether that will change in future, or whether Walsh is responsible either way, I don't know. I do know, however, that absolutely everybody who has been involved in our dealings over the past few years should be under enormous pressure, because the results have not even been close to good enough.

 

[peteblue]

The problem with posts like this is you're doing exactly what you're accusing others of doing.

It's true that none of us know exactly what Walsh's role is, but then nor do you have any idea whether you would have had success had Pearson and Walsh been sacked, nor exactly what the relationship was between your management team, nor I assume, whether Steve Walsh is really a nice bloke. You're putting 2 and 2 together based on the success you had, while we're putting 2 and 2 together based on the failure we're seeing.

You make some strange assumptions about Everton as a club, ones that don't ring true to me as a fan. What gives you the impression we wouldn't give rough diamonds the time to develop? The amount of games played by Holgate, DCL etc this season, and the previous development of Stones, Barkley, even Lukaku flies right in the face of what you're saying. Similarly saying we've not spent enough to get the ready made best. Haven't we? OK £45m doesn't get you Messi quality, but it should be plenty to sign a player who hugely improves your team. Sigurdsson hasn't done that for us though.

The signing of some big name, big money players, and of some exciting unknowns isn't some weird hybrid of plans as you suggest, it's exactly what most teams try to do. Unfortunately, very few of the signings we've made have worked out so far. Whether that will change in future, or whether Walsh is responsible either way, I don't know. I do know, however, that absolutely everybody who has been involved in our dealings over the past few years should be under enormous pressure, because the results have not even been close to good enough.

Spot on........

 

[COYBL25]

Has it been spelt out to you, what his role was / is or are people just guessing that he's meant to be implementing some grand plan. We have a DOF, but he has no say in style whatsoever. He's no more than a pen pusher. So, different DOF's will be assigned different roles by different owners.

If you get rid of Walsh, then I'll happily take him back. People calling him a fraud is funny, when he built a team that won the top three leagues for a grand total of about £30m.

Unfortunately I think you've been stuck between two different things. A team wanting to spend money to progress, whilst also buying some cheap hidden gems and not really doing either. You've not spent enough to get the ready made best and wouldn't give rough diamonds time to develop if you had them.

If we'd sacked Pearson and Walsh at the first sign of a bad run or signings not hitting the ground running instantly, we wouldn't have had success. It took time for the players to develop into what they are now. We also had a manager and a assistant manager / chief scout who had total belief in each other and had trust.

Seems to me Koeman had different ideas and tried to force his will, a lot of the players you've signed and overloading in certain positions screams of someone else sticking their oar in, compared to what I experienced of his work in all his time here.

We always had a balanced squad, with different types of players all complimenting each other. Not 12 no.10's and no strikers.

Did he have as many " nice " foreign holidays when he was with you though ?

Since he`s been with us, he`s seems to have been keeping Ambre Solaire in business, but not finding us any players.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

I have no doubt Walsh has an eye for talent and certainly don't think he's a fraud based on past success, but this team is poorly constructed. In his and everyone else's defense, the injuries have made it difficult. Ross robbing us of 20M, missing Yannick, Coleman, Mori, Baines, McCarthy, Keane either hurts us on the field or in the transfer market.

But I'm sorry, if Walsh isnt strong enough to disagree with a manager in bring a Klaassen, or whatever, even if it wasn't his idea, there was to be some accountability. Don't get me wrong, we are a couple players away from being a really good side, IMO. But those holes are so deep that anyone in their right mind would have filled them. If he's the Director of Football and we are playing truly bad football, isn't that kinda his fault?

 

[foxedup]

The problem with posts like this is you're doing exactly what you're accusing others of doing.

What exactly have I accused others of? I believe I asked a question as to whether the board etc had ever spelt out what his role was?

It's true that none of us know exactly what Walsh's role is, but then nor do you have any idea whether you would have had success had Pearson and Walsh been sacked, nor exactly what the relationship was between your management team, nor I assume, whether Steve Walsh is really a nice bloke. You're putting 2 and 2 together based on the success you had, while we're putting 2 and 2 together based on the failure we're seeing.

I'm almost certain that if we'd got rid of Pearson, Walsh, Drinkwater, Vardy and friends after disappointing spells, or first seasons, we wouldn't have won the league. Sure I can't prove it, but our success was built on many things.... chucking large amounts of that bin is unlikely to have lead to anything as good as or better than what we did as it was a freak a one off. Pretty much stands to reason if you write off Vardy after one bad season when he signs and sell him before he reaches his potential, you aren't going to have benefited from him. Don't know many other players who cost £1m who've done what he has... so how unlikely is is that we'd have found another?

As for no idea of relationships between the teams, or whether Steve Walsh is a nice bloke. There are multiple books written about the club that go into depth about the relationships. This is all backed up by either my own first hand experience of meeting people, or what's been said by people on the inside.

You make some strange assumptions about Everton as a club, ones that don't ring true to me as a fan. What gives you the impression we wouldn't give rough diamonds the time to develop? The amount of games played by Holgate, DCL etc this season, and the previous development of Stones, Barkley, even Lukaku flies right in the face of what you're saying. Similarly saying we've not spent enough to get the ready made best. Haven't we? OK £45m doesn't get you Messi quality, but it should be plenty to sign a player who hugely improves your team. Sigurdsson hasn't done that for us though.

I've read your forum for the last couple of years, the vast majority seemed to be screaming for big names and instant success. The fact most look to be screaming for your manager to be sacked after a handful of games, leads me to believe the patience you were once prepared to show people no longer exists because a bit of cash as raised expectations.

Yes you've spent that on sigurdsson, but I'm sorry one £45m player is unlikely to push you into top four. Yes you spent a fair amount of money, but not enough to propel you much further forward than you had already been. The people above you are spending more than that on decent full backs and £30m more than that on good centre halves.

The signing of some big name, big money players, and of some exciting unknowns isn't some weird hybrid of plans as you suggest, it's exactly what most teams try to do. Unfortunately, very few of the signings we've made have worked out so far. Whether that will change in future, or whether Walsh is responsible either way, I don't know. I do know, however, that absolutely everybody who has been involved in our dealings over the past few years should be under enormous pressure, because the results have not even been close to good enough.

I think you do fall into a different category to most clubs, spending good money and expecting quick success... but not enough money to actually push on much further than you already were. There aren't many clubs finding themselves in that situation, it's quite unique for you as the 6 above you are light years away in terms of spend over the last decade.

Whilst some on here also complain about no cheap rough diamonds being found. You're board hired a man known for putting together a winning team on a shoe string, with years to build... and then people want quick success and big money signings.

Outside looking in, it seemed like not many could agree on whether it's Leicester type success you're going for, built over nearly 7/8 years, with plenty of ups and downs. Or Chelsea type success, huge investment and quick wins. You fall somewhere in between and that comes across in the mixed messages I read on here.

Anyway... I'll leave it there. If you want to be attacking about things, it's really not worth the discussion nothing I say will be right in your eyes. I wish I had more time to better answer your questions but work calls.