2019/20 Marcel Brands

[Mildredblues]

Pen and paper, non-creative stuff.

Why is the 'non creative' part to be dismissed? It is an important part of player transfer negotiations.

 

[davek]

I know what you mean, on the face of it you might be asking yourself what does Brands actually do if we're just signing 2 fellas Carlo personally wanted and another that Silva personally wanted.

Firstly, we've been able to keep the fee down for all 3, all being ~20 mil when we defo could have been fleeced for more, from the Kean deal last summer, I defo think keeping the fees down is due to him (lord knows what Walsh would have paid).

Secondly, I've got no problem with the key transfer targets being CL or PL players we know, as ever our first focus in the window should be improving the squad which these 3 players certainly will, and Carlo has enough to go into the new season. Now we've got the key area in midfield sorted, Brands has got until early October to facilitate outgoings and focus on the less pressing positions (RB and winger reported, though I'm praying for a goalie), so this is where we'll hopefully see him doing what he's supposed to do in our heads; giving the manager a list of players that fit the bill for what he needs at a low cost.

In summary it looks like we're going for a mixed manager's call and DoF's call approach, and I think it's for the best. Brands should constantly be on the hunt for players he can acquire for low fees who can give something to the squad and go onto becoming an asset we sell at a higher price. But first and foremost if the manager, especially a manager like Carlo, has his heart set on a player who he feels will definitely improve us and he can get the best out of then we should do our best to make that happen.

I think the 'mix' on the evidence of this window so far is that it's a mix of controlling manager / club secretary.

This all looks familiar territiory to anyone who remembers the club operating with a manager and secretary on transfers.

 

[Anti]

The Brands model has been torn up but it was to be expected, We've appointed Ancelotti unexpectedly and the whole plan has changed, Mosh obviously wants to start making moves right now and not wait for Brands to sign gems to sell for huge profit (Richarlison is selling for a disgusting profit anyway), They both work good together anyway, Ancelotti has the pulling power and Brands negotiates the deals, 22 for James Rodriguez btw.

 

[davek]

we have a first team squad containing Holgate Kenny Davies Gordon Branthwaite Richarlison Kean Nkounkou Iwobi Gbamin.

Anyone could see we needed a bit of experience to balance up. Even Brands went for Delph and Gomes under the previous manager.

The architect is building the roof for now and the foundations for the future. Enjoy him.

You enjoy him. I'm in Professor Carlo's class.

 

[catcherintherye]

...which underlines that the model is broken if his model is to buy young.

I think you give the poeple in charge of the club too much credit if you think they have a consistent "model" or think of it in that way. I am now convinced its beyond Baxendales capability to think like that (she's a classic hard woring middle manager not a strategist) and Kenwright is essentially the Del Boy of Theatre. Football, never mind Everton has outgrown them.

The model is flawed but not for reasons they can really grasp. They are weather vanes who will blow with the latest direction of wind. Fortunately for them, with Ancelotti it could be the right direction. Nobody should confuse this with any notion that they have a plan.

You are right though, a competent CEO/Chairman would have been placing Brands under severe scrutiny and asking the question "whats his role in all of this".

 

[Blue_Berry]

I can see both sides on this Dave. One thing I will say though, is I think it's a strength not a weakness for a DOF to be to identify which players are worth supporting the manager with. Like take Richarlinson (who to be fair Brands wanted to sign at PSV) a more inexperienced DOF might have dragged their heels. You see that a lot with DOF, as if to prove a point. I don't think thats sensible.

The broader issue about his role is worthwhile though. I know you've said before you want a quality CEO who can help oversee transfers, working closely with a manager and a competent Head Scout. So it's not that you don't want a structure, but you probably want the roles to just be allocated slightly differently. Theres certainly a case that with a manager like Ancelotti, that would work better.

I think the reality of the situation is that Brands was never meant to be the front and centre guy. He was always meant to be the guy that helped the manager implement his plan, while also offering an angle on younger players worthy of investing in.

The problem has been that Lewis didn't have his Morse to play to, just some incompetent buffoons until Ancelotti turned up, and so I guess Brands was in the glare of the headlights till then. I'm old school myself and have much sympathy with the view that the manager should call the shots in terms of how he wants to build his team. But I also feel there's a role for a decent DoF (or whatever you want to call it, but certainly more than a chief scout - which is what Walsh was) as a key lieutenant.

 

[davek]

I think you give the poeple in charge of the club too much credit if you think they have a consistent "model" or think of it in that way. I am now convinced its beyond Baxendales capability to think like that (she's a classic hard woring middle manager not a strategist) and Kenwright is essentially the Del Boy of Theatre. Football, never mind Everton has outgrown them.

The model is flawed but not for reasons they can really grasp. They are weather vanes who will blow with the latest direction of wind. Fortunately for them, with Ancelotti it could be the right direction. Nobody should confuse this with any notion that they have a plan.

You are right though, a competent CEO/Chairman would have been placing Brands under severe scrutiny and asking the question "whats his role in all of this".

Moshiri works on the basis of star quality. If he gets a big name in the manager's seat (Koeman or Ancelotti) he just tramples on any plans and hands the star man the cash and authority...that's what happened when Koeman brushed Walsh aside, and it's happening again with Ancelotti and Brands (there may be more respect between the latter two but it's still a definite shifting of gears from Brands first two seasons here.)

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

The Brands model has been torn up but it was to be expected, We've appointed Ancelotti unexpectedly and the whole plan has changed, Mosh obviously wants to start making moves right now and not wait for Brands to sign gems to sell for huge profit (Richarlison is selling for a disgusting profit anyway), They both work good together anyway, Ancelotti has the pulling power and Brands negotiates the deals, 22 for James Rodriguez btw.

"Torn up" is far too strong.

We had either the youngest or 2nd youngest average starting XI last season, but we desperately needed an injection of ready made quality to bolster them, particularly in midfield.

We'll continue to pick up promising youngsters where we can.

 

[Moomin]

Which is why 2 of the last 4 signings have been Branthwaite and Nkounkou?

His words not mine, he said he wanted to move away from signing players for high fees in there peak with no sale value when it came to the end of there contract.

His words not mine.

It's Carlo who has made these decisions and I'm fine with that. He has changed Brands planned way of working and thrown it out the window.

I just hope we can get a happy medium as moving forward we have to be savvy with our transfer policy and have a long term plan. Carlo wants success now.

 

[Lanolin]

we have a first team squad containing Holgate Kenny Davies Gordon Branthwaite Richarlison Kean Nkounkou Iwobi Gbamin.

Anyone could see we needed a bit of experience to balance up. Even Brands went for Delph and Gomes under the previous manager.

The architect is building the roof for now and the foundations for the future. Enjoy him.

Or you could say we have a first team squad containing Pickford, Coleman, Digne, Keane, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Walcott, Delph and Bernard. We don't really need experience at all, we've got bucketloads of it. What we needed was more quality, and hopefully we've got it. I don't think they've gone out looking for more experience, they've gone out looking for players who can make us better, and that's absolutely fine. Trying to cling to the idea that we haven't changed the model and this was always part of the masterplan is just bizarre; it's a very clear shift, and good on them for doing it. They've seen it wasn't working and taken steps to correct things, as they should do.

 

[Saint Domingo]

You enjoy him. I'm in Professor Carlo's class.

Professor Carlo reports to headmaster Brands. Brands signs his pay cheques.

 

[davek]

Professor Carlo reports to headmaster Brands. Brands signs his pay cheques.

Brands is the lad doing his re-sits.

 

[catcherintherye]

Moshiri works on the basis of star quality. If he gets a big name in the manager's seat (Koeman or Ancelotti) he just tramples on any plans and hands the star man the cash and authority...that's what happened when Koeman brushed Walsh aside, and it's happening again with Ancelotti and Brands (there may be more respect between the latter two but it's still a definite shifting of gears from Brands first two seasons here.)

Absolutely.

And I'll be honest, it's not a sensible way to run a football club really, but it's his way and what we are going to have to put up with, for better or worse. In that system, having a manager like Ancelotti is critical. I sense Moshiri hoped Koeman would open the contact book in the same way, but it went disastrously.

On the mutual respect thing, I just think Brands is a bit brighter to realise the dynamics than the green Walsh. Ive seen the odd person saying be hould be going to the board and asking what happened to his plan. I mean aside from the fact the board is powerless and we know it's Moshiri who decides everything, what do people think would happen if he did? He'd just be told, if it's a choice between him and his plan, and Carlo then he loses every time. So he's smart enough to ultimately get on board with it and make the best of it.

I'm surprised he signed up to it, when he had offers from Chelsea/Arsenal, but thats another story. The cynic in me says he knows he's onto quite an easy thing here. Relative endless amount of money, a top manager in place and really very little scrutiny about what value he brings.

The hope would be, he rebuilds the academy and chnges the culture there to be very aggressive in youth recruitment, sort of how Cruyff did at Barca 20 years ago.

 

[catcherintherye]

Or you could say we have a first team squad containing Pickford, Coleman, Digne, Keane, Sigurdsson, Gomes, Walcott, Delph and Bernard. We don't really need experience at all, we've got bucketloads of it. What we needed was more quality, and hopefully we've got it. I don't think they've gone out looking for more experience, they've gone out looking for players who can make us better, and that's absolutely fine. Trying to cling to the idea that we haven't changed the model and this was always part of the masterplan is just bizarre; it's a very clear shift, and good on them for doing it. They've seen it wasn't working and taken steps to correct things, as they should do.

I saw an article the other day, saying how we are repeating the same mistakes as other summers. I don't get that at all. This years recruitment is vastly different to last summers. The 2 years under Brands we recruited some of the youngest players in the league. This is a marked shift. It didn't work, so its understandable they are oing something different.

There is a legitimate question in saying to what extend Brands is culpable for the two years previous. That doesn't mean you have to conclude he's solely, or signficantly culpable, but its a legitimate question.

It may also be Brands who's led this. He may have said- look we tried to do x and this is what we saw. We can't keep repeating the same mistakes. Some might see that as weakness, but I see that as fairly sensible governance.

The point about experience is a good one. There's an obvious cavaet that we had the 6th youngest team last year and 2nd youngest the year before. A part of that though, is that the experienced players just haven't delivered. Of the ist above (of which you can also add Bolasie, Baines etc) the only 1 who's really been consistent is Digne. Others have had their moments, but they've not been consistent. It's put a lot of pressure on our younger players, who for the most part have coped well.

Allan and particularly James are worlds apart from the lads mentioned above. We have been unlucky in some cases with some of the above, and naive in others. However getting 2-3 lads in who improve the quality of the 11 will make an immediate impact. I remmeber it with Joe Royle, Kanchelskis and Short came one summer and we kicked on a level. Speed came the summer after (with Ferguson getting fit) and bang then another level. Just 2-3 signings of quality and every player improved.

 

[Brizzletoffee]

Here’s a thought. Maybe just maybe, carlo and brands are working together, to bring glory days back to Everton?