Steve Walsh - no longer our Director of Football

[Little Ralphy]

You can go back to Moyes Irvine and Jimmy Lumsden driving round championship clubs looking for bargains whilst laughing about Rodrigo pitching up at Finch Farm if you want? This guy will be judged on his signings, so far Gueye and Williams have been two of our best players this season. The next two windows will allow us to judge the impact he's making.

Williams seriously? He's been average at best. Although I personally think that all of the defence are on a hiding to nothing when you have Gareth '5 mins too late' Barry in front of them.

Walsh is here long term and it's not just the first team he's been looking at. The club is undergoing a massive change which will hopefully pay dividends.

I'm just disappointed that Everton didn't have players lined up to sign on 2nd Jan, but then if Walsh has unearthed the next Mahrez then if we move now, no doubt Spurs will come in as well, leaving it late makes that less likely.

 

[BlueToff]

September, October, November, December.

He's had 4 months and identifying and signing players are really his only job duties as far as I can tell.

I am not expecting him to wave a magic wand and make things better but I was expecting him to bring some professionalism to this club in terms of how we go about transfers. Getting the signings in early was a part of that.


9 days into the month and only the one deal for a promising young lad from League One sorted.


If we do sign Schneiderlin and Depay then I would be wondering why we couldn't have got it done sooner.

His only role is not finding players.

He is responsible for overarching football matters at the club, coordinating the entire set-up.

 

[Brendan Janus]

Wasn't he formerly a disc jockey, Steve Walsh !!

 

[Baines' left foot]

More like director of fk all!!!1

 

[madkiwi]

His only role is not finding players.

Freudian slip?

But I agree, a lot of the value we'll get from Walsh will be the less prominent player he brings in that will serve us in the future.

And setting up the infrastructure to make FF an even more productive development facility for the youth.

We are unfortunately very limited in who we can bring in that's established given our current league position, unless it's the likes of Gana, which other teams miss the value of.

He needs to be judged over several windows. Something a lot of people seem incapable of having the patience for.

 

[BlueToff]

Haha, yes

But yes like you said, my point is he's not just about the transfers. It is a major part, but it's not his only role.

 

[ryanbeno80]

If Walsh makes a signing to the effect of Gueye every window he's doing a good job in my eyes. Do some people expect him to sign 5 world beaters no ones heard off in his first window and win the league? It's clearly the board holding up all deals not him, he's probably as frustrated as us!

 

[BurnhamBlue]

I do not understand why Walsh is getting so much stick.

He's here to identify players, who fit into Koemans plans.
He's here to set up scouting networks, for players of youth team and upwards.

He's not here to negotiate the deals.

 

[Bally8]

Esk saying the board are interfering with his plans.

Oh dear same old

 

[mixed_up]

Esk saying the board are interfering with his plans.

Oh dear same old

it's the board with moshiri that the esk has praised. it's all bs. all of it is utter bs.

 

[brieverton]

Esk saying the board are interfering with his plans.

Oh dear same old

I don't think it will come as a huge surprise that.

What doesn't fit is a scenario where Moshiri has provided funds which the board are getting in the way of being utilised, over two successive windows?

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to cock-up one transfer window is unfortunate, to cock-up two sounds like carelessness.

Anyone with even half an intention to progress would not tolerate it, and someone would pay with their job.

IMO it builds up the narrative for setting the expectation that we'll get Schneiderlin, but won't do much more, if any, business.

 

[thebluenosebolt]

Bet some on here have got neck muscles like steve austin with all the head wobbling.

 

[ganistuk]

Esk saying the board are interfering with his plans.

Oh dear same old

Esk also said that there would be a Morgan parked in the car park last night...

 

[Efcjake]

He did sign DLC, Gana, Valencia, Bolasie and Williams and now hes sorted Lookman out. So thats 6 players essentially in a little amount of time to operate. Hell bring in another 2 or 3. Just because its 10 days in doesnt mean anything really, theyll come when they come. Theres alot of stuff to iron out between clubs and we dont want to be mugged off for money

Did he though? Or does he just identify targets like others have been telling me. I can't work out if he is just a glorified chief scout or if he actually goes to the negotiating table.

 

[ganistuk]

I do not understand why Walsh is getting so much stick.

He's here to identify players, who fit into Koemans plans.
He's here to set up scouting networks, for players of youth team and upwards.

He's not here to negotiate the deals.

I suspect this has been a big part of his work so far.

From the little we hear, there are existing scouts moving on and new ones moving in.

From what Unsworth has been quoted as saying, it sounds as though there has been a review of the U23's - who they think is and isn't going to make it and the gaps that leaves. He mentioned hoping to bring in 3 to 4 - I guess they're looking to have at least one person in that age group for every position who is potentially good enough and can be moulded to move into the first team as required, like Calvert-Lewin.

Having said all that you'd think the first team would be a priority - which perhaps was also part of Koeman's gripe.