Steve Walsh - no longer our Director of Football

[ToffeeTim]

...unless you know exactly his role in the transfer process I think it's very wrong to say "he's over his head trying to negotiate deals". All the indications are that Kenwright does the negotiating.

I think it's very reasonable to question the transfer activity if you are not happy with the players purchased but it's wrong to criticise Walsh for his negotiating skills unless you know something we don't. It's fine criticising individuals for not doing their job but it's lazy and ignorant to churn out the same diatribe without reason.

My understanding of the DOF/Technical Director role is that they have a budget and recruitment is their remit. That means scouting, bidding, signing. I just don't think anyone would have expected this situation 15 months ago when he came. Leicester is the past. And as impressive as that was, it shouldn't be used as a defence of his record with us. Maybe there's a clash of personalities between him and Koeman? I dunno, but if that's the case then it's hard to see this arrangement ever working. Personally for this to work in think we need either Walsh or Koeman to go. And I'm not yet at the point where I want a managerial change. Now in 6 weeks that might have changed, but assuming Koeman is here still post Christmas, then I'm concerned that the striker and defender we need won't materialse again.

The other issue is that Moshiri clearly is top boss so buck stops with him. If the recruitment structure is failing then it's his responsibility to ensure that changes are made swiftly. If Bill is the problem then remove him. The waters are muddied, there quite possibly is a too many cooks scenario. If I'm wrong on Walsh then I'll accept that, but until I find out that his role is only scouting and talent spotting, I'll be pointing blame his way. And that's because he's not called chief scout which some seem to see him as. He's called Director of Football. A much more extensive role.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Thats the thing Tim, we dont exactly know what his mandate is. Like, I very much doubt that his talents were needed to identify signings like Rooney, Keane, Pickford or Gylfi, maybe Klasson as well.

But lads like Sandro, that Henry bloke, maybe more so. Scouted, evaluated, bought at pretty reasonable rates, then maybe becoming pretty sound, and either valuable additions to the squad/balance sheet.

It's not the individual players signed in isolation. It's the strategy that's the issue. He's signed one dimensional players. No pace whatsoever even though that was his Leicester MO. We've an abundance of attacking mids but no depth anywhere else. We signed players who weren't crucial, in positions we were stocked, to the neglect of players which were pivotal. Surely he's there to implement a plan, not play supermarket sweep?

 

[Eggs]

My understanding of the DOF/Technical Director role is that they have a budget and recruitment is their remit. That means scouting, bidding, signing. I just don't think anyone would have expected this situation 15 months ago when he came. Leicester is the past. And as impressive as that was, it shouldn't be used as a defence of his record with us. Maybe there's a clash of personalities between him and Koeman? I dunno, but if that's the case then it's hard to see this arrangement ever working. Personally for this to work in think we need either Walsh or Koeman to go. And I'm not yet at the point where I want a managerial change. Now in 6 weeks that might have changed, but assuming Koeman is here still post Christmas, then I'm concerned that the striker and defender we need won't materialse again.

The other issue is that Moshiri clearly is top boss so buck stops with him. If the recruitment structure is failing then it's his responsibility to ensure that changes are made swiftly. If Bill is the problem then remove him. The waters are muddied, there quite possibly is a too many cooks scenario. If I'm wrong on Walsh then I'll accept that, but until I find out that his role is only scouting and talent spotting, I'll be pointing blame his way. And that's because he's not called chief scout which some seem to see him as. He's called Director of Football. A much more extensive role.

..you criticised his negotiating skills but I'm not sure that's in the scope of his role. I do know Walsh has been frustrated by Kenwright's dealings in this area.

I would challenge some of the transfer activity but I think it's unfair to criticise individuals for things that are not in their remit. it's fine to have a reasoned view.

 

[ToffeeTim]

..you criticised his negotiating skills but I'm not sure that's in the scope of his role. I do know Walsh has been frustrated by Kenwright's dealings in this area.

I would challenge some of the transfer activity but I think it's unfair to criticise individuals for things that are not in their remit. it's fine to have a reasoned view.

I'm assuming you know bits and pieces so I'm happy to take your word on it. Sounds like a mess and no surprise the windows have been a mess too. No one is coming out of it all in a good light anyway.

 

[Eggs]

I'm assuming you know bits and pieces so I'm happy to take your word on it. Sounds like a mess and no surprise the windows have been a mess too. No one is coming out of it all in a good light anyway.

..I think it's fair to challenge the transfer dealings at this point, Tim. Saying that, I'm still of an opinion we've bought good footballers, the problem is there doesn't appear to be a strategy in mind.

 

[Papa Shango]

One plays as a sub

One has hardly played

One is on loan to a very poor Belgium team

By the way I'm not knocking any of those players, I'm sure they'll all do well in the near future

Yeah and as you said all of them are supposedly highly regarded future prospects which is the type of player he is supposed to be bringing in right?

 

[Papa Shango]

Great debate mate. I can't argue against such insight like that.

Your opinion on Walsh is based off zero knowledge about what he is doing or has done though.

To be fair I have no idea either. But you seem to think you have some inside track on what he does and how our transfers work?

Or he is just a nice target for you to aim at out of frustration?

 

[Osamabindiesel]

I don't think he and Koeman were ever on the same page. If that is true, then we have a big problem. Like others have said; we know very little about the situation.

 

[allen]

Koeman is on record about how he doesn't sign players. He has always used a DOF. He's on record so many times. He was let down by Walsh and the board. Walsh is responsible for recruiting players. No one can be satisfied at his 3 windows in charge.

I'm not satisfied with the transfer failures - but there's no way of knowing where the fault lies.

It seems to me a systemic failure. Without specific information as to why we failed to sign a striker, it makes no sense to put it all on his shoulders - while giving him no credit for the successes of the summer.

 

[Papa Shango]

Also all this talk about not signing a striker....

We DID sign England and Manchester United's all time record goalscorer and a lad who netted 15 times in La Liga for an average Spanish side.

Maybe the the bloke who puts these players on the pitch should shoulder some of the blame.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Remember this guy is a DoF at Everton. That means he’s a DoF by name but at that club he could be absolutely anything.

 

[ToffeeTim]

 

[Osamabindiesel]

I'm tired of him blaming everyone else tbh.

 

[brownmola]

U

I'm tired of him blaming everyone else tbh.

The person to blame is the one that persists on playing three number 10s, no wingers, no strikers until the 65th minute.

 

[riddick]

http://www.evertonfc.com/transfers?page=5

On 21 July, he returned to his native North West England, joining his brother's former team Everton as Director of Football, signed by their new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.[6]

Maarten Stekelenburg In Fulham 01/07/2016
Idrissa Gueye In Aston Villa 02/08/2016
Ashley Williams In Swansea City 10/08/2016

Yep. saw that whilst drinking in a pub.