Would you take back Steve Walsh?

[Connor]

I said it before and I'll say it again. What Walsh did up there with you made zero sense, compared to what he did here over several spells. It stunk of not actually having control over transfers or others having too much of a say. Whilst he was promoted above his level, I still think there is more going on than meets the eye.

He had control over some signings, he was just clueless

Not arsed with he did with your lot

 

[foxedup]

He didn’t “create” anything, he was a scout who spotted a few great players over a career of about 15 years. He’s been dining off Kante and Mahrez for years and will do for the rest of his life.

Except he did, he was in charge of building the teams. He rebuilt the team three times over and we won three leagues, simple as that.

 

[stannyr]

Who's to say Haaland would have hit the heights he's hitting now if he signed for Everton anyway.

Exactly. I can almost assure you he wouldn't have.

 

[MikeH72]

Except he did, he was in charge of building the teams. He rebuilt the team three times over and we won three leagues, simple as that.

No he wasn’t, he was a scout! Scouts aren’t tasked with building anything, if he was your director of football I’d probably give you it, but he wasn’t. He was just one of many scouts.

 

[Connor]

Yannick Bolaise, 30 million quid

 

[Groucho]

Who pushed for Bolassie? I know no one was to know he'd do his ACL, but it was big money for a guy who was arguably quite a limited player?

Koeman

 

[catcherintherye]

I said it before and I'll say it again. What Walsh did up there with you made zero sense, compared to what he did here over several spells. It stunk of not actually having control over transfers or others having too much of a say. Whilst he was promoted above his level, I still think there is more going on than meets the eye.

The issue with Walsh was that he was a good head of recruitment/Scouting but completely out of his depth as a DOF. At Leicester I understand he was an "Assistant manager" which is obviously a very different skill base to being a DOF.

One thing I don't doubt is his ability to spot players. Even with us players such as Lookman, Vlasic, Onyekuru, Gueye etc. He also looked closely at D Gray, Leon Bailey, Isak, David Brooks, both the Sessegnon twins, George Hirst etc. There were obviously a few flops too, Gabbiadini he liked has struggled, a CB at City he wanted has likewise, Belfodil hasn't been up to much. However in general his eye was good and the players we could have bought would have worked a lot better for us than what we ended up doing.

The first major issue he had was he really struggled to close deals, the 2nd being that he worked for a manager who had a radically different approach to what he wanted. He was signing often younger, less well known players, yet we had a manager who was obsessing over PL experience. It didn't take a genius to work out the two things were at opposite ends. You throw in a completely inefficient board who aren't capable of managing a successful PL club, who just let these problems slide and it all came crashing down.

While he's probably right re Maguire, Robertson and Haaland, in truth had they been signed, under Koeman none would have flourished.

 

[PVD_Blue]

‘I offered Erling Haaland, Harry Maguire and Andy Robertson’ - Steve Walsh runs his mouth about Everton

Anyone actually think he’s telling the truth?

royalbluemersey.sbnation.com

Pretty much agree w/ this take especially the utter nonsense wrt Haaland

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Got to laugh though has there been any positive news RE the club these past few years? lol like kin groundhog day.

 

[Calvin Aldi]

He's like one of those tipsters who take credit and tell everyone how clued up they are when a bet lands but go off the radar when virtually none of them come through.

 

[summerisle]

Got to laugh though has there been any positive news RE the club these past few years? lol like kin groundhog day.

Haven't you heard, we're getting a new stadium ? Rumours say it's the Bramley Moore dock.

 

[Archer]

nonce

Defo been on a lads holiday with Prince Andrew and Epstein.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Haven't you heard, we're getting a new stadium ? Rumours say it's the Bramley Moore dock.

No good having a shiny new ground if your leaving the bugger dissapointed every Saturday lol

Would rather we sort ourselves out on the playing side first mate!

 

[The binman chronicles]

Ok Steve, now what about all the players that you would have bought that have done nothing since? Hindsight is great, he should have said this the day he got fired.

Mind you even if we bought these players they would have been useless. File under Vlasic and about 300 other players.

 

[alvinh]

The issue with Walsh was that he was a good head of recruitment/Scouting but completely out of his depth as a DOF. At Leicester I understand he was an "Assistant manager" which is obviously a very different skill base to being a DOF.

One thing I don't doubt is his ability to spot players. Even with us players such as Lookman, Vlasic, Onyekuru, Gueye etc. He also looked closely at D Gray, Leon Bailey, Isak, David Brooks, both the Sessegnon twins, George Hirst etc. There were obviously a few flops too, Gabbiadini he liked has struggled, a CB at City he wanted has likewise, Belfodil hasn't been up to much. However in general his eye was good and the players we could have bought would have worked a lot better for us than what we ended up doing.

The first major issue he had was he really struggled to close deals, the 2nd being that he worked for a manager who had a radically different approach to what he wanted. He was signing often younger, less well known players, yet we had a manager who was obsessing over PL experience. It didn't take a genius to work out the two things were at opposite ends. You throw in a completely inefficient board who aren't capable of managing a successful PL club, who just let these problems slide and it all came crashing down.

While he's probably right re Maguire, Robertson and Haaland, in truth had they been signed, under Koeman none would have flourished.

Do you think Walsh enjoyed the same status / authority in control of recruitment strategy and playing style that Brands does? How much of that is down to Walsh's failings and how much due to the respectIve managers that each had to work with and the structure in which they worked?

I think making Brands a board level appointment and seeking a younger coach figure in Silva is an implicit acknowledgment that the board made some mistakes in previous appointments and that may have impaired Walsh from the outset?