Everton hire new Academy Director

Are the Yanks getting all their ducks in line early? Before the takeover? If he's a Competitive Analysis expert, he might be able to pinpoint why we keep dropping stupid points.

So will his first job be to find out why we can't clear the first defender at corners? Nurse...

A guy with no professional football experience running the Academy? Interesting.

Anything to give Everton the edge over rivals is welcomed. Medical/science in sport has been around awhile in this country for at least 30 years. Everton already employ a video analyst, and a performance analyst is an important next step, to make sure that youngsters are properly taken care of, if they are to be tomorrow's next big thing.

School of Science welcomes an actual scientist - can only be good.

The Yanks are coming !

Most 'performance experts' specialise in one thing - bullshit. (See athletics, swimming and tennis) I thought we had enough of these on the books !

Maybe he can analyse Bobby's performance?

Maybe he can analyze some of the manager's soundbites!

Dave Brailsford, performance director in cycling, British Cycling and Sky. Hardly a bullshit guy or performance. Who's the British tennis performance director - didn't we just win the Davies Cup? Also bullshit?

Sounds good to me although I wouldn't mind the people who turned our cyclists into superstars.

Maybe a Brailsford could get Roberto "on his bike".

Norman #6, maybe you should check out the Yanks' Olympics results in two of those areas you mentioned -- swimming and athletics.

Huge improvements under the performance analysis system installed by Vint, who doesn't know anything more about sprint relays or backstrokes than he does about footy... but knows a hell of a lot about how cutting-edge science is maximizing athletic performance, training and health.

Hell, if the guy saves us two pulled hamstrings a year, he's worth it.

That's good to hear guys. Anyone who can improve on the tiny trickle of kids who make it from our academy is to be welcomed. But it still smacks of 'a political appointment' to me. Sir Clive Woodward's time at Southampton was a disaster and he'd won the Rugby World Cup for England.

The optimist in me is thinking this is one of a number of pre-emptive moves by the new, "soon to be" owners of the club.

The realist in me just sees this as the appointment of somebody to the back room staff.

Why not have an American who knows nothing about football, we already have a manager who knows nothing about tactics

My optimist is saying this is shifting the focus of several coaching staff towards our current league form by hiring someone to take over academy affairs. Don't start on my pessimist side.

Great news.

A serious appointment for a serious job.

Well qualified, a proven track record – can only be a good thing.

Well done, Everton.

So this guy is joining Everton because of the "willingness to challenge ourselves as individuals and to be even better". It seems a lot like the advice and encouragement my parents gave to each of us in the family to "always do the very best that you can"!

These first utterances seem to be in keeping with the psycho-babble that pervades so much of professional sport and the inflation of language and which is seemingly so beloved by the current manager. Call it Sports Science, call the participants "elite" etc and the myths surrounding sport continue to grow encouraging us all to think it is oh so complex, difficult, and often beyond "normal" understanding. All the while providing lucrative employment for the legions trying to feed off the rich pickings available.

And the end results? We have current examples like the claptrap from the manager regarding two of his "elite" athletes such as Miralles and Lennon who could not be expected to play a couple of games of football over a three or four day period now could they? Why? Because they are "sprinters"!! Is the industry mad?

Let us hope that this new incursion into the so called Academy is a success but the manager of Sunderland is an example of an avowed long time believer in the power of science applied to soccer so let us not worship at the altar of the "scientists" just yet.

Can't believe the negative comments regarding this appointment, when not one of you know how the academy is run.

To appoint a man with his recent CV is a massive coup for the club. I don't care if he is not up to speed on football. We have enough ex players at the Academy for that.

If you get the chance, go and watch an Academy game. I can highly recommend them

Brilliant Appointment.
Think Moneyball

The guy sounds like he's got decent credentials. I find his appointment more interesting with all the talk of the American takeover in the offing.

Maybe he can give some fiest hand advice, with being a Dr on hamstring injurys.

Maybe he can give some first hand advice, on hamstring injurys.

No problem with science, it's about how it's used and the extent to which it replaces proper human decision making.

The likes of Allardyce will use science to know how far players can run in a game, how fast they sprint, where they tend to run, etc. They then monitor the stats to assess performance, fitness and form. Some of us argue that mediocre managers use this useful stuff so they can measure what's easy to measure, rather than coaching footballers to pass the ball better, or in our case, getting them to concentrate.

For me this will be a good appointment if it means we focus more on the mental side of things. It can be harder to measure, but the mentally resilient tend to be more successful in all walks of life, particularly sport. Look back to us two seasons ago, or regularly under Moyes, when these good players choked when close to achievement. Watch England in any tournament these days and see how they crumble.

I can understand anyone getting irritated when people start using daft language to describe something simple, but behind the nonsense I can spot potential for getting an edge on others.

Just had a google and fall into the positive news camp. He is well thought of across sport and will have a great network of contacts. The focus on sports science has worked in many sports such as swimming and cycling, so I think this can only be good for Everton.

One of the criticisms the club gets is that it is amateurish and behind the curve. This looks like a bold and innovative big name appointment. Let's hope it provides a solid platform for us to develop and nurture players going forward. The significance of a big name American is not lost on me either... given takeover rumours. Does he know something we don't...?

Anthony - 18 regarding your comment on Mirallas and Lennon, actually it was two games in less than 48 hours not three or four days. It made sense not to risk two players who have played very little football in recent months. Mirallas particularly is susceptible to hamstring injuries. Both he and Lennon put in a full shift in difficult conditions at Newcastle and I would have been amazed if either would have been ready to play at 100% on Monday.

Regarding this appointment a clue lies in one word of the job title, 'Director'. He will hopefully bring strategic direction to the running of the Academy so that the young players coming through are better equipped to make it to the very top. Too many reach a high level at the various age groups, including international representation, before disappearing into obscurity in the lower leagues. It is very much the same at all Premier League clubs and although we are better than most we need to improve.

So we need to do something different in order that the Academy stars aged 17/18 maintain their professional development instead of levelling off. The success of this appointment can only be judged in 3 to 4 years when we will see how many more Academy players have established themselves in the first team squad.

Mike Gaynes (#12) is on the money with his comments. I would go as far to say that this is a superb move, if this man cannot sort out any sports science problems that are holding players back then no-one can.

Surely it can only be a positive move to have this man in charge to oversee the whole programme to develop and protect the young talent coming through and the first team. Hell, maybe he can get Big Dunc fit for first team action!

We have lost a few backroom medical/physio staff in the past 12+ months, and maybe we have been waiting to get the right person in.

Wishing all at ToffeeWeb and fellow posters a Happy New Year!

Based on the article and informed comments, this seems to be a good, timely appointment given the current crop of very talented youngsters. Kudos to whoever made this call.

I note that the article fails to state how long this bloke will be with us, if this "hire" is an exclusive, permanent engagement or contract / consultancy type arrangement.

What about that Italian fella – Zanuzzi – he could give our Academy the Appliance of Science.