Reboot

Will be interesting to see how we fare in the transfer market. We need to get our skates on as it now ends 2 weeks earlier this year!

I think what the squad needs can be summed up in three words: Pace, drive, and energy. Of those 38 players in the squad, far too many have none of the above.

The playing staff will need some serious assessment and work to formulate some vision and playing style. In my opinion, and as you have pointed out, this is no mean task ahead for Brands and the new Manager. There is a lot of hard and creative work ahead and this will take time to put into place.

At least now we see a practicable plan for a way forward. COYB

A massive summer. Really hope we get someone who can give us some pride back.

I am now more hopeful as both Allardyce and Walsh have been replaced by people who have reputations for attractive football.

I am cautiously optimistic that we are going in the right direction. Last season was a real eye-opener of how to do things badly so let's hope we have learnt our lessons and finally show some progress on and off the field.

His default tactic is 4-2-3-1. As favoured by Martinez and used often by Koeman and by Allardyce.

Martinez 4-2-3-1 saw Barry and McCarthy at defensive midfield. Barry was the passer McCarthy was the tackler. Barry went forwards slowly and McCarthy was encouraged to get forward quickly, after the ball. Both fullbacks bombed on.

Koeman played variants. However, Schneiderlin and Gueye were his go-to guys. Schneiderlin never went forwards and Gueye mainly did so to tackle. Koeman certainly had handcuffs on Baines although he did allow Coleman to get forwards.

Allardyce largely played two of Gueye, Davies and Schneiderlin. The two would sit deep and the midfield was largely by-passed. The fullbacks were handcuffed until Coleman was fit and unable to stop cavaliering forwards, although he didn't repeat his Leicester performance again.

So what will Silva do? The full backs will be allowed to get forward like Martinez. The defensive two are still there. However, the gripe about playing two DMs will be gone, as they defend only and on winning the ball and activating the counter-attack, they race forwards.

This is what makes Silva so attacking for Watford, and what made him defensively frail. It's possible to counter the counter-attack and find a defence exposed.

Anyway, back to personnel, McCarthy is made for this system. As is Davies. Defensive players who sit deep but love to get forward at pace and are good short passers looking to work triangles with the fullbacks and each other. Gueye will probably still be first choice but he will need to get forwards and his attacking skills are sub par. A young Schneiderlin would have done well, pace aside, but the present one, barely able to cross the halfway line, is a bad fit. Silva has a tendency to sign old players who know how he works, so I expect William Carvalho to come in.

Fullback wise, Coleman is ideal. Baines of five years ago would be too. However, his legs are going and he can't get up and down the way Silva would want. A left back is a certainty.

Gylfi fits in as a Number 10. He gets the ball to feet and his brief is to switch play. Quick turn and pass onto the opposite side of the pitch to attack down the flank.

Lookman would fit the inside left role Silva prefers perfectly. Coming inside and letting the left back overlap him whilst shooting on his right and looking for triangle passes. Walcott will be a safe better on the opposite side.

Striker wise, contrary to popular opinion, Silva didn't like and didn't pick Deeney. He wants a mobile striker able to get the ball to feet. Tosun could do this, but Calvert-Lewin seems better suited. Goals are not essential from the number 9 as long as the other 3 front players weigh in. Expect Walcott to hit double figures.

Defence, Keane will be the main man. Silva likes a passing defender to launch counter-attacks. Keane is that man. Holgate should also play and Funes Mori is likely to be retained. I would still expect another centre-back as we do lack quality.

Left back and Carvalho are the two main signings I expect. I wouldn't be surprised if that is it this window. It'll be more about Brands getting players out the door, and maybe if he can offload enough for decent money, then we can bring in more quality. I'm not expecting it.

Thanks and your article goes a long way in explaining what the position of Director of Football (DoF) consists of. Perhaps you or others could answer a few other points?

Firstly, who will our new Manager report to directly? I understand that Allardyce reported directly to Moshiri. I also understand that our previous DoF reported to Allardyce.

However, your article suggests that the DoF position demands greater responsibilities than the Manager (Chief Coach). So will our new Manager report to the DoF and in that scenario will the DoF report directly to Moshiri? Anybody know how this all works with other clubs, Continental or English?
A detailed breakdown of duties of the two position DoF and Manager would be useful.

I am surprised by your in-depth description of his overall role at the club Lyndon, it seems to me that it has to be a continental manager/coach to be used to working within that framework – basically a coach only.

Steve (#10) – great post as always. Not sure about William Cavalho though, from what I have seen he is little different from Schneiderlin or Gueye but maybe I am missing something (more than likely).

I just keep coming back to the same point in each of my posts in that only 12% of those who have voted on ToffeeWeb had gone for Silva.

As for 12%, I think the fans will get behind any of the managers on that list. They're just stating their preference. Also, many haven't seen a full-on Silva charm offensive and that would sway a lot more in favour. Of course, he'd need to back it up on the pitch. I believe he will and so everyone will then get behind him.

The worry is if he starts badly and those not behind him initially make their feelings known. I don't think that will happen as it won't be Allardyce football.

To add to the 12% point. If you put enough reasonable choices on a list you're naturally going to get a wide spread of preferences which will result in an overall BIG split resulting in low "scores".

Only way you'd get a huge swing one way is if you shortened the list, something like.

R. Charles; S. Wonder; M Silva.

Garage sale to off-load the deadwood ASAP. Start fresh and hopefully Finch Farm will start delivering a winning and entertaining team.

We have just had a mish mash of a system were we had a manager a DOF and possibly the Chairman buying players. thats why we ended up with 3 number 10s and no striker to replace the one that was sold. I just hope that the new DOF will work closely with the new manager something that didnt happen the last time. But for me the new manager should decide style of play and type of player. Then the DOF makes the managers wishes come true. I know Chelsea have been very succesful so its very difficult to criticize, but look what happens when the manager doesnt have the final say. They have had 2 succesive managers who both won the league yet were not allowed to buy the players they want. Chelsea have signed Drinkwater and he has hardly started a game and although injured for a lot of the time doesnt seem as Conte wanted him either.

Having said that, I think that patience should also apply to the appointment of the next Manager, after all 12% is not a significant figure from the poll, and almost confirms there is skepticism among those who voted.

Incidentally, I am one of those skeptics, while I believe Silva would be a major improvement to Allardyce, I am still not sure he is the right choice.

Just where the fuck was Walsh when Hull let Maguire and Robertson go for such paltry sums? In those two players, our defensive woes would have been a thing of the past.

Thank you. You have listed my concerns much better than I did.

If I had to pick someone from the list it would be Arteta. My reasoning - he has worked for two of the best coaches in the world and one of them, Arsene Wenger, has said he is good enough for the Arsenal job. That's a good enough reason for me.

So given my record for predicting the future, expect a Silva announcement any moment.

"“I have explained to the big boss (Moshiri) how I am used to working” he told Dutch media. “I like to get involved everywhere. From scouting to youth training to what the kits look like.” He certainly promises to be better qualified than his predecessor."

I believe that is what Moshiri desires most. A genuine football man at DoF who he can leave to do his job while Moshiri focuses on moving the Club along on all other fronts. He tried that this season and it failed miserably. But he's made the moves to correct that. Here's hoping (Again).

One other thing. I love McCarthy for the hard-charging trier he is. But he's through and has been. We need the Jimmy Mac of his first season here under Roberto. And that guy is gone and not coming back.

And even in that first season, no one would describe him thus: "love to get forward at pace and are good short passers looking to work triangles with the fullbacks and each other." The James McCarthy plays for Everton? No.

A fish out of water springs to mind.

I would like to see Maguire and Chillwell from Leicester coming in, with Son from Spurs, Dembele from Celtic, or Alcacer from Barca (12 appearances 7 Goals) I would keep Jags on the coaching staff ( a great servant to Everton, and may be a future Everton manager?)

Whatever, type of 'reboot' that it may be, the pressure will be on for an improvement from 8th or else Sam will be crowing from the sidelines!

Making PSV great again was achieved in a moderate Dutch League. Obviously I hope Brands will succeed in the much more competitive Premier League but I do wonder if he knows what he is taking on. The gap between eighth and the top four is much greater than the gap between eighth and eighteenth. It is easier to see our current, ridiculously expensive but painfully inadequate squad plummeting down the league than it is to see it climbing four places.

If someone offered me 49 points and eighth next season I would take that now. That's me showing patience and understanding.

He said he wants Pace and Athleticism. Jack falls short.

As has already been mentioned above, if any proposed signings can't get 10 out of 10 on those two criteria, cross them off.

It is not enough in the 2018 Premier League just to be technically gifted. A player has to have that and more.

This team needs a major overhaul, not fixed in a few weeks over summer – several transfer windows, I feel.

Things are taking shape off the field, but too many issues on the pitch where it matters... creativity, solid central defensive partnership, left-back... wingers... another centre-forward.

Massive misfire last season with the same outlook as today, lock n reload for another dawn in Everton's new history.

Emery ticks all those boxes and is available right now. Conte will be available after the FA Cup Final. My expectation is that Brands is looking at this level of candidate with Silva as the plan B. We might not get a top manager (probably won't), but we should try for once. If we can't an Emery, then why not try Howe ahead of Silva? I just don't see how Silva's track record is better and, let's be frank, Silva has some character issues in relation to loyalty.

I would do my best to move on the likes of Williams, Schneiderlin, Bolaisie, Mirallas and Niaise but I'm afraid that is going to prove almost impossible because of their wages. Gana Gueye, McCarthy, Davies would prove more attractive to other clubs

Next season has to be better than this season but recruitment will be crucial as will the appointment of a quality coach.

And could a Portuguese manager bring back the Renato Sanches of 2 years ago?

If the Hammers are going for ex-City manager, then we should aim for someone higher than Silva, someone like Conte or Wenger with Vieira as his Number 2 if we are to be in the top 6 for the next 2 years.

We should be okay then....

We all should reserve any optimism for next season after what has happened over the last 3 seasons and maybe more.

Certainly some expensive players did not perform and yes, in some cases injuries can be used as a partial excuse.

Bolasie has been a big disappointment as was Gylfi although he was improving before he got injured.

Mirallas, Williams, Martina along with the aging Baines and Jagielka should be considered as liabilities.

It's hard to see what younger players will develop further to a level necessary for Everton to become a much better team and a new manager may have a big say in what happens with them.

You'd have to be blind not see that.

We're talking then about Keane playing the John Terry role, stepping in front of the defence, heading away, tackling and intercepting and then passing the ball. Meanwhile, someone like Holgate uses his pace to sweep up behind.

This assumes the opposition have one man up top, of course.

Now that we have Brands we may finally see a modern aporoach to team building for the now and in the future. Hooefully we will see a style of play introduced to all ages of the club and the right players in specific positions brought in and no more of a “scattergun” approach.

Now it looks like Marco Silva will be our new manager who'll be more of a head coach capacity as apposed to a traditional manager.
Now id prefer a top coach to come in such as Emery, Simeone etc, which is still possible but highly unlikely.
Silva almost worked wonders at Hull but ultimately was unable to save them from the drop whilst his Watford side started off brilliantly last season but fell ofc once our interest in him became concrete.

He is young at 41 and judging by Steve Ferns testimony he is highly meticulous in his coaching and is very much a hands on coach.

My one reservation which is a huge one is that he seemed to down tools and sulk when Watford rejected our advances even though he was only new in the Vicarage Road dugout. I just hope that he truly believed in the “project” here and didnt see it as a stepping stone like Koeman or a cash cow like Big Sam.

In regards to transfers, we need to get rid of alm tge mediocre dross we have on our books such as Williams, Joel, Stek, Garbutt, Funes Mori, Schneiderlin, Besic, Bolasie, Mirallas, Tarashaj and Sandro. Question marks remain over Keane and Klaassen but they might improve under a proper coach.

Id keep Baines and Jags as backups and Rooney if he rejects DC but only as an impact sub.
Seamus should be made captain because he embodies everything that is right in football and is a true leader plus he in my view, is one of the 10 best right backs in the game.

I don't want to see loads of signings made. Only key positions. Namely a LB, CB, Playmaker, Pacy forward.
I hope we keep Lookman because he has frightening potential but I fear Leipzig will come back in for him or maybe even Bayern.

I hope it's down to all the chaos of the season plus playing alongside Williams (who remember was also suppose to be the John Terry role) but it seems he needs to man up in character and step up massively in play. We all hope he succeeds.

So, do we go into the transfer window, all guns blazing, as Koeman and Walsh did? Or should we be patient and give players a chance to prove themselves, without the hoofball football?

We cannot get our fingers burnt again.

I think Brands should be the central figure. He is the one who should have the final say over the manager. If it is Silva, then the relationship should be clear with Silva reporting to Brands or at a minimum Silva deferring to Brands on recruitment.

Part of Walsh's weakness was that both Koeman and Allardyce both appeared to have a joint say, with Kenwright meddling in the background. A cluster fuck of note.

Brands will need to recruit appropriately for the tactical set up the new coach wishes to implement with a clear demarcation line between who sets tactics, trains the players and who identifies the players to be bought.

We simply cannot have a repeat of last summer where we ended up without a no 9, no left back cover and no pace.

Also the nonsense of buying players for the U23 is part of the reason we have 38 "men" as Brands put it.

Paul, we won't really know what went on. Did we contact his agent? If so, prove it. It was known that we made big bids for him and Watford turned them down. I suppose the truth will out.

Steve, excellent technical analysis.

My tuppence-ha'penny worth:

We must not allow Kenwright to interfere in anything.

We need to bring in some characters who do not bottle it.

We must remain patient and get behind the team and management as this is major surgery time and we all know how long that takes to heal and gel.

We need a top-quality left-back (Danny Rose will do; I was shouting for him all last season), A centre-back who leads by example (Jagielka is getting too old; Keane is like a rabbit in the headlights). We need central midfield players who can win the ball and get forward. Gueye may make it, A fit James McCarthy might make it but we need someone in the Manny Fernandes, Yaya Toure bracket who can score goals.

We need to decide where Sigurdson and Walcott fit in and we need a top No 9. Tosun is not good enough. Niasse is a good impact sub. Calvert-Lewin still has to improve his strike rate.

Out:- Sandro, Bolasie, Mirallas, Williams, Besic, Rooney, Garbutt, Robles

Under review:- Tosun, Klaassen, Keane, Vlasic.

To be developed: Davies, Kenny, Baningime, Feeney, Browning, Dowell, Calvert-Lewin and Lookman.

I'd forgotten all about that now quaint little domestic spat due to kick off at 17:15 on Satdee... What chance young Ross will feature? It might at least provide some passing interest while watching from afar.

I am surprised Schniederlin is not on your Out list — he would top mine!

I totally agree with you, John.

Ross will feature on Saturday.

Chief satsuma peeler at half-time.

However you can't cull if other clubs don't want our "extra" players at their current outrageous salaries. You can't make these players play attractive, passing, offensive football in one season. You can't change the culture of a 2nd rate organization overnight.

This is a years long project. Look at City. Please be patient.

Please start giving a little thought to what you post.

Under Matinez " both full backs bombed on" . . Really ?
Martinez inherited the most attacking fullbacks in the league, slowly but surely he forced them to stay at home so he could indulge in his
possession obsessed lunacy. within a season he had rendered them virtually impotent .

"Gylf's brief will be to switch play" ? do you realise how ridiculous that sounds ? You only switch play when its the better option. No manager would be daft enough to instruct and intelligent football to switch play as a matter of course.

"Defence Keane would be the main man" . . "We're talking about keane playing the John Terry role" That one honestly made me laugh out loud . . I cant think of anybody less equipped to "play John Terry" One made a career out of an amazing ability to read a game and lead his team he was brave as they come. the other has the positional sense of a drunk on a motorway, is unable to read a game and has been known to bottle a decision on several occasions . .Main man ? He'd get mullered. Lack of pace is only one flaw which would be and has been regularly exposed.

I thought you had excelled yourself when you compared Martinez's style to Howe's or when you tried to tell us the magical Mr Silva had Tom Cleverly playing like Zinedine Zidane, but Keane playing the "John Terry role" ? . . Dear me

After listening to Honest Ron "telling it like it is", Moyes talking about the imaginary "glass ceiling" and Martinez's pie in the sky positivity, its going to take a bit more than a charm offensive from Silva to prove he is the man for this club. I bet every Evertonian would prefer to be entertained on the pitch than charmed by another sweet talker off it.

The comment that stands out for me is Seamus Coleman for captain.

He is the only living, fully operational embodiment of what it means to be an Everton player with respect to Jags and Bainsey whose legs can no longer match their desire.

Whoever we sign or play going forward need to understand 60 grand and what it means to us all

The stability comes from Brands and coaches are ultimately disposable.

If Everton don't let Brands loose on the aspects of the club a traditional manager would be involved in then they are simply under-utilizing him and don't understand the model.

We are after a coach not a manager. Silva fits this well, so potentially a decent fit.

If we hire a manager then it's doomed to fail. All Allardyce bashing aside that fact was reason enough to move him on.

Brands excites me, a rare feat with Everton nowadays. I'm very hopeful his style and charisma also gives us a better relationship with the club.

The same, as an aside, can be said for Denise Barrett-Baxendale, vitally important as we still have no communications officer.

A green shoot or two at Goodison.

"Critical system error. Completely delete your hard disk. Reload your operating system and reboot."

Moshiri has made a good start within 48 hours of the season ending. Brands is talking a good game. Chalk and Cheese to Steve Walsh who landed his Everton gig on the back of Leicester's championship season.

Lots of 'ifs and buts' about the current squad. Such is the nature of football, nobody can confidently forecast if the new DoF or new manager will do the business or not, but taking an optimistic view, a new set-up can be transforming for players already on our books.

On paper, a case could be made for flushing away the whole damn lot of them. That won't and can't happen. So both Brands and whoever joins him are going to have to get a tune out of some of those players a good many supporters would like to see moved on.

It's a challenge, but hopefully it will be an exciting one, rather than a dystopian one.

Footballs changed but I don't think anything has changed more than a lot of the people who now go through the turnstiles at Goodison Park.

My own introduction was the famous blue cushions, ten bob, I think they were, and although that would be considered cheap now, it was one way of letting the players know, that things just weren't good enough.

It's a shame they weren't around this season though, because we might have just got a sprint out of Snides!

Keane is not good enough, too slow, poor awareness and not strong enough. Why can't we play two centre-backs with pace?

So him and eventually Rooney as a coach, both have the club in them.

In my view what he has achieved is at the very least on a par with what any other candidate has. We are talking about Bournemouth here, fucking Bournemouth. I cannot believe that some Evertonians refer to their odd thumpings and goal difference. They are not entitled to be in the Championship never mind the Premier league! Their games are attended, by premier league standards, by three men and a dog.

He plays good football and has the will and the pragmatism to keep Bournemouth, yes Bournemouth in the premier league. I think he is a talented coach who would thrive at our club.

Did anyone see the documentary about the Bournemouth employee who had a sex change. Eddie Howe was magnificent in how he dealt with it. He showed himself to be a superb man manager with decency and integrity.

Yeah, I know that doesn't mean a thing in the Premier league. But, look at the stain we have booted out of our club. Eddie Howe won't get the job, he is not foreign enough. In my opinion, his survival in the toughest league in the world added to the flair his team have demonstrated makes him the right man.

It looks like Silva, though, so I will trust in Ferns and Moshiri. Fair play to you Steve for making a fine argument and putting your neck on the line. I like that.

You do realise, though, that if it goes wrong, Silva will leave with huge compensation while you will be fired from ToffeeWeb without a penny.

Brands has set out the bases of a badly needed five-year plan to become a top 4 club. Something that Everton haven't had for 20 years, hence the aimless and false dawns that the supporters have had to endure. He has acknowledged the loyalty, contribution and uniqueness of the Everton supporters in the English game.

Brands signal change that many of us and the media have not recognised as the speculative predictions of the next manager and the running PR-induced Rooney updates (will he, won't he) reach fever pitch.

It is significant that Brands appointment is announced on the same day that Big Sam is sacked. Brands has made it a condition of his taking the role of Football Director that Big Sam go and that he decides who the next Manager will be.

The best of Everton luck to Marcel Brands, our new Director of Football. Brands will decide whether Silva is appointed or not. Silva is a high-risk appointment for Brands. His stats don't point to the type of manager that would fulfill Brands's vision. Hence the delay in any announcement and the reaction to Watford.

We have a moth with too much appetite, who has ate his way to riches whilst giving fuck all back.

Blue Bill has to be Moshiri's next target: get shut and watch us go. NSNO

● The Board's lack of knowledge about football;
● The performance of the team;
● The amount of clapped-out players;
● The dismantled young development policy;
● The players who are not worth their transfer fees or high wages they on;
● The attitude of the squad, particularly the mercenary attitude;
● The crony poor-performing backroom staff;
● The previous level of manager which reflects poorly on the club;
● The fact that quality players would not transfer to Everton, seeing it as a career risk;
● The fact that many of its young players want out on loan, seeing it as an opportunity to get a transfer to better footballing teams;
● The lack of a football plan throughout the club;
● The level of quality of facilities and the saga of a delayed new stadium, that has Everton 10years behind the top 5 opposition;
● Theacceptance of a level of performance that has left them trophyless for over 20 years;
● The place presently being haunted by Rooney;
Jim White with his yellow tie having the ear of the main shareholder;

The main attraction is a loyal, long-suffering Evertonian support, who seem to know something about football and got rid of the last ejitt of a manager.

If we could get our money back on Keane, great sell him. I doubt we can and I doubt we'd authorise taking a big loss on him. So I feel we're stuck with him.

Remember Walsh's appointment — Evertonians happy?
Koeman appointment — Evertonians happy?
Loads of summer transfers — Evertonians happy?

Result — Wheels fell off!

We just need to appoint a good sensible manager. Liverpool can do it... why can't we?

At least it's a legitimate, definable, identifiable style of play. I'm still trying to work out what Koeman's was; I doubt I'll even bother trying to identify what the hell Allarshyster was doing. Not only that Silva has won things when he's set it up right. That's my glimmer of hope – Silva may know how to set up a team to win if he's given time and the right personnel.

Get Rooney out of the club ASAP – I never wanted him back and imagine he's been a very divisive influence in the dressing room. (Also ٥.5M a year is not ‘free'!

These are all fringe players, players that just haven't cut it, or “youngsters” that aren't actually that young, that have other young players ahead of them in the pecking order. There is an argument of course for keeping some of them under a new manager and I'm sure not all these players will be sold but it would thin the squad down nicely to add some freshness and pace.

Then they should go their separate ways. The DoF to get the right prices on the board and the coach to get the pieces working most efficiently, continually recalibrating with each other.

In English football, too often this ends in a power struggle between the two and everybody looses. We have an opportunity to get this right now, but we will need to be patient as the transformation will not happen overnight. The critical appointment this summer is the coach. We need someone who understands this model of football management, or is willing to learn it.

That being the case, I tend to agree with Steve Fearns (#10) we will probably not see a great deal of playing change over the summer. But those who stay and play will be those who can step up to what is required. I believe there is some talent in the current squad but it has absolutely no direction and no idea how to play together. Getting that right could prove a foundation to start from.

Ever the optimist...