Brands to leave Everton 'with immediate effect'

Moshiri's probably done an Alan Sugar apprentice special.

This makes no difference whatsoever. Same circle of shite with Kenshite and his sidekick DBB still there.

In Moshiri and Benitez we trust?

Who extended his contract and wasted yet more money on a pay off to him? Sack them as well. This change means nothing to the long term success of the Club and much more change required higher up the chain.

So much wrong with this. So many implications for the past, present and future since Moshiri came on board.

How do we give him a 3 year contract to fire him 7 months later!

Must be wondering how he was persuaded in the first place to join this bunch of absolute clowns.

We'll never get to know now, just which player's were his choices and which were 'Corries finest'.

Now the main one. Kenwright
This imposter should have gone first

Close season, all the Finch Farm hangers on

Someone was going to take the fall and with our recent history of signings it had to be Brands. Hopefully he'll move on to a new Club and sign Iwobi.

Win Lose or Draw it looks like we've got Benitez until January at least. Moshiri is giving him every chance to turn it around and sign a few players early next month.

He's living a charmed life because of the injuries and FFP restrictions, but still the fans will only take so much. I don't think the fans will give him until mid January so he has to start turning things around now before things get very messy.

Some how seems this is the start of a clear out, - cull, and whom will be next.

For me, Brands has been made a scape coat but whom adjudicates and signed the cheques for his recruits?

Whom vetted and checked our scouts and will the Everton scouting system be overhauled?

Rotten to decay and stinking of a rats nest, but hopefully a new dawn can be heralded at a Goodison Park, very soon, after the rising damp that's engulfed all matters Everton, is removed.

Systemic neglect and dereliction of duty at board room level has made Everton's management, be the benchmark of how not to manage a football club to be successful.

Will it happen, God only knows, but let's hope so.

But let's ride the storms, and beat the Arsenal tomorrow night.

“Whats Our Name?”

Instead of having an overall philosophy or plan, this club is moves in an ad-hoc, jumbling, fits and starts manner that drove the Everton jalopy off the side of the road. Brands was in no position to prevent this as it's clear he was not in charge of football matters at the club.

If this move means that Rafa will be in charge of everything football-related than I am satisfied. I believe he wants to build something special here just as he wanted to at Newcastle. I don't trust the owner and the board to get us out of this decades-long mess at all.

A word of warning; Benitez's record in the transfer market is spotty to say the least and the FSW is a Machiavellian conspirator without equal. Careful Moshiri. You are surrounded by snakes.

Do we need a DOF? I haven't got a scooby, but the successful teams all seem to have them or a Sporting Director don't they? Maybe we're going to bring in another ex-RS to join Rafa, Michael Edwards. If only.

My own feeling is that he was similar to Marco Silva. Both made good names for themselves in two of Europe's minor leagues. Both found wanting when moved up into a ruthless, cut-throat football league. Happens all the time. This time, unfortunately, to us.

The main problem stays the same, Moshiri. My belief is that he cannot keep his hands off the football side and has proven beyond doubt he doesn't know what he's doing.

Hopefully, [That's all I do these days; hope] he's going to give Rafa the same authority on the football side that Kenwright gave Moyes and Roberto. That worked and it didn't, but we did have clear, distinct lanes of responsibility.

If that's the plans for the next 2-3 seasons, Rafa runs the football, it'll do for me.

The self-serving mediocrities are being rumbled. Later than it should have been, but full credit to Benitez who knows where the roots of the damage lie. I wonder if he insisted upon this sort of backing from Moshiri/Usmanov before he agreed to join.

As for Brands, his job was not only recruitment but overhauling the entire club structure from academy to first team, top to bottom. He's failed miserably on both counts so needed to go. Plus the fact that he never got a decent replacement for Seamus is nothing short of criminal.

Whatever he meant by that, we'll likely never know now there's an NDA, but the unprofessional comment is the reason he's gone. If Moshiri is daft enough to think this will placate the growing anger, he hasn't a clue.

Hopefully more dominoes fall too. DBB has been great for the community side, but she's hardly got ‘Enterprise CEO' history either. Maybe a chance to get a top class CEO to replace them both, and lead negotiations, contracts, and commercial expansion.

The real gems would be removal of BK and FSW…..not likely for either, at least not until Moshiri sees us in bottom 3 over next couple of weeks, and even then I think he'll try to ride it out, until or unless Jose becomes “free”……and that'd be a disaster too, more park the bus negative football. No thanks.

Did he ever have full control?

How many of his buys were actually his? I doubt Iwobi, James and Alan were. How many more?

This conveniently distracts our attentions away from those nasties that still lurk in the shadows at the liver building and it should not.

This club is in a mess with or without Brands, don't expect the sun to suddenly just start shining.

The club has now put an extra huge responsibilty on Beitez's shoulders, he's now DOF and coach. If we sack him we'll have to go out there and find a new DOF and Coach all over again (mid season?) and then enter a new "Project", yet again.

Benitez barked back at Mike Ashley and I'm hoping there's more of the same here, one thing is certain, I trust Benitez's ability to choose players over that of Uncle Bill, our boney fingered accountant owner and Miss Dynamite.

We are where we are!

We really want to see kenwright out tho as he has presided over all of this crap. Got lucky with Moyes and has been milking it ever since

Now at least hire Luis Campos as DoF. He is a free agent atm.

https://talksport.com/football/632851/who-is-luis-campos-transfer-jose-mourinho-martial-mbappe-pepe-tottenham/

Where are the gems that a Director of Football is supposed to unearth? Why did we not get up and coming South American players? Or young talent from France/Holland etc? Why did we put in deadline day bids for Romero, Rojo and Van de Beek from Man United under his watch?

Surely anyone labelling him a scapegoat must also admit that his recruitment, when he was responsible for it, was very poor?

Off the top of my head:

Iwobi - miss

Lossl - miss
Mina - hit and miss
Digne - hit
Gomes - miss
Delph - miss
Gbamin - miss
Bernard - miss
Nkounkou - jury's out
Branthwaite - jury's out
Godfrey - hit
Doucoure - hit
Kean - miss
King - miss (Ancelotti's fault)

I haven't included Richarlison, Rodriguez, Allan, Begovic, Townsend, Gray, who appear to have been signed by managers.

Where is the right back we need?

Our recruitment, and squad, is all over the place. Brands didn't deserve to stay, but there will need to be further changes, not just him…

De Telegraaf, another Dutch newspaper, report that Brands was ‘sidelined' after Benitez's arrival, with the Spanish manager dealing directly with Moshiri when it came to recruiting players at Everton.

Brands Undermined

Iwobi - disaster!

I think the answer to your first two questions is a ‘No'. That has been the root cause of our failure to operate the Director of Football model successfully.

I also think we need to do better with our youth system. I was a big fan of Unsworth but we do not get enough young talent coming through.

Brings to mind Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech when he used a now famous cricketing metaphor to ridicule Thatcher's meddling in foreign affairs:

“It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find, the moment the first balls are bowled, that their bats have been broken before the game, by the team captain.”

Thatcher resigned shortly afterwards – let's hope Bill follows suit.

Simon (91), Iwobi was signed for £28m (rising to £35m, though I don't know what triggers those add-ons) and no-one will ever convince me Brands signed him. All the hallmarks of a Moshiri panic-signing through Kia Joorabchian from his former club when we couldn't get Zaha.

Brands it seems, cut the grass with his statement, but the timing, tone and under lying stench means hopefully Everton FC can reform and become a functional football club.

The best part of 30 years to happen.

In some ways, I feel like this could be the start of the new beginning, the road to the promised land! I know it's not by miles, but hopefully it's a start, and no supporters deserve that more than Evertonians.

Life times in pergatory in football terms, let's hope, and starting tomorrow night, a new era.

Likely few will really know what's gone on but let's see what filters through on the media and social media.

Everton!

Just poured a gin and tonic as the good news keeps coming in... Champagne is on ice for when we get rid of the real rat!

Moshiri is the problem; he has no idea about football and his judgement on footballing matters is truly awful.

I attended my first match at Goodison over 60 years ago and I have been a season ticket holder for years but I am struggling to associate myself with the club.

Brands has gone because he had the temerity to suggest that the problem didn't lie simply with the players or even Benitez.

Oh... hang on, he didn't and we did.

Two directors out in a month, Bill for a hat-trick?

Kenwright is trying to save his position as Everton's saviour. Moshiri and Kenwright don't get it.

Rafa Benitez has been found out. How naive not to understand the players' abilities you have, set them up to get cut to bits.

Rafa has lost the players, any idiot can get athletes running around, 10 km for 90 minutes with 7 km of sprints at 87% fullpace etc. Use your Spanish Sunday League footballing brain, Rafa.

90% of the supporters could set up for games better than he has. Rafa is the problem we got 15 points. Injuries yes, but we should be 9 points better than 15 points.

He is an average coach at best now, past his sell-by date, conning Mr Moshiri again. He goes or I am going Farhad, panic. Beggers belief.

So Brands gone, Barrett-Baxendale, Big Duncan by Friday, 3 more defeats, 2 weeks wasted.

God help us if Rafa brings in his picks then gets sacked. Just a joke. And it won't stop what's going to happen on Monday night.

Cosmic.

Totally agree, Iwobi was a last-minute panick by Moshiri, Arsenal I'll bet couldn't believe their luck when we took him and for what we paid.

No other club showed any interest in that lemon.

Moshiri probably is our biggest problem, even greater than Uncle Bill.

They need a top-class CEO to manage the entire business and also need to hire quality people to the Board. The Club has been allowed to deteriorate so much that change is required everywhere and that will bring real risk to get the new appointments right.

I cannot believe the finance director can keep his job after sanctioning a spending spree that drove losses leading to FFP taking hold. So you can argue Brands, Bill, the CEO and the finance director should go... but we cannot lose them all at once; we need a plan of how and when they are replaced.

It will be a massive job to turn this club around from the dysfunctional mess it has been allowed to become.

I am hoping that Brands leaving will mean that he opens up about what has really gone on in the transfer market within EFC. Many of us think that he has been thwarted in his role and it seems likely that he is being made the proverbial "scapegoat" for the failings of the entire management team. Hopefully he has not signed a "gagging" clause as a part of his severance package.

Might be controversial but, if Moshiri wants to clear out the Kenwright gang, I'd like to see Wayne Rooney come back in some sort of position. Love him or hate him, Wayne's a true blue who has a growing reputation amongst his fellow coaches.

He can't do a worse job than Ferguson and I'd bet he'd clear out the likes of Iwobi and give the rest a kick up the arse.

The questions for me are whether he has the ability to identify a suitable candidate and, as important, the sense to let them get on with the job without his interference.

A bit over the top with your criticism. You think Rafa should have got us 24 points, after injuries to half a team? (Digne, Mina, Richarlison, Doucouré and Calvert-Lewin). Not just half a team, most of our best players!

Bit over the top to say “Rafa is the problem” at our dysfunctional club. I didn't want him. But he is probably the least culpable at the minute, after only being given £1.7 million to spend and 14 league games into his tenure…

I fear El Bobble or whoever he is, has decided to piggyback nonsense on the back of the Brands news, but we'll find out soon enough, I suppose.

Moshiri has so little knowledge of the game that I doubt that he ever heard of Iwobi, never mind being the one that signed him.

Brands was effectively made redundant when Carlo was appointed and the DoF position died a death at that time. He should have done the decent thing and resigned at that point. Indeed, it could be argued that, from Day One, Moshiri did not understand the role of a DoF.

Brands should have been tasked with finding a replacement for Big Sam but we all know that Moshiri wanted Silva and got himself in hot water with Watford when he tried to poach him to replace Unsworth.

The man who brought Moshiri to our club has a lot to answer for!

Like a lot of individuals who left the club, Brands will survive and will build his career again. I felt he had to go solely on the basis of his signings, be they permanent or on a loan basis; however, I wish him well in the future.

Can't really agree. The board hired someone many of us didn't want and, at the point many more are demanding his removal, the board reacts by giving him more control and power. Highlights how little the board cares for the fans.

I have no faith in him to lay foundations that support the club's growth. As you pointed out, he's selfish and single-minded so anything he implements will support his own agenda with little concern for us.

Although not really in favour of the old players coming back policy, I would make an exception for Rooney and Tim Cahill. Both get what Everton is all about and I don't think either would tolerate familiarity and complacency. Plus the added bonus with Wayne would be his pulling power for players being a globally recognised name!

Barry @118, I think it's pretty clear that she's going but I agree we need to be careful before assuming anything. My earlier e-mail on that was hasty.

"Moshiri has so little knowledge of the game that I doubt that he ever heard of Iwobi, never mind being the one that signed him."

Moshiri was on the board of directors at Arsenal and would have seen more than a few games that Iwobi played in.

I mention Iwobi as an example. I'd be happy having him as a £5 million addition to the squad but any more than that??? The Arsenal board must still be howling laughing at that one.

And then, how long have we been needing a replacement right-back? Why was that not a priority over another wide player? We saw evidence of the need for a change here on Wednesday night. Love Seamus Coleman, club legend, but one-on-one with Mo Salah?

Why was this not more of a priority than a wide player, resulting in Iwobi as a sop to missing out on Zaha, who'd have been another Crystal Palace sell-out for us, another £30 million waste for us in the shape of Bolasie.

Honestly, and I expect some backlash from this; the academy position is dire too. I don't doubt the efforts of Gordon and many others, they are good... but not good enough. Unsworth should be a casualty before Benitez. Yes, the first-team manager needs to pick these players to test them out but who has properly come through since, wait for it, Tom Davies???

Pat #45, that was my first reaction as well, and confirmed by the article Barry shares at #94. But as Gary says at #83, Brands' comment to the fan might have been the final shove.

Tony #52, there won't be a turnaround on the pitch until Christmas. The injuries, schedule and lack of momentum will see to that. Moshiri knows that and will give Benitez a timeline that extends at least through the January window.

Tony #80, what protest? What threat of protest? Where were the banners imploring "Brands Out!"?? I think you're living a fan fantasy. This was a Moshiri decision, not a Board decision, and we fans had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Danny #92, you can't count subsequent injuries against Brands' record. Mina is a huge hit. Gbamin's jury is still out, but I still think he was just the player we needed. His injury catastrophes weren't Brands' fault at all. And as Lyndon points out, it's highly unlikely that some of those worst signings, like Iwobi, were in fact his.

I truly hope you are right but Benitez isn't even doing his daytime job properly. Moshiri's decision making looks to me like someone who doesn't know the answer himself and asks totally the wrong people for answers and takes their word like it is gospel. Brands unfortunately wasn't a strong enough character to tell Moshiri to sod off, "I do all the player buys". That's why he failed.

Recruitment has been piss-poor for years but so has the unfathomable retention of fringe players who were never going to make the step up. An example of this was the U23 side of a couple of years ago. To his credit Brands has moved on around 60-odd such players thus reducing the crippling wage bill.

Duncan took over a sinking ship if you where there. Change the system to fit who he could put out. Look what Rafa did v Watford. Liverpool??

Of course he has had bad luck, but he is limited in his imagination, and trust in young players. He used games to get Rondon half fit. Threw away points, no threat up top, awfull.

Yep, we are a squad 9 points better than what we got, I'll stick by that. Harsh. Will Benitez still be our manager if he gets beat v Arsenal, Palace, Chelsea, Leicester, then the big one: Newcastle at home.

I think Moshiri won't have any choice. We all watched the Deer Hunter and Russian Roulette at the table.

I really don't want to go down to the Championship saying it will be okay – Rafa brought Newcastle straight back up thanks.

Sam for me; I know he will keep us up. Then sort out the flipping mess properly.

My belief is that he had an excellent first summer with Silva and, if the club were to go another way with Ancelotti and then Benitez, Brands should unquestionably have been sacked alongside Silva for leaving the Portuguese with an unbalanced squad and not getting him the type of additions he asked for.

It was then his termination would have made perfect sense as he was, IMO, the chief architect of that poor season due to outgoings, ingoings and strategic cock-ups (notably the Zouma - Smalling fiasco). However, it was Silva I believe who was responsible for Vlasic and Lookman leaving the club.

Since this time, Brands was given a new contract with the powers-that-be seemingly pleased with his impact. What's even more peculiar is that his only real contribution in his transfer dealings was culling players and recruiting two signings in the shape of Doucouré and Godfrey which have proved decent additions.

His sacking now only shows to me that Moshiri is the biggest fool ever to be associated with our club and Benitez has succeeded in doing what he does best in blaming others for his own deficiencies and attempting complete control.

In trying to hold Brands to account, it is quite difficult because we know he inherited a mess and his biggest success was Silva's choice in Richarlison yet his biggest disasters, Iwobi and Delph, were apparently not his doing either. I would love to hear a fly-on-the-wall documentary by Brands but, as usual, it will all be swept under the carpet.

A significant number of fans made their feelings plain on Wednesday by leaving after about 20 minutes and at stages thereafter. The atmosphere was toxic and was directed at the Board, and the fans have threatened to do similar again tomorrow.

I have rarely seen such a furious Everton crowd. Why do you think Moshiri – who is gliding in for the Arsenal game – has made these moves the day before?

Tony @127, this isn't about Moshiri who is indeed clueless; it's about Benitez: the nastiest, most pragmatic manager you could find – and perfect for us – for now.

Did you really just suggest a second sitting of Allar-dicier?

Give my poor 'eart a break, will ya?

In the interests of clarity and transparency, let's set the timer going on how long it actually takes the highly professional PR team at Everton to issue the official Club Statement – that's assuming they eventually do. Normal process is to find a bucket of sand and insert head until the furore dies down...

Not hugely impressed with this as a smart decision. Yes, at least it is line with the common knowledge that Brands's DoF role has been rendered next to useless with the last two managerial appointments; however, it means Kenwright probably has even more power and is that much further from being ousted.

And how much is this just an easy sop to the baying mob? Limited impact to the management hierarchy while appearing to respond to the disquiet amongst the fans?

Brands is the flaccid carcass selected for defenestration from the 7th floor of the Liver Building, while the cancerous cabal remains in place, with increased power and control.

Tony #133, you were there and I wasn't, but I think there's a vast gulf between "fans making their feelings plain" and a "protest".

Also, by accounts here, Brands was the only Board member interacting with the fans, so I continue to doubt their impact. We'll just have to disagree on this one.

I think this is a major shift.

Agree with you about the pathetic response from the Club.

Are you defending recruitment under Brands??

Adrian (130),

I agree with a lot of what you say about tactics and keeping Rondon in the team. I just don't think Rafa is “the problem” at Everton. There is far more wrong than that. With the disarray off the pitch, it doesn't matter who the manager is. We have no strategy in terms of recruitment and what happens on the pitch.

My choice is to have a clear-out and then give Rafa a chance to make a go of it, probably until the end of the season, so we can get some players back fit and give him a fair chance.

I would say the changes off the pitch are more important than changes on it at the moment. We are trapped in the same cycle at the moment – we need to break the cycle.

If Benitez has to handle all aspects of transfer activity then he will fall down on what he needs to do which is to get the best out of a poor squad.

Is there no limit to high low the snake can go, how many more he's willing to stab in the back to save himself.

He has his critics, England trusted him, employed him.

Never been given a chance really.

I ll go pick him up from where we are.

I ll ask the question.

Big Sam, safe this season, next into stadium.
Sort out the mess that is the club whilst residing in the Premier League.???
The Mirror is quoted as saying Mouriniho is being considered.🤯🤯

Big Sam will be discussed if we git 15 points in four games.

Could we, would we do a swop.Rafa to Toon, Eddie to us??

Danny #139, nope, not at all, just saying that he wasn't entirely at fault. There were events and signings that he had no control over, and as Conor points out, we'll never know exactly which blunders were his and which weren't.

New Job

I believe Brands has had enough and resigned. Benitez was appointed against his wishes and his position has been constantly undermined by the “meddlers”. Chiefly Kenwright and Moshiri.

Let's hope we appoint a strong CEO who can clear out Kenwright and his entourage.

The muppet show continues.

Both agree to the departure by mutual agreement!

Brands will have been heavily involved in Gomes, Digne, Mina, Bernard, Delph, Iwobi, Gbamin and Kean.

Nearly all have been expensive flops. Think of the alternative players that could have been bought for that near £200m.

I agree a little with Conor #132 in that we will never know the full Story but at the end of the day, Brands has spent a fortune on the likes of Mina (a crock) Gomes, Delph and what's been spent on Iwobi and Gbamin is criminal. It's a sackable offence alone. I'm not sorry to see him go. Mainly because I'm not a fan of the director of football model anyway. Not in this country. I'm a firm believer that the manager and his team should scout, recruit, coach and manager the players. Much like Moyes did and is doing now. The director of football model is fine if you're Chelsea and City and you give managers a 2 years stint max (Excluding pep) and you're signing proven world class champions league players, so the conveyer belt of managers doesn't matter because he has a squad that anyone would dream of. It's different at Everton and I firmly believe that the manager should manage the lot, not just coach.

Like him Or loathe him (and he wasn't my choice) but Benitez is a ruthless bastard who will rid the club of cling on's and he wouldn't be spending £35m and £25m on the likes of Iwobi and Gbamin. I really do believe that if he's backed and allowed to sign the players he's scouted and wants, the club will have an identity, a way of playing and much better squad for it. I'm not saying we'll be playing Man City football but we'll be a lot more sold and we'll win more than we lose.

As I say, Benitez was not my choice, because of his Liverpool connections alone, but he's here and he's been given a squad that consists of a mish mash of 6 different managers shite than Brands and Walsh before him, have slung together. Klopp or Guardiola couldn't get better results with this squad, especially missing our 4 best players and spine for most of the season so far.

The one decent player we have signed, was scouted and buttered up by Benitez all summer, even when he didn't have a club, and that was Gray for £1.7m.

I think it's time to do a 360 now. Allow Benitez to manage the lot like he did at Liverpool, from the academy to recruitment to coaching and then the buck truly stops with him.

This truly feels like the last throw of the dice now …. If this doesn't work, we're done for and so will Moshiri be.

Call it blind faith but I think this could be the beginning of the tide turning and January under Benitez, should show us where we're going.

The manager picks the team and in my opinion should pick what players he wants to sign. A proper CEO should be able to deal with budgets and wages so I am not convinced a DOF is needed for a club to be successful.

The removal of Brands is a start, if the rumours that DBB is on the way out that's good too. But we all know the person who has been here since 1999 will be the hardest one to remove. Only then can we be sure that real change is on the horizon.

Longer term, I have mixed feelings.

Like many, I think we'd be in better shape if he'd been allowed to do his job without the very obvious intervention. In fact it's often been difficult to know what his job is.

However, the longer he goes on putting up with that intervention, the more he contributes to the mess.

The fact that this departure is (so it seems) mutual consent means maybe he's had enough.

This is unlikely to be the end of the DoF model though. Because pretty much all Premier League clubs have one (albeit the job titles and duties vary).

It might just mean we get one who is more compatible with Benitez - or worringly just some other stooge who's prepared to be repeatedly undermined for money.

It's a grand old team etc

Mike G - he did have control so he must be held accountable and responsible - he was not just a highly paid DoF he was a club director with all the accountability that goes with such a role in any company. He has never been his own man that is his problem, and as Nick asks, if he did walk, why now when if he was truly being stifled, he ought to have done it months ago if he had any self-respect.

Brian #159, spot on, my friend... unfortunately.

Ian #156, sorry, I don't buy that. I never saw evidence that Silva was the recruiting maven responsible for Doucoure and Richarlison. Mina's had some bad luck, but he isn't a "crock" when he's played three-quarters of the games since he's signed. And how you blame Brands for Gbamin's situation is beyond me.

Did he initiate it himself? I know I wouldn't want to carry on in that role if dickhead fans were shouting in my face.

Has Benitez pushed him out? He is single minded.

Did Moshiri want a scapegoat? He is ruthless.

We may have to wait for his memoirs.

Big question is what happens next. In theory this move may just increases the power of Kenwright and Benitez.

Personally I think the DOF model when done properly (a crucial proviso) is a good thing. So if someone is appointed to create a unity of style and identity whilst ensuring sensible recruitment then I will be pleased. But recent history tells me this may well turn out another way.

Why do you assume Silva wasn't behind getting Richarlison and Doucoure when he worked with both successfully at Watford? Gbamin looked terrible before his injury. Not just slow or getting used to the pace but absolutely dire. And Brands said he'd been wanting to sign Gomes for years. Obviously plenty of others did more wrong but He certainly isn't blame free

I have absolutely no evidence but I suspect Brands said to Moshiri let me do my job, or I'm going and
Moshiri said bye-bye.

We will now be saddled with a whole raft of over 30 has beens on huge wages and with no sell on value and we will be screwed for a long time.

Ken #168, agreed on the accountability -- if it's on his watch, he bears the responsibility. I'm just pointing out that we will never know how much control he actually had.

As for Brands quitting earlier out of self-respect, have you ever made the decision to quit a job you love and are heavily invested in, especially right after a major promotion (in this case to the Board)? It's not a decision you make in haste. Benitez only arrived six months ago, and the wheels only started coming off in October. I don't blame Brands for giving things a little time to perhaps work out. It's like a divorce -- you don't call your lawyer on the first day you realize it's not working.

Pat, agreed, I would wait for some concrete evidence on that.

Was the DoF model give any chance to work at EFC?

We're a basket case of a club with too many chefs stirring the pan.

Are we happy now or have we gone backwards?

You are right that Brands is nowhere near blame-free. I remember the comment about Gomes and wondered what he was thinking, because I had watched Gomes many times and didn't see him helping us much.

As for Gbamin, say what??? Absolutely dire? He had made exactly two appearances for us before the injuries. A bad-looking 45 minutes against I can't remember who, followed by what I recall to be a very good full 90 against Watford or Burnley or somebody in a shutout win. I liked what I saw that day. And I certainly don't recall you writing him off after 135 minutes. I pay attention to you.

It wasn't all down to him, but his role demands some oversight.

If he was a serious DoF with professional pride, he would have walked years ago.

Don't feel sorry for him.

I expect a power battle between Kenwright and Benitez, one wanting to rebuild the club and the other stamping his feet and refusing to let go of his toy.

Remember those words from all those years ago: "The cheque's in the post"?

That was the start of this shit show.

Facts a plenty.

Let's face it, nobody looks like they've been doing a good job at Everton for years, and yet still they all remain?

One message I'd give to whoever is in charge of recruitment at Everton is to stay away from those fucken cloggies, because we've had a few down the years, and every single one of them has been a waste of time, unfortunately.

The DOF model has been a disaster for us and hopefully we won't see it again. Hopefully, there is a replacement CEO lined up who can run the club properly.

I can't see this being the last departure – Brands was a disappointment but is not responsible for selecting, coaching and motivating players at any level in the club.

Joking apart, I doubt if either of these two would suffer fools gladly – unlike, apparently, Ferguson.

Given Moshiri's preference for talking directly to his mouthpiece on TalkSport, it would not surprise me if they are waiting for some information themselves from the decision-maker.

Moshri knows nothing about football, which is fine; what isn't fine is that he seems to think he does know something and involves himself in decision-making that inevitably leads to failure. Nothing will change at this club until:

1. Moshri recognises he knows nothing about football and stops involving himself in football decisions.

2. Moshiri realises the same about Kenwright and stops him getting involved.

3. Moshiri finds a high calibre person who does know something about football and business to take over as CEO with a mandate over the entire running of the club and the ability to make changes. This person should then report to a high calibre board.

The worry is that normally you would expect point 3 to be the most difficult part to implement as high calibre people are hard to come by. But, in this case, the top two points may be even harder to implement as both these fools can't see past their own egos.

Even if they do nail all of the above points, it will be 3 years minimum before we see any tangible progress as there is so much to sort.

I think if Brands would have been made to explain whose fault he thought it was, we might have begun to make some progress. But this sacking on its own does nothing of any real significance, and feels like it might have only been made to protect others...

Since August, the board has lost Sacha (Poor financial planning and oversight leading to the Profitability & Sustainability issue we have now!).

Ismailov has gone, despite being Uncle Alisher's eyes and ears at Goodison. He was more interested in his own affairs, and could have brought the club into disrepute.

Brands has gone, because... although he was hitting KPIs for getting shut of players who needed to go, or go on loan; his main jobs of recruitment has been interfered with, and managers, executives and the owner have gone over his head.

And lastly, his attempts at remedial work with the academy have been hampered: when he tried to oust Rhino, Rhino cried to Bill, and all stayed the same till Rhino got his promotion, but still had his U23s to play with..?

Barrett-Baxendale, who should stay in a capacity as Director of EitC and the liaison Director for the Stadium project, should just be taken off the board, as she is in reality Bill's 'catspaw'. Now, just when the stadium project needs a steadying hand, and a positive image, we're left with this debacle.

The board is now solely consistent of Chairman Kenwright and is Blue book. All the intellectuals and students, anyone of competence has been executed, and only his acolytes and his hatchet man and foreign patron, Moshiri, remain. (Moshiri equals the old USSR to Bill's Blue China.)

Benitez will no doubt find himself hoisted by his own petard, as his colossal ego and self-confidence blinds himself to his short-comings as a 'modern' manager.

Fundamentally, Everton is run like a Monday to Friday, 9-5 business, hence why even at 18:50, we still have no statement on the club website!? Maybe it's not a done deal yet, if at all...?

If I may spam from another post I commented on;

With the removal of Brands more money as been pissed away. I don't think it was on a dud, as Marcel Brands's track record shows that, when given free rein, and a full remit, he is a very impressive operator... if given enough autonomy!

However, this just highlights the major issues at Everton:

i) Kenwright prior to Moshiri, who was taking money out of the club, and relying on Moyes to do all the work.

ii) Kenwright post Moshiri, who believed that it was he and not Moyes who made EFC competitive in the top third of the table.

iii) Kenwright through lack of investment in the club; and the lack of aggressive commercial and financial operations, has allowed a gulf to open up between us and the now Top 6 or Top 8 (Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs, Arsenal, West Ham & Leicester City!)

That's with Wolves and Villa being given funds from their new owners, and now the bloody Barcodes!?

So, in reality, we are 'realistically' aiming between 10th to 12th, or hope one of the above under-perform! Also, we're hoping that other clubs, like Palace with their new owners, don't catch us up...

iv) Moshiri has left Kenwright in charge of the trainset that is EFC now... Gross incompetence in my book.

v) The club needed to be swept clean with a new brush, to get rid of all Bill's barnacles, and the under-performing dross, and bloated department personnel within the club.

vi) Finch Farm needs to be completely re-evaluated, along with the academy by an expert in the field. Maybe arrange a couple of days (weeks?) visit by a Red Bull specialist?

vii) Decide if we need an academy and how to identify and progress the youth through the ranks to the 1st XI.

viii) Determine exactly what strategy the club will follow, and how to get there with immediate steps, short-term plans (3-6 months), medium-term plans (one season), and finally long-term: Where do we want to be in 2 years? Are we getting there? If not, readdress the immediate, short-term and medium-term goals?

ix) Recruitment, Recruitment, Recruitment!!! Hire the best person available for each position required; and only recruit players that fulfil a role in the club's, team's and manager's strategic plan!!! No more spending on names!

x) Consider investing in a lower league feeder club, when EFC have been stabilised?

Lastly, the owner (majority share-holder) has to decide to either be hands-on, or appoint a competent or better (footballing!) CEO, and let them get on with the job...

If he's going to stay hands-on, we're well and truly stuffed still.

Why can't he realise that Brands was never the problem, a) his lack of controling footballing matters was, and ii) Bill is still there!!!

Just my tuppence worth!

That was a full bank draft!

I guess Heitinga was the best of them. Stekelenburg had his moments. Atteveld, Drenthe, Van der Meyde, Koeman… yeah, not a great record, even if most of them had success elsewhere.

Rondon was clearly Benitez's buy which may have put Brands's nose out of joint. We'll never know.

These are nervous times. Such a big game tomorrow for all kinds of reasons!

It was a crime to go into this season with the squad that we had. No back-up full-backs, no creative midfielder, no back-up goalscorer – all positions that we knew needed filling this time last year.

Benitez is just what we need: totally focused and ruthless. He will not roll over for the front office and I really can't see him putting up with Bill's shenanigans when we do bring new players in.

This could be the bottom; from now on, there is only up. Love your team tomorrow.

He's become the fall guy as for some reason, a few of the pundits and media types have highlighted him as the reason for failings at the club.

Clearly a wider agenda at play here and Brands has been sacrificed as a thinly veiled disguise of a club trying to put its house in order and solve problems.

Brands was arguably world-class at what his main remit is: getting people in the door once talent has been identified.

A variety of signings you could never say he was responsible for: Rodriguez, Allan, Gray and Townsend were obviously the choosing of the managers.

So why do people assume he also identified Iwobi and others too?

The club has a large scouting network that identifies the talent. You could argue that Gretar Steinsson is just as culpable but nobody is calling for his head.

Then we have the influence of the old boys' network within the club. A lot of people with a lot of different influences.

And basically almost every target identified for Brands, he has delivered upon. Which includes the complex effort in getting James Rodriguez both in and out of the club.

Ancelotti and Moise Kean are also 2 further examples of Brands being able to get the deal done. As stated, world class performer in this sense.

Another disappointing chapter in the Everton story.

There's a British-Iranian called Kia Joorabchian who apparently has huge influence over the Everton board and is a personal adviser to Moshiri.

He also owns a company called Sports Invest UK Ltd and one of the footballers that he acts as an agent for – and brokered the deal on the Arsenal side – is Alex Iwobi. Bernard and Richarlison are also on the books... who else is?

Money laundering at its best.

I hope that Moshiri had decided this on his flight to the UK, slept on it last night, and has employed the best recruitment consultancy company to find our next CEO, and a couple of excellent non-executive board members.

Otherwise, it's back to Bill's trainset, which he occasionally shares with Farhad.

Until Moshiri lets someone with a brain look after his trainset, the engine will never leave the station. He needs to just sit back and watch the trains go round. He can wear a stationmasters hat if it makes him feel better.

The dumbest billionaire indeed.

The fans will not sing bad songs about Kenwright; they mostly think he's been great for us.

When this (first lot of?) dust settles, I hope the resultant operational changes aid Benitez as a manager in getting the best from what we currently have for a squad – 'cos so far, that's all that's been changed by today's ballyhoo. There are only so many bargain players of enough quality, à la Gray and Townsend.

And yes, that was a well done post, Conor, just so you know it's the positions and prose, not anything personal.

And overall a good cynicism that doesn't bum me out. I get it but the shits most responsible have never had so much pressure on them. I see the fear of trusting Rafa but who else do you have on the inside?

And yes I'm a bit concerned about his transfer failures even though he likely won't be in the range for a big scale bad buy.

All I heard from anyone with an opinion about him in the summer was -

‘He'll sort them out.'
‘He won't take any crap,
‘He'll have them well drilled.'
‘We'll be difficult to beat under this fella.'

Yeah right.

He's an imposter.

Not a good combination!!

Sky Sports News
Twitter › SSN401

Bill Kenwright:

“Tomorrow's protest isn't about me. Us Blues are a brotherhood. The fans know full well I'm the biggest Evertonian & they appreciate I've worked my way from The Boys Pen to this position. Following today's events, we now have clear direction at the club” #EFC

Twitter • 8 minutes ago

An angle could be that Brands signed the extension in good faith, with guarantees that never materialised.

I still don't see how his videod comment is throwing Benitez under the bus... it could be any number of the board, or them as a collective. He may have left for his own professional integrity... or he may have just been called out as a incompetent leech. As has Denise Barrett-Baxendale.

2+2.

Maybe it's 22? Maybe, these highly rated people arrived and just coasted, taking the money. Or maybe it's all a bit more deep-seated.

Is it Bill clutching on and turning the blame onto anyone he possibly can?

Is Moshiri, the billionaire accountant who can't do FFP maths, really a blithering fool who gets hypnotised like Mogli every time a player's snake agent is nearby... or he bothers to phone or text TalkSport?

Has Benitez come in to chew gum and whoop ass, but he's out of gum? Or is he blood brothers with Klopp and just waiting for the Mordor return fixture to rip off his blue suit and show he's been wearing a red latex LFC unitard all along?

Honestly, we won't ever really know for sure. Well perhaps that last one, if it happens, but probably not worth sticking a massive bet on.

Even when someone does (ghost)write their memoirs, it's only one side of the story. Even if it's collaborated that Brands or Barrett-Baxendale was this or that, maybe that's because they weren't given authority.

Someone did have to go. Bill undoubtedly won't want to go yet though given the state of the trainset.

Full-on defenestration of Prague.

"Bill Kenwright: “Tomorrow's protest isn't about me. Us Blues are a brotherhood. The fans know full well I'm the biggest Evertonian & they appreciate I've worked my way from The Boys Pen to this position. Following today's events, we now have clear direction at the club.”

If so, I just have no words!

Head of Medical Services gone and now the Director of Football and a Board Director; Benitez has certainly had a impact so far. But Brands allowed himself to be painted into the corner of being expendable. I think that his actual impact on Everton has been minimal; it is those around him that are the real culprits.

Wonder if this decision took 'one spin of the Z-Cars record'?

Does this mean that the Director of Football Operations, Director of the Academy and the Head of Recruitment and Development are now under Benitez Remit? Could this be related to Benitez's ' 5-10% improvement in all departments'?

Barry #147

Very good.

If the Nigerian bloke repays the money I loaned to him, I'm definitely interested in purchasing the deeds to London Bridge – I'm sure he'll get in touch to say he's transferred the money back into my account with relative interest fee.

If true, it shows Kenwright as a real snake in the grass. He must be really shitting himself, just when he is trying to get back into bed with us Evertonians.

I do hope it doesn't signal the start of another Thirty Years' War.

Reshape the Academy? Errm... no, it's worse now than when he signed.

Bought better players? Errm... no, they are pretty average besides a couple.

Introduced a philosophy across the club? Errm... no, in fact, the opposite has happened.

He was riding the gravy train. Good riddance.

Hopefully the manager is next followed by The Biggest Evertonian and Little Miss Dynamite.

There isn't a winner amongst them... parasites, the lot of them.

Not sure why some posters are happy with Benitez being given free reign – 2 points in 8 games and the worst run in a quarter of a century.

What's less clear was his influence on identifying and deciding upon the players we brought in. If he was responsible for the latter, he really can't complain.

No more DoF; let's trust our managers to build a balanced squad to get them through a season (Moyes was good at this, Martinez was abysmal).

"The problem is the club itself: how it is being managed, the personnel still being promoted in October and probably plans to employ and promote more in the pipeline: no accountability throughout the club and having the manager as the only scapegoat. Though we get 'not his own man' Brands this time. "

I never expected it to happen so fast, but the reason still holds true. But it just shows the impact of that fan at the last game and the threat of the 27th-minute protest has had.

Brands was the weak link, with the lame blame answer to the fan that tackled him and the others sensed the blood of a scapegoat to save themselves.

Benitez is now a real threat to them all. They just have to get him now. Benitez needs to hold his nerve and keep Moshiri on side. There is still tough work to be done.

Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu released a similar statement about protests in 1989 before going on his balcony to rally his supporters. The next day (Christmas) he was shot against the wall.

So, we do have three Board members now, Kenwright and now two of his stooges. Should that be a theatrical performance of the 'Three Stooges'? Larry, Curly (Sue) and Moe'Money Blue(s)

The man is a pathological liar yet some people still give the teary-eyed fat bastard the benefit of the doubt. He can only take us for fools as long as we are prepared to be fools. This fool has had enough!!

Moshiri to Benitez: Can you do this?
Benitez to Moshiri: But of course, the team is right behind me and I think we played well in the derby except for some silly mistakes.
Moshiri: we lost 4-1you said it would not happen.
Benitez: No.. I said it should not happen, but what can I do?
Moshiri: The fans are losing belief now and blaming me!
After all I have done and all the money I have spent!
Benitez: That is not my concern, I have only spent 1.7 m and most of the fans are not blaming me, it was the same at Newcastle, they loved me there! If you are looking for someone to blame, blame Marcel!
Moshiri: Thats difficult
Benitez: Why?
Moshiri: Because he didn't actually buy most of the squad
Benitez: Well who did?
Moshiri: Well Bill and I sort of picked who we thought we should have
Benitez: Did you not discuss it with Marcel first, he is the DoF?
Moshiri: No no, Bill makes all the team purchases most of the time, well every now and again I get offered a player..
Benitez: So what does Marcel do?
Moshiri: He reviews videos and looks for players we cannot afford or ones Bill doesn't like.
Benitez: This is crazy! I will chose the players then you can get rid of Marcel, I will get the praise, Marcel will get fired and we can all blame it on Marcel. never liked him anyway!
And it takes the heat of you!
Moshiri: Yes the perfect fall guy!
Benitez: Well not the perfect one..
Moshiri: You mean Bill? I cannot, we have an agreement.
Benitez: What sort of agreement?
Moshiri: He has compromising pictures
Benitez: Oh.. that sort..
Moshiri: I am afraid so.. I didn't know he was a journo from the S*n. I should never have given that interview. Besides bill has a sunset clause.
Benitez: What is this sunset clause?
Moshiri: Well although I own the club, I agreed in the contract that any decisions to do with the actual football would be his to make without review.
Benitez: But that is crazy, how long for?
Moshiri: Thats just the point, I did not understand what "in perpetuity" meant. I have already tried paying him off but..I am sure he is wanting me out, he is all smiles to me.
Benitez: This club is a basket case, but the fans love me! They chanted my name at the derby!
Moshiri: That was the other lot, they were being sarcastic
Benitez: What is this "sarcastic?"
Moshiri: You are a great manager.

I guess it will be a long time before we find out his role in some of the transfers.

Was he behind the five or six of seven "Number Tens" on the books, for instance?

I would (does a Kevin Keegan) "love" to know who was involved in the decision about Iwobi and its pricing. Someone's finest hour.

Mr Creosote became so fat and bloated he couldn't operate as a human anymore. He lost his mobility and coordination. His belly became rotund and taut, morbidly distended with junk food, when finally it reached bursting point. The half digested remains of the hundreds of unhealthy meals he had eaten started to be uncontrollably vomited out of every orifice.

When the bilious purge was finally over, the poor, deflated Mr Creosote, for his long term health, had to think a lot more carefully about what he eats. His doctors gave him no choice.

If anything sums up Everton FC it's this tweet from Phil McNulty earlier today:

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright when Marcel Brands signed a new contract in April: "It took us around about one play of 'Z Cars' to reach an agreement." Wonder what lament is accompanying his departure?

sky sports news on Twitter is the equivalent of The Onion we have over here. A legitimate fake news site with an eye towards humor. The first thing you'll read if going there is: 24 Hrs A Day, Every Now & Then, Complete Fabrication From The Sky Sports Couch #Parody Not Associated With Sky Sports News #SSN

Going by a previous post on this thread three directors constitutes a board, does this mean they can propose, second and vote in anything they want, for instance: Mrs. Baxindale proposes that Benitez is fired, Mr. Ingles seconds that and Benitez is fired with Sly Boots, keeping his hands clean voting against the proposal and wins and loses at the same time.

Never really understood what a DOF does (I suspect fuck all ) but is this a case of unwarranted blame for the crap Mosh and his long line of managers wanted?

This looks like the blood sacrifice of ancient civilisations desperately appeasing the gods.

What a laugh the boardroom meet must have been a recreation of that scene in the charge of the light brigade movie. Lord Raglan and chums attacking each other searching for a scapegoat - fantastic.

He's the second previously successful dof to go - d'ya think it might be us??

"A director can be removed from a limited company but it must be in accordance with the terms contained in the Companies Act 2006, the company articles of association, the shareholder's agreement (where there is one in place), and the service agreement between the director and company..."

Much easier to demand a resignation and call it mutual consent. Being blasted out takes time, and has to follow a process.

Having said that, Brands must have known what he was stepping into, he did little to help himself, and his tenure by any professional standards was a failure - if we see BK taking 'early retirement on 'health grounds' and the so called coaching staff at FF packing their kit bags, it may give optimism a chance to flourish again. Personally, I don't intend to hold my breath on it at present

Either he's deluded or we are?

My biggest concern is if you look at Benitez's signings in the past they do not instill confidence, and let's face it Rondon is the perfect example.

To be honest Townsend is now showing why he couldn't get into the Palace team but, hey ho, he's good enough for us.

Kenwright should have been the first out of the door followed very closely by Benitez. The club is a disgrace.

My sympathy for Brands is limited because if he had any professional pride he should have resigned months ago, refused any non-disclosure agreement and given a full account of who exactly was responsible for what in his time here, particularly in recruitment and contract negotiations.

Those who are posting that Rafa will now sort things out should take a long hard look at the league table and try to work out where the 40+ points are going to come from. We can look forward to the sale of some of our better players and their replacement with more Rondons in January. And the same bizarre team selections, tactics and substitutions.

As for the Board, the only football 'expert' is now Blue Bill and Moshiri is free to continue with his knee jerk appointments from Monaco. Kenwright is wholly responsible because he brought in Moshiri as an investor when the club should have been sold. At least Mike Ashley buggered off having trousered the cash on offer for the Barcodes.

So my message for Blue Bill and Moshiri in these Covid afflicted times is 'A plague on both your houses'.

Brands has been incidental at best.

The key players aren't Kenwright and Benitez either, they're Moshiri and Benitez.

I thought that was a strange statement to come from him, Bill is a bit too savy and has more devious methods of communication.

I would have preferred Kenwright leaving as he seems to be the one causing the issues.

Marcel Brands has carried the can for not only his mistakes, but other people's too.

Let's get that straight.

The director of football had to accept some of the responsibility, but was not solely to blame for an imbalanced squad, and a team going backwards.

Sadly for Brands, many of the other architects of the mess are no longer around to share the blame. He was left exposed.

For Farhad Moshiri, that means paying with his job and, on Sunday night, Everton and Brands were thrashing out the terms of his exit.

Inside Story of Brands exit

"if he had any professional pride he should have resigned months ago, refused any non-disclosure agreement and given a full account of who exactly was responsible for what in his time here"

John the problem with this kind of candor is that his next club will not be his next club, because they've witnessed how he shoots his mouth of in public about private affairs. He might do it them also?

Barry #275, that's a strong article, and this one from Chris Beesley at the Echo provides some interesting perspective as well:

"In many ways, the clip of the awkward interaction between Brands and the fan proved to be something of a microcosm of his time at the club as it left more questions than answers and epitomised the ambiguity over what his duties actually were.

As former television sports presenter and lifelong Evertonian Elton Welsby told the ECHO in an interview only published earlier today: “I don't know what he (Brands) does.”

Perhaps Brands could have been an astute sporting director for the Blues if he'd just been given the autonomy to fulfil his duties in a similar manner as he'd done in his homeland?

Just how big a say, if any, did he really have in the appointments of Silva, Ancelotti or Benitez?

We might need the pin to Jim White's mobile phone to find out.

Instead, Brands becomes the latest in a growing line of his compatriots in the Premier League era to exit Goodison Park without scaling the heights expected of them."

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marcel-brands-everton-breaking-22371558

Benitez in his 'improvement in all departments speech' did attack the Board. No wonder he was looking he was fighting for his job, he was a real threat to the whole lot.

At this stage Brands could be the start of the long awaited clear out.

Kenwright may have enhanced his role at the club with Brands going, and who would replace him as Chairman if he did leave?

I think Benitez possibly only wanted the removal of Brands to give him more power over transfers, but if he doesn't manage to get his team to earn at least a couple of victories in the next month, his own position will become untenable.

Wonder how the doubling jobbing Unsworth is at the moment, Director of the Academy and Under 23 Manager Manager. Brands released a statement on his promotion to his second job, which could be described as groving homage.

So now the agreement that you alleged Kennwright had...that he sold his shares at a discount for...ain't as watertight as YOU once argued it was.

BTW Benitez in his "10%" improvement speech did attack the Board...show us the quote; perhaps it was subliminal?

That's what our owner, head-chef, sous-chef etc etc did today.

Pathetic.

Get that on the badge.

It might indicate that in the purported "Civil War" Moshir and Benitez's Roundheads - "Right but Repulsive" have defeated King Billys "Wrong but wromantic" Caveliers and that that Benitez is going now where...well not this week.

But as Harold Wilson never said - A week is a long time in Football.

After further historical ruminations; the Cavalier/ Roundhead thing is not quite accurate.

It's more of a Stephen Vs Matilda thing were 15 battles were fought, the score being W5,L5, D5 and no obvious result or change in circumstances.

The circumstance being we still need the 3pts and will be very lucky if Arsenal oblige us.

Well gentlemen and lady, it looks like we're really in deep sewerage! So what are we going to do about it.

Most responders. Err I don't have a clue!

Brands: Err, folks, I've had enough, pay me a decent settlement and I'll gladly leave!

Job done.

We can now close the meeting. Err, sorry, Rafa you now have full control over the players and transfers but, err, just run your thoughts through Billy and Mosh before making a commitment. eh!

Meeting closed.

There are different views on the DoF role. Most regulars will know mine. Call it DoF, call it Director of Sport, but the modern successful clubs employ it. And they succeed. Pep doesn't bother himself with getting involved in transfer negotiations. Klopp tells them what type of player he wants, but just focusses on the first team squad at his disposal.

The first team coach is exactly that in the modern game. Yes, he dictates what he wants, but the DoF implements the strategy throughout the club. Top to bottom. It then, in reasonable terms, almost becomes irrelevant who the coach is. Look at Chelsea over the years. It didn't matter how many times they changed manager. Once the system was in place, they won trophies.

We totally screwed up trying to have a DoF. Managerial merry-go-round and a way too comfortable gang of ex players on Finch Farm accepting no responsibility whatsoever, continuing to do what they've been doing for several years and achieving little.

Harsh? Okay, I'll give them the same leeway our previous DoF has just had in terms of managerial changes and lack of leadership or vision from the very top. But I still don't think they're good enough. They simply are not.

The DoF model works if you embrace it and implement it properly. And for us, that means overhauling this club top to bottom. A clear out.

We initially brought in a glorified scout who we got rid of and then handicapped a respected European DoF through a combination of alpha managers and board room interference.

Okay, let's go back to Catterick signing Ball etc. Let's give Big Dunc a go because he won a match once and made us "happy clap" to coin a phrase. Mike Bassett, England manger. If you shout loud enough you win right?

The game has moved on. So has management, structures and organisation.

But we're Everton, so as long as we have a fist pumping ex-player or, dare (dread) I say, Sam Allardyce, we're good aren't we?

I still have ambition for MY club. I always will have. I wish the club would too.

Apologies for the emotional outburst. No offence meant to anyone. I'm despairing but will be there to be served my glory or punishment over the course of the next few matches.

They say you can hate those you love the most; a fine dividing line. Sadly, I can't hate Everton. As much as I try, I just cannot.

Everton do have a lot of talent but like last season the inept attacking options leave them struggling even against so-called weaker teams.

They had Richarlison (no Messi) and DCL who improved tremendously but there has been very little else to supplement the offensive side of things.

We had Romelu who many disliked, Tosun and Niasse, both flops and then this useless article Rondon for whom Rafa and his superiors must take the blame for.

Yes it appeared that we brought in two big bargains in Gray and Townsend but neither are prolific goalscorers.

A few seasons back Coleman and Baines provided so much to the attack especially when Romelu was around but our attacking has had only one dimension since, which now that DCL has been missing has made it much easier for any team to deal with Everton.

It's hard to foresee when things may change as the confidence is low and the defence is stuttering with ineffectual performances all round.

Rafa does not seem to be able to lift the team and if he starts Rondon again tomorrow, Arsenal will be laughing.

...then you're doing really well.

Next he will call another meeting to get rid of Benitez.

Until Bill has stepped down, we will never move forward.

For Christ sake get Bill out of our club.

Blind faith, false hope and downright foolery. No excuses.

See you here tomorrow. I'll be on US Eastern time before heading home. Palace and Chelsea to come. I see 7 points in the bag!

Don't start me Nick Page. Said it in the summer and have commented since. United have landed a gem. Watch them nab an up and coming German coach to work under him now too.

How could you advise, control or indeed run a Football Business, and have little or no knowledge about the game ?

I am sincerely hoping that tomorrow, and it is obvious to me having listened to the Twitter Podcasts on the subject that NOT everyone will do the same thing.

Some will walk, and not come back at 27 minutes, some will leave their seats temporarily, go to the concourse, and then return. Some will turn their backs, some will clap, some will boo, and others will hold up a Placard or Notice declaring their displeasure at what has been allowed to happen, unquestioned by that Machiavellian Kenwright.

I just hope and pray that no-one is injured in any rush for the exit, it's bad enough leaving normally, but one thing is sure, we are mostly united in whatever we as individuals, choose or elect to do. I also hope that most of it will be picked up by the cameras, and enlighten the watching neutral public, what this is all about, and who the real culprit is, that has brought this all to a head.

Danny#307

Brands was Director of Football. in name only. He was never strong enough to forge out his position and was made a, Board Director , a job he was not fit for.

He just became a pawn for Moshiri , to put in as a nomial Director where it suited him and by Kenwright to advance his mates and tughten his control on the Club , aided by the Chief Executive , another pawn , way out of her depth.

In hindsight he was being set up as a scapegoat , though his Management decisions had alot of input from these two cowboys.

IMO it is not Moshiri who is taking the decisions , it is his mate Usmanov who has decided that enough is enough and is the real backer of Benitez.

Pep, Klopp, Conte and Tuchel are all roughly (on average) the same age as Duncan Ferguson, but look what they have achieved.

The current first team coach of Bayern Munich is 34 having served an impressive apprenticeship under the then RB Leipzig DoF, Rangnick. He will go far.

Duncan is 50 this month and has yet to step out of the dugout in terms of real coaching or management. He likes his comfort zone in my opinion.

I personally don't see why many of our fans promote him on the basis he loves the club.

So do I. Appoint me if that's the criteria.

You might as well fantasize about waking up with Halle Berry.

Danny #315, amen. Dunc hasn't taken one step towards proving he can actually manage a club. Not one.

No need to quote.

The truth is now unfolding before our eyes.

Sounds like he is looking at Rafa for wasting talent.

In reply to your comment we did actually/allegedly have money then, well we must have we paid Ancelotti £19M/Year for his, and his Team's Services !

R. Buckminster Fuller

This is exactly what Everton Football Club need to do.

But for me he has some burden but not all for the abject failure of EFC, preceding and including his tenure at EFC.

This day and the next few weeks will be interesting times for EFC.

For me there's got to be a club communication, as to the new layout and function of the football side of the club.

No doubt it will take years to get clarity on events but, the demise is not sustainable and the long term neglect and suffering to Everton supporters, by piss poor management of the club won't be accepted.

The final countdown to a new era or continued demise is near.

Riders of the storm mentality, and get behind the club, today.

Unfortunately it hasn't worked out that way under Brands. There can only be two reasons for that in my view. Either he has failed to deliver because he was not up to it and/or there has been too much interference from the first team manager, the owner, and the other board members (or all three). Regardless of the reasons, in my view he had to go but also I have to say he is better off out of it. It hurts when you are sacked, especially if those around you are incompetent ~ I know. He will lick his wounds, another club will pick him up, and he will be a better and wiser DOF for it.

To my knowledge, Brands has never worked in France.

Brands, total fraud. If he was being undermined and was happy to take a seat on the board, various sub committees and a new contract then that is the textbook definition of stealing a living to me.

The players get slaughtered for doing the same. Good riddance. DBB and Bill next please.

I was watching the Beatles 'Get Back' movie on the DIsney Channel which was filmed in January 1969, I was saying to my wife that at that time Everton had great players (Ball, Kendall and Harvey), very good players (Morrissey, Labone, Royle, Wright) and all we have now is few a few good players if they're fit and in the mood.

Rafa wants to run the whole club as at Valencia. His way or the highway and Moshiri appears to be letting him have his way.

He isn't however the only one I want to see go. I hope to see a few more outgoings from the board / management structure and the playing staff before long.

My question is who briefed him? Brands? Kenwright? A.N Other?

Shambles doesn't really do justice to the state we're in right now.

Even when looking for a new 'buyer', (read investor) for the club, it was still with Kenwright putting himself first.

Hence, even if, or hopefully when, Kenwright exits stage left and out of our club, it is going to be no easy feat unravelling what has become a complex and Byzantine organisation.

Therefore, surely the easiest thing to do, is exactly what an asset-stripper would do. That is to identify what works and to what extent, then develop it. Whilst what doesn't work gets 'dumped'.

This is how I perceive Mansour went about his take over at City; and to this day, what I believe Moshiri should have done with EFC. Or even, much more simply, he could have loaded the Board with more of his people than Kenwrights, to keep him in check.

As they say though, hindsight is 20/20...

That is why I 'suggested' that Moshiri discards with the current failed system that is the 'old model', and be brave, and create a club/company, that has strategic thought, expert and specialist personnel, and the short to long term ability to enhance the playing and financial performance of the 'new model'.

I think earlier in the thread, someone commented on Roundheads versus Cavaliers, how I see it, no-one is being the pragmatic 'Cromwell' in this period of our clubs history; whereby he took a demoralised, untrained levy/mob, led by incompetents; and created the New Model Army.

I would suggest that that is exactly what is required now.

My only worry is I don't see Moshiri or even to a degree Benitez, being anything like Cromwellian enough? May I apocryphally say, more Nero-esque I imagine, unfortunately...

I hope that explains the reason for my post better Si?

Oh, and as for replacing Brands; who said he needs replacing? What strategy are we going to implement? What is the future vision for our club? How are the footballing operations going to be modelled going forward?

Any answers yet Mr. Moshiri?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRJby3PCfbo

“who decides the style of football” – I have to answer the DOF. Pick a good one.

“Can't be the current manager” – Agreed. So the DOF picks the manager based on the style of football you want to play. Picking a good one is more likely to happen if you have a top DOF and he is certainly going get the support he needs.

“Is it proven that an 18 year old can't learn a more disciplined style” – I didn't say it was however the answer is no – but I'll guarantee a kid will never be able to do algebra if he hasn't been taught arithmentic.

“ do we only get those younger players from clubs who train to the same style as we do” – no we scout players that will fit into our style.

“doesn't necessarily mean there is a simple ‘formula' to follow” - could be luck I suppose but I doubt it. What I do know is that successful enterprises in any field of endeavour always have a plan. If you haven't got a plan, or have a plan and don't follow it, chaos is likely to ensue. We've seen that first hand haven't we?

“Let's all just accept that recruiting the ‘best' players means they are ones who are capable of following the brief, and the very richest clubs tend to hoover up the ‘best' players.” No don't agree with that – Wolves.

“whichever executives are left behind have a false/ undeliverable vision.” Well he and they certainly haven't delivered so far. That leaves two of the old school of chaos and the new manager.

That's probably why I have got a headache.

Second, we presently only have the minimum three members on the board required under company law. My understanding is someone else would have to be appointed at the same time as another directors departure to maintain a quorum.

They had Brands on there, the players, Moshiri, Benitez, all of the above and "other". But neglected to include an option for "chairman".

Unbelievable.

Dr Who might be an improvement on Rafa as he can handle the box. But he seems a lot like Marco Silva, drops in for a bit then leaves without getting into the nitty gritty. Sort of a journeyman Tommy Docherty type. Plus with Brexit I'm not sure he'd get a work permit.

Could be a good time for Moshiri to tap him up as well as he has DoF experience with Villa on his CV.

A lot of blame on Kenwright, and it is time for him to go. But it is worth noting, under his ownership the club consistently finished in the top 6 on a modest budget. Since Moshiri has come in the trend has been downwards and with millions spent we are finding the club to be going backwards. Villa get Ings, we get Rondon!!

Got it. Thanks.

The big problem we have now is that Moshiri doesn't know what he's doing and the slimey one from the boys pen knows exactly what he's doing.

The case you put forward in Kenwright's mitigation was first-rate. Airtight. What sensible impartial observer could fail to be swayed by the case that you mounted?

You missed your calling, Mike. Journalism's gain is most definitely the legal industry's loss. I despair when I think of all the wrongly convicted who could have benefitted from your mesmerisingly articulate arguments, unique common sense, and overarching intelligence.

You've changed my mind, and I'm actually off to write an apology note to Mr Kenwright right now. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Deciding we needed to adopt a DOF model.
Appointing multiple managers who'd never previously worked, and didn't want to work, under a DOF model.
Stating that ‘ we've invested heavily into a group of players – they're all internationals so we think they would benefit from someone with pedigree.' In other words Moshiri thought he's done his bit and bought good players they just needed a better manager. Total nonsense, he's wasted a fortune on numerous bad buys. He can't bring himself to acknowledge this stark reality though and instead of looking in the mirror, keeps flaying around making bad decision after bad decision.
Moshiri didn't want our best manager in the past 20 years, Moyes, back. We'd have been in a much better place if Moshiri had made that call and got him back. But like his judgement about our squad, it was misplaced.
So please let us all remember it's Moshiri who's made the bad strategic calls (Brands position), appointed multiple managers that don't fit our managerial structure, is deluded into thinking we have a good squad of players and talks total nonsense anytime he gets near the media. Our apparent saviour has turned out to be pretty hopeless at investing in a football club. More of his money may yet get us out of the downward spiral once the FFP chains currently around our club slacken, but he's now well and truly put all his faith in one bloke, that being a former Liverpool manager with an inconsistent past record. It's high risk to say the least. Oh, and don't forget what Moshiri said about us fans, it wasn't all exactly complimentary.

I'd be much happier if he'd sell up and get out of our club. Sure he's invested a huge amount, to his great credit, but his decision making has in my opinion been extremely poor. Makes me wonder how he managed to make so much money in business. That's another story though.

Yesterday's removal of Brands was a desperate attempt to take the edge off what looks like a noisy protest tonight. Kenwright has senior mates within the media so it's unclear how the protest will come across on telly. For the protest to get true momentum, it's imperative that there's a mass walkout on 27 minutes.

Given the ineptitude of the EFC team, it's highly likely that Arteta's lads will already be destroying Everton by then.

Is this as realistic as some other comments on here? But more positively fanciful?

Duncan Ferguson stepped in when we were in an even worse situation than we are now. We were lower in the league and we had just taken an even bigger hiding from the Red Shite.

The only thing he knew was he was facing Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal in quick succession and he was doing it with a team heading for the Championship... He looked these mega clubs in the eye and didn't lose to any of them.

People have been screaming for years for the removal of, first, Calvert-Lewin, then Tom Davies, and more recently Mason Holgate. Well they are not playing now and they are now seeing what an Everton team without them looks like.

£500M has been spent by clueless managers and wasteful DoFs. What they have achieved is there for all to see. We have an ageing full-back who would struggle to catch a cold. Two lighthouses who get stretched easier than an arl pair of knickers. Forwards who get to less balls than Cinderella, and The "Brazilian Peter Reid" buying more dummies than Lewis's window dresser.

The only thing this lot have got going for them is Alex Iwobi. He will always make them look a little less crap. Remind me again? Which of these dreadful, dreadful players were signed by Big Dunc?

Too many of our fans will happy clap cowardly non-football which will always... always be found out and send us in one direction. Yet they turn their anger on the one guy who didn't lose a game, didn't take a backward step, and had no part in signing any of the dross we see every week.

"Six years Ferguson has been part of our first-team coaching staff and I see no sign of him turning Rondon and Tosun into Messi and Ronaldo. Duncan Out!!!!"

Sigh...

The outsider will immediately arouse suspicion if they have the temerity to question the head of the family or if they advocate changing the way the family operates, in that case, they usually end up at least metaphorically 'sleeping with the fishes. So few family members are forced to leave, so many outsiders are left to flounder and fall by the wayside.

Everton FC is a proper family club, but not necessarily in the way, we would like it to be.

But then again you wouldn't expect a highly paid, proven leader to need their autonomy recognised. They take it. Leaders lead and people get on board.

So we can have some sympathy for Brands. We can also acknowledge that he wasn't strong enough to drive the kind of improvement that was required.

The sad thing is, look around, who's doing it now? We're weaker, not stronger now.

Certainly no day for celebration.

So, when Rafa is fired in January, what structure are we left with? Will we be forced to bring in a similar manager - a power-hungry relic of the past? In which case, the rumour might be correct - welcome to Everton, Mr Mourinho?

At least you want Kenwright to go, but you compliment him by saying that whilst he was in charge the team consistently finished in the top six.

So you think five seasons out of sixteen is consistent?

Transfers, considering the immoral amounts that have been spent over the last five years, not to mention the ridiculous length of Contracts and Salaries that have been on the Table, have given us what exactly ? Virtually nothing.

So I'm sorry mate I can't have any sympathy for Marcel Brands, who is another who has seemingly failed spectacularly and yet walks away with a Lottery Win as Compensation. The same goes for many or all of the players, they are paid a fantastic amount of money, and what do they produce ?

I am also not in any way apologetic for stating that we have been starved of any success for too long, and all this has happened under Kenwright's Watch.

Most Chairmen try to move hell and high water for success at the Clubs where they preside, what does our's do. Throw anyone under the Bus as being the one responsible for failure, while averting the pointing fingers of blame away from himself.

As for Potter, on a 11 game winless run himself. I wouldn't be paying significant compo for a man who doesn't win many games himself. Circa 22 PL wins across his tenure.

Ah, but with a striker and some money etc, etc I hear everyone say. All the same stuff we heard with Martinez and Silva. Until they started losing. Then the knives were out.

As for Mourinho, it ain't exactly going well for him at Roma and if Moshiri waves millions at him, he'll be happy to return to the Premier League.

By suggesting that others were to blame and not laying the blame solely at the feet of the players, he is clearly suggesting it is either Benitez's fault or at least trying to deflect the blame from himself. That is a shithouse thing to do and Moshiri had no option other than to strongly sanction him or fire him. He has turned on his colleagues at the club publicly.

I suspect he said it because he wanted to be relieved of his duties and knew deep down that, if the report got into the media, he would get just that. He's a coward and has fucked up wasting millions.

As I've woke this morning I actually feel more annoyed and unhappier with the Club than even before. Let's be clear if there was one poster who should be enamoured with yesterday's decision then it should be me as I was highly critical of the Dutchman's work that disastrous second season, foresaw the deficiencies he left for Silva and held Brands accountable when he was virtually untouchable, second only to Ancelotti on these pages in popularity and vociferousness of support.

Like yourself Danny I believe the director of football is essential in the modern game and the last time I got really excited by what was happening at our Club was this guys appointment, his vision for the Club, his primary summers work and Silva's decent maiden season in which he moulded Brands signings quite well, improved players, resulting in some excellent stuff being played at the climax of that campaign.

For me one of my chief objections with the appointment of Ancelotti was that we effectively made Brands role, as outlined on his arrival, defunct and I viewed this as a terrible backward step. I am upset this morning, not because of Brands personal input, but because it signifies a deviation from his ideology and what he represents. Ancelotti signified the death of the DOF, Brands sacking has effectively put the nails in its coffin. We won't be looking for a Ragnick type as you and I favoured in the summer but instead we are giving a baboon with one of the worst transfer histories in world football total control, should he survive to implement it, and most likely favouring this short termism approach which has been the scourge of Moshiri's reign in my view.

Many will argue that Brands will be no great loss, that he deserves to go and that his the DOF model has been a disaster at Everton. All of which may have a fair amount of credibility. However what I would say to counter this. is that, in selecting five consecutive managers NONE of whom would have had any notion in bringing through young players who the DOF would have brought to the Club was farcical in its concept. Moreover, because the likes of Brands was either negligent, constrained or a mixture of both in delivering out the initial vision and promises he outlined, doesn't necessarily follow that the baby should automatically be thrown out with the bath water.

What is more ironic and could make me cry is that we are playing a side tonight who have a director of football in Edu who brought three uncut diamonds to Arsenal in the shape of Tavares, Lokonga and Timoyasu and employed a manager we should have done so (Pre-Ancelotti) in Arteta who fought for Ramsdale and White because they were crucial to how he wanted to play and were consistent with Edu's model. Arteta is a superb coach, has great character, gives youth its head and is a perfect fit to work in tandem with a Direcor of Football. If only we had Edu and Arteta rather than Brands and Silva and were able to keep Moshiri and Kenwright out of football matters this club would be in a far healthier state and be a source of genuine hope and excitement for us of a blue persuasion.

I'm not sticking up for Brands, he can't call himself a success whatever restrictions he faced, but don't dream that things will get better from here.

Over to Rafa and Kenwright then?

I would imagine frustration, lack of ambition and a clash of personalities led to Brands's departure. Only time will tell but it's getting very messy.

You just cannot run a football club the way Kenwright is trying to do. All lovey-dovey, touchy-feely, back-slapping, the “Everton Family”. It's a cut-throat business that has replaced the rag trade as the most ruthless.

Kenwright has had over 20 years trying to find success. Are we going to have another 20 years of the same? Yes, if he stays.

It seems that David Harrison, currently Head of Football Operations, will take on some of Marcel's duties, for the short-term at least.

Everton are set to hand increased responsibilities to David Harrison in the wake of Marcel Brands's departure, according to The Athletic.

Harrison, Head of Football Operations, is highly-regarded at Goodison Park and the Englishman will assume some of the Dutchman's role in the short-term following the Director of Football's exit last night (5 December).

Rafa Benitez is set to take control of other aspects as the Blues weigh up their next move.

Harrison to fill void?

I totally agree with all of that, the thought of Benitez in charge of transfer dealings is frightening as far as I'm concerned.

"Benitez Out!"

You put your ‘musings' as obvious common sense, a self-evident truth as it were, but that makes it look like you think there is a simple route to guaranteed success. I just think that ‘conclusion' and your ‘model' for a successful club are highly debatable.

Unfortunately, your explanations don't really make me think “You know, I think he's on to something.” I remain unconvinced. “Who decides the style of football?” – I have to answer, the DoF. Pick a good one – Well okay, but how do you know who will be (surely more important than ‘was') a good one?

Are they guaranteed to work as well as they have before when transplanted from club A to club B? Don't a whole lot of variables unique to individual clubs count a great deal too; are there dozens of them out there just chomping at the bit to join EFC?

“Can't be the current manager” – Agreed. So the DoF picks the manager based on the style of football you want to play. Picking a good one is more likely to happen if you have a top DoF and he is certainly going to get the support he needs.

Huge assumption that the DoF you've picked (because he's the ‘best') has a couple of sure-fire managers sitting on their arses waiting for his phone call. Do you have proof Moshiri didn't try this with Brands?

“Is it proven that an 18-year-old can't learn a more disciplined style” – I didn't say it was; however, the answer is No – but I'll guarantee a kid will never be able to do algebra if he hasn't been taught arithmetic.

True that basics should be taught early on so other bits can be developed later on… but still not actually a justification for layers of teams from schoolboys to first team all playing to the same plan. Why not just have that implemented for the top two junior teams and recruit your scouted players into them?

“Do we only get those younger players from clubs who train to the same style as we do?” – No, we scout players that will fit into our style. But your reasoning implies they will only fit into our style if they have been ‘monochromatically' coached that way for years beforehand.

“Doesn't necessarily mean there is a simple ‘formula' to follow” – It could be luck, I suppose… but I doubt it. What I do know is that successful enterprises in any field of endeavour always have a plan. If you haven't got a plan, or have a plan and don't follow it, chaos is likely to ensue. We've seen that first hand, haven't we?

God, I hate it when people treat team sports like any other business. Makes me wonder whether they have actually spent significant time inside an aspirational club, or just haven't ever worked out the most variable and unreliable ‘component' in their own workplaces. The ‘product' relies on the proper melding of gifted human beings, which is not something as mundane as just having a plan ever guarantees success with.

Again, your assumption is that, at no point since Moshiri arrived, has any planning been made or applied. You see the fruits of some endeavours and assume they had a good plan, the failings of others and assume they had a bad plan or no plan at all, without necessarily having any proof at all.

“Let's all just accept that recruiting the ‘best' players means they are ones who are capable of following the brief, and the very richest clubs tend to hoover up the ‘best' players.” – No, I don't agree with that – Wolves.

Wolves??? Sorry, you will have to explain how they back-up your ‘common sense' football factory that hardly anyone seems to get guaranteed success with. For real success we are still a million miles away from, you can't really look beyond the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and the wholly unrelatable Spanish giants. We could still easily be one inspired managerial appointment away from being as good as… Wolves(!!!).

So again, the incompetent accountant gets involved with transfers, so why employ a DoF? I feel a little sorry for Brands as it's becoming quite obvious that he was never allowed to do the job Moshiri hired him to do, and again just highlights the muddled thinking from the owner. Why employ a DoF but give him very little influence in transfers or having a say in the appointment of managers?

It will be interesting to see if Moshiri sticks to his DoF strategy. I doubt he will and instead will hand all the power to Benitez. Well... good luck with that strategy.

Seems many want Kenwright and Barrett-Baxendale removed. I have no strong feelings either way but, even if these two do step down, is that going to make us rise up the league? Obviously not.

I hope that Kenwright and Barrett-Baxendale do step down because then there is no hiding place for the two men who will be responsible for where we finish this season.

Mind, to be fair to Moshiri, he is probably only following the orders of his boss, Usmanov. Let's not forget, Ancelotti had a meeting with Usmanov before agreeing to take over and Benitez spent several days aboard Usmanov's ship before deciding to take the job.

No, just like the "jobs for the boys" team at Finch Farm, he was quite happy taking the money. He's only been gone a few hours and already some are giving him sainthood!

The main culprit is still there. No doubt organising this year's panto, Pinocchio, in which he stars.

This club wasn't in the best of health when he got control; however, this charlatan has overseen the worst years we've had. In any other business, he would have been run off years ago. Had the fanbase been more united, he would have been run out years ago… yet, we still see many supporters, supporting him regardless of the lies and deceit.

He has set the tone and direction of the club for years, manipulated the fans, installed "his boys" and finally got a fool to part with his money, and done very nice out of it too.

Until Kenwright retires, we'll never move on. Kenwright thinks of one thing and that's what's best for him. If indeed we need to have 3 on the board at any time, then me and my dog will volunteer until Moshiri gets the right people in. Anything to get Kenwright, and his blonde sidekick, out.

Moshiri wants to bring fellow Iranian, Sardar Azmoun, to Goodison from Zenit St Petersburg. He's available for a low fee due to his contract expiring in June.

Benitez is broadly supportive because Azmoun, though not great, is much more mobile than Rondon and gives him another option up front.

This clashes with Brands's vision because it just saddles us with another average player on a big wage for the next 3 years or so – and yet again prevents the recruitment and development of younger (potentially excellent) players.

As part of his last act, Brands is quoted as saying we already have 4 strikers and don't need another.

That might be the point at which everyone (including Brands) decides it's just not working.

Brilliant isn't it? unfortunately, his main job, the reason that he's in the hot-seat, is to motivate the players to win football games. When he starts to do that, I might give him some credit. If he fails to do that, and soon, he will be following Brands out of the door and all of his political machinations will have been for nowt.

It took a manager with balls to say "This is a shit show with no direction." Things had to change and I for one embrace it.

Because the removal of Brands does not address the issues that the club faces, yeah it's great that a self-serving Dutch guy who was happy to take the money and do nothing for it, has gone. He was only following the tradition that Bill and company have set in stone – do very little, take what you can in terms of power and influence, and don't worry about the consequences of your inaction.

Also, note the glowing terms that the Chairman referred to Brands when he signed his new contract earlier this year, although that happened prior to Ancellotti leaving and Benitez arriving. Moshiri cooked Brands's goose when he gave Benitez the vote of confidence text via Jim White, even the Dutch hanger-on must have thought that to be a step too far.

For that statement alone, I am glad Brands is gone. A blind man can see that this squad is so lacking in quality that there is little chance of a quick change to the current situation… in fact, it could get a whole lot worse.

Sounds to me that Benítez has told the board how bad he thinks our current squad is. Brands, on the other hand, seems to think we are not too badly off and it's all Rafa's fault. Brands may not have signed all the players bought since he joined the club, but he had a hand in some of them and the lack of quality across the squad is just shocking.

One of the reasons teams get a boost from a new manager is the fear it strikes into players when they know the manager that may have signed them is now gone. With the DoF model, players still have their buddy that signed them, even when the manager gets the boot.

Let's be honest, many of this group of Everton players have been complicit in helping many Everton managers to get the sack. The few talented ones we have, have been coasting along in second gear.

Brands going will not solve all our problems but it's a start.

“EFC have struggled along for 22 years of Kenwright slowly eroding the club's ethos and culture, and selling off the club's assets.
Even when looking for a new 'buyer', (read investor) for the club, it was still with Kenwright putting himself first
Therefore, surely the easiest thing to do, is exactly what an asset-stripper would do. That is to identify what works and to what extent, then develop it. Whilst what doesn't work gets 'dumped'.” (Eh, what?!? Isn't Kenwright an asset-stripper? But he was the problem, not the heroic businessman. This is getting more confusing )
“This is how I perceive Mansour went about his take over at City; and to this day, what I believe Moshiri should have done with EFC. Or even, much more simply, he could have loaded the Board with more of his people than Kenwrights, to keep him in check.” Eh, what, again?!? So now Mansour is the asset-stripper?? Not someone who has been able to plough a massive amount of money into his vanity project? That's a view I haven't heard before. But the ‘asset-stripping' approach to guaranteed sporting success doesn't matter anymore anyway, because Farhad had a much simpler approach he could have applied but for some reason he didn't. You don't think that maybe Mosh and BK had a plan they both agreed on but things just haven't worked out according to their plans?

“As they say though, hindsight is 20/20...” Yes, but you are trying to turn hindsight into foresight.

“That is why I 'suggested' that Moshiri discards with the current failed system that is the 'old model', and be brave, and create a club/company, that has strategic thought, expert and specialist personnel, and the short to long term ability to enhance the playing and financial performance of the 'new model'.” Yes, but it wouldn't actually be ‘brave' if it were that obvious/ easy to do, it would just be sensible; and if it is neither obvious or easy to do then there remains the possibility it is really hard to get right and/or could take a long time / a series of incremental steps/ some trial and error.

“I think earlier in the thread, someone commented on Roundheads versus Cavaliers, how I see it, no-one is being the pragmatic 'Cromwell' in this period of our clubs history; whereby he took a demoralised, untrained levy/mob, led by incompetents; and created the New Model Army.
I would suggest that that is exactly what is required now.”
Oh yes! Obviously identical situations. Mosh just needs to ‘be' Cromwell. Problem(s) solved.

“My only worry is I don't see Moshiri or even to a degree Benitez, being anything like Cromwellian enough” Well, at least you are not saying he just has to follow some undefined standard business model to guarantee sporting success, but no, I'm still not getting the ‘quod erat demonstrandum' moment and it reads as a patently apples and oranges comparison to me.

“I hope that explains the reason for my post better ” Sadly, no. The Buckminster Fuller quote still doesn't strike me as anything other than inspirational puffery that probably has no real world application.

“Oh, and as for replacing Brands; who said he needs replacing? What strategy are we going to implement? What is the future vision for our club? How are the footballing operations going to be modelled going forward?

Any answers yet Mr. Moshiri?” Oh, now you are asking questions!? That's really unfair! I thought you had the answer with creating a new reality or whatever.

Paragraph 2 - I didn't say he was the best just a good one but no I haven't got any proof and didn't know I was trying to prove anything - just trying to answer your questions.

Paragraph 3 - is there any point in youth teams then?

Paragraph 4 - does it really?

Paragraph 5 - no I have never worked inside an aspirational club - but I am guessing you have judging by the way you are coming across. I have however trained and managed the sales and operations teams of a company that was bought for AUD 6 million just before I was appointed and was sold 10 years later for AUD 134 milliong*. I was either very lucky or knew what I was doing.

I have to say I admire what Wolves have achieved over the last few years. I think they have some very good players. I do agree the good ones get hoovered up from among their ranks by the “successful clubs though - for example the guy who scored the 4th goal in the derby.

I agree with you we are a million miles away from the success of the clubs you named. How would you go about achieving that sort of success?

* in case any of you are thinking of tapping me up for a sub forget it. The owners got it all :(

One bunch of wasters who long ago showed their true colours and personally I give them shirt shrift

As long as they get their free pies and treble G.T's on matchdays they'll write whatever the Club want them to write.
I'm amazed they've actually mentioned the proposed demo for tonight's match and even more surprised they didn't slag it off!

Moshiri speaking at the club's general meeting on January 5, 2017.

Almost five years on...

Barry @ 363 nails it.

The cancer remains in the fabric of the club, from the boardroom to finch farm.

As a club, we are unravelling like QPR in 2013, 8.5 years & they are still in the championship. This really could be us this season.

Everybody day dreaming on these bloggs.
The immediate issue is we aint won in 8, anyone take my money tonight.Put a £100 on the table against my mine for us to win??
Indeed my £100 against others we win 3 out the next 6??

Benitez job was,is to win football matches not get involved in behind the scene crap.
Yes, its needed sorting.
But Benitez wont be here soon if he cant win, matches at best not get beat.

I for 1 don't want to ve in the championsip, playing stuff you gotta play to get out of it.
Rather watch it in the Premier League with Big Sam in charge thank you.

Everyone see the fixture list 3 games 8 days with our injury prone, red card prone Brazilian super star.
6 games coming up, 18 points, anyone got confidence in Benitez to gather 12 points minimum.That will do it for me, give the man a chance.

3 points, well 0 in the next 3 games hes gone.
People just gotta wake up, 3 defeats and where are we.

Game by game now things changing so fast.
A week today 2 defeats worst record in how long 30 plus years.
You think 35 0000 Toffees inside Goodison are going to put up with that.
Then hello Chelsea, irony if Rafa goes to Chelsea needing to beat them to keep his job.

Just maybe it was that guy that's gotten West Ham into "The Top 4"?

Put simply, this is when you borrow most or all of the money you need to buy a business with the plan being to use the businesses own cashflow and assets to clear the debt for you.

Without getting too moralistic about it, this sort of behaviour is not altruistic in any sense of the word. Nor does it take into account the business future needs or it's standing against direct competition. Kenwright is and never was a saviour.

He is nothing more or less than a wealthy opportunist.

The return of "The Moysiah" would have been as popular as Allardyce and Benitez on these pages!

Why hire someone to oversee the footballing decisions and direction of your club if you are just going to consistently overrule or supersede him on important judgments.

Brands wanted young managers/players and Moshiri wants proven, more glamorous options. Clearly they were not singing from the same hymn sheet and the resulting disharmony has been most damaging.

Personally I wish Brands had got his way and we'd likely have Graham Potter as our manager and a few more younger talents breaking through, but I know that's not everyone's cup of tea.

I suspect Benitez (if not sacked in next month) will be given more control now, even though it's often thought that it was his insistence on transfer dealings that saw him sacked from Valencia and Liverpool.

I think the only way back may be if Moshiri (and Kenwright) stops getting involved in football decisions. Not sure that's going to happen.

Just want to see 43/48 points on the board asap.

That seems a million miles away from 15 points, 6 games until the 30 Dec.

How do we get to that target is all we should be talking about.

Moyes aint coming.

Sam Alladyce probably would and stand a decent chance of doing what hes asked to do, for a substatial fee.

Anyone got anyother ideas that have more than an 80%chance of working.???

Will Mr Moshiri put us up for sale with 15 points on the board in a couple of weeks time.

I here Mike Ashley is looking to re invest in football.
Cut price bargains his speciality.

Mouriniho, could just see him in the Championship he really would be the special one.

OGS, Carrick 🙈🙈

OK, Waynne.??I genuinely think hed do a lot better than Rafa with 23 games remaining.

Gotta headache.

There's too many on here obsessing about BK, yes he's got to go, but Moshiri hired Koeman, Walsh, Silva, Allardyce, Ancelotti and interfered with recruitment.

He's clueless and an Absolute Mr Bean of an Owner.

Piece of piss this D.o.F lark!.

Mick, you won't be inviting Rafa around fo Christmas dinner then?

Mick O'M - various. I think we've heard you now. You don't like Benitez. Anything else to say?

This being EFC kia joorabchian and the tea lady will no doubt have some input.

As far as I understand, you would prefer to retain Benitez as manager until he gets us relegated because a) it's not his fault b) he inherited the mess c) he didn't have transfer funds this summer d) it's the players e) it's the board f) there is no alternative g) who could we attract? h) and now the latest one for the collection - he is the only person at the club now who knows football (someone better let Ferguson, the coaches and the entire Academy staff know).

If you are going to try to be condescending to Mick, at least have something more substantial to your argument than passive defeatism.

However, the reality very quickly became apparent to him, and then to nearly all of us, on the day when he was co-opted into the bullshitting boardroom that's defined us for decades in the world of football.

He immediately became a Moshiri & Kenwright pawn and knew it – salary enhanced though. He'd already seen the lie of the Finch Farm land.

My question is: What was such a professional person to do? Work from within a totally inept boardroom? Even attempt to drag the club into 21st-Century success? Or suck up the money in the way his fellow board-members do?

His few words to an irate fan when he attended what would become his last match at Goodison Park deserve to resonate.

They go to the heart of the quagmire that is our owner and his boardroom, a quagmire that continues to consume any chance of success as it blunders on in its years-long ineptitude and self-indulgence.

The chances of any new manager being able to deliver what us mere fans want are minimal whilst ineptitude prevails at the top.

The Bloody Meaningless Dockside stadium will be an enigma the way we've long been going with Moshiri & Kenwright in charge.

Moshiri seems to agree, it's his money, his mistake and his responsibility to get it right.

The problem being he's proven to know little about how and who to entrust with running a successful football club.

another's DoF or will Rafa be given move freedom and responsibility for all thing's football?

I believe a manager needs to be involved in player recruitment, possibly have the reserves replicate style, formation of their first team etc. but after that it's the training pitch he's needed the most.

January could be interesting. I'm hoping he avoids recruiting any Newcastle player's unless it's Saint-Maxim.

The removal of Brands will solve nothing as Benitez picks the team and, from all accounts, hasn't been doing a very good job for a couple of months now.

Moyes' West Ham are now sitting in 4th place having spent a fraction of the money that the three teams immediately above and the three immediately below them have in recent seasons.

The evidence speaks for itself.

Whether Moyes would come back if approached is unclear but in my opinion Moshiri should eat humble pie, admit he should have reappointed him rather than Benitez after Ancelotti threw in the towel and make every effort to persuade Moyes to return.

The spectre of relegation cannot be allowed to become reality.

Wow, I know which one of these visions I would have preferred... Championship, here we come!

The incompetence on board-level is incomprehensible!

To think no striker since Rooney nearly 20 years ago has been produced by the academy. If Kenwright was the greatest Evertonian (self proclaimed) then he would be appalled by this. Is Ross Barkley the only PL standard player from the academy in 20 years?

Yet there will still be people in the ground who will clap, if Bills face comes up on the big screen.

At first I thought it was just me that had a distinct dislike for all Kenwrights misdealings over the year, however after speaking to fellow ToffeeWebbers during a meet up in the pub match days, seems we are all in agreement.

The Blue union divided fans years ago, some in support, some sympathy for Bill, ten years on and now I feel a good 80% are seeing right through Bill and see him as a problem.

Why are we still talking about Moyes FFS. Everton 0 Wigan 3, no wins in 11 years at Anfield and of course he is also a relegation manager, just like Martinez (but without the FA cup).

He'll be there tonight.

The concept of the DoF is for him (or her) to have a clear strategy on how the team should play their football, and then hire managers and purchase players to fit into that strategy. One big purpose of this is so that the team/players won't be very affected if the club needs to change managers. With a "unified" strategy like this, if a managers quits or gets sacked, it means that the players can keep playing in a system with a brand of playing that is already in place. Instead the anticipated effect of the managerial change is only to get a new voice in the dressing-room, someone who can motivate the players and bring freshness in the way of thinking, when the current managers powder has run dry. This will affect results in a lesser degree than a usual manager-change.

It's obvious that Brands hasn't been able to work in such a setup. A playing-strategy isn't set within the team, and it changes with every changing manager. Every new incoming manager has also been dead-set on players he wanted to recruit, and instead of bringing in players fitting to the playing-strategy the DoF has implemented, they've brought in "favourites" from earlier teams they've managed.

The two men mainly in charge clearly haven't given Brands freedom to work within the frames of the role that a DoF should have. Now they have sacked the only person on the board with any footballing-knowledge, using him as a scapegoat for the teams failings... It is quite simply embarrasing... Those two in charge are utterly, utterly embarrasing and the main reason the club is where it's at right now.

The rationale as to why I have consistently argued in recent weeks for the reappointment of Moyes is based on the precariousness of our present league position and, heaven forbid, the increasing prospect of relegation if Benitez is not removed sooner rather than later.

I have little confidence, despite the signing of Gray and Townsend, in Benitez' ability to reverse the current position. According to reports coming out of the club, regardless of the FFP situation there is no cash available to strengthen the team. Rumours have surfaced in the media that Benitez is prepared to sell Pickford to raise funds for his transfer targets. If this was to come about it beggars belief that the two goalkeepers left on the staff would be Bergovic aged 34 and Lonergan 38 - Benitez in his wisdom decided to let 22yr old Joao Viginia, a very reasonable prospect by all accounts, go out on loan to Sporting Lisbon. Hardly inspiring and reassuring if the rumour became reality. Perhaps more credence should be given to the expression "Agent Rafa"

Moyes has proved time and time again that he has the ability to unearth hidden gems at extremely low cost. Names that spring to mind include Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta, Joleon Lescott, Steven Pienaar, Leigton Baines and John Stones all on the right side of 30 and the man he rated as his best ever signing [on a free transfer] although he was in his late thirties, Nigel Martyn.

We need similar reinforcements now and David Moyes has proved that he has the ability to find these bargains. Benitez is essentially the opposite on the basis of his longer term record.

Whilst I very much hope that a desperately needed three points can be picked up tonight I am extremely doubtful that Benitez, with his innate stubbornness with regard to team selection, is the man to stave off relegation.

Changes are desperately needed at the club and the most immediate one has to be the manager. Rightly or wrongly my preference as a replacement is Moyes taking into account our current seemingly impoverished circumstances.

.ones was supposed to be one of our own, stabbed us in the back and tried to rob our best players for fuck all.

Unlike Laurie I really don't believe there is one ‘common sense', guaranteed success, model to follow as not all successful clubs have followed the same model.

The key to all of them is having the right people in the right positions, but I very much doubt that is as simple as some people seem to think it is seeing as there are so many fluctuating factors that can adversely affect the performance of the team including the performance of the opposition. That just doesn't fit into the business models most people will have experienced.

I certainly think raising a football club from mid-table mediocrity to true competitiveness is vastly more complicated and fraught with the potential for unexpected reversals than putting together a good sales team.

Sorry Laurie, I really can't assess your personal business acumen from so little actual data presented. I've no idea whether your firm was simply really badly run before you turned up, or whether the timing of your appointment coincided with some hitherto unavailable markets opening up for you to exploit.

Also, I wasn't trying to make out that I am a business guru. The business was in a mess and I had to figure out how to fix it. I developed a simple training plan for winning business and delivering on what we promised. It was just based on my experience in the industry. The staff bought into it and delivered on our promises. The customers liked that - so it kicked on from there.

I like this observation of yours "The key to all of them is having the right people in the right positions,". There is something we can agree on.

Especially after reading all the vitriol on this site?

The role of DoF is unknown to us so we can only guess at what the requirement and setup at our club may have been.

It's probably fair to say he was less hands on than at PSV as generally British club manager's like to have greater control of recruitment and playing style.

In Brands 3+ years, there was very little communication or evidence of success. He's gone and I can be considor his time here a failure. Another Moshiri mess.

“The idea of someone being responsible for the style of football played by the youth team all the way up to the first team is common sense when you really sit down and think about it.”

I've just questioned both the practical difficulties of imposing such a system on anything other than a start-up, as well as whether it is guaranteed to give you everything you'd want. I just don't get the ‘common sense' of it.

We just don't have the ‘football factory' approach in England, yet it doesn't stop absolutely world class teams from developing.

I just don't think the clubs that do have DoFs have them dictating the style of football down to youth team level; I just don't see the necessity of it and I really don't think you can ever guarantee you will always have the right players to play to an unchanging system.

I think a hybrid system of trying your best to develop the individual strengths of the youngsters you can attract and supplementing as replacing them as and when necessary is fine.

Teach the kids the basics, let them play to their overall strengths and learn what it is to be part of a cohesive and hopefully successful team, and then with some luck, at 18 or 19, you'll have some home-grown gems to make best use of as you will know then whether they fit into your overall vision and expectations.

My view of the DoF is of overseeing the junior coaches but of being an equal partner with the manager who will have the final say over the first-team tactics and his coaches. Ideally, you will at some stage hit upon a fruitful combination. I don't see either role as sacrosanct.

I questioned your ‘model' club premise and you came back with your impressive business track record. All power to you but, as I say, I can't judge the relevance to Everton's current needs or evolution.

I wasn't trying to impress anyone but I thought this remark you made warranted a response from me:-

“God, I hate it when people treat team sports like any other business. Makes me wonder whether they have actually spent significant time inside an aspirational club, or just haven't ever worked out the most variable and unreliable ‘component' in their own workplaces.”

Teaching your youth teams upwards to play a certain way was certainly not my idea – it was just an idea that, when I thought about it, seemed common sense to me.

I have given this quite a bit of thought to see if my opinion was flawed. So I had a look at where I might find evidence to confirm my “musings”. I came across this article:-

The Barcelona System

What do you make of that?

Your point is extremely valid but, with the right incentives offered, I think he would certainly consider any offer very carefully and seriously.

It was a tremendous relief to get 3 priceless points last night and players deserve every credit for their tenacity and spirit.

However, one swallow doesn't make a summer and there are some very difficult matches coming up over the next few weeks.

Benitez's appointment was never a sensible one and I for one just hope he is replaced sooner rather than later.

Well it's not news to me, for a start. You could have picked Ajax as another example but they are not as successful as Barcelona are they?

I already know about the fact that some clubs use that system but I also know that not all successful clubs use it anywhere close to that extreme, so it just doesn't rate as common sense to me. To me there is clearly more than one way to skin the cat, to you only one way makes sense (which you call common sense).

The style of football has often been termed tiki-taka, although Pep Guardiola has disavowed that description, and as far as I am aware no English club has ever wholly embraced it and yet the top English teams continue to do well in Europe on the whole.

You are also missing the point that Barcelona is a Catalan club and that comes with both restrictions and bonuses. One ‘restriction' is they tend to be relatively small in stature so they have developed a style that suits them best.

One bonus is they are almost a national club and have fabulous drawing power and resources. Those are things that just don't translate to a lot of other clubs so why should it only be sensible for them to try to follow Barca's lead to the nth degree?

I very much doubt hordes of English kids would commit to playing the Everton way the way Dutch or Catalan kids will commit to the Ajax or Barca styles. It's just not something they are culturally accustomed to.

You left this part of my earlier post out;

“ The ‘product' relies on the proper melding of gifted human beings, which is not something as mundane as just having a plan ever guarantees success with.

Again, your assumption is that, at no point since Moshiri arrived, has any planning been made or applied. You see the fruits of some endeavours and assume they had a good plan, the failings of others and assume they had a bad plan or no plan at all, without necessarily having any proof at all.”

That was the full answer to what you posted and shouldn't have been excised.

Last thing I'll say on Barca. They also recruit into their first team from other clubs and I wouldn't say all of those recruits are necessarily of one style of play.

Nobody really operates the ‘pure' system that you are advocating as the one true way if they can use cash to shortcut things by cherry-picking when the players are fully fledged.

I have never ever said only one way makes sense. Barcelona's way is one way. The Ajax way is another way so is the Borussia Dortmund way. Why not an Everton way.

I am certainly not suggesting we play the tikka takka style (and once again I didn't say that) – just a style. For example “the get the ball up the field as quick as you can style.”

I have never assumed or said Moshiri didn't have a plan. Appointing a DoF at Everton (something we never had before) suggests to me that his plan was to appoint someone who would bring success to the club because he didn't know how to do it but had seen it work at other successful clubs.

I have to say in your penultimate paragraph it seems to me you are making a lot of assumptions about what I have assumed. I haven't assumed anything.

On the human beings being important thing – I did say this to you in an earlier post. “I like this observation of yours "The key to all of them is having the right people in the right positions,". There is something we can agree on.”

I have had another look at my post @ 326 which was a response to Danny's post at 295. I was basically agreeing with what Danny had to say about the DOF role.

I called it common sense and you seem to have taken exception to that expression. As I said in my last post that has prompted me to think about what I had said and so I started looking into it.

In my latest excursion into the world of the DOF and how it relates to success, I came across this on the Manchester City web page:

Begiristain - Director of Football

Aitor ‘Txiki' Begiristain joined Manchester City as Director of Football in October 2012.

As a player, he played for Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Deportivo la Coruña and Urawa Red Diamonds before retiring in 1999. During his years at Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona, his team won eight major titles, including four La Liga championships and the 1992 European Cup. Begiristain also represented the Spain national team in one World Cup in 1994. After retiring as a player, he became the Director of Football at his former club Barcelona in 2003.

Borrusia Dortmund have got one also -

Michael Zorc

So what I have gleaned so far is that Barcelona, Ajax, Borrusia Dortmund and Manchester City have three things in common:-

They all have a Director of Football

They all play and are known for two different but particular styles of football.

They are all what I would call successful clubs.

I hope the DOF role isn't the only way to success because I don't think we will be seeing one at Everton any time soon.

I also followed the link in the article to the Leipzig web page. That was even more interesting.

One way to run a football club

In my opinion Leipzig are on to something.

It seems to me that Moshiri has decided by appointing Benitez, to try to stabilise things while he builds the stadium. I think, for this season at least (unless things get absolutely desperate), he will just have to let him get on with it.

Until recently I thought all we needed was a good manager with an eye for a player and the financial backing to buy them. The more I have become involved in this thread the more I have come to believe that the club needs to be reformatted from top to bottom.

So the question for me is how can Farhad Moshiri instigate change on that scale without upsetting the apple cart with Benitez?

Paul (the Esk) has started another thread on this topic and that may be the best place to discuss it.

27 Minutes for 27 Years