Kevin Thelwell set to leave Everton this summer

Thelwell has done a decent job, but we should be looking for top talent to move this club forward.

I will never understand why Moshiri didn’t clean house at all levels of the club after he bought Everton. A £600 million error.

- installing / maintaining data analytics technology

- putting in place and maintaining global scouting networks

- managing the academy from u6s to u21s

- academy recruitment / youth player trading ages 14 to 16

- sister club / affiliate club networks

- loan development arrangements for youth players and overseas talent

- managing relationships with agents / selling clubs and delivering player sales and purchases

First team recruitment in each transfer window is the most visible but not necessarily most important part of this.

Our best signing in recent years is Branthwaite - a 16 year old who played a few games for 4th tier Carlisle. He has been developed at PSV and then introduced into the First Team.

It's a different role to the football club manager - but designed ultimately to feed whoever that manager is with quality players for the first team.

Thelwell did well to keep us solvent and in the Premier League against a backdrop of sustained and extreme cost cutting. Hopefully his successor has a better set of circumstances to work in.

Let’s be honest, if you wanted to recruit one o the top DoFs in football then Kevin Thelwell would not make the short-list.

I think he's made a decent fist of it in difficult circumstances.

I'm an advocate of the Director of Football model. It works just about everywhere. But it needs to be employed correctly. And the remit is broader than the first team. They are responsible for the footballing structure of the club from the bottom up.

@Frank, I will have to politely disagree with your manager comment. In the modern game, the modern manager is what should now be a Head Coach of the first team squad.

The traditional British interpretation of Football Manager reminds me of the film and character, Mike Bassett.

But in my opinion Thelwell's work has been little short of brilliant, and I think he will have zero difficulty securing new employment very quickly.

Steve #9, you say that with great certainty. Who would be on your short list besides the much-discussed Weir?

In terms of permanent moves I'd say Thelwell did very well with Ndiaye and Gueye and Tarkowski and Onana. And did pretty well with Mcneill, Garner, Young and seemingly O'Brien.

Jury is still out on Iroegbunam, Alcaraz and Chermitti but all look promising and even Beto is beginning to show his worth.

The only real dud is Maupay and even he we have hardly lost any money on thanks to the loan fees.

To only have one real dud (and that one inexpensive) is actually a very impressive record for a DOF over 3 years. He's also got us good fees for the likes of Richarlison, Iwobi and Godfrey. Most importantly he's helped keep us up with the lowest net spend in the league over the last 3 years.

I think Thelwell can leave with his head held high and he certainly has my gratitude.

We are in the Premier League, with a solid core of Pickford, Alcaraz, Ndiaye, Branthwaite, McNeil, and O’Brien to build from. It would’ve been interesting to see what he would’ve done this summer, and in some ways it scares me to bring in someone new with so much squad building to be done this summer, but for saving us from doom alone, TFG deserves our support in whatever they do for now. One has to believe they have a solid plan in place if they’re making this decision now.

Good luck, Kevin, wherever you may end up.

Do Roma have a Director of Football or is it too simplistic to expect TFG to impose similar structures at both clubs?

Michael Zorc, Michael Edwards, Christoph Freund, David Weir, Phil Giles to name but a few.

I think Thelwell did good job in tough circumstances, but you are a new owner looking to reshape the club there would not be sufficient evidence that his retention would be a game changer.

Wonder who the Friedkins have in mind and let's hope it pays off ? Wish Thelwell all the very best in his future !

I would be pleased with Weir or Ashworth, the latter particularly could be interesting as he may still be based near Manchester? Seems to me like an obvious move if so.

It's likely to be an attractive job for someone that's for sure, a decent budget, plans for growth, new stadium and new felt swagger about the place.

I am sure Moyes has pointed to the success he had with he who is no longer with us.

DOFs can all be called successful or unsuccessful because I don't know one who has got it 100%, even Brands had his successes.

Look at Dan Ashworth rated as one of the best, goes to united cost them a fortune and has bought a number of duds on big contracts.

Kevin Thelwell has done reasonably well especially considering what he had to deal with and I wouldn't be disappointed if we kept him on for a year or two..

There is always Patrici if he is not in jail.

I think he did his job well, it was not his fault that he was working with a manager who didnt see the players potential. Along come Moyes and all of a sudden he is getting a turn out of these players.
Let’s be careful for what we wish for. Remember the enthusiasm when we captured Walshe after Leicester won the league and we though he would resurrect similar gems. What resulted was the start of our sad decline
I too want us to get back to competing for league titles but it must be built on solid foundations. Quick fixes get broken easily. Let’s have some patience. Yes I expect us to be competing at the top half of the table next year but it depends on whose contract we renew, who we bring in but most importantly how well they integrated into the team. Individuals may be great but unless they integrate into a teams work ethic and game plans they are only individuals. As I say regularly :There is no I in TEAM. Look at United for example

We can talk about signings but Thelwell wasn't just the chief scout. He was directing football operations.

He/they appointed Dyche. He/they did so from a shortlist of Dyche and Bielsa. Those two names in the same sentence show you that there was no joined up thinking in place. No plan.

Can't help but feel that Moyes looms large in the next chapter. Whether that's a more traditional manager role, or an opportunity to head upstairs when the time is right and be part of choosing the team management succession plan.