Marcel Brands (DoF)

[StevO]

39 minutes ago, BedfordBlue said:

There's not much to like at the moment that goes for Everton and football in general. Just don't get how we can't spend anything because of financial fair play but others seem to be able to spend whatever ever they want 

So, no then?

[Palfy]

4 hours ago, dunlopp9987 said:

Nope.

You don't think maybe it has to do with Walsh's abhorrent signings that we're in this mess? Klaassen, Bolasie, Schneiderlin, Tosun, Walcott. So much money spent on utter dross, has put us in the financial shit-house that we're in.

We're reaping what we sowed from the Walsh era. Brands has brought us Digne, Richarlison, Godfrey, Doucoure, Allan, Mina, and gave us one memorable season with James.

He knows what he's doing, I just fear that his relationship with Rafa might sour, as Rafa loves to have more control.

I think Tosun and Walcott were Brands signings along with Gomes Delph Iwobi and Bernard, Brand’s has over seen probably more poor signings than Walsh and for definitely more money, Walsh has been gone for 3 years but will be blamed for the shit we are in until the tide turns then you will be praising Brand’s for the turn around even if it takes another 3 years. My hope is that Benitez rides all over Brands the team improves and the owners realise they don’t need Brands.  

[plaidharper]

Kean and Lookman both scoring today... 

So much to work out at the club. 

[plaidharper]

51 minutes ago, plaidharper said:

Kean and Lookman both scoring today... 

So much to work out at the club. 

Even Barkley put away a pen today... I need a break from the internet, haha.

[StevO]

@plaidharperthey all don’t work hard enough anyway, not one of them can defend.

[Matt]

15 hours ago, BedfordBlue said:

Very easy to blame Walsh but Brands has had 3 years now and we are no better than we were under Walsh and now have such a ridiculously small squad that couple of injuries and we are done. 

It is very easy to blame the correct person to blame, yes. Walsh signed poor players on long contracts on stupid wages which meant the players had no real inclination to leave (because they knew they would never get that wage elsewhere) and no one would buy because it'd cost over the odds for an average player. Not saying he hasn't made mistakes but 3 years is also not a long time in terms of a project. He's 3 years into a 10 redesign. There's still a long way to go. 

[Shukes]

Can people honestly not see that the club is changing?

Thos isn’t a five minute fix, this is a complete restructure of the club. 
We’re getting a different type of players on that are slowly rebuilding a broken squad. 
Doucoure, Allan, Gray, Townsend, Godfrey…. These players are more energetic, more harder working than what we have been served up recent seasons.

The new stadium. New advertising strategy. 
 

If people are just wanting us to spend a lot of money on names and hope for the best…. Then just rewind anywhere during the last 15-20 years and have your fill.

Me? I want to stick with the direction we are heading and get behind the club and everyone in it…. And move forward.

[Matt]

Just now, patto said:

It’s taken 3 years to actually get rid of players that were overpriced and overpaid and we still have more to go. 

Yes, it has. Because of the reasons stated. 

[Bailey]

22 hours ago, dunlopp9987 said:

Nope.

You don't think maybe it has to do with Walsh's abhorrent signings that we're in this mess? Klaassen, Bolasie, Schneiderlin, Tosun, Walcott. So much money spent on utter dross, has put us in the financial shit-house that we're in.

We're reaping what we sowed from the Walsh era. Brands has brought us Digne, Richarlison, Godfrey, Doucoure, Allan, Mina, and gave us one memorable season with James.

He knows what he's doing, I just fear that his relationship with Rafa might sour, as Rafa loves to have more control.

It isn't just the amount spent on these players and the general lack of return, but also the long contracts with no hope of finding a buyer because of the ridiculous wages.

James didn't work out but at least he is back off the books again. If Walsh has signed James he would have probably had a 5 year contract!

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

21 hours ago, Palfy said:

I think Tosun and Walcott were Brands signings along with Gomes Delph Iwobi and Bernard, Brand’s has over seen probably more poor signings than Walsh and for definitely more money, Walsh has been gone for 3 years but will be blamed for the shit we are in until the tide turns then you will be praising Brand’s for the turn around even if it takes another 3 years. My hope is that Benitez rides all over Brands the team improves and the owners realise they don’t need Brands.  

 Walcott and Tosun were both January signings in 2018, Walsh didn’t go until the following summer so they are nothing to do with Brands

Also tbf I think everyone was highly delighted when we signed Gomes and Bernard, and most saw the Delph signing as a Gareth Barry 2.0 so for me the only bad one was Iwobi who was a poor panic buy

 

[Harv]

Marcel, comes across as a nice enough guy but not exactly pulling up trees since he took on the job.

[Btay]

16 hours ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

 Walcott and Tosun were both January signings in 2018, Walsh didn’t go until the following summer so they are nothing to do with Brands

Also tbf I think everyone was highly delighted when we signed Gomes and Bernard, and most saw the Delph signing as a Gareth Barry 2.0 so for me the only bad one was Iwobi who was a poor panic buy

 

Iwobi was young with PL experience, whist it hasn’t worked I can understand the logic behind it. 

Right now I’m just disheartened at how little quality we have throughout the squad. I am big fan of Brands but I am concerned he hasn’t found a replacement right back and let our back up LB go. 

[Btay]

I hope he has his head down and is working hard towards a couple of deals in January. Summer window showed we don’t need to splash a lot of cash to get some quality in if we target the right players but our depth in certain areas is alarming. It will be unacceptable to lose out in Europe due to lack of depth.

Theres some decent players with a year left on contracts that we could get for a decent price and hopefully a “Sidibe” like loan for left back coverage

 

[BedfordBlue]

Going nowhere fast zero squad depth couple of injuries and we are done.

[Matt]

3 hours ago, BedfordBlue said:

Going nowhere fast zero squad depth couple of injuries and we are done.

5 points off 3rd

[c1982]

12 minutes ago, Matt said:

5 points off 3rd

He’s got a point though - lose Mina and Doucoure and we are so weak. We can just about cope when it’s the attacking players out but Doucoure, especially, we have no ONE who can fill in so probably need a 3 man midfield in his absence.

[BedfordBlue]

18 minutes ago, Matt said:

5 points off 3rd

5 points of 15th what one looks most likely at the moment 

[BedfordBlue]

I don't care what anyone says Brands has has left us with this tiny squad 

[Gwlad]

He's the constant when managers have come and gone. Make of that what you will.

[Matt]

1 hour ago, BedfordBlue said:

5 points of 15th what one looks most likely at the moment 

Because of 2 bad loses with a threadbare squad? 

"We need to clear the wage bill!". But that requires getting rid of players.

"We need more depth in squad!". Which requires bringing in more players.

"Just bring in the good ones and get rid of the shite!". The good ones cost a lot of money, the shite are on 5 year cushy deals.

Aaaand repeat...

We're not in a parallel universe where opposing requirements suddenly coincide with one another and become the fulcrum rather than tipping the seesaw.

The amount of damage those first 2 years of Moshiri spending on his new investment was always going to take more than 3 years to correct, largely because the contracts handed out were longer than that. Plus that's not even considering mistakes Brands was inevitably going to make. He got some transfers wrong, but more right and can't be held accountable for players playing for a permanent contract then downing tools or picking up recurring injuries or not really giving a fuck about the club but the manager wanted them...

Then there's the work behind the scenes, structuring the development etc. which won't give tangible benefits for years too because it's a complete overhaul and time can't be put on 2x speed like FIFA. 

He gets the big money because he's got a fucking ridiculously difficult job to do and he is doing it well. If he wasn't, he'd be out. 

Not particularly aimed at you, BB, just heard it enough to be irritated by it. 

[StevO]

4 hours ago, BedfordBlue said:

I don't care what anyone says Brands has has left us with this tiny squad 

Don’t bite. 
 

Do, not, bite. 
 

Don’t do it Ste. It’s not worth it. 
 

Go to sleep and pretend you didn’t read the post. 
 

There is nothing positive to come from a reply to this. 

[Bill]

13 hours ago, BedfordBlue said:

5 points off 15th, that one looks most likely at the moment 

If we had won the last two shitty home games we would have been third.  But you have to understand, we get scared at the thought of going too high.

[Palfy]

Personally we have still to many players who aren’t able to play consistently at this level, how and why they got here is for another debate but they are here and need to be benched or got rid of, players like Iwobi Coleman Keane Godfrey and Digne shouldn’t be starters in any team that has serious designs on doing something. 

[Sibdane]

2 hours ago, Palfy said:

Personally we have still to many players who aren’t able to play consistently at this level, how and why they got here is for another debate but they are here and need to be benched or got rid of, players like Iwobi Coleman Keane Godfrey and Digne shouldn’t be starters in any team that has serious designs on doing something. 

Digne is the only one I really disagree with here. I think he’s very capable, but the fact he doesn’t have any cover or anyone to really push him is a problem.

I think he is either: 1) tired, or 2) too comfortable. I don’t have a lot of doubt about his ability. 

[StevO]

20 hours ago, Sibdane said:

Digne is the only one I really disagree with here. I think he’s very capable, but the fact he doesn’t have any cover or anyone to really push him is a problem.

I think he is either: 1) tired, or 2) too comfortable. I don’t have a lot of doubt about his ability. 

I think somewhere between tired and comfortable. He needs competition, but he also needs rest. If his levels keep dropping he could lose his spot in the France squad, but if he got back to his form of a couple of seasons ago he could be first choice for France come the World Cup. 
 

But we struggled to bring in a right back to compete with Coleman, it won’t be any easier trying to bring in two full backs. And a centre back. And a striker. And a midfielder. And keep the wage bill down. And try and move on four or five players who are in no rush to leave. 

I think it’s about time we brought in a sleeve sponsor, maybe from some super rich company in Russia who have a soft spot for Everton, in a deal worth way too much. 

[Hafnia]

Nkounkou gone, small gone...... I'd drop digne like a stone for either of those 2 to make a point. 

[Bailey]

50 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

Nkounkou gone, small gone...... I'd drop digne like a stone for either of those 2 to make a point. 

You say that but what we did see from Nkounkou is that he was worse.

I don't really know what is going on with Digne, he is clearly a far better defender than he is showing. He plays like he is either jaded or panicking a bit, rather than someone in control of his game.

[Palfy]

6 hours ago, Bailey said:

You say that but what we did see from Nkounkou is that he was worse.

I don't really know what is going on with Digne, he is clearly a far better defender than he is showing. He plays like he is either jaded or panicking a bit, rather than someone in control of his game.

He does nothing of note going forward and his defensive play is basically none existent, if we could get Mina and Keane playing regularly together I would drop Digne and give Godfrey a go on the the left, he would be as poor as Digne going forward but he has pace and can put a tackle in, Digne has no pace and can’t tackle. 

[Bailey]

18 hours ago, Palfy said:

He does nothing of note going forward and his defensive play is basically none existent, if we could get Mina and Keane playing regularly together I would drop Digne and give Godfrey a go on the the left, he would be as poor as Digne going forward but he has pace and can put a tackle in, Digne has no pace and can’t tackle. 

I think that is more to do with us not really getting forward very often again and having that yard horse up front.

I have absolutely no doubts about his attacking ability. Get him on the ball in space and he will deliver. He is just letting himself down defensively at the moment.

As for Godfrey, please no.

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, Bailey said:

I think that is more to do with us not really getting forward very often again and having that yard horse up front.

 

We have got in more and better forward positions this season per game I feel without looking at the stats, previous seasons we may have had slightly more possession but in our own half with sideways passing, for me Digne has been poor in all departments for over 2 seasons with the odd decent game now and then, nothing that can be blamed on Rondon he’s just played a handful of games, Digne has been pants for a very long time. I agree Godfrey isn’t the final answer but with no one else to put him and us out of our misery I believe Godfrey would be no worse and slightly better, after all he played there quite a few games last season and did a far better job of it than Digne imo.