Under New Direction
As the summer approaches, there will be an unprecedented number of players out of contract at Everton and either a new sporting director or a new structure to oversee a significant revamp
The Big Reset — Part I
As with anything in life, change is a constant — and, in terms of personnel, there has been no shortage of that at Everton in recent years — but seldom does a football club get the opportunity to undergo an almost complete reset. Yet that is the potential open to the Blues this year as the Friedkin era dawns and the Club prepares to move into their brand new digs on the banks of the Mersey in August.
Not only do Everton have new owners, of a kind Everton they haven’t ever experienced, and the historic departure from our cherished home of 133 years for Bramley-Moore Dock ahead of them, they also have a new (albeit very familiar) face in the dugout in the form of David Moyes back as manager after a 12-year absence.
As the summer transfer window approaches, there will be an unprecedented number of players out of contract at Everton at the end of the season and, it now appears, either a new sporting director or a new structure to oversee what could be a significant revamp of the squad.
According to well-placed reports this week, Kevin Thelwell, Everton’s Director of Football of three years, will not be staying at the Football Club beyond this summer. Amid all that change, a fundamental shift in the Blues’ footballing foundations is afoot, although it’s not entirely clear what that will look like.
In Part I of a series on the big reset Everton are currently undergoing, a look at the job that Thelwell did and what lies ahead for whoever or whatever replaces him.
While there was no official indication of The Friedkin Group’s plans vis-à-vis the director of football position, given that Kevin Thelwell’s contract was up this summer, the silence from the new owners on this issue has spoken volumes since their takeover was completed in late December.
The prevailing wisdom was that TFG were waiting to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer to permanently replace Denise Barrett-Baxendale following Colin Chong’s laudable tenure in an interim role before the future of the incumbent Director of Football was decided. That hire could soon be confirmed, amid robust speculation that Leeds United’s CEO, Angus Kinnear, has been lined up and it could be that he, in concert with executive chair, Marc Watts, and Dan Friedkin, will convene to decide on what shape the direction of football takes at the Club.
In the meantime, it has emerged, however, that Thelwell won’t be part of that discussion as his terms won’t be renewed at season’s end. One assumes that that will come as disappointing news for the former Wolves and New York Red Bulls man. Having had to work within such frustratingly tight confines since coming on board as Marcel Brands’s successor a little over three years ago, Thelwell, would surely have been champing at the bit to lead Everton into a new era and the new stadium, finally having a budget worthy of the name for squad building.
Thelwell joined the Blues as they were in the early throes of what would become a three-and-a-half-year struggle against the financial straitjacket of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). James Rodriguez’s crippling wages had been jettisoned the previous September, Lucas Digne’s controversial sale to Aston Villa in January 2022 was offset by the acquisitions of Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko, while Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli arrived within just a couple of days of Frank Lampard’s own appointment as manager for nothing.
While he hoped, no doubt, to eventually begin a rebuilding process at Everton, the PSR albatross around the club’s neck ensured that Thelwell’s job eventually came to be centred around trying to raise as much cash as possible from player sales while trying to thread an almost impossible needle of bringing in enough reinforcements to keep the Blues competitive enough to stave off relegation with next to no money.
Prior to the first charges from the Premier League, there appeared to be some latitude. In another universe, one where Manchester United’s criminal waste of £85m on Antony didn’t prompt Ajax to shut up shop to prevent the loss of another star player, Mohammed Kudus signs for Everton in the summer of 2022.
More recently, of course, under different circumstances, Wilfried Gnonto, Jaden Philogene or Yankuba Minteh become Everton players but in none of those instances was Thelwell in the driver’s seat. A pitiful budget meant that he could never tempt Leeds to part with their Italian winger with next to nothing down while the move for Minteh was entirely dependent on Dominic Calvert-Lewin agreeing a deal to move to Newcastle United.
There was a serious approach for Malian striker El Bilal Touré and a deadline-day attempt to land Ernest Nuamah last summer but as PSR sanctions and the threat of further censure bit hard, Thelwell was forced to leverage the loan market and hammer out bargain moves with clubs willing to either accept fees on the drip or, in the case of Udinese with Beto, a delayed down payment in return for what many felt was an inflated overall transfer fee.
All the while, he and Everton have had to sell their best players — Richarlison, Anthony Gordon, Amadou Onana, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi fetched around £175m in transfer fees between June 2022 and this past summer — and been beset by injuries to those players they were either able to sign or keep around. This season, in particular, has seen two of Thelwell’s better acquisitions, Dwight McNeil and Iliman Ndiaye, sidelined with knee problems while Armando Broja, signed with one injury, was ruled out with another just when he was getting back to full fitness and starting to demonstrate what he could do in Everton blue.
Those ridiculously restrictive conditions have, of course, heightened the need for Thelwell and his head of recruitment, Dan Purdy, to be spot on with those players they were able to land. If there is a general rule of thumb in football that successful recruitment gets three of every four incoming transfers right, Thelwell’s track record has been hammered from some quarters while modestly applauded in others, more so the latter recently as the passage of time has been kinder in terms of the perception of his work.
The £20m acquisition of McNeil raised eyebrows from those who overlooked the value for money that £5m a season for an experienced 21-year-old might — and now does — represent; Beto was written off as a £21m flop as he struggled to adapt to life in England before being left to sink or swim these past few weeks as the Toffees’ only fit striker; at £17m, Jake O’Brien’s signing was questioned until he was finally given his head by Moyes; and Jesper Lindstrøm, Jack Harrison and Orel Mangala have also had their doubters while all three have played their part in ensuring that the Club has remained clear of the drop zone this season despite the downward trajectory of Sean Dyche’s managerial tenure.
There have been other successes, like James Garner, now able to continue working towards fulfilling his potential after three months out with a back injury, the free-transfer acquisition of James Tarkowski and the recapture of Idrissa Gueye but in terms of outright failures, Neal Maupay takes the biscuit from the Thelwell era while Arnaut Danjuma might have been as much a casualty of Dyche as a general Premier League dud.
In terms of recruitment alone, then, it seemed that at a time when so much else was changing at Everton, perhaps Thelwell as Director of Football wasn’t the most urgent position to be addressed. Had he been asked to keep hold of the reins and head up the plans for the upcoming window, it’s unlikely that many Evertonians would have had misgivings.
Again, though, what is not clear is the thinking at TFG, what their plans are for the role and whether the wider-encompassing presence of Moyes forced a re-think over how best to structure recruitmenr and the overall direction of sporting operations at Everton going forward. With Bill Kenwright as his deal-maker, Moyes enjoyed free reign where player selection and transfer targets were concerned during his first 11-plus years at the Club and it’s possible he sees a similar role for himself this time around.
The game has changed, however, and with clubs focusing more on more on establishing a playing style and culture right the way through the Academy to the first team, the task of directing football across the organisation is as big as it’s ever been. Indeed, from Steve Walsh (who was, effectively, a chief scout with a bigger title) to Marcel Brands (well-suited to the DoF role but never allowed by Farhad Moshiri to operate as such), it could be argued that Everton have yet to properly implement the sporting director/director of football model.
Whether they now will remains to be seen in the coming weeks. Was Kevin Thelwell simply not seen as either the right personality fit? Will TFG have pin-pointed a top-class appointment to build on what has put in place? Or will David Moyes have convinced them that he can fulfil that role for the time being, perhaps in preparation to move upstairs at the end of his current contract to take the DoF title and responsibilities beyond that?
Whichever route they decide on taking and whoever oversees that side of the Club, a significant overhaul on the playing staff could be on the cards this summer if the majority of out-of-contract personnel leave.
Thelwell, meanwhile, is unlikely to be short of suitors based on the work he has done with the Toffees over the past three years, which was steady at worst and admirable in many ways. It may be too soon to judge the quality of the job he did and neither he nor Blues fans will get to see what he could have done with the kind of war chest that his successor will have. In that sense, he may regret not getting the chance to stay on, but for Everton, there won’t be time to dwell on the past. The club is rushing headlong towards a new future, whatever that will look like.
Reader Responses
Selected thoughts from readers04/03/2025 12:59:41
Personally I think Thelwell has done a decent job.
If you take the DoF role as having 2 major elements,
1 - Provide a consistent structure/culture across the club
2 - Continually improve the squad of players available to the manager by both ensuring young players develop through the club and acquiring through the market.
I recognise that if you were to measure those areas today compared to 3 years ago it would be hard to clearly identify much progress.
On the first point I do think there are significant mitigating factors.
In his tenure he has had to face the legacy of Benitez, the rollercoaster of Lampard and the slowly building depression around Dyche. At the same time the club has been in financial and leadership turmoil, losing an entire board, the financial chaos and challenge of keeping the club solvent whilst Moshiri largely lost interest in the football side of the club.
In terms of improving the squad and structures to bring players through the financial issues, managerial change and focus on staying in the PL have overridden any other priorities. He has managed to deliver a profit in the transfer market and ensure the managers had a squad of players good enough to stay up, don’t forget last year we would have been 12th in the table but for PSR. At the same time next season we could have a squad including O’Brien, Garner, Iregbounam, McNeil, Ndiaye and Chermiti all of whom he brought to the club and are under 25, as are Patterson, Mykolenko and Branthwaite by the way so we have the basis of a good young squad!
Another factor is the number of players we have to acquire, either through transfer or loan for next season. Personally I feel we need to add probably 6 -8 players alongside those I’ve mentioned and other players in the current squad e.g. Pickford, Tarkowski That work needs to have started now so if not Thelwell the new man needs to be appointed ASAP not waiting until the middle of the summer.
My preference, given his record, would be to stick with Thelwell
04/03/2025 13:01:30
Great article, I'm grateful to Thelwell for the job he did, and I think some of the other names that he wanted but ultimately couldn't get (Gyokeres, Watkins) suggests he had a good eye for players.
What we really need though, and have done for ever, is a long term planner who can get their arms around the whole club and build the framework for how we can run going forward. Hopefully the Friedkins have the right person/people in mind.
05/03/2025 08:10:28
My fear would be that if Thelwell knows he's gone in the summer, will he stop making the effort between now and the end of the season.
I wrote in a recent article that Moyes had given us the chance to start planning for next season now, rather than the summer break. Having someone like Thelwell already in place would be a huge bonus for me in preparing for a much better season than what we have had in recent years. He has helped shape the current squad, has had time to gel with the new owners and manager, and may already have players in mind that would match the current squad.
Replacing Thelwell in the summer means that it will take the new person in the role time to catch up, and there is no guarantee that we will quickly find the right fit for the direction the club wants to go in.
05/03/2025 10:36:20
Lyndon you mentioned Dan Purdy as being part of Thelwells team as Head of recruitment ——is Purdy still working alongside Thelwell I thought he had left to join Spurs last year or before.
05/03/2025 10:41:37
A really good read. I await the next two instalments with interest.
I hope that this summer sees a genuine reset, as for the past few seasons, it has descended into a continuous cycle of just getting over the line and we'll reset in the summer. Repeat!
We'll have to wait and see what the owners' vision and longer-term plan is for the club. That will dictate personnel appointments in key roles as well as on and off the pitch activities and growth.
The general consensus seems to be sympathetic to Thelwell's fate, who as mentioned, was effectively balancing the books, whilst sneaking in a few gems. As always, there have been some good transfers, there have been some not so good. Every transfer is a gamble when it comes down to it. I still look back with surprise at Dyche's reluctance to play O'Brien, although technically he did, picking the team for the FA Cup fixture against Peterborough, before being relieved of his position.
He was swimming against the tide as they say and not enabled to fully perform as a Director of Football.
That said, I am well documented in my opinion that English football hasn't really grasped the concept in the way they apply it on the continent. There are a couple of good examples, but we still hold on to the traditional manager concept in many cases.
There probably isn't a definition, but for me, a Director of Football or Sporting Director as it can be referred to at some clubs, isn't just responsible for working with the Head Coach (not manager), to identify players for the first team and engage with the club to take care of transfers.
A DoF/SD is also responsible for building the club's footballing structure on the playing side from the academy up, and now the female team. That doesn't mean they do everything; they have lead coaches and staff at all levels, as well as a scouting network.
The idea of implementing a system that is applied at all levels was something I mentioned a few seasons ago. Again, there are some good examples and Liverpool done it well under Klopp. In my view, it makes it easier for young and fringe players to step up in a more seamless manner when selected.
So, I'm an advocate of the DoF role, but it has to be used properly, or, like most walks of life, don't have it at all. But in my opinion, top flight football has become to big and complex for the traditional manager to do everything.
To the future and the reset. Scarred by previous summers, I just feel this time, it could have legs and must needed change is afoot..
Let's see what the summer brings, and for the first time in years, we can say the future's blue with optimism rather than hope.
05/03/2025 15:29:17
TFG must have their reasons for not keeping Thelwell. It is strange that Dyche would not use players that Thelwell brought in. Did they communicate properly before hand? TFG might have reservations about Thelwell's ability to work with the team that is being assembled.
05/03/2025 16:27:18
John at 2 makes a good case for either sticking with Thelwell or changing him now.
Danny at 6 makes a good case for a dof or sd.
But where does Moyes sit in this?, it looks like he has cemented his position for next season, so we have to Hope that the new owners and Davey are already on the same page, and aligned with any new faces incoming.
Interesting time's, less stressed, but there is a lot to put in place quickly.
07/03/2025 15:13:59
Media and social media are suggesting the imminent announcement of Angus Kinnear ( currently Leeds CEO) as Everton’s new … ( not known), and the departure of Kevin Thelwell, but no suggested replacement.
If this were true it would deliver a new structure, probably no DOF.
I think that would be a mistake.
The manager should manage and work hand in hand with DOF on recruitment.
DOF should oversee all footballing aspects of club, culture, academy etc.
CEO providing business and organisational strategic oversight and direction.
Personally I think you need all three to be effective.
07/03/2025 17:39:21
Leadership changes just announced on Everton site.Kinnear joining as CEO and takes up duties on June 1st,Chong remaining to oversea BMD regeneration and Goodison future.Kevin Thelwell to leave when his contract expires and DOF position will cease..New era,new ideas.Good luck to Kevin,a thankless task performed in dire times.Hopeful that details of developments will continue to come to light as they progress.
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04/03/2025 12:45:06
I'm a bit perplexed by these references to a budget worthy of the name / war chest as I was under the impression that funds would still be quite tight, especially considering the likely scale of new signings required to maintain an adequate squad.That was one reason that I thought TFG may consider Thelwell a good fit for the Club's current situation, based on his performance during his tenure.