Pairing Brands with Walsh could prove smart for Everton

If rumours are to be believed Steve Walsh may not be in as much danger at Everton as first thought. It has been felt the current Blues Director of Football was in for the sack after the failure of last summer’s big spend in the transfer window.

Indeed, most Evertonians were happy to wave him off with most having questioned his role at the club for the best part of the last year and a half. Instead of replacing him with Marcel Brands though it is quite possible Farhad Moshiri has a different plan and wants to team them up.

Brands, of course, is the current Director of Football at PSV Eindhoven and very well thought of across the continent as a result of the work he has done during his time there. In five years at the club, he’s made them over £200 million in transfer fees by recruiting talent such as Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Kevin Strootman, all of whom later departed for big transfer fees.

Just this last weekend he lifted his third Eredivisie title in eight seasons for PSV. He also enjoyed success at AZ Alkmaar, where he employed Louis van Gaal, a move that saw the club ended up winning them the title in 2009.

So far the suggestion that both could end up working together has been met with derision but in reality, it could be one that works out well for all parties. First and foremost hiring Brands would allow Walsh to move back into the role that arguably suits him best, the role of the Chief Scout.

There is no denying he is capable of spotting talented players, both for now and the future but he is not a man who is comfortable dealing with agents and transfer fees and all the shenanigans that come with today’s modern transfers.

Allowing him to step back and move back into a role that sees him overseeing the identification of players, rather than the acquisition of them, would be a smart move. It would also save Everton the issue of having to pay him off as well as the potential of doing so coming back to hurt them when another club ends up benefitting from Walsh’s scouting ability.

At the same time, pairing him up with Brands would be bringing too very good scouting minds together to the benefit of Everton. Brands, meanwhile, would give the club access to two things that they do not have at this moment in time. The first is the international market.

Unlike Walsh, Brands is a Director of Football that is respected across Europe at this moment in time. There is a reason that he has been linked with replacing Michael Emenalo at Chelsea. That respect gives Everton access to contacts that Walsh simply does not have at his disposal, especially at the boardroom level.

One of those contacts is Mino Raiola, who just so happens to represent Brands as his agent. Raiola may be everyone’s favourite enemy but he would provide the club with that access to not only players but also deals that they are currently years away from being a part of.

Through Brands, they would have access to his contact book and the opportunities that offers. It could prove to be extremely beneficial moving forwards. Such has been the level of disappointment surrounding Everton’s transfer dealings since Steve Walsh’s arrival it is no surprise many are keen to see him leave.

But that would be akin to Everton cutting off their nose to spite their face. Walsh is not as useless as some believe. Having him take a step back and fulfill the role of Chief Scout, which he has shone in before now while operating under a real Director of Football such as Brands makes perfect sense.

Some will disagree but that set up could be the perfect one Moshiri and Everton need to start getting value for their money once again.