Explaining Everton’s latest changes behind the scenes and what they mean

In his first few months as Everton’s football director, Kevin Thelwell set out to take the temperature among club staff.

The aim was to understand the issues that needed to be resolved internally, where they were weak and how to build for the future.

Everton’s ultimate goal, as one of their slogans suggests, is to become ‘back to the elite’. To restore the club to its former glory, play in Europe and compete for trophies.

But there was an acceptance then – as there is now – that they were a million miles away. Instead of battling at the top of the table, the immediate focus for the second year in a row is avoiding relegation to the championship.

Balancing short-term danger with long-term recovery is a major challenge. But that’s the job Thelwell inherited; to get Everton back on track and plant the seeds for growth.

Since taking on his new role, there must have been times when Thelwell has wondered which direction to take. When he arrived, Everton had no head of recruitment and development, no scouting manager and gaps in other departments, including medicine and sports science. It took a while to sift through the wreckage of Rafa Benitez’s tenure, namely the mass exodus of staff under the Spaniard’s watch, and even begin the process of getting out on the other side.

The road ahead is long and not without its pitfalls, but reconstruction is now well underway.

Under Thelwell’s leadership, there have been several appointment waves over the past 12 months. At last count, 26 new staff were hired at the club’s Finch Farm training base and a further 12 existing staff were transferred to other roles.

New positions were created, but there was also an element of just getting Everton back to where they were before.

In December, 12 months after the departure of incumbent Gretar Steinsson, Dan Purdy became the club’s new recruiting chief. Around the same time, former Arsenal, England and Crawley manager Dan Micciche also joined as head of player development.

The report, which Thelwell produced with the help of club staff, was used to chart a way forward. It has been distilled into six or seven key headings, each led by a different person, and contains short, medium and long-term goals. Overall, it essentially boils down to a 120-point plan.

One of the central themes it focuses on is that of identity. Who are Everton? And how do you want to play?

As part of their research, Thelwell and his staff reviewed the past seven years from a club and league perspective. It was easy to spot tactical trends and best practices in the Premier League, but far more difficult to spot any semblance of identity at Everton. Unsurprisingly, the data suggested the club had stumbled from one style to another. Although they inherited some good people, very little was brought together.

Ultimately, Thelwell wanted to work out Everton’s new identity. He looked at what the best teams were doing tactically and how much of that could fit into their future model. He also evaluated best practices in other fields, including medicine and exercise science. The final results were checked by people in other clubs and in other sports.

Coaches at all levels, from academy to senior-level Sean Dyche, were consulted and a new “game model” (as it’s called) developed. The goal is to have a common thread, a defined style that runs through every Everton team. With a more defined DNA – something not too dissimilar to the Red Bull model – that focuses on positive forefoot play and pressing, there is hope it will be easier to identify managers who fit the future.

Everton’s game model will be refined and implemented by academy leader Carl Darlington, who joined from the Welsh FA in September. Much like his Everton assignment, one of Darlington’s final assignments at Wales was to develop a high-performance philosophy. Internally, one feels that they have made positive progress in this area.

Recruitment and development are recognized as key strands going forward. Everton’s financial situation dictates they need to work smarter and develop their own talent.

One of Thelwell’s first duties upon arrival was to bring Purdy back to the club in his old role as scouting and operations manager. Purdy, a victim of Benitez’s tenure, was well respected in the game and already well known to Thelwell. After receiving positive references from others who had worked with him, Thelwell convinced Purdy to return last March.

In the absence of a head of recruitment, Thelwell and Purdy spent a year filling gaps in Everton’s recruitment operation, with the latter effectively acting as head of department well before his official appointment.

Everton interviewed outside candidates for the position of head of recruitment, but Thelwell valued Purdy’s work ethic and in-game contacts. There is an internal feeling that they often identify the right talent but for various reasons – including lack of funds – have not been able to get important goals across the line. The disappointment from the January window continues, but focus is already on the next steps.

Earlier in the year Lee Sargeson was recruited from Brighton to head scouting operations. Hailing from the North West and well versed with data from his time at Brighton, Sargeson will have the leeway to bring new elements to Everton’s recruitment process. He will lead the scouting team, choosing where resources will be deployed and providing details on Thelwell and Purdy’s wishes. John Doolan, a longtime regional scout at the academy, has moved in the opposite direction, taking on a role as a forward scout at Brighton.

Everton are in the process of hiring a new emerging talent director who will seek to identify players between the ages of 16 and 21. They know they can’t always spend £30m on, say, an Amadou Onana and need to identify or develop those players earlier. The value is in finding an Onana while in Belgium or Germany.

Micciche’s appointment as head player development coach came after discussions between officials, players and parents about individual avenues. Micciche will work with Everton’s young professionals – those aged between 16 and 20 – in sessions and tailor individual development plans to their needs.

Twelve months later, Everton’s academy presents itself in a different picture. Changes have been made across the board, including in a number of key roles. However, there is also an assumption that there is still work to be done as they have to catch up after the academy transfer ban they had between 2018 and 2020.

This also applies to the entire club. Building a vision and shaping an identity takes time and patience, elements that are understandably in short supply given the team’s dangerous position on the pitch.

Should they survive this season, Everton hope the building blocks are in place for a brighter future.

(Top Photo: Kevin Thelwell; by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)