Steve Walsh must take his share of the blame for Everton's disastrous start to the season... £150m of summer signings have taken the Toffees into a relegation struggle

  • Everton are in the Premier League drop zone and already out of Europa League
  • Steve Walsh's summer recruitment policy helps explain their shambolic start
  • The club invested almost £150m but signings have failed to impress
  • Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is the only arrival who has performed well
  • Liverpool are likely to lose £40m-rated Emre Can for nothing next summer
  • But with Naby Keita coming in, losing the German may not be such a big deal 

Even now, six days on, the thought of the image still jars: as Everton's players trudged off the pitch at the King Power Stadium, there was their Director of Football warmly embracing one of the opposition.

Steve Walsh, understandably, enjoys referring to his time at Leicester and that miraculous title triumph but, even still, he was misguided in wrapping his arms around his former player Riyad Mahrez when his current club were suffering once more.

It was a moment to put Walsh in the spotlight and that is where he currently deserves to be as the inquest into the biggest spend in Everton's history continues to rage. 

Steve Walsh (right) pictured with caretaker manager David Unsworth ahead of Everton's defeat at Leicester City on Sunday afternoon

Steve Walsh (right) pictured with caretaker manager David Unsworth ahead of Everton's defeat at Leicester City on Sunday afternoon

Walsh worked with Claudio Ranieri to deliver Leicester City an unlikely Premier League title triumph in 2016, but he has struggled for success at Goodison Park

Walsh worked with Claudio Ranieri to deliver Leicester City an unlikely Premier League title triumph in 2016, but he has struggled for success at Goodison Park

Ronald Koeman, after all, should not be held solely accountable for the unfolding calamity.


Walsh, towards the end of last season, went on record and he made it clear that he would not sign a player he had not seen live in action and how 'you just need a few more pieces, then you have a top four side.'

Prior to that, came another declaration in an interview with The Times last Boxing Day.

Asked about his role, he seized the opportunity to champion his credentials, saying: 'You would have to be daft to think I wasn't brought in for my recruiting talents. I'll spend money as it was my own. I won't waste it.'

Those words jar as much as the embrace with Mahrez did.

The reality, from which Walsh and Koeman cannot hide, is that investing almost £150million during the last window has taken Everton in to the bottom four after 10 games. They have also been eliminated from two cup competitions.

Walsh pictured with Ranieri after Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2016

Walsh pictured with Ranieri after Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2016

Everton have made a terrible start to the season and find themselves in the bottom three

Everton have made a terrible start to the season and find themselves in the bottom three

As the Director Of Football, Walsh took on a huge responsibility alongside Koeman to transform Everton but the biggest indictment of their work came in Lyon when Everton failed to start with a centre-forward and brought a midfielder, Muhamed Besic, on to play at right-back.

The areas that Everton desperately needed to address in the last window - a left-sided central defender, quality left-back cover and a top striker - still need addressing and Walsh finds himself under huge pressure to deliver.

Evertonians have every reason to ask questions of Walsh: why did they buy three No 10s? Why was Olivier Giroud - who has entered his thirties - the only option to replace Romelu Lukaku? And was was the thinking behind the huge outlay on Gylfi Sigurdsson?

Koeman may have driven that deal, urging the hierarchy from mid-May to get it done, but could Walsh not have suggested the money would have been better spent elsewhere? Where was his voice? After all, it was obvious before last Christmas that Everton were short of firepower.

Sacked manager Ronald Koeman must take some share of the blame alongside Walsh

Sacked manager Ronald Koeman must take some share of the blame alongside Walsh

Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson cost £45m to buy from Swansea but has struggled for any form

Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson cost £45m to buy from Swansea but has struggled for any form

Everton fixtures 

Premier League unless stated

Sunday Watford (H)

November 18 Crystal Palace (A)

November 23 Atalanta (H)

Europa League group stage

November 26 Southampton (A)

November 29 West Ham (H)

December 2 Huddersfield Town (H) 

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Walsh can take the credit for recommending Everton pursue Jordan Pickford - the one shining light from the recruitment drive - but he wasn't drafted in by Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright in June 2016 to have a one-in-eight success rate.

No matter who comes in as Koeman's replacement, the problems that have left Everton looking like they are stuck in quicksand will not automatically be solved. They still don't have a dynamic striker. They still lack pace in key areas.

It is all very well regaling stories about discovering players such as Jamie Vardy, Mahrez and N'golo Kante but the Leicester chapter in his career has gone and nobody at Goodison Park has interest in his past deeds. Opinions about his work at Everton will be formed in the future

At this point, the players signed on Walsh's watch are taking his present employers backwards. To reverse the cycle, he must come up with some compelling answers. 

Time is not on his side. As was the case with Mahrez, Walsh will be able to feel the squeeze.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has proved the one bright point of the summer recruitment 

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has proved the one bright point of the summer recruitment 

 

LIVERPOOL WILL ALLOW £40M CAN TO LEAVE FOR NOTHING... BUT WILL HE ACTUALLY BE MISSED?  

How has it come to this? That question will be asked more and more as Emre Can appears ready to end his Liverpool career.

Contract talks have reached deadlock, with Liverpool refusing to give Can the release clause he wanted inserted in his new terms, and that increasingly means he will leave on a Bosman next summer. He can begin talking to clubs in Europe in 58 days.

Jurgen Klopp described Can's contractual position in August as 'not too cool' and his bewilderment is understandable. 

From an economic and business point of view, it is shocking that a £40million asset - a 23-year-old Germany international - will ultimately leave for nothing.

Liverpool are in danger of losing £40m-rated Emre Can for nothing this summer 

Liverpool are in danger of losing £40m-rated Emre Can for nothing this summer 

The Reds approached Can over extending his contract last summer but he was ambivalent 

The Reds approached Can over extending his contract last summer but he was ambivalent 

There is, however, another way of looking at the situation. Liverpool first approached Can in June 2016 about extending his terms and the fact he has not agreed to anything 16 months on shows he is ambivalent about staying.

It is folly for clubs to try and retain those who are not totally committed. Can is a good player and is getting better and Liverpool should kick themselves that they will not financially compensated when he moves on.

But a player asking for a release clause always suggests he is keeping his future options open. 

If Can cannot give Klopp the commitment he expects, Liverpool's manager - who has Naby Keita arriving next summer - will not mourn too long.

With Naby Keita due to arrive from Leipzig in the summer, perhaps Liverpool don't need Can

With Naby Keita due to arrive from Leipzig in the summer, perhaps Liverpool don't need Can

 

MOMENT OF THE WEEK - PART ONE

It is unlikely Joe Gomez will forget his drive to Melwood on Thursday. 

What was supposed to be a normal day at the office became something much more memorable when he received the unexpected call to say he had been selected for England's seniors. 

He has made a fine start to the season and deserves this chance to impress.

Joe Gomez received his first call-up to the England senior squad this week

Joe Gomez received his first call-up to the England senior squad this week

 

MOMENT OF THE WEEK - PART TWO

There wasn't much cheer for Evertonians in Lyon but there was a huge ovation for the man dubbed Speedo Mick before the game.

Michael Cullen has done remarkable work for charity in recent years and walked the 700 miles from Liverpool to Lyon in just a pair of blue speedos.

It took him 32 days but he raised £15,000 for Alder Hey Children's Hospital. He is, simply, a credit to his city.

 

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