Idiom’s by their very nature are hackneyed. But sometimes what’s obvious, is most relevant. No more so when identifying Leicester City’s loss of Steve Walsh as Everton’s gain.
Similar to how Leicester’s inconceivable Premier League title success was not put down to one man; Everton’s success this season doesn’t lay solely at Walsh’s door. It would be foolhardy however, to ignore a common denominator.
The club’s Director of Football has now offered some insight into what he looks for when endeavoring to recruit players to Goodison Park.
Speaking on the clubs official website, the former teacher who lined out for some of England’s more humble non-league sides in the shape of Morecambe, Chorley and Leyland Motors; offered insight into his approach.
“It’s not necessarily about what you do when you’ve got the ball, a lot of the time it’s about what you do when you don’t have it.
“Are they prepared to roll up their sleeves and put a shift in for the team? Do they get back into the team shape and know their defensive responsibilities as well as their attacking prowess?
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“Then obviously you do your homework, you ring people who have worked with them before, and I speak to players who have played with them before, especially if they’re experienced players and I trust their judgement. Basically, I try to find out as much about them as I can.”
This thorough approach has reaped dividends. As well as being a part of Leicester’s improbable, title-winning accomplishment, Walsh also had a sustained period of success at Chelsea. A part of Jose Mourinho’s set up during his 16 year stay, he was given partial credit for some of the clubs most successful signings; including Michael Essien, Tore Andre Flo and the enigmatic talents of Didier Drogba and Gianfranco Zola.
The emphasis on attitude and mentality was again highlighted by Walsh.
“You need your young players, who bring that enthusiasm and newness to it. Then you’ve got your experienced players, who have been there before and achieved.
“You also need players with different mentalities. Everyone has got to be behind the project and know what the way forward is, but they all bring their own special things to it and finding out about their character helps. At the end of the day though football is a team game and you need all of the different components to match up to do well.”
Walsh and Everton have proven a good fit so far and a sustained period at the club could reap benefits for both the club and the experienced Director of Football.