The Friedkin Group

[toffee_scot]

no single DOF but a wider "sporting leadership team" whatever that is.

https://www.evertonfc.com/news/2025/mar ... p-changes/?

So basically Davie Moyes and the scouting team.

[Escalator]

So basically Davie Moyes and the scouting team.

Don’t think I would jump to that conclusion without knowing what the other appointments mentioned are confirmed.

[Escalator]

What has happened to the Everton offices in the Liver building, were they part of the deal ?

[TheRam]

Yeah, a lot of reds flags from that article for me.

They do say more appointments are to come but it does sound like they’re giving the manager a lot more responsibility than other clubs do which is us yet again being behind the curve.

[AjaxAndy]

Not sure it was ever going to be any other way appointing Moyes tbh... This is the way he wants to work and we were desperate to appoint him.

Let's see how it goes, ideally Moyes will be here for multiple years and build something good, there's not many managers I'd trust with potentially this much responsibility but providing we have a good structure in place that facilitates buying the right players then Moyes is probably the one I would.

[Bluedylan1]

Yeah it's hard to deduce too much from that. I don't think it necessarily means Moyes is getting his own way.

Liverpool worked with a senior recruitment team for years when they signed Salah, Mane and all those, where a group of people - Edwards, Klopp and others - worked together to identify players and makes decisions on transfer collectively.

It sounds a bit like that model, more than the standard DOF/Manager model.

[Toddacelli]

Yeah, a lot of reds flags from that article for me.

They do say more appointments are to come but it does sound like they’re giving the manager a lot more responsibility than other clubs do which is us yet again being behind the curve.

Reads to me like either what you say above, or… something new, different, ambitious that may put us ahead of the curve.

Fully aware I am reaching clinical levels of unfounded optimism at this point.

[superpull]

Player identification and trading being split into different departments is interesting.

So people to create a larger list and then a separate mandate to choose and actually get some of those players over the line?

Quite promising? Scouts and data guys aren't necessarily the best negotiators?

[Bob Sacamano]

Heard they were all joint best-man at Moyes’ wedding and they’ve all got matching “knife to a gunfight” tattoos.

Swerve imo.

[Bluedylan1]

For anyone who can't bypass the paywall -

Change is coming at Everton. The appointment of Angus Kinnear from Leeds United as CEO, confirmed on Friday, belatedly marks the start of the next chapter during which the club will head in an altogether new direction.

Everton will no longer have a director of football as such. The current incumbent in that role, Kevin Thelwell, is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, with Kinnear joining on June 1 to oversee a revamp of the club’s football operation.

The early talk from those at the club is of a ‘flatter’ structure where power is spread among a wider sporting leadership team, rather than a single figure, and that Kinnear and manager David Moyes will both be part of that group of key decision makers under new owners The Friedkin Group.

Like Moyes, Kinnear is an experienced head, well versed in the intricacies of English football, and is seen as a safe pair of hands as TFG takes its first steps at Everton. The aim is for the pair to put the foundations in place for the American group’s long-term ownership of the club.

A new CEO has been a key early priority for TFG, perhaps even more so than a change of manager. Ideally, they wanted a new CEO in place even sooner than Kinnear’s end-of-season start date, such is the rebuild that needs to come over summer. But prising someone away from another club mid-season was always going to be challenging.

Getting the right figure was more important than finding someone who could start early, but it means that those first few summer months after Kinnear joins are likely to be particularly busy.

Executive recruitment specialists Nolan Partners led the search for a new CEO on behalf of TFG. The Everton owner, which has its headquarters in Houston, Texas, wanted the new figure to act as a bridge between the sporting and commercial sides of the club.

Premier League experience was sought, while there was also a desire to find someone with a proven track record in handling the transition to a new stadium, with Everton set to swap Goodison Park for Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

Maximising the opportunities brought by that state-of-the-art facility on Liverpool’s waterfront has been a key preoccupation and will be a big part of Kinnear’s remit, so too engagement with fans through the media and prominent supporter groups.

The pool of viable candidates was relatively small. Fulham’s Alistair Mackintosh, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Paul Barber and former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham were all on the initial shortlist along with Kinnear. During initial soundings, not everyone expressed an interest in the vacant post.

Kinnear, though, was always viewed as a strong candidate. TFG wants to place power in the hands of a local team and he is likely to move to the north west for the new gig, just as he moved when he joined Leeds in 2017.

The 47-year-old will be expected to play a hands-on role communicating the new ownership’s messaging and shaping the club’s day-to-day strategy from a local base. Kinnear often gave interviews to Leeds fan channel The Square Ball, explaining key decisions made at the club.

He drew criticism from some Leeds supporters for relegation clauses inserted into deals for key players like Tyler Adams and Jack Harrison, which allowed some to leave either for a specific fee — in Adams’ case £20million($25.9m) — or on a ‘free loan’ with only wages payable by the other club, as happened when Harrison joined Everton. Those moves were designed to reduce the wage bill at Elland Road and safeguard the club’s finances, while also convincing key players to sign fresh terms.

As well as work on transfers, his remit at Leeds included broader projects such as the proposed expansion of Elland Road. He also helped his former clubs Arsenal, where he was director of marketing, sales and partnerships, and West Ham United, where he was managing director, with moves to new grounds.

During his time at Elland Road, Kinnear was credited with helping increase attendances and drive commercial revenues. The move to Adidas as kit manufacturer under his watch was particularly lucrative and Leeds ended up with the eighth-highest commercial revenue during their time in the Premier League before they were relegated.

Several rounds of discussions were held with key TFG figures, including owner and CEO Dan Friedkin, Everton’s exec-chair Marc Watts and TFG’s vice-president of strategy Brian Walker. Crucially, the move had Friedkin’s approval.

It quickly became apparent that Kinnear was the frontrunner and wanted the job, but the matter was complicated by Leeds’ promotion push and his desire to help them get promoted back to the Premier League.

TFG had initially wanted to hire someone sooner, but came to realise the appointment would take time. Compensation had to be agreed between the two clubs, while there was also a desire from Elland Road to leave an announcement as late as possible. Leeds were also keen to announce a replacement of their own to accompany the news over Kinnear, with the experienced Pete McCormick joining as a non-executive director.

“Angus is one of England’s leading football executives and brings a wealth of relevant experience,” Watts said in a club statement on Friday. “His appointment means Everton will go into the summer with a first-class leader.”

Kinnear is expected to mirror Leeds’ footballing setup at Everton. They operate without a sporting or technical director, and instead employ heads of strategy, operations and trading who report into Kinnear.

External hires are likely in each of the three roles, with freelancer Nick Hammond currently tasked with handling the latter (negotiations) at Elland Road. Those appointments are expected to be made at Everton before the end of the season.

Moyes will crucially have a seat at the table as part of the new transfer committee, which will involve four or five figures, including the recruitment department, feeding in. Player identification and transfer negotiations are set to be handled by different people, a departure from Thelwell’s time at the club.

Kinnear is expected to bring it all together but is not expected to feed in on targets. While he has a UEFA C License, which he did in the academy at Leeds, and holds a Luton Town season ticket, technical decisions are likely to be left to footballing staff.

There is some sense that Everton are swimming against the tide in not having a sporting director, but the belief at the club and among owners TFG is that football will likely pivot away from such a structure in time. They believe top managers want to play a hands-on role in decision-making, and Moyes is certainly keen to be a ‘manager’ rather than a head coach.

Aston Villa are one such club that have handed the reins to a powerful manager in Unai Emery, and have done so with a huge degree of success.

With Kinnear and Moyes steering the ship, a departure for the otherwise well-regarded Thelwell became logical. It was not clear where he would fit into the new structure, especially with his power diluted. Some see his exit as to some degree a mutual decision. It had been TFG’s call, not Thelwell’s, to appoint Moyes in January. But he will leave on good terms and is set to oversee this period of transition until summer when Kinnear is able to join.

“Kevin has been integral in ensuring Premier League survival in this difficult period,” Watts said. “By resolving PSR issues through significant player trading we believe we have an extraordinary squad that can be the foundation for future success.

“This future success will also be supported by our talented sporting department assembled by Kevin. We are pleased he will remain with us in this interim period.”

The task in front of Kinnear and Moyes remains significant. As well as the move to the new stadium, a squad rebuild is needed this summer. Only 12 senior players are contracted beyond this season and there are urgent decisions that need to be made on the 15 permanent and loan figures whose deals are due to expire at the end of the campaign. Time is very much of the essence.

Everton announced a range of other changes on Friday, with long-time chief commercial and communications officer Richard Kenyon also departing. Kenyon’s role will now be separated, with new appointments likely to beef up the club’s commercial team.

Interim CEO Colin Chong, meanwhile, will take up a different post “overseeing Everton’s new stadium and the regeneration of its surrounding area, as well the future of Goodison Park,” according to a club statement. Further changes are likely to follow.

Friday’s announcement appears just the start. With a key summer drawing ever closer, TFG’s overhaul at Everton is gathering pace.

[Bluedylan1]

Sounds very similar to the Liverpool setup I referred to earlier, with a transfer committee.

All seems very forward thinking.

[TheRam]

Not convinced.

Especially the stuff about mirroring the set up at Leeds and TFG thinking the game is moving away from the director of football/technical director model.

But we’ll see how it goes. Just sign good players and make good decisions. It shouldn’t be hard.

[brap2]

Yeah it's hard to deduce too much from that. I don't think it necessarily means Moyes is getting his own way.

Liverpool worked with a senior recruitment team for years when they signed Salah, Mane and all those, where a group of people - Edwards, Klopp and others - worked together to identify players and makes decisions on transfer collectively.

It sounds a bit like that model, more than the standard DOF/Manager model.

Not sure how much I believe them stories of klopps involvement tbh.

A world class data team and a renowned sporting director. We add those two things and I'll give this theory some credence.

[Trowel]

Wonder what impact this will have on the academy, given Thelwell and others did that big interview with the i Paper at the end of the year, talking about a single Everton playing philosophy running through the club - see the bit with Carl Darlington especially: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/ever ... al-3390245

[Jamokachi]

Heard they were all joint best-man at Moyes’ wedding and they’ve all got matching “knife to a gunfight” tattoos.

Swerve imo.