Michael Emenalo (Technical Director, Chelsea)

[coolhead23 1,147]

Found an interesting read on our technical director and thought it was time that he gets some credit (atleast u need to give it after reading a review like this one).

@Mods: Please merges this in case there is a Michael Emenalo thread already, i wasn't able to find one.

Season In Review: Michael Emenalo

Nerd.

So after a bit of role-shuffling, we finally appointed Michael Emenalo to the full time post of Technical Director at the beginning of last season. The bulk of his duties involved being in-charge of the club's scouting program, including pursuing priority targets himself, along with a bit of academy structure management.

So after a bit of role-shuffling, we finally appointed Michael Emenalo to the full time post of Technical Director at the beginning of last season. The bulk of his duties involved being in-charge of the club's scouting program, including pursuing priority targets himself, along with a bit of academy structure management.

Now at the time of appointment, he wasn't really marked as one boasting ace credentials for the job, but a year on, I think the guy's done a fair bit adding his own flavour to the team's well underway personnel revolution.

To be honest, there isn't a whole lot in the way of directlinks between Emenalo and all of our signings over the past season, but it'd be a pretty fair statement to say he's been quite involved and basically right in the mix with each & every capture. I mean, come on, restaurants just don't function without a head chef do they?

As

already noted, the first significant move of Emenalo's stint was the rapid redistribution of duties carried out within the scouting program, with the recruitment of Scott McLachlan from Fulham & Mick Doherty from Everton to boost the club's domestic & European departments respectively. The size of the department was trimmed while the best of the lot were put in the driving seats.

Two prominent things I'd say Emenalo deserves credit for are cutting the impending transfer sagas of Lukaku & De Bruyne short. We'd been linked to both for a steady year prior to his appointment, and shortly after, a deal for Lukaku was swiftly concluded, while KDB followed suit a window later.

While AVB was the mouthpiece of the paradigm shift that was our new youth-centered transfer policy, Emenalo for me is again the one who takes the marks for contributing from the core of it. Often for young talent across various leagues, a Young Player/Achiever/Etc of the Year award is the instant springboard to becoming the next big hot prospect [see Neymar, Hazard, Vrsaljko], so credit to Emenalo & his team for snapping up Thibaut Courtois before a rival shark could so much as bat an eyelid. Special mention to the capture of Patrick Bamford in a loosely similar circumstance.

Courtois was an excellent catch to kick things off, and soon Ulises Davila & eventually Kenneth Omeruo followed. Emenalo also deserves plenty of credit for

personally supervising the club's loan policy, even down to receiving training reports, ensuring just about all of our youngsters abroad have found suitable leagues & heaps of playing time to keep their developments on expected track. The loan moves of Kakuta to Bolton & PvA to Wigan weren't questionable choices to begin with, but then again, it was impossible to have seen coming the tangles the clubs got themselves mired in.

The signing of Marko Marin was another excellent piece of business handled by Emenalo & his department of merry men. Urgent & on-the-quiet, it also carried a little illustration of exactly how advance planned an approach is being ushered in at the club, since non-window purchases for the senior team was something Chelsea were barely known for doing. The subsequent signing of Hazard was the crown jewel, but I wouldn't call that so much a novel Emenalo idea at all since we had strong interest from a far earlier stage.

Looking at things back home, his role last year's seemed more of a monitoring capacity, with both assistant first team coach Steve Holland & reserve manager Dermot Drummy, along with youth team manager Adi Viveash reporting to him. We won the FA Youth Cup on the back of a series of tantalizing performances, so, eh, Michael, whatever you're doing, you doin' it right!

Umm, in other news, the academy's building more houses and stuff. No, Emenalo will not pick the drapes.

All in all, it's been a highly productive year in the staff back-quarters for Chelsea, everything kept nicely ticking by our new Technical Director, we've been continually linked to the best & the brightest, while our youth team & academy have gone from strength to strength, even boasting possibly the best assortment of U18 talent in the country.

Things are only going to get more arduous for him, what with NextGen, the revamped Reserve League & the additional responsibilities EPPP will bring looming, but all contributions thus far considered, the man who the tabloids had cynically introduced as a kiddie-girl team chaperone [read coach] when he finally got the push for the top job has certainly shown he has the goods and know-how to not only keep up, but also become an important pillar in what are a tottering few initial steps toward a much needed policy progression & structural overhaul.

Ah yes, having the owner's ear counts too. Having to stand beside bad breath Gourlay all the time does not.

http://www.weaintgot...michael-emenalo

[manco 38]

Well I know Emenalo since he was a player under Avram Grant, he was a fair defender to be honest...

But I am still shocked at his position with so little experience, if any...

I mean it's obvious why he got the job (hint: Avram) and I believe he's as much an ear for Roman, Gourlay etc.,

as he is a technical director. I think such a job should require prior skills and not OJT.

But only time will tell if he has succeeded...

At the moment our loan policy and youth policy can imrpove. Piazon elected player of the year, but alongside

all our acquisitions looks like he won't play , so maybe loan.

I think Josh should be loaned to a team that promises him field time (not like that joke term at Swansea), same

for Lukaku. As for PVA, I hope he'll come back with more experience next year.

And I still feel we need more young local lads coming through the ranks and getting some chance.

[zolayes 14,489]

he has still to convince me that his credentials ad experience are worthy of his position. The article did nothing to convince me either.

[Leif 6,006]

I don't like Emenalo at all.

I genuinely blame him for our stupid transfers which weren't down to the manager - not Abramovich.

[Joker10 946]

I have read some fine articles on we ain't got no history, but this not one of them. The author is speculating on Emenalo role and boosting about his accomplishments without any evidence. Chelsea management is very complex and Emenalo role is vaguely descried. I don't believe anyone outside of Chelsea hierarchy know what part Emenalo has taken in recent changes and transfers. He maybe doing a good job, but no one in the outside can know.

[Sheva. 5,373]

I don't like Emenalo at all.

Why? i can't think of what he has done wrong to make anyone dislike him.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

I have read some fine articles on we ain't got no history, but this not one of them. The author is speculating on Emenalo role and boosting about his accomplishments without any evidence. Chelsea management is very complex and Emenalo role is vaguely descried. I don't believe anyone outside of Chelsea hierarchy know what part Emenalo has taken in recent changes and transfers. He maybe doing a good job, but no one in the outside can know.

Sure we dont know what he actually does day in day out, though that equally means that those criticizing him about signings and loan deals cant really do so either as they are no more in the loop than we are.

[We Hate Scouse 10,327]

I genuinely blame him for our stupid transfers which weren't down to the manager - not Abramovich.

Like?

[Leif 6,006]

Like?

Fernando Torres.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Emenalo wasn't even Technical Director when Torres was signed.

[Peace. 4,352]

He is basically the cause of Wilkins lay-off, our slump of form under Ancelotti, the 2008 financial crisis, the famine around the world and the AIDS... He is the villain.

[Joker10 946]

Sure we dont know what he actually does day in day out, though that equally means that those criticizing him about signings and loan deals cant really do so either as they are no more in the loop than we are.

agreed, the criticism of his role is equally baseless.

[Leif 6,006]

World War II

[Leif 6,006]

Paul Furlong

[We Hate Scouse 10,327]

He is basically the cause of Wilkins lay-off, our slump of form under Ancelotti, the 2008 financial crisis, the famine around the world and the AIDS... He is the villain.

Vicious rumours circulating that he caused more natural disasters than John Terry last year. These rumours are currently unconfirmed.

[mnmontero 78]

He is basically the cause of Wilkins lay-off, our slump of form under Ancelotti, the 2008 financial crisis, the famine around the world and the AIDS... He is the villain.

don't forget that Emenalo also sunk The Titanic.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Still baffled why people don't like this guy.

He's wonderful at his job.

[zolayes 14,489]

Still baffled why people don't like this guy.

He's wonderful at his job.

he is screwing Eva

[daBlackMamba7 174]

Now we understand Eva's promotion to first team doc ...

[Term-X 7,891]

I have read some fine articles on we ain't got no history, but this not one of them. The author is speculating on Emenalo role and boosting about his accomplishments without any evidence. Chelsea management is very complex and Emenalo role is vaguely descried. I don't believe anyone outside of Chelsea hierarchy know what part Emenalo has taken in recent changes and transfers. He maybe doing a good job, but no one in the outside can know.

Agreed, this thread should be edited so that this^ is the first post people see.

Embarrassing article.