Michael Emenalo (Technical Director, Chelsea)

[The only place to be 11,313]

Emenalo should be applauded for Chelsea´s new crops of very talented players.

Whether he will be moved to scouting only, none of us know yet.

Certainly, he has done a very shitty job as DOF, I feel.

I think the main thing held against him has been the 'imbalanced' squad with too many attacking players, not enough for the double pivot. The problem I think we faced was the season ending injury for Romeu who was expected to play a bigger role in the second-half of the season and Lamps simply not being quite as suited for the position as everyone expected.

Meireles was seen as very much an AVB guy so it was felt his presence might not be good for squad cohesion, and the cash on offer was pretty good whilst Essien was simply seen as costing too much for too little productivity. The fact he's stayed injury-free this long has amazed everyone. It's not like we didn't go after a player for that position either, but Levy simply wouldn't sell to us.

[bushman 2,043]

I think the main thing held against him has been the 'imbalanced' squad with too many attacking players, not enough for the double pivot. The problem I think we faced was the season ending injury for Romeu who was expected to play a bigger role in the second-half of the season and Lamps simply not being quite as suited for the position as everyone expected.

Meireles was seen as very much an AVB guy so it was felt his presence might not be good for squad cohesion, and the cash on offer was pretty good whilst Essien was simply seen as costing too much for too little productivity. The fact he's stayed injury-free this long has amazed everyone. It's not like we didn't go after a player for that position either, but Levy simply wouldn't sell to us.

Partially, I may agree. Shouldn´t he accounted for injuries, then ? Chelsea cannot rely on one player like Romeo, I feel.

We both know, the squad is too thin now. DOF is responsible for it.

[Styles 9,790]

I'm not sure why you'd think Mike Forde would be in trouble. The guy's massively respected within the game and one of the best sports minds in this country in my opinion.

You would expect the 'director of football operations' to get some criticism for overseeing a club that has been an absolute mess for years, wastes vast resources and are struggling to compete due to the ridiculous size of its squad.

I don't know where you've got the 'massively respected within the game' part from. Any sources for that wild claim? I've heard him speak and he sounds like a conman; speaks in vague terms, uses buzzwords and doesn't articulate himself well at all. He actually doesn't get criticised enough because not many have heard of him.

[The only place to be 11,313]

You would expect the 'director of football operations' to get some criticism for overseeing a club that has been an absolute mess for years, wastes vast resources and are struggling to compete due to the ridiculous size of its squad.

Not much of that is on Mike Forde in my opinion.

I don't know where you've got the 'massively respected within the game' part from. Any sources for that wild claim? I've heard him speak and he sounds like a conman; speaks in vague terms, uses buzzwords and doesn't articulate himself well at all. He actually doesn't get criticised enough because not many have heard of him.

I got it from speaking to people within the game...sorry, but that wasn't on the record. He was one of the first people in this country who looked at a way of implementing analytics into the game of football which is why he's invited to conferences on the issue (analytics is essentially what the book/film Moneyball focused on and what the Red Sox used in order to help win the 04 World Series, and is what Henry has tried to bring to Liverpool). He's also become something of a go to guy for teams in other sports.

[bushman 2,043]

To compare baseball´s success to football games....?

[The only place to be 11,313]

To compare baseball´s success to football games....?

To look at new ways of analysing data in order to enhance future performance.

[English Freak 456]

Rafa, his pet, Benayoun, Malouda and Emenalo all need to leave Chelsea at the end of the season.

Hopefully our next manager doesn't have to deal with Emenalo.

[Styles 9,790]

Not much of that is on Mike Forde in my opinion.

I got it from speaking to people within the game...sorry, but that wasn't on the record. He was one of the first people in this country who looked at a way of implementing analytics into the game of football which is why he's invited to conferences on the issue (analytics is essentially what the book/film Moneyball focused on and what the Red Sox used in order to help win the 04 World Series, and is what Henry has tried to bring to Liverpool). He's also become something of a go to guy for teams in other sports.

His 'expertise' and use of analytics somehow hasn't stopped useless transfers, unbalanced squads year after year, wasting resources, mismanagement and just rank incompetence. Isn't this some of the stuff he's supposed to help abolish? We've been on a steady decline for years (arguably since he first showed up in 2007) and have been a glorified cup team winning one League title in nearly 7 years.

But hey, he speaks at conferences so it's all good.

[bushman 2,043]

To look at new ways of analysing data in order to enhance future performance.

Well, perhaps you might have something there. However, when I read about any American know how, I am a bit skeptical.

Amstrong comes to my mind recently.

[The only place to be 11,313]

His 'expertise' and use of analytics somehow hasn't stopped useless transfers, unbalanced squads year after year, wasting resources, mismanagement and just rank incompetence. Isn't this some of the stuff he's supposed to help abolish? We've been on a steady decline for years (arguably since he first showed up in 2007) and have been a glorified cup team winning one League title in nearly 7 years.

But hey, he speaks at conferences so it's all good.

Again, it's hard to say how much of that is down to Forde. He's by no means the final say on transfers and I'm not sure who you'd get in to replace him if we went down that route.

[bushman 2,043]

Personally, I´d like to see Hiddink at the role of DOF.

However, if Jose comes in, I am not sure how these two could work together though.

[Kostas 1,468]

I know I don't post much but it's funny how I was about to echo Style's posts almost as they are. Emenalo isn't even on the Football board, it's laughable to place significant blame on him unless someone thinks that we didn't get 20 more points in the league in the last few seasons (including this one) because our U21 scouting underachieved.

Buck and Gourley are more about the business side of the club so as much as people hate them they're irrelevant. I one wants to look past Russian millionaires I can only think of 3 people on the Footbal Board who in the last 5 years held footballing positions and could be blamed for our decline. One of them left a couple years ago one is Tenenbaum who we know nothing about and then there's Forde the performance director at one of the most consistently underperforming clubs in Europe.

[bushman 2,043]

Do you realize who is the DOF currently ?

[MHL 47 378]

That's just factually incorrect. Sorry. Maybe we just have different sources and one of them is wrong, but I'm fairly sure that the Technical Director would have the final say on such things.

I'll just say that he wouldn't be the first person at Chelsea to have things that perhaps he should be consulted with on, to be by passed, and it's my understanding that's exactly what occurred.

I wouldn't just guess something in the hopes of it sounding right. At this point in time he still has Roman's ear which (if the story is true) might be the source of Jose's objections.

And again it's my understanding that Roman may well have trusted him, however the situation has changed, largely down to his prominent role in the appointment of the second least successful Manager (during Roman's tenure) and in fact he was on 'duty' when the least successful Manager was appointed. Doesn't make good reading for Emenalo those last two bits.

Interesting view here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/michael-emenalo-must-take-responsibility-1735980

I'm not sure why you'd think Mike Forde would be in trouble. The guy's massively respected within the game and one of the best sports minds in this country in my opinion. If you're looking for a scapegoat who isn't a Russian billionaire then I'd personally look at Bruce Buck - the guy you put on your 'dream team', despite him being here for the entirety of Roman's reign even when we were acting in a kamikaze, short-term manner which is the root of many of our current problems in my opinion. In fact, you put Peter Kenyon alongside him as well who I think also bears the responsibility of many of our actions then. Yet you'd have both of them back in a 'dream team'?

Too much faith and too high a level of importance is put into 'philosophies' or 'vogues'. Sports science is a part of success, but players and tactics win matches and if you fail to have the right players and tactics you'll lose matches. The science bit provides small parts of competitive advantage. He might be able to present a good case and be a good politician, and sometimes bullshit baffles brains but only for so long. Another case of over-promotion or a person who makes a small part of the machine being given power beyond his capability. I'd absolutely back Bruce Buck, he has a legal background and advises Roman from legal and regulatory perspectives and as far as I can see has little to do with footballing matters, that's why I'd keep him. He also, in the past has drawn the short-straw when having to face the fans, probably because he says he is and the other board members are not and baulk when faced with doing it. If you're blaming Kenyon for the malaise now, you're on the wrong horse. He left because of the in-fighting and power struggles, as far as I can ascertain he wanted Jose to remain for the very purpose of stability.

I see our current predicament as the culmination of years of mismanagement. We simply didn't plan for the future which is why we're suffering now and we're actually building something sustainable. If you actually had expectations that it would be a faultless transition then I can see why you'd be disappointed in Emenalo

Maybe so regards years of mismanagement, however when you change you expect certain things and Emenalo will have disappointed. What I expect is unimportant, what Roman and the Board expects is a whole different matter, do you think they expect us struggling for fourth, out of the CL in the group stages, losing two-legged semi's to Swansea, getting hammered by A. Madrid, losing to Corinthians, having no better a style of football now than we had in 2004/5? That's Emenalo's baby there, along with the managers of course.

But there is a consistent system which is fairly amazing considering the change in managers we've had to endure. Each one comes in and wants to treat the youth differently yet Neil Bath and his coaches have done a remarkable job in engendering an ethos that goes from age-group to age-group. You say he's had two years, I say he's only had two years and that it's fair too early in his tenure to judge him based on the massive task he had after years of mistakes. We neglected players in the age group 18-24 for almost two seasons and now we're surprised that we're lacking key players in that age-group?

What system is that? I cannot see it. You're right Neil Bath and the coaches seem to be doing good jobs at their age group levels. The stated aim of the acadamy was to produce one player a season into the first-team squad, failed and failed during Emenalo's time here. How long does he need? In two major roles at the club he's now had 5 seasons. If a 5-year plan has produced almost zip, then we've the wrong man. We've not neglected players, they've not been good enough! Again I've stated the fact that we've developed Jack Cork as a regular PL first team squad member and no others for any PL side during the last 5-6 seasons and brought Ryan Bertrand into the squad here, in no way can that be classed as success.

I don't know at this stage. I'd personally like to see what the squad make-up would be at the start of next season before making a judgment because I don't think I can make a fair one at this stage. If we have Chalobah, Lukaku, De Bruyne and one other (possibly Piazon, maybe one of the younger defenders current in Holland) in the first-team squad, and we sign the right players (a midfielder is essential, other positions are up for debate) then I don't think he'd deserve to go. If he doesn't do that then I'll be calling for his head too.

He's had his time for me, we'll pay close to £18m for Lukaku, under Emenalo's watch and he didn't have the faintest idea of how to use him or what to do with him until others became involved, exactly the same was happening with Piazon. There are too many instances of Emenalo failing - He's a dud, a fraud and a political mover just like the guy who got him appointed to the club in the first place. He's in it to make a good few quid out of Roman's football naivety/desire to prove you can run a football club this way. Cut our losses with him and get some quality in there. the key is that the Boss has to recognise his way of doing things has failed and he has to change his own mindset. If that doesn't change, we'll be where we are right now consistently and the Boss will be paying for it. That's fine until he gets pissed off completely and calls it a day. Sometimes better the one you know, with their faults than the ones you don't know.

I think that Roman is a football fan (an extremely rich one) with the ultimate hobby tool, our club and he's made mistakes. They are forgiveable of course, in my mind anyway, but he needs to learn from them.

[Styles 9,790]

Again, it's hard to say how much of that is down to Forde. He's by no means the final say on transfers and I'm not sure who you'd get in to replace him if we went down that route.

This is Mike Forde's own words:

"In any leading business there's always someone whose job is to pinpoint what's around the corner because what was extraordinary yesterday is very ordinary tomorrow," said Forde in an interview with the Guardian earlier this year, with his role having been very much aimed at giving Bolton any competitive edge that was possible.

He has been an abject failure if that is his remit at Chelsea.