What Everton fans can expect from the Friedkins

For Dan and Ryan Friedkin it will feel like an agonizing eight-week wait as their £500million takeover of Everton goes through the regulatory process.

Even though they have their hands full at Roma, where controversial recent decisions have caused turmoil in the Eternal City, there is – sources emphasize – a real hunger to roll up their sleeves and get going on Merseyside.

“There’s a process to go through first, but they’re really excited about the project,” said a source close to the Friedkins I this week. No one will speak out publicly after all the setbacks to the takeover, but there is “real confidence” they will be able to make a difference from December.

It is not yet clear exactly what this will look like, and there has been little contact between the club’s employees and the Friedkin Group.

The reason for this is compliance with the regulatory process, with strict Premier League rules against shadow directors or influencing decisions while they await approval.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a plan, and I spoke to those who have worked alongside and against the Friedkins in business and football to get a glimpse of what could be coming.

It presented an image that should excite Evertonians, who had been lacking ambition and hope in recent years.

‘Impressive’ Ryan Friedkin expected to lead from the front

If father Dan is the man with the money, son Ryan is likely to move to Liverpool when he takes over. He was the on-site base at Roma and was there “70% of the time,” while Dan flew in a few times a month.

Ryan is a football fan and has impressed many who have interacted with him. “He understands the game. If he wanted to he would be a good football manager,” said a source I.

He watches games, reads extensively about the game, and has an intimate knowledge of data trends. He has been known to devour scouting reports.

Dan will be the man who ultimately makes the big decisions and gives the green light to the investment. But Ryan – a huge fan of English football who has campaigned for the group to gain promotion to the Premier League – could be the man Everton fans become familiar with.

Expect Dyche to be shown “respect” – but will Friedkins make the move to the Bundesliga?

The mood towards manager Sean Dyche may have soured recently, but he deserves huge gratitude for the role he played during a dark time for Everton.

Without the club’s stay in the Premier League – which it achieved under extremely difficult circumstances – there may not have been a takeover.

Expect Dyche to be shown “respect” by the new owners, insiders say. Assuming results have improved – which the manager expects in the coming games – an immediate change is unlikely, even if Daniele De Rossi’s sacking at Roma shows how ruthless they can be.

Given Everton are in the middle of the season, the smarter move would be supportive, warm words from the owners to Dyche, and he could even have until the end of the season as Everton’s new owners consider options.

However, no one expects Dyche to be their choice in the long term. The message from those who know the Friedkins is universal and pretty blunt: “He’s not their kind of coach.”

They are considered big fans of the German school of management and were impressed by the immediate impact of Fabian Hurzeler, who was picked from St Pauli to manage Brighton.

I is also understood to have had extensive contact with Ralf Rangnick, who was being considered for the role of director of football at Roma.

This high-pressure, high-intensity attacking football is an identity they crave and would probably go down well with Everton fans. Could Edin Terzic – the former Borussia Dortmund head coach who is reportedly interested in a Premier League job – factor into their considerations?

Overhauling recruitment – ​​a good option with ex-Leicester man

Amid the excited chatter in recruiting circles this week, one name keeps coming up: Jose Fontes.

Roma’s chief scout, who is highly regarded by the Friedkins, has extensive Premier League experience and was at Leicester when they signed Youri Tielemans, Harry Maguire and James Maddison.

He left the club in 2021 and some suggest he could move to Everton following the Friedkins’ restructuring. Even if he doesn’t, the Friedkins will be expected to lean on his Premier League experience and expertise.

Roma’s recruitment was mixed, but the structure has been modernized beyond belief. A source tells I “They inherited an analog structure and made it digital,” which is a nice summary of a revamp in which they updated data flows, technology and recruiting networks.

“They have their own ideas about how things should be done and they will put resources and money into it,” says an insider.

“Recruitment is certainly being rebuilt by them, but once they have some of their people, they are not the type of people to suggest players. “They let things flow freely.”

Money to spend – but not the full Chelsea experience

Those who have seen their work say the Friedkins are nothing like Todd Boehly, the Chelsea owner who also served as director of football at Stamford Bridge after Clearlake took over.

“They don’t suggest players, they don’t keep asking why,” says an insider. They are staying away from player negotiations – although they have laid out the club’s vision to Roma stars Romelu Lukaku and Paolo Dybala, giving those talks a bit more weight.

Given the club’s perilous position – and challenges to profitability and sustainability – January appears to be crucial for Everton. There will probably be money to spend, but they are familiar with PSR, which hampered them at Roma.

The impressive Kevin Thelwell has built a reputation that gives him a chance

Everton’s director of football is in the final year of his contract and has plenty of credit in the Finch Farm bank.

He is a clever, calm and hard-working man who has quietly managed the club’s PSR problems and maintained a competitive squad despite the most dangerous budget.

The Friedkins are expected to have taken note. They see the role of the football director as crucial in a football club, especially as a conveyor of their overall vision. It is believed that Thelwell could well get a new contract if he is willing to work in a new structure.

His knowledge, contacts and the tough journey he took during Everton’s darkest days is an advantage the Friedkins are likely to take advantage of.

A complete restructuring of football operations is imminent

Expect new roles and additional staff in key departments, says a manager who worked at a rival Roma club.

“I think you get the impression that Everton haven’t had an effective, strong leadership for some time. There are a lot of very good people there, but the situation was difficult – they want to change that quickly,” he says I.

Everton remaining in the Premier League before moving to Bramley Moore Docks must be a top priority. In the long term, the women’s team and the academy can count on support.

After their difficult time at Roma, the advice to Everton fans is to embrace the family as the takeover begins. They have invested almost $1 billion in the Italian capital.

“They are not concerned with financial returns. They want to be loved, they want the public on their side,” says a source.

That’s probably music to the ears of long-suffering Evertonians.