• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Our scouting network

B

BucurestiSpur

Sean Davis
Does anyone have any information on it?

How many scouts do we have?

Whats the process of "scouting" players?

Do we have a network of unpaid "informers" and the next step up the ladder is unpaid spotters but who get match ticket expenses and information gets sent up the chain until a "top scout" goes to have a look at a player?

Do we rely these days on agents bringing players to our attention?

For 30,000e a year + ticket/travel/hotel expenses (another 7500-10,000e) i could watch a 1st/2nd division game every night of the week in Romania and probably another game reserves/youth/semi-professional during the day.

With a piece of paper saying i was a scout for Tottenham Hotspur i would be welcome in every ground/training session/board room/agents office in the land.

What would i have to find to be a profitable part of THFC? One first team player every Xyears? 1 squad player that gets sold on for how much? One goalkeeper prepared to sit in the squad as 3rd reserve?

Repeat this in every European country with a league worth bothering about.

There ARE Berbatovs, Modrics and Drogba's playing for lower teams right now, we just need to find them before they reach their potential and take that step up that puts them beyond reach.

Are we currently doing this now?

Any information is of interest, cheers.

Obviously i am not using myself as an example of a potential scout :)
 
Was Sandro a hidden talent? Was he recognised as being a top future prospect by many? Or did we spot him?

He is truthfully the only recent example of scouting network success that I can possibly think of.

Manchester United have Hernandez, Lindegard, the Da Silva brothers but they're not top heavy on recent scouting success either.

Perhaps clubs at our level can seldom take chances with players as the potential failures are too high. We can't risk fielding players whose failings cost us points. We have seen that the difference between us drawing with Wolves at home*, and having beaten them, can have an impact of ?úmillions.

* We didn't field experimental player in that game but it does help to show difference a couple of points can make.

Instead, we must take players who prove themselves elsewhere first; more expensive but higher likliehood of success.

Perhaps we need to work on a balance of scouted players signed with potential and scouted players signed who have proved themselves elsewhere.
 
Very interesting questions and I hope someone has some sort of knowlege of the subject, seems to be a very secretive business as there is little info knocking about.
 
Sandro was one of the best players on the soon-to-be Copa Libertadores champions, a Brazilian youth team captain, in the Brazil senior team for a World Cup qualifier and on the reserve squad for the World Cup so there's no chance he could be considered a hidden talent.
 
I don't have any info on how we are set up, but I did read once that when Ferguson started at united he took a map of Great Britain and drew up zones in each of which there was a scout responsible for that area. I would hope we have something similar.

SCBC must have something like it as they managed to produce a number of excellent players. I do remember an article about Bale and how the scouted him and I think he was trained close to home by them as kid, before he moved to Soton as a teenager.

Btw, I think I saw YouTube video which said the da silvas were discovered when they came to Manchester for a world youth tournament that united holds. I don't remember the details.
 
Saudi Sportswashing Machine seem to have their scouting in the right places, I personally had never heard of the likes of Cabaye, Tiote and Cisse until they joined Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Were they 'known' players that were coveted by other clubs, or was Newcastles scouting just better than everyone elses?
 
Thing with Cabaye and Tiote were they were part of LEAGUE winning teams before signing for Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Tiote was key in FC Twente winning the league, then Saudi Sportswashing Machine signed him for cheap. Cabaye was CRUCIAL in Lille winning the league and then signed him cheap too.

Cisse was always part of a struggling team but was still topping charts with goals. That was the biggest gamble out of all three and 4 months so far has proved it to be a good gamble that has paid off so far.
 
i dont think its hardfor any club to scout or identify players anymore....its more about having a manager who acts on scouting recommendations.
 
Broomfield

I not seen a thread on this.

I read Spurs have release Ian Broomfield, our chief scout. I wonder who they will bring in.
 
Re: Broomfield

ArcspacE said:
Probably (hopefully) one of AVB's cronies with massive connections in South America and Southern Europe
Click to expand...

Obviously that would be good.

But it's even more important that our scouting network in the British Isles is top notch, IMO.
 
Re: Broomfield

ArcspacE said:
The pool talent is considerably limited and largerly overpriced, imv
Click to expand...

It's over priced because you need a quota of home grown players in your squad for European competitions. It means that it is even more important that we identify and attract talented young British players early.
 
Re: Broomfield

It's overpriced for many reasons, not solely due to the quota

Limiting ourselves to the British Isles would be unwise, imv - espeically now with UK work permit resitrictiosn being lifted on certain categories. The most successful clubs in terms of bringing in young players with potential have world-wide networks of scouts and observers - I see no reason (especially in line with our recent improved branding and global exposure) why we shouldn't follow that route, having gone through all the trouble (and risk?) to bring in a manager of strong continental ethos.

Yes, local 'expertise' is important but no less than international networks, imv
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back