Recruitment Wizardry

[bcfcredandwhite]

Looking at some of our new signings, it just brings home to me how good our scouting team has been. They have managed to see beyond them having ‘poor’ seasons with their previous clubs (Afobe, Weimann  and Bentley for example) - Stoke, Derby and Brentford fans slated them and yet they have proven themselves so far as being exceptional for us.  

I must admit I couldn’t do it - the scouts must work out WHY players at other clubs are struggling and recognise that they would fit better into our setup. 

Ok there have been duds (Diony), but overall our recruitment has been superb - especially this season. Hats off to Ashton and the team. Very VERY shrewd business. 

[the red rules]

Quite agree. Sometimes these players need a new challenge, change of environment and somebody believing in them.

Ayling was brilliant for us in division one but struggled when we were promoted. Perhaps just needed more time to adjust. He has certainly gone on to do well at Leeds (after gifting us that goal on his first return).

 

[Tinmans Love Child]

22 minutes ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Looking at some of our new signings, it just brings home to me how good our scouting team has been. They have managed to see beyond them having ‘poor’ seasons with their previous clubs (Afobe, Weimann  and Bentley for example) - Stoke, Derby and Brentford fans slated them and yet they have proven themselves so far as being exceptional for us.  

I must admit I couldn’t do it - the scouts must work out WHY players at other clubs are struggling and recognise that they would fit better into our setup. 

Ok there have been duds (Diony), but overall our recruitment has been superb - especially this season. Hats off to Ashton and the team. Very VERY shrewd business. 

We seem to have our own version of Moneyball going on, long May it continue!

[WhistleHappy]

24 minutes ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

We seem to have our own version of Moneyball going on, long May it continue!

 

THATS NUMBERWANG!

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Looking at some of our new signings, it just brings home to me how good our scouting team has been. They have managed to see beyond them having ‘poor’ seasons with their previous clubs (Afobe, Weimann  and Bentley for example) - Stoke, Derby and Brentford fans slated them and yet they have proven themselves so far as being exceptional for us.  

I must admit I couldn’t do it - the scouts must work out WHY players at other clubs are struggling and recognise that they would fit better into our setup. 

Ok there have been duds (Diony), but overall our recruitment has been superb - especially this season. Hats off to Ashton and the team. Very VERY shrewd business. 

Those three are good examples of timing.  Derby looking to cut wage bill for a squad player being played out of position.  Bentley, no longer first choice and confidence gone, Afobe, well documented....so you get them at good prices, that probably mean a bit of wiggle room on wages.

You’ll never get it 100% right, but I think the recruitment team deserve a little less knee-jerk reaction whenever a player is rumoured to be coming here. 

[gamon]

When you sign so many players the odds are more favourable in finding a few gems!

It's taken 3 1/2 years but this year we've got it right in my opinion. Even a failed PowerPoint presentation at arsenal isn't going to ruin our season.

This lot could make the top two. I'm getting behind them for sure. We've got some proper footballers and a squad that's united. Good times are coming.

[Silvio Dante]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Those three are good examples of timing.  Derby looking to cut wage bill for a squad player being played out of position.  Bentley, no longer first choice and confidence gone, Afobe, well documented....so you get them at good prices, that probably mean a bit of wiggle room on wages.

You’ll never get it 100% right, but I think the recruitment team deserve a little less knee-jerk reaction whenever a player is rumoured to be coming here. 

To coin a phrase Dave, “That’s the pond we’re fishing in”

If you look at a lot of our recruitment it’s players with natural ability and reputation which should, in theory, take them outside our structure. But it’s also players who for whatever reason aren’t at their ability level before we sign them. 

Few obvious examples - Afobe, a year ago a £12m striker. As I understand a new baby, sleepless nights and then joining a basket case club. Bentley - believe lost a child, mind not on game, needed scenery change. Hell, even Diony fit that profile but he wasn’t ready to start the climb back up. I could even say Nagy - lost his way in Italy due to coaching changes but clearly a player.

Our modus operandi now is to go for players and make them better. You either do that by signing potential (Massengo) or do it by signing good players who have lost their way. Then you sell them (Webster) when they’re back on the path. Requires great recruitment of character most pertinently...

[Dolman_Stand]

40 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

To coin a phrase Dave, “That’s the pond we’re fishing in”

If you look at a lot of our recruitment it’s players with natural ability and reputation which should, in theory, take them outside our structure. But it’s also players who for whatever reason aren’t at their ability level before we sign them. 

Few obvious examples - Afobe, a year ago a £12m striker. As I understand a new baby, sleepless nights and then joining a basket case club. Bentley - believe lost a child, mind not on game, needed scenery change. Hell, even Diony fit that profile but he wasn’t ready to start the climb back up. I could even say Nagy - lost his way in Italy due to coaching changes but clearly a player.

Our modus operandi now is to go for players and make them better. You either do that by signing potential (Massengo) or do it by signing good players who have lost their way. Then you sell them (Webster) when they’re back on the path. Requires great recruitment of character most pertinently...

And a high quality coaching team

[Leveller]

39 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

To coin a phrase Dave, “That’s the pond we’re fishing in”

If you look at a lot of our recruitment it’s players with natural ability and reputation which should, in theory, take them outside our structure. But it’s also players who for whatever reason aren’t at their ability level before we sign them. 

Few obvious examples - Afobe, a year ago a £12m striker. As I understand a new baby, sleepless nights and then joining a basket case club. Bentley - believe lost a child, mind not on game, needed scenery change. Hell, even Diony fit that profile but he wasn’t ready to start the climb back up. I could even say Nagy - lost his way in Italy due to coaching changes but clearly a player.

Our modus operandi now is to go for players and make them better. You either do that by signing potential (Massengo) or do it by signing good players who have lost their way. Then you sell them (Webster) when they’re back on the path. Requires great recruitment of character most pertinently...

This is exactly it. Have we ever bought an established player who is at the top of their career arc, so at the peak price/wage they could command? I don’t think so.

[Lanterne Rouge]

3 minutes ago, Leveller said:

This is exactly it. Have we ever bought an established player who is at the top of their career arc, so at the peak price/wage they could command? I don’t think so.

This is a really good point. I`m struggling to think of one unless you count us talent-stripping league 1 under Cotts. Even then, players like Freeman went on to better things so couldn`t really have said were at their peak. The closest I can get in recent years was perhaps Sam Baldock?

[Leveller]

5 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

This is a really good point. I`m struggling to think of one unless you count us talent-stripping league 1 under Cotts. Even then, players like Freeman went on to better things so couldn`t really have said were at their peak. The closest I can get in recent years was perhaps Sam Baldock?

You could argue that our worst moves have been selling good players too cheaply when their form with us had dipped - eg Ayling and Freeman.

[Silvio Dante]

I think there’s an add on here as well, and it’s the rugby “no *********” rule.

In a really bizarre way, our best signings in the last five years have been Lee Tomlin and Ryan Kent. Why? Because they showed the management that ability alone is not enough. Particularly when your recruitment strategy is like ours. It has to be there between the ears - that’s where we have signed real quality. I don’t see us, under this management team, signing a player on an ability basis alone in the future - it’s totally about what kind of person they are.

[bcfcredandwhite]

12 hours ago, Leveller said:

This is exactly it. Have we ever bought an established player who is at the top of their career arc, so at the peak price/wage they could command? I don’t think so.

Not for ages, but Akinbye and Maynard might fall into that category(?)

[bcfcredandwhite]

14 hours ago, gamon said:

When you sign so many players the odds are more favourable in finding a few gems!

It's taken 3 1/2 years but this year we've got it right in my opinion. Even a failed PowerPoint presentation at arsenal isn't going to ruin our season.

This lot could make the top two. I'm getting behind them for sure. We've got some proper footballers and a squad that's united. Good times are coming.

I agree - but not if the injury rate continues as it has been going. We’ll simply run out of players!

[Red Skin]

13 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

I think there’s an add on here as well, and it’s the rugby “no *********” rule.

In a really bizarre way, our best signings in the last five years have been Lee Tomlin and Ryan Kent. Why? Because they showed the management that ability alone is not enough. Particularly when your recruitment strategy is like ours. It has to be there between the ears - that’s where we have signed real quality. I don’t see us, under this management team, signing a player on an ability basis alone in the future - it’s totally about what kind of person they are.

I recall LJ saying we signed Lee Tomlin in spite of our criteria for a signing i.e. right DNA.  Think we had our fingers burnt and learnt from that. 

Being a footballer working and living in you team mates pockets for best part of a year must be so claustrophobic.  One bad apple in that environment must have a huge negative impact on the whole squad.  Getting in decent human beings is so important.  

[Davefevs]

35 minutes ago, RedSkin said:

I recall LJ saying we signed Lee Tomlin in spite of our criteria for a signing i.e. right DNA.  Think we had our fingers burnt and learnt from that. 

Being a footballer working and living in you team mates pockets for best part of a year must be so claustrophobic.  One bad apple in that environment must have a huge negative impact on the whole squad.  Getting in decent human beings is so important.  

That is exactly what one of my friends said. Same people, same training ground, etc etc. 

[Hunsupport]

Maybe a little plus info belonging to this topic about just how important and detailed recruitment can be nowdays. There was an interview with Nagy's agents about the transfer process and there was a sentence I laughed a little about. They said that after a few talks with Bristol City they talked with LJ and he said they don't have to say anything about Adam, he knows much more about his style of play and most importantly his personality than his mother.