Do we need a better scouting network?

[Billy Dean]

Yes but also it's the process we need to change, we have seemingly scouted many good players over the last few years but couldn't seal the deal because either Bill or Mosh(aided by his mate Kia no doubt) didn't sign off on it or we didn't have the funds. Do Brighton block their DOF from a signing in favor of "Premier league experience"? No they buy them cheaply send them to a club they have an arrangement with then bring them back and integrate them into their squad.

This. We could have the best scouting set up in the world but it doesn't matter if owner and chairman overrule it all the time.

 

[Abertonian]

Scottish football posters could've saved the club millions...for a nominal fee.

Not half. Plenty decent players gone straight to PL but others abroad first then linked with PL.

Look at Lewis Ferguson, £3M to Bologna now Juve and AC sniffing around after 1 season.

Yet we prefer to throw money away on mince like Maupay

Anyone that's gone to the game and seen Duk play would be all over signing him for probably half of the cost of Maupay.

 

[chrismpw]

...or whatever it's called these days. How can the likes of Brentford, Fulham, Brighton (okay I know they've got a great set up all round) do it? Why aren't we able to identify effective prospects in lower leagues, instead of wasting cash on experienced but below par PL players?

Who's to say our scouting network isn't excellent .... but its what we do to prospects after they get here thats the problem. Leave them languish playing u21 games until their confidence is drained, coach them to the exhilaration of the backward pass etc

 

[Cameron Manning]

Scouting network is probably fine, we’ll more than likely have these players on some list

The issue is the direction of the football club. They have no plans in place in how to guide these players into the first team or how to develop them

It’s an utter mess

Plus no money to spend in the last two or three transfer windows or because we couldn’t spend due to FFP rules.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Not half. Plenty decent players gone straight to PL but others abroad first then linked with PL.

Look at Lewis Ferguson, £3M to Bologna now Juve and AC sniffing around after 1 season.

Yet we prefer to throw money away on mince like Maupay

Anyone that's gone to the game and seen Duk play would be all over signing him for probably half of the cost of Maupay.

Dandies would take abar 2 million....

 

[nsno-chris]

Plus no money to spend in the last two or three transfer windows or because we couldn’t spend due to FFP rules.

I don’t think the money has been a major impact. When we’ve had it we’ve blown it on over priced (either value or wages) premier league garbage, which has obviously impacted our ability to operate.

The inability of the club to have an actual framework in place to identify and develop players of potential has been nonexistent.

This, for all we know, maybe the guise of the owner. But whatever it is it needs to stop and someone needs to take ownership of how we operate as football club