Talent identification

[Nealroy]

What does our scouting operation look like these days?

Once upon a time it felt like half of the world's wonderkids had been linked with us or on trial at some point prior to breaking through.

Granted, we rarely (if ever) actually signed any of them but at least there were some signs we were looking in the right places for transformational talent.

This is the corner stone of any well run, ambitious club these days, so we are all over this right?

 

[dublinbluenose]

What does our scouting operation look like these days?

Once upon a time it felt like half of the world's wonderkids had been linked with us or on trial at some point prior to breaking through.

Granted, we rarely (if ever) actually signed any of them but at least there were some signs we were looking in the right places for transformational talent.

This is the corner stone of any well run, ambitious club these days, so we are all over this right?

Have you ever played under Beneitez ?

Yes but I'm 3 stone over weight

Welcome aboard lad

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

What does our scouting operation look like these days?

Once upon a time it felt like half of the world's wonderkids had been linked with us or on trial at some point prior to breaking through.

Granted, we rarely (if ever) actually signed any of them but at least there were some signs we were looking in the right places for transformational talent.

This is the corner stone of any well run, ambitious club these days, so we are all over this right?

Probably you tube or recommendations from agents.

Oh and not venturing into Scotland......

 

[Bruce Wayne]

a) we're competing with clubs with big budgets, big brands, and enormous youth squads that hoover up talent from around the world.
b) we don't really have that good a record any more for playing or progressing young talent, and certainly no more so than the clubs above
c) I'm not sure what on earth our transfer strategy has been in recent years, but it certainly seems more geared towards buying established players (for over-inflated fees and wages)

 

[Nealroy]

a) we're competing with clubs with big budgets, big brands, and enormous youth squads that hoover up talent from around the world.
b) we don't really have that good a record any more for playing or progressing young talent, and certainly no more so than the clubs above
c) I'm not sure what on earth our transfer strategy has been in recent years, but it certainly seems more geared towards buying established players (for over-inflated fees and wages)

On point a - so are Brighton, Leeds, Leicester etc and they seem to find bargains out there.

I'm not necessarily talking about buying 16 year olds (though appreciate I did say wonderkid), what about the emerging 20/21 year olds. Gray was a good buy but can't think of many more recently (or even being linked) and he wasn't really an unknown.

 

[Eggs]

….Stones, DCL, Holgate, Lookman, Nkounkou et al. I think our strategy of bringing in young potential is reasonably good, only this week we signed a promising youngster from Sunderland.

 

[Axlswhk]

It will never happen as long as Brands is around. We should simply sack our DOF and his entourage and hire the entire scouting/recruiting team from Leipzig.

And yes unsworth must go too. Piss poor at developing players with adequate technical ability to be successful.

 

[Tubey]

What does our scouting operation look like these days?

 

[MikeH72]

….Stones, DCL, Holgate, Lookman, Nkounkou et al. I think our strategy of bringing in young potential is reasonably good, only this week we signed a promising youngster from Sunderland.

These were all 5 or more years ago, I believe he’s talking specifically about what we’re doing right now. Nkounkou doesn’t count because he’s just been farmed out to the Belgian league and that lad from Sunderland will never kick a ball for us.

 

[kev]

On point a - so are Brighton, Leeds, Leicester etc and they seem to find bargains out there.

I'm not necessarily talking about buying 16 year olds (though appreciate I did say wonderkid), what about the emerging 20/21 year olds. Gray was a good buy but can't think of many more recently (or even being linked) and he wasn't really an unknown.

Please provide links to all these wonderkids signed by Brighton, Leeds and Leicester

….Stones, DCL, Holgate, Lookman, Nkounkou et al. I think our strategy of bringing in young potential is reasonably good, only this week we signed a promising youngster from Sunderland.

Exactly. We aren't perfect, but we do as well as most.

 

[Eggs]

It will never happen as long as Brands is around. We should simply sack our DOF and his entourage and hire the entire scouting/recruiting team from Leipzig.

And yes unsworth must go too. Piss poor at developing players with adequate technical ability to be successful.

….Brands is on record as saying he can’t sign any player without green light from Benitez, meanwhile the Manager and Moshiri can bring their own players in.

Blaming Brands would be fine if he had control of transfers but he doesn’t, getting rid of Brands and bringing in somebody else won’t make any difference if the process remains the same.

Blaming Unsworth for lack of talent coming through at U23 level also disguises the bigger problem. Academy teams are not exactly successful at U18.

 

[Eggs]

These were all 5 or more years ago, I believe he’s talking specifically about what we’re doing right now. Nkounkou doesn’t count because he’s just been farmed out to the Belgian league and that lad from Sunderland will never kick a ball for us.

….we have been subject to a ban at Academy level.

 

[barneygumble]

It wasn't that long ago, where we'd pluck signings from lower sides, who had a huge upside.

Lescott, Jagielka, Cahill, Arteta...

Nowadays, we stuck our feet in, and committed to signing players who were "at" their "potential".

The reality is, Bolasie, Sigurdsson's of the world, could have been plucked from France where the talent pool is literally overflowing, look at signings recently like Raphinha (£8m less than Bolasie).

We just got it, so, so wrong. I hope we've learnt our lesson.

 

[Nymzee]

With Brexit signing U18's from abroad is a no-go which places greater emphasis on local recruitment but that just means a smaller pool for the bigger sharks to swim in.

We need to start signing Championship/League 1 players and get back to our roots.

 

[Lapeno77]

Moyes raiding Czech teams for talent and Leicester in France yet we never seem to be interested in those areas. Overpriced transfers from the usual suspects in n England, Spain and Italy.