For as bad as we've been it's a bit of a relief to see we're only 9 points off the top...
I don't think we can win it but I think we will all agree that we are better than what we've seen so far this season and there is plenty of time and space to turn it around and finish 2-4.
Secondly, there's been a lot of talk about how much money Jose has wasted but very little talk about the scouting network....
When Moyes came in he changed quite a lot, including the scouting system and since he's left we can only imagine that it's very different to what it was in Fergie's era.
Ultimately, the manager can't do all the scouting himself and has to pick from what is presented to him...
Jose has made a few digs at the quality of our scouting system in recent months...
How much blame lies with Jose and how much with the scouts?
On the upside, I don't think Lindelof has been given enough time and looks to be more of the player we expected after the last couple of games.
Bailly could be a great player, maybe he's just having a dreadful season.
Let's see what happens with the next few buys, I think the next few buys will be 100% Jose buys.
9 Points off the top and Jose's Spending
posted on 31/10/18
comment by The Gentleman Entrepreneur (U13709)
Do you not think that it's strange that his buys have been spot on everywhere else but here?
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You mean buys like Quaresma, Sulley Muntari, Del Horno, Kezman, Sahin, Pedro Leon, Schurrle, Filipe Luis, Rahman Baba, Remy, Djilobodji?
posted on 31/10/18
As for scouting, scouts don't just get sent on a train or a plane and told find me some good players.
They're given parameters, set by the manager.
Does anyone imagine though that they consist of finding young gems he can mould into great players over time or top level proven and experienced players.
All scouts can do is compile the shortlists and analysis, if the manager doesn't want them the club doesn't go after them.
What I'd like to see happen is a decent percentage of the 1st team transfer budget each year allocated to the purchase of development talents and under the control of the U23/Youth team coaches. Not the snapping up of 15/16 year olds who play for the u18s for a couple of years then are released. Run the U23 team like a proper B team in foreign leagues.
posted on 31/10/18
"I think we’re talking at cross purposes melts. All I was doing was pointing out that our scouting team is largely responsible for identifying and then analyzing the players that are eventually brought to the club. There might be exceptions, but that is the rule. They do most of the hunting and then most of the legwork."
They are but not particularly for established players, the coaches will already have an informed opinion of them. I was only talking about the ones in the OP, so I think we are talking at cross purposes a bit too.
My main point was that I'm not sure your scouting is anywhere near worth considering an issue
posted on 31/10/18
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/18871/11539917/sky-sports-soccer-saturday-pundits-predict-top-six-in-premier-league
Pundits just going with predictions you would expect them to make but suprisingly the comments are ABU even with Mourinho in charge. I thought it was a LVG thing.
posted on 31/10/18
comment by meltonblue (U10617)
posted 44 minutes ago
"I think we’re talking at cross purposes melts. All I was doing was pointing out that our scouting team is largely responsible for identifying and then analyzing the players that are eventually brought to the club. There might be exceptions, but that is the rule. They do most of the hunting and then most of the legwork."
They are but not particularly for established players, the coaches will already have an informed opinion of them. I was only talking about the ones in the OP, so I think we are talking at cross purposes a bit too.
My main point was that I'm not sure your scouting is anywhere near worth considering an issue
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Even for established players known to the coaching staff, melts. The scouting team and analysts are still putting in hours and hours of work on those players.
They’re doing medical history research, they’re pulling and compiling facts and figures, they’re watching game after game after game and building video analyses, they’re reaching out to and talking to associates and others in the game who might have worked with the player...
They’re not just identifying, watching and presenting unknowns. They’re hard at work on even the best known players in the game if they’ve been identified as targets.
posted on 31/10/18
How has no one spotted the elephant in the room here?
Moyes can be assumed to have dismantled Fergie’s scouting system, but Mourinho can’t be expected to build his own?
Ridiculous OP.
Secondly, about his marvellous signings elsewhere -at Madrid they were mostly terrible and the majority had been shipped out within a year of his leaving.
posted on 31/10/18
No, that tends to be a different role, particularly for established players. Scouts will work with them for players they identify. For well known ones though, it’s just straight into the recruitment team to gather the info.
You do get some that do what you’re saying when scouts follow managers and so have a foot in both camps, but it doesn’t happen that often. Mourinho has one that does that, can’t remember his name though.
posted on 31/10/18
comment by meltonblue (U10617)
posted 10 minutes ago
No, that tends to be a different role, particularly for established players. Scouts will work with them for players they identify. For well known ones though, it’s just straight into the recruitment team to gather the info.
You do get some that do what you’re saying when scouts follow managers and so have a foot in both camps, but it doesn’t happen that often. Mourinho has one that does that, can’t remember his name though.
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It’s the same role at United melts.
The scouts are actively working on everything from emerging to world class talent, including capturing in-depth contextual knowledge of the players, attending matches, filing reports and maintaining records in the club’s scouting database (held at Carrington but remotely accessible).
posted on 31/10/18
Ah, no wonder you’re doing an overhaul then!
posted on 31/10/18
comment by meltonblue (U10617)
posted 3 hours, 28 minutes ago
Ah, no wonder you’re doing an overhaul then!
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This is actually relatively new. It’s a post-Moyes development.
Last I read we have 500 plus in our scouting network. Some of those will be unpaid posts, but it’s a crazy figure.