chilledbear 16 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Noticed this in Times Online, any signing we might make could be in here. The Sunday Times asked two men who specialise in assessing football talent to pick teams of Football League players capable of prospering in the top tier. Some have played in the Premier League already, the majority are in the early stages of their career, and the common complaint was how to narrow down their selections to 11. Ewan Chester is Rangers’ chief scout with a Scottish silverware count of 33 trophies in 20 seasons. In between his two spells at Ibrox, Chester helped Livingston escape relegation by bringing in nine players before leaving to head and restructure Fulham's scouting department. “It was a wrench to leave Fulham and a league of the quality of the Premier League,” says Chester. “I only left because it was Walter Smith and Rangers asking.” Lee Matthews is a football consultant for Sports Management International, an agency that includes former pros Neil Cox and Chris Whyte, and works closely with BHP Sport, headed by former Liverpool striker David Hodgson. A contemporary of Jonathan Woodgate and Paul Robinson at Leeds United, Matthews’ playing career was blighted by injury as he hopscotched around 10 clubs before retiring in 2007. “We’re a young, ambitious group who want to build good relationships with the clubs rather than make a quick buck,” says Matthews, who helped striker Robert Snodgrass move from Livingston to Leeds last year. “As former pros, it’s easier for us to understand how precarious life is in the lower divisions.” The experts pick their winners Lee Matthews’ XI (Football consultant, Sports Management International) Jason Steele (Middlesbrough, goalkeeper, age 18) Adam Matthews (Cardiff, right-back, 17) Mark Beevers (Sheff Wed, centre-back, 19) Miles Addison (Derby, centre-back, 20) Joe Mattock (Leicester, left-back, 19) Robert Snodgrass (Leeds, right wing, 21) Joe Ledley (Cardiff, centre midfield, 22) Fabian Delph (Leeds, centre midfield, 19) Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, left wing, 22) Ross McCormack (Cardiff, forward, 22) Connor Wickham (Ipswich, forward, 16) Ewan Chester’s XI (Chief scout, Glasgow Rangers) Joe Lewis (Peterboro’, goalkeeper, 21) Gianni Zuiverloon (West Brom, right-back, 22) Andre Bikey (Reading, centre-back, 24) Zak Whitbread (Millwall, centre-back, 25) Joe Mattock (Leicester, left-back, 19) Adam Lallana (Southampton, right midfield, 21) Fabian Delph (Leeds, centre midfield, 19) Graham Dorrans (WBA, centre midfield, 22) Kris Commons (Derby, left midfield, 25) Tamas Priskin (Watford, centre-forward, 22) Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, left wing, 22) 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Delph has just gone to Villa for �£6m, so strike him off the list. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 You can catch these players 1/2 years earlier with a good scouting system. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyk 158 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 You can catch these players 1/2 years earlier with a good scouting system. which we don't seem to have and haven't for a long time.......... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 which we don't seem to have and haven't for a long time.......... I know, but if you have no money and want to buy cheap and make a profit!!! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I was told last night we had signed James McArthur and AN Other. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 I was told last night we had signed James McArthur and AN Other. Do we need another midfielder? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 There was a rumour on one of the other boards that McArthur had turned us down due to the salary we were offering. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,150 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Snodgrass was always a prodigious talent but went off the rails at Livi apparently... Seems the move to Leeds has served him well. The others are all reasonably well known and probably out of our reach financially. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraser54 0 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Rangers have already signed Fabian Delph, well in Soccer Manager 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.