Celtic and Rangers need to restructure scouting network if they want success, say Old

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Nov 15 2009 Mark Guidi, Sunday Mail

 

LUBO MORAVCIK reckons Celtic should take advantage of an untapped market in several European countries.

 

Moravcik insists there are excellent young players in his homeland Slovakia and other places such as Slovenia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Hungary.

 

But in order to find another 'Lubo' he believes the Hoops must invest heavily in scouting on the continent.

 

And the way to find the money to do that is to reduce the first-team squad wage budget and plough that into finding the foreign stars of the future.

 

Hoops hero Moravcik, 44, said: "Less than 10 years ago Celtic were paying out �£6million for players. But the days are over of buying in quality like Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson.

 

"So there has to be investment in developing top players of your own.

 

"Celtic do put a fair amount of their budget into their youth academy but there is more they can do.

 

"There is no perfect solution. Nothing can be 100 per cent. But maybe the strategic planning has to be looked at.

 

"It's not what the first-team manager would want but I would take money out of the top-team salary budget to use as an investment for scouting in Europe.

 

"In my opinion it would be better to spend an extra �£500,000 or �£1m a year to bring through your own kids rather than give it to a player to come to Celtic who is only a squad player in the Premiership. Is there not more satisfaction in producing your own? Finding entertainers, stars who excite the supporters?

 

"Recruiting players doesn't necessarily mean signing a 16-year-old kid out of school.

 

"There are guys playing at a lower league level in countries all over Europe - in France, Slovakia, Czech Republic and other countries.

 

"To get these players you need a proper structure abroad.

 

"You need one guy to oversee Europe, delegating the work and with scouts and contacts working for him. The players are out there - you just need to find them or be told about them.

 

"Would I be interested in something like that for Celtic? Of course I would.

 

"Another thing that Celtic would have in their favour is that kids may well prefer to go to them rather than the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.

 

"Kids and their parents would know they would get a better chance to play first-team football at Celtic than in the Premiership because those clubs can spend �£50m every year on transfers.

 

"I don't have all the answers, I only have some ideas. Maybe my ideas are good, maybe some people will think not. But I believe in them."

 

Moravcik recently quit as Slovakia Under-17 national boss.

 

According to him he now spends too much time on the golf course and has a handicap of 29.

 

He misses being involved in football. Back in Glasgow this weekend for a charity function, Lubo told MailSport: "It was a pleasure to play for Celtic and to have had the career in football I enjoyed.

 

"But I'm old now. Unfortunately my time in the dressing-room has gone.

 

"I hope the players of tomorrow at Celtic can taste the pleasure I had in Glasgow.

 

"However, they must work hard and be able to cope mentally with the pressure. It's not all about being good with the ball at your feet.

 

"You have to be a strong character to be successful at Celtic. That is so important."

 

Moravcik is sad the Old Firm won't be playing in the English Premiership in the near future.

 

The move was booted out last week and he said: "It was a nice dream. Now it must be put to one side and other ways found to advance the club. The �£20m or �£30m in television payments are not going to happen.

 

"Other ways must be found to help bring success to the club. It will be a difficult job but it must happen."

 

Meanwhile, Lorenzo Amoruso admits he's shocked at Rangers' cash woes - but hopes it spurs the club into restructuring it's scouting network to unearth some gems.

 

During Amo's time at Ibrox a young Rino Gattuso was brought to the club for nothing from Italy and sold on four years later for �£4million.

 

And the former defender now wants to see his old club focus on finding the stars of tomorrow to ensure Rangers have a bright future on the park and financial stability off it.

 

Amoruso - who skippered Gers to the treble in 1999 - told MailSport: "I still keep in touch with what's happening at Rangers and things are quite scary at the moment.

 

"There have been financial problems for too long now and it saddens me the club is �£31m in debt and unable to buy a player. I hope things are resolved quickly and Rangers can move on as it can't go on like this.

 

"Whatever happens though Rangers should be planning for the future right now and reorganising the club.

 

"Rangers have to employ more scouts.

 

"Not only that, they must pay good wages for the right kind of scouts.

 

"It's important to pay good salaries to get the best people in this department of the club.

 

"And not just have people in Scotland and the rest of the UK. They should be looking all over, increasing their contacts abroad and building a global network.

 

"You have to work really hard to get young players now.

 

"Many clubs in Italy didn't pay much attention to scouting and youth development in the past but that has changed.

 

"For example, AC Milan are now investing a lot of money in it as they know it's the right way to go.

 

"Other clubs are doing the same and Udinese employ a minimum of 150 scouts. It has been a good strategy for them because they recently found a young striker from Chile called Alexis Sanchez.

 

"He is top quality and they could sell him for millions of Euros if they wanted.

 

"It's all about having the right people working for you. People with good contacts and a knowledge of young players.

 

"Rangers managed to get Gattuso a few years ago and he was great.

 

Profile "They must find more like him. But players like that will not drop out of the sky and land on the doorstep.

 

"They have to be found and be persuaded that Rangers is the right club for them."

 

Amoruso, 38, was back in Glasgow last week for a charity function.

 

The Italian still has a strong affection for Rangers and wants to see them thriving again as soon as possible. And he'd welcome the chance to playa role in the future of the club.

 

He said: "I hope a new buyer is found and things improve.

 

"Rangers are the champions and will battle it out with Celtic again this season for the title and it is important Walter Smith and the players win it again.

 

"Maybe time is running out but they'd like to have a new buyer in for January so they can bring in one or two quality players for the second half of the season.

 

"But that won't happen until someone comes forward. We know people don't buy football clubs to make money. They usually buy it for the publicity and to increase their profile "But when the new owner comes in and everything settles down I'd be happy to work for Rangers and try to help them continue to move forward.

 

"It's changed days from when I played for Rangers and the club were spending lots of money on players.

 

"However, not spending millions and millions in the transfer market shouldn't be a reason for not doing well."

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/11/15/celtic-and-rangers-need-to-restructure-scouting-network-if-they-want-success-say-old-firm-legends-86908-21823378/