How much influence does our DoF actually have on recruitment?

[Rousseau 9,486]

A DoF should have a big influence on the recruitment strategy. 

 

Looking at our signings over the last 6 years (Wilson arrived Oct 2019), I can't see any overriding philosophy. I see a hodgepodge of players, signed by the three different managers over that period, each quite different from the other. 

 

We've seen a squad rebuild, transition into first-team players to push to win a title under SG; to youngsters, loans and older players under GvB; to MB signing players that he knows. The profile of MB's signings is better, but the idea of a DoF having a guiding influence is non-existent. 

 

I don't think Wilson, or Allen, had as much control as they should have had. 

 

What's the profile? Where's the recruitment philosophy?

 

(I've tried to colour code them to show who might have signed each player; some might be wrong.)

 

18/19	19/20	20/21	21/22	22/23	23/24		Key
Arfield	Hastie	Hagi	Sakala	Colak	Dowell		Gerrard
McGregor	Jones	Bassey	Lundstram	Lawrence	Stirling		GvB
Murphy	Davis	McLaughlin	Bacuna	Yilmaz	Butland		Beale
Katic	Stewart	Defoe	Sands	Cantwell			Club?
Goldson	Edmondson	Balogun	Diallo	Raskin
Flanagan	Aribo	Roofe	Ramsey	Souttar
Barisic	Helander	Itten	Zukowski	Tillman
Lafferty	Barker	Zungu		Davies
Grezda	Kent	Simpson		Matondo
McAuley		Wright
Firth
Polster
Kamara

[yuddie 1,025]

Not sure if Bassey would've been a Beale recommendation with his previous in the unders at Liverpool but other than that it's a good graphic mate, he might've been a club signing anyway.

 

To be honest at this point I'd rather a DoF come in to meet and exceed our academy targets and to overhaul our medical department, if they can then work WITH Beale and advise and guide him and vice versa I think we're onto a winner.. because as you say, it doesn't seem like there were set parameters and a clear ethos we were working with.

[compo 6,215]

9 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

A DoF should have a big influence on the recruitment strategy. 

 

Looking at our signings over the last 6 years (Wilson arrived Oct 2019), I can't see any overriding philosophy. I see a hodgepodge of players, signed by the three different managers over that period, each quite different from the other. 

 

We've seen a squad rebuild, transition into first-team players to push to win a title under SG; to youngsters, loans and older players under GvB; to MB signing players that he knows. The profile of MB's signings is better, but the idea of a DoF having a guiding influence is non-existent. 

 

I don't think Wilson, or Allen, had as much control as they should have had. 

 

What's the profile? Where's the recruitment philosophy?

 

(I've tried to colour code them to show who might have signed each player; some might be wrong.)

 

 

18/19	19/20	20/21	21/22	22/23	23/24		Key
Arfield	Hastie	Hagi	Sakala	Colak	Dowell		Gerrard
McGregor	Jones	Bassey	Lundstram	Lawrence	Stirling		GvB
Murphy	Davis	McLaughlin	Bacuna	Yilmaz	Butland		Beale
Katic	Stewart	Defoe	Sands	Cantwell			Club?
Goldson	Edmondson	Balogun	Diallo	Raskin
Flanagan	Aribo	Roofe	Ramsey	Souttar
Barisic	Helander	Itten	Zukowski	Tillman
Lafferty	Barker	Zungu		Davies
Grezda	Kent	Simpson		Matondo
McAuley		Wright
Firth
Polster
Kamara

As they would say up in Glesga there’s some wallopers in that list.  😆

[Rousseau 9,486]

Some of the best DoFs in Europe (e.g. Monchi) have almost complete control over recruitment. 

 

That's not to say a manager shouldn't have an input - of course they should - but a manager having too much control creates a mess. 

 

It's fine if the manager is successful (i.e. Ange), but what happens when they leave? A new huge rebuild? It's unsustainable. 

 

Maybe we've not appointed the correct DoF that can execute that type of re ruitment strategy? Allen was definitely not that; he was appointed to almost build the structure behind a DoF model.

 

I had thought Wilson was better at the recruitment side of things, but looking at the hodgepodge of signings, maybe he's not either? Maybe he’s more hands off? Or incompetent... ! (That one's for @RANGERRAB! )

 

 

[Sutton_blows_goats 4,324]

Much of it is behavioural in my opinion. Continental clubs and coaches more allowable to the model in which dof does most of the transfer business. I think Gio and Le Guen are good examples of coaches who can coach pre built teams well but can’t build their own. I am happy with the dof supporting and having a small say in getting recruits rather than having a complete control approach.

[Rousseau 9,486]

3 minutes ago, yuddie said:

Not sure if Bassey would've been a Beale recommendation with his previous in the unders at Liverpool but other than that it's a good graphic mate, he might've been a club signing anyway.

 

To be honest at this point I'd rather a DoF come in to meet and exceed our academy targets and to overhaul our medical department, if they can then work WITH Beale and advise and guide him and vice versa I think we're onto a winner.. because as you say, it doesn't seem like there were set parameters and a clear ethos we were working with.

Yes, you're right: Bassey might have been a MB recommendation. Another example of less joint-up thinking...

 

That's a good point. I suspect most don't want a DoF to have complete control like I do. Someone to work behind the scenes might be better. 

[Rousseau 9,486]

3 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

Much of it is behavioural in my opinion. Continental clubs and coaches more allowable to the model in which dof does most of the transfer business. I think Gio and Le Guen are good examples of coaches who can coach pre built teams well but can’t build their own. I am happy with the dof supporting and having a small say in getting recruits rather than having a complete control approach.

That's a good point: what type of DoF do we actually want or would accept? 

 

I accept I'm in the minority when I want a European style DoF with almost complete control. 

 

I just see those signings and think, what a waste of time. 

[compo 6,215]

1 minute ago, Rousseau said:

Yes, you're right: Bassey might have been a MB recommendation. Another example of less joint-up thinking...

 

That's a good point. I suspect most don't want a DoF to have complete control like I do. Someone to work behind the scenes might be better. 

I am a bit old for this modern stuff but I would say that if a team fails abysmally sure the manager should be sacked but so should the DoF

[Scott7 5,235]

11 minutes ago, yuddie said:

Not sure if Bassey would've been a Beale recommendation with his previous in the unders at Liverpool

Memory (often defective) tells me Bassey was at Leicester.

[yuddie 1,025]

1 minute ago, Scott7 said:

Memory (often defective) tells me Bassey was at Leicester.

Aye he was, I'm only guessing that he would've come across him in u23/u18 matches with Liverpool. Similar to Dowell. Could've been a club signing though.