Incoming?

[Selby Claret]

Goal: Heaton & Pope
Defence: Trippier, Mee, Tarkowski, Keane, Ward
Midfield: Marney, Gudmondsson, Arfield, Jones
Forwards: Ings, Vokes, Barnes.

That little squad has cost about £10m, give or take, and apart from being light in midfield (hence the expensive additions - say Brady, Cork, Defour) would make a good solid Premier League side. There are 92 league teams. So if our recruitment has been poor, then can you please name the team that has recruited better; and list the players?

Light in midfield? Why not throw in Mr Barton as well to reinforce your position (figuratively and literally!)......

[DCWat]

If I'm being honest I would say that our scouting/recruitment doesn't seem to be progressing at the same rate as other aspects of our overall development, but I'm not unhappy with it.

A case could be made that the performance of our players, achieving above and beyond what could be expected of them, has overshadowed the performance of the recruitment team. If we struggle in a transfer window, and then our squad plays out of their skin to record a fantastic result, it can give the recruitment team a respite from the scrutiny and negative comments that would follow a bad end of season result.

BUT

The players achieving those results are only here because they were identified and brought in by our recruitment team.

To deny them full credit and praise for the part they have played in the development of our team is wholly unfair. While other clubs have squandered huge sums of money on unsuitable players our recruitment team have done very well by us.

Granted, not every player we have brought in has been a success. However, we have seen a very steady improvement in terms of our success/failure ratio when it comes to players. Every player that we brought in during the last window was a quality buy. Unfortunately, some of them didn't get the chance to make the contributions they would have liked, but that doesn't make them bad signings.

If we look back a couple of years, we brought in quite a few players that didn't work out because they simply weren't good enough. We didn't have the money or draw factor we have now, which obviously reduced the opportunities we could act on, and that has to be taken into account. That can't be used as an excuse for all of our less than optimum transfers, but it is unrealistic to expect that every signing we make will be a stand out success. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, that's just how it is.

I would say the batting average of our recruitment team is very good in comparison to a lot of other teams. Even when things haven't worked out we haven't lost a lot of money on our less than successful acquisitions. Taking everything into account, the increasingly competitive transfer market and our need for players of a much higher standard, I think the recruitment team are showing very steady overall progress. And we certainly can't igonore the fact that some of their signings have been bordering on miraculous.

Our transfer dealings have also demonstrated a greater understanding of the market and how we need to operate within it to be successful. In the past we have been guilty of going in with bids that were way off the mark and far too low, which has created problems. In our recent dealings we have been much better at hitting the price mark. The £25m bid for Jay and Dawson in this window was a respectable one in my opinion, a fair price that should have given us a good chance of getting them in early. Unfortunately, WBA see things differently.

Knowing when we should cut and run might be something we could work on, but we are getting it right when it comes to turning away when an asking price is too high and not bringing in unsuitable players just to fill a gap. Closing down deals and picking the right time to make approaches are other things that could be improved, but even with the best plan and the best negotiator things can still go tits up.

I think specific aspects of our recruitment business that I would personally like to see more development in are scouting and securing young talent and bringing talent in from abroad. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as identifying players who can perform at the level we require, at a price we can afford. Lots of other factors have to be taken into account.

We could sign a player who meets our performance and price criteria, but after he arrives we discover he is a complete cock and a negative presence in the dressing room. Focussing on players from the UK market is a lot safer, because it is far easier to obtain accurate character references to inform our decisions.

Yes, we can scout the internet for titbits about players from abroad to build a picture about them, but it will never be a complete picture and it has the potential for error. We can't ignore the simple fact that agents and players are becoming more media savvy. Recruitment strategies have become more sophisticated, to the point where such things are being questioned and considered, but the players have also developed their ability to provide the answers and information releases that will engender a positive appearance. Well, the smart ones do at any rate.

I agree that we need to widen our sphere of collected knowledge. We can implement an information gathering strategy that is reliant on technology to increase the depth of our knowledge base, but it is the inter personal (on the ground) data that we need the most.

It might be that we need to employ foreign scouts, or we need to send our domestic scouts out into Europe for extended periods. Not simply to watch the players that we might be interested in, but to deepen and develop the relationships between ourselves and other clubs or the personnel attached to them.

If you want something done you go out and you do it. If you need personal information to improve that aspect of your recruitment you go out and get personal. The knowledge you need won't magically appear while you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to drop in your lap, sometimes you have to make things happen by taking the first step. It's called networking and while I am certain we are doing that to some degree our results would seem to indicate that we can do more in that regard.

Conclusion: Happy with the players we are bringing in, happy with the way we are going about our business, we could do better in terms of bringing in quality young players for the future and developing our presence in markets outside of the UK.

That was a long one, even for me

Looking forward to the second novel, LTL

[Long Time Lurker]

Nods, bit of an epic one that, but I wanted to try and close down the thread by addressing any concerns with my own subjective take on things.

We can't have the recruitement team being distracted by any long threads about them, because we need them to be 100% focussed on bringing in our next crop of Premier League stars

[TVC15]

How many of those have we signed in the last 18 months then since our finances allowed us to improve the squad?

It’s gone from 10 years to 18 months now !!

Is it just the last 18 months you are worried about ?

As about 24 months ago we bought Tarks, JBG and Pope for about £5m and you would have little change out of £100m for them now.

I really would stop fretting - take a reality check and have a look at the recruitment record of everyone else in this league. If we’d have had the recruitment dealings of Everton, West Ham, Stoke, and many others you would have a bit of an argument. As it is you’ve got zero to back up your rather strange views.

[Reecey1987]

Imagine if we announced a signing in the next 48-72 hours!

Be nice if we did

[piston broke]

How many of those have we signed in the last 18 months then since our finances allowed us to improve the squad?

You’ve changed your argument from last 10 years to 18 months and we’ve sort of done OK, the last 18 months.

[Tall Paul]

How many of those have we signed in the last 18 months then since our finances allowed us to improve the squad?

Nice goalpost shift.

[Steddyman]

You’ve changed your argument from last 10 years to 18 months and we’ve sort of done OK, the last 18 months.

Not really. My point was that strategy worked 2 years ago, but cannot take us forwards.

I haven't said our recruitment policy wasn't working 2 years ago, I have said that it hasn't really changed in 10 years. The two are not mutually exclusive.

[TVC15]

Not really. My point was that strategy worked 2 years ago, but cannot take us forwards.

I haven't said our recruitment policy wasn't working 2 years ago, I have said that it hasn't really changed in 10 years. The two are not mutually exclusive.

How big is that hole you are digging ?

What you said is that our recruitment has not progressed in the last 10 years.
Very clearly from all the evidence on this thread it has progressed massively from 2008.
Now you are banging on about the last 18 months for some reason - what next ? The last 18 minutes ?

[bartons baggage]

If I'm being honest I would say that our scouting/recruitment doesn't seem to be progressing at the same rate as other aspects of our overall development, but I'm not unhappy with it.

A case could be made that the performance of our players, achieving above and beyond what could be expected of them, has overshadowed the performance of the recruitment team. If we struggle in a transfer window, and then our squad plays out of their skin to record a fantastic result, it can give the recruitment team a respite from the scrutiny and negative comments that would follow a bad end of season result.

BUT

The players achieving those results are only here because they were identified and brought in by our recruitment team.

To deny them full credit and praise for the part they have played in the development of our team is wholly unfair. While other clubs have squandered huge sums of money on unsuitable players our recruitment team have done very well by us.

Granted, not every player we have brought in has been a success. However, we have seen a very steady improvement in terms of our success/failure ratio when it comes to players. Every player that we brought in during the last window was a quality buy. Unfortunately, some of them didn't get the chance to make the contributions they would have liked, but that doesn't make them bad signings.

If we look back a couple of years, we brought in quite a few players that didn't work out because they simply weren't good enough. We didn't have the money or draw factor we have now, which obviously reduced the opportunities we could act on, and that has to be taken into account. That can't be used as an excuse for all of our less than optimum transfers, but it is unrealistic to expect that every signing we make will be a stand out success. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, that's just how it is.

I would say the batting average of our recruitment team is very good in comparison to a lot of other teams. Even when things haven't worked out we haven't lost a lot of money on our less than successful acquisitions. Taking everything into account, the increasingly competitive transfer market and our need for players of a much higher standard, I think the recruitment team are showing very steady overall progress. And we certainly can't igonore the fact that some of their signings have been bordering on miraculous.

Our transfer dealings have also demonstrated a greater understanding of the market and how we need to operate within it to be successful. In the past we have been guilty of going in with bids that were way off the mark and far too low, which has created problems. In our recent dealings we have been much better at hitting the price mark. The £25m bid for Jay and Dawson in this window was a respectable one in my opinion, a fair price that should have given us a good chance of getting them in early. Unfortunately, WBA see things differently.

Knowing when we should cut and run might be something we could work on, but we are getting it right when it comes to turning away when an asking price is too high and not bringing in unsuitable players just to fill a gap. Closing down deals and picking the right time to make approaches are other things that could be improved, but even with the best plan and the best negotiator things can still go tits up.

I think specific aspects of our recruitment business that I would personally like to see more development in are scouting and securing young talent and bringing talent in from abroad. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as identifying players who can perform at the level we require, at a price we can afford. Lots of other factors have to be taken into account.

We could sign a player who meets our performance and price criteria, but after he arrives we discover he is a complete cock and a negative presence in the dressing room. Focussing on players from the UK market is a lot safer, because it is far easier to obtain accurate character references to inform our decisions.

Yes, we can scout the internet for titbits about players from abroad to build a picture about them, but it will never be a complete picture and it has the potential for error. We can't ignore the simple fact that agents and players are becoming more media savvy. Recruitment strategies have become more sophisticated, to the point where such things are being questioned and considered, but the players have also developed their ability to provide the answers and information releases that will engender a positive appearance. Well, the smart ones do at any rate.

I agree that we need to widen our sphere of collected knowledge. We can implement an information gathering strategy that is reliant on technology to increase the depth of our knowledge base, but it is the inter personal (on the ground) data that we need the most.

It might be that we need to employ foreign scouts, or we need to send our domestic scouts out into Europe for extended periods. Not simply to watch the players that we might be interested in, but to deepen and develop the relationships between ourselves and other clubs or the personnel attached to them.

If you want something done you go out and you do it. If you need personal information to improve that aspect of your recruitment you go out and get personal. The knowledge you need won't magically appear while you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to drop in your lap, sometimes you have to make things happen by taking the first step. It's called networking and while I am certain we are doing that to some degree our results would seem to indicate that we can do more in that regard.

Conclusion: Happy with the players we are bringing in, happy with the way we are going about our business, we could do better in terms of bringing in quality young players for the future and developing our presence in markets outside of the UK.

That was a long one, even for me

A brilliant off the cuff response.

[Steddyman]

How big is that hole you are digging ?

What you said is that our recruitment has not progressed in the last 10 years.
Very clearly from all the evidence on this thread it has progressed massively from 2008.
Now you are banging on about the last 18 months for some reason - what next ? The last 18 minutes ?

What has fundamentally changed then?

[dsr]

Not really. My point was that strategy worked 2 years ago, but cannot take us forwards.

I haven't said our recruitment policy wasn't working 2 years ago, I have said that it hasn't really changed in 10 years. The two are not mutually exclusive.

I get - you're saying that the recruitment policy two years ago that brought us Pope, Gudmondsson, Tarkowski, Brady and Defour needs to be changed because it doesn't work. Got you.

Can't say I agree, though.

[dermotdermot]

If I'm being honest I would say that our scouting/recruitment doesn't seem to be progressing at the same rate as other aspects of our overall development, but I'm not unhappy with it.

A case could be made that the performance of our players, achieving above and beyond what could be expected of them, has overshadowed the performance of the recruitment team. If we struggle in a transfer window, and then our squad plays out of their skin to record a fantastic result, it can give the recruitment team a respite from the scrutiny and negative comments that would follow a bad end of season result.

BUT

The players achieving those results are only here because they were identified and brought in by our recruitment team.

To deny them full credit and praise for the part they have played in the development of our team is wholly unfair. While other clubs have squandered huge sums of money on unsuitable players our recruitment team have done very well by us.

Granted, not every player we have brought in has been a success. However, we have seen a very steady improvement in terms of our success/failure ratio when it comes to players. Every player that we brought in during the last window was a quality buy. Unfortunately, some of them didn't get the chance to make the contributions they would have liked, but that doesn't make them bad signings.

If we look back a couple of years, we brought in quite a few players that didn't work out because they simply weren't good enough. We didn't have the money or draw factor we have now, which obviously reduced the opportunities we could act on, and that has to be taken into account. That can't be used as an excuse for all of our less than optimum transfers, but it is unrealistic to expect that every signing we make will be a stand out success. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, that's just how it is.

I would say the batting average of our recruitment team is very good in comparison to a lot of other teams. Even when things haven't worked out we haven't lost a lot of money on our less than successful acquisitions. Taking everything into account, the increasingly competitive transfer market and our need for players of a much higher standard, I think the recruitment team are showing very steady overall progress. And we certainly can't igonore the fact that some of their signings have been bordering on miraculous.

Our transfer dealings have also demonstrated a greater understanding of the market and how we need to operate within it to be successful. In the past we have been guilty of going in with bids that were way off the mark and far too low, which has created problems. In our recent dealings we have been much better at hitting the price mark. The £25m bid for Jay and Dawson in this window was a respectable one in my opinion, a fair price that should have given us a good chance of getting them in early. Unfortunately, WBA see things differently.

Knowing when we should cut and run might be something we could work on, but we are getting it right when it comes to turning away when an asking price is too high and not bringing in unsuitable players just to fill a gap. Closing down deals and picking the right time to make approaches are other things that could be improved, but even with the best plan and the best negotiator things can still go tits up.

I think specific aspects of our recruitment business that I would personally like to see more development in are scouting and securing young talent and bringing talent in from abroad. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as identifying players who can perform at the level we require, at a price we can afford. Lots of other factors have to be taken into account.

We could sign a player who meets our performance and price criteria, but after he arrives we discover he is a complete cock and a negative presence in the dressing room. Focussing on players from the UK market is a lot safer, because it is far easier to obtain accurate character references to inform our decisions.

Yes, we can scout the internet for titbits about players from abroad to build a picture about them, but it will never be a complete picture and it has the potential for error. We can't ignore the simple fact that agents and players are becoming more media savvy. Recruitment strategies have become more sophisticated, to the point where such things are being questioned and considered, but the players have also developed their ability to provide the answers and information releases that will engender a positive appearance. Well, the smart ones do at any rate.

I agree that we need to widen our sphere of collected knowledge. We can implement an information gathering strategy that is reliant on technology to increase the depth of our knowledge base, but it is the inter personal (on the ground) data that we need the most.

It might be that we need to employ foreign scouts, or we need to send our domestic scouts out into Europe for extended periods. Not simply to watch the players that we might be interested in, but to deepen and develop the relationships between ourselves and other clubs or the personnel attached to them.

If you want something done you go out and you do it. If you need personal information to improve that aspect of your recruitment you go out and get personal. The knowledge you need won't magically appear while you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to drop in your lap, sometimes you have to make things happen by taking the first step. It's called networking and while I am certain we are doing that to some degree our results would seem to indicate that we can do more in that regard.

Conclusion: Happy with the players we are bringing in, happy with the way we are going about our business, we could do better in terms of bringing in quality young players for the future and developing our presence in markets outside of the UK.

That was a long one, even for me

Could you possibly serialize this so that I can read it in installments.

[KRBFC]

Who really gives a sh**? All these transfer threads end up in bickering, just let the guy have his opinion and stop boring us all to death. I'm sick of clicking on transfer related threads to read through this

[TVC15]

Who really gives a sh**? All these transfer threads end up in bickering, just let the guy have his opinion and stop boring us all to death. I'm sick of clicking on transfer related threads to read through this

Well don’t then - easy

[KRBFC]

I want transfer news on transfer topics not irrelevant puke, nobody cares who we signed 8 years ago. Thanks

#KRBFCTheRealModerator

[TVC15]

What has fundamentally changed then?

What has “fundamentally” changed is that we have managed to identify players who other teams did not want and some how developed them into internationals and increased their value by tens of millions.
If you want to look “fundamental” up in the dictionary it might even state our recruitment strategy as an example !
Clearly the big change in our strategy since Dyche has been here is to recruit players who fit into his framework and who he thinks his team can develop into much better players. We have heard comments from Dyche as to what this entails and I have also seen him give a presentation at the training ground as to some of the areas they look at when recruiting players and understanding a players motivation (whether it be money, family, etc)
Believe me what the club do now is fundamentally different to what has gone on before at the club - and based on the success of the club under Dyche how you can possibly say this is not progression is beyond me.

[TVC15]

I want transfer news on transfer topics not irrelevant puke, nobody cares who we signed 8 years ago. Thanks

#KRBFCTheRealModerator

Well you’ve come to the wrong message board if you want people to stick to the specific thread topic
(Which i’m sure you always do !!)

[Steve1956]

That doesn't require the most vivid of imagination to be honest.

You might be right.

[Steddyman]

What has “fundamentally” changed is that we have managed to identify players who other teams did not want and some how developed them into internationals and increased their value by tens of millions.
If you want to look “fundamental” up in the dictionary it might even state our recruitment strategy as an example !
Clearly the big change in our strategy since Dyche has been here is to recruit players who fit into his framework and who he thinks his team can develop into much better players. We have heard comments from Dyche as to what this entails and I have also seen him give a presentation at the training ground as to some of the areas they look at when recruiting players and understanding a players motivation (whether it be money, family, etc)
Believe me what the club do now is fundamentally different to what has gone on before at the club - and based on the success of the club under Dyche how you can possibly say this is not progression is beyond me.

Ok, so our strategy now should be the same as 18 months ago then?

We should only look to recruit players from mid championship or lower at a bargain and spend years developing them into England internationals? That should be our sole strategy to continue to progress?

[Reecey1987]

Something needs to happen within the next week or 2 . We need to get the players in early and not miss out on much pre season or they will be playing catch up time

[TVC15]

Ok, so our strategy now should be the same as 18 months ago then?

We should only look to recruit players from mid championship or lower at a bargain and spend years developing them into England internationals? That should be our sole strategy to continue to progress?

No - who is saying that ?
Though to be honest if you read back what you have just written and say that out loud to somebody I would be staggered if they said anything other than that’s a great strategy but very difficult to achieve !!

But nobody is saying that we have just a single strategy - clearly when you look at the last couple of years our recruitment policy has changed to buying more established and experienced players - which we can do because we are richer. But it’s not just a case of spending money without all the due diligence which I have already mentioned but you choose to ignore or regard as progression.

Reading what you are saying - let’s get to the point. I think all you are saying is let’s buy some bargain foreign players. You have not mentioned any of why you think this would work.

All this distracts from your crazy view that we have not progressed in the last 10 years

[MDWat]

Reecey, man. Just chill out. every transfer window!

[UpTheClaretsFCBK]

I’ve heard we’re watching a German youth player called Ficken Nein Spieler.

Any truth in that?

[Bertiebeehead]

If I'm being honest I would say that our scouting/recruitment doesn't seem to be progressing at the same rate as other aspects of our overall development, but I'm not unhappy with it.

A case could be made that the performance of our players, achieving above and beyond what could be expected of them, has overshadowed the performance of the recruitment team. If we struggle in a transfer window, and then our squad plays out of their skin to record a fantastic result, it can give the recruitment team a respite from the scrutiny and negative comments that would follow a bad end of season result.

BUT

The players achieving those results are only here because they were identified and brought in by our recruitment team.

To deny them full credit and praise for the part they have played in the development of our team is wholly unfair. While other clubs have squandered huge sums of money on unsuitable players our recruitment team have done very well by us.

Granted, not every player we have brought in has been a success. However, we have seen a very steady improvement in terms of our success/failure ratio when it comes to players. Every player that we brought in during the last window was a quality buy. Unfortunately, some of them didn't get the chance to make the contributions they would have liked, but that doesn't make them bad signings.

If we look back a couple of years, we brought in quite a few players that didn't work out because they simply weren't good enough. We didn't have the money or draw factor we have now, which obviously reduced the opportunities we could act on, and that has to be taken into account. That can't be used as an excuse for all of our less than optimum transfers, but it is unrealistic to expect that every signing we make will be a stand out success. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, that's just how it is.

I would say the batting average of our recruitment team is very good in comparison to a lot of other teams. Even when things haven't worked out we haven't lost a lot of money on our less than successful acquisitions. Taking everything into account, the increasingly competitive transfer market and our need for players of a much higher standard, I think the recruitment team are showing very steady overall progress. And we certainly can't igonore the fact that some of their signings have been bordering on miraculous.

Our transfer dealings have also demonstrated a greater understanding of the market and how we need to operate within it to be successful. In the past we have been guilty of going in with bids that were way off the mark and far too low, which has created problems. In our recent dealings we have been much better at hitting the price mark. The £25m bid for Jay and Dawson in this window was a respectable one in my opinion, a fair price that should have given us a good chance of getting them in early. Unfortunately, WBA see things differently.

Knowing when we should cut and run might be something we could work on, but we are getting it right when it comes to turning away when an asking price is too high and not bringing in unsuitable players just to fill a gap. Closing down deals and picking the right time to make approaches are other things that could be improved, but even with the best plan and the best negotiator things can still go tits up.

I think specific aspects of our recruitment business that I would personally like to see more development in are scouting and securing young talent and bringing talent in from abroad. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as identifying players who can perform at the level we require, at a price we can afford. Lots of other factors have to be taken into account.

We could sign a player who meets our performance and price criteria, but after he arrives we discover he is a complete cock and a negative presence in the dressing room. Focussing on players from the UK market is a lot safer, because it is far easier to obtain accurate character references to inform our decisions.

Yes, we can scout the internet for titbits about players from abroad to build a picture about them, but it will never be a complete picture and it has the potential for error. We can't ignore the simple fact that agents and players are becoming more media savvy. Recruitment strategies have become more sophisticated, to the point where such things are being questioned and considered, but the players have also developed their ability to provide the answers and information releases that will engender a positive appearance. Well, the smart ones do at any rate.

I agree that we need to widen our sphere of collected knowledge. We can implement an information gathering strategy that is reliant on technology to increase the depth of our knowledge base, but it is the inter personal (on the ground) data that we need the most.

It might be that we need to employ foreign scouts, or we need to send our domestic scouts out into Europe for extended periods. Not simply to watch the players that we might be interested in, but to deepen and develop the relationships between ourselves and other clubs or the personnel attached to them.

If you want something done you go out and you do it. If you need personal information to improve that aspect of your recruitment you go out and get personal. The knowledge you need won't magically appear while you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to drop in your lap, sometimes you have to make things happen by taking the first step. It's called networking and while I am certain we are doing that to some degree our results would seem to indicate that we can do more in that regard.

Conclusion: Happy with the players we are bringing in, happy with the way we are going about our business, we could do better in terms of bringing in quality young players for the future and developing our presence in markets outside of the UK.

That was a long one, even for me

Just wanted to make this even longer.

[dsr]

If I'm being honest I would say that our scouting/recruitment doesn't seem to be progressing at the same rate as other aspects of our overall development, but I'm not unhappy with it.

A case could be made that the performance of our players, achieving above and beyond what could be expected of them, has overshadowed the performance of the recruitment team. If we struggle in a transfer window, and then our squad plays out of their skin to record a fantastic result, it can give the recruitment team a respite from the scrutiny and negative comments that would follow a bad end of season result.

BUT

The players achieving those results are only here because they were identified and brought in by our recruitment team.

To deny them full credit and praise for the part they have played in the development of our team is wholly unfair. While other clubs have squandered huge sums of money on unsuitable players our recruitment team have done very well by us.

Granted, not every player we have brought in has been a success. However, we have seen a very steady improvement in terms of our success/failure ratio when it comes to players. Every player that we brought in during the last window was a quality buy. Unfortunately, some of them didn't get the chance to make the contributions they would have liked, but that doesn't make them bad signings.

If we look back a couple of years, we brought in quite a few players that didn't work out because they simply weren't good enough. We didn't have the money or draw factor we have now, which obviously reduced the opportunities we could act on, and that has to be taken into account. That can't be used as an excuse for all of our less than optimum transfers, but it is unrealistic to expect that every signing we make will be a stand out success. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, that's just how it is.

I would say the batting average of our recruitment team is very good in comparison to a lot of other teams. Even when things haven't worked out we haven't lost a lot of money on our less than successful acquisitions. Taking everything into account, the increasingly competitive transfer market and our need for players of a much higher standard, I think the recruitment team are showing very steady overall progress. And we certainly can't igonore the fact that some of their signings have been bordering on miraculous.

Our transfer dealings have also demonstrated a greater understanding of the market and how we need to operate within it to be successful. In the past we have been guilty of going in with bids that were way off the mark and far too low, which has created problems. In our recent dealings we have been much better at hitting the price mark. The £25m bid for Jay and Dawson in this window was a respectable one in my opinion, a fair price that should have given us a good chance of getting them in early. Unfortunately, WBA see things differently.

Knowing when we should cut and run might be something we could work on, but we are getting it right when it comes to turning away when an asking price is too high and not bringing in unsuitable players just to fill a gap. Closing down deals and picking the right time to make approaches are other things that could be improved, but even with the best plan and the best negotiator things can still go tits up.

I think specific aspects of our recruitment business that I would personally like to see more development in are scouting and securing young talent and bringing talent in from abroad. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as identifying players who can perform at the level we require, at a price we can afford. Lots of other factors have to be taken into account.

We could sign a player who meets our performance and price criteria, but after he arrives we discover he is a complete cock and a negative presence in the dressing room. Focussing on players from the UK market is a lot safer, because it is far easier to obtain accurate character references to inform our decisions.

Yes, we can scout the internet for titbits about players from abroad to build a picture about them, but it will never be a complete picture and it has the potential for error. We can't ignore the simple fact that agents and players are becoming more media savvy. Recruitment strategies have become more sophisticated, to the point where such things are being questioned and considered, but the players have also developed their ability to provide the answers and information releases that will engender a positive appearance. Well, the smart ones do at any rate.

I agree that we need to widen our sphere of collected knowledge. We can implement an information gathering strategy that is reliant on technology to increase the depth of our knowledge base, but it is the inter personal (on the ground) data that we need the most.

It might be that we need to employ foreign scouts, or we need to send our domestic scouts out into Europe for extended periods. Not simply to watch the players that we might be interested in, but to deepen and develop the relationships between ourselves and other clubs or the personnel attached to them.

If you want something done you go out and you do it. If you need personal information to improve that aspect of your recruitment you go out and get personal. The knowledge you need won't magically appear while you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to drop in your lap, sometimes you have to make things happen by taking the first step. It's called networking and while I am certain we are doing that to some degree our results would seem to indicate that we can do more in that regard.

Conclusion: Happy with the players we are bringing in, happy with the way we are going about our business, we could do better in terms of bringing in quality young players for the future and developing our presence in markets outside of the UK.

That was a long one, even for me

Don't you think it's a shame we can't embed quotes within quotes?

[KippaxFifaHD]

Obviously people are going to bring up the Heaton, Pope, Tripps, etc. argument, but what we need to do imo is cut out all the Sordell, Juke, Wells and Ulvestad signings because if we really want to improve, then most if not all of the players we sign need to be in the Cork, Wood calibre

[piston broke]

Gotcha. No news is bad news.

On the recruitment side of the debate, our side at Hull 25-2 17.
Heaton
Lowton
Ward
Keane, gone.
Mee
Boyd, gone
Barton, gone
Westwood
Brady
Barnes
Gray, gone
SUBS
Robinson, gone
Flanagan, gone
Tarkowski
Darikwa, gone
Arfield, gone
Vokes
Agyei

That is some turnover for a suggested poor recruitment team.

[TVC15]

Obviously people are going to bring up the Heaton, Pope, Tripps, etc. argument, but what we need to do imo is cut out all the Sordell, Juke, Wells and Ulvestad signings because if we really want to improve, then most if not all of the players we sign need to be in the Cork, Wood calibre

Mmmm - yep you are spot on.
And whilst we are at it I think we should be telling Dyche and the team - score more goals and cut out letting them in. Then we will win rather than lose....surely they must realise that’s a better option ?

If I were you i’d send your post to Viz as it would get published in Top Tips.

[jurek]

So, no news on incoming then.

[whentheballmoves]

Spoke to a Rochdale supporter I know. Rumours there are a) he's signing for us and b) he's looking at buying a house locally. The guy, who I used to work with, is not usually a bs merchant, and he said it completely unprompted... Wait and see I guess?

[kaptin1]

Now that Messi and Ronaldo are back from the World Cup I expect our transfer activity to hot up...

[Paul Waine]

Now that Messi and Ronaldo are back from the World Cup I expect our transfer activity to hot up...

But, how much sell on value will we have on players who can't make the WC quarters?

[CnBtruntru]

Well duck then!

[mdd2]

Spoke to a Rochdale supporter I know. Rumours there are a) he's signing for us and b) he's looking at buying a house locally. The guy, who I used to work with, is not usually a bs merchant, and he said it completely unprompted... Wait and see I guess?

who are we talking about please?

[Jeffbfc]

who are we talking about please?

With the Dale connection would suggest Dawson.
From people I know who are Dale fans and know the family, He's been after moving back north then strangely always signs a new contract like last season.
I will believe it when he's in the kit.

[dsr]

who are we talking about please?

We're signing a Rochdale supporter.

[quoonbeatz]

dawson.

[mdd2]

He seems a player who follows the money not the location, meaning WHU may pip us if/when WBA let him go.
Dale seem to have a promising 21yr old CH who has just penned a new deal

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Can’t see him agreeing to go to WHU when he is going to live in the Rochdale area.
His family all live around Rochdale.
Burnley will get him eventually as WBA will not want an unhappy player at the club