Recruitment

[Yarmbaggie]

For me we are just paying for years of awful recruitment. What is our policy, goodness only knows. Surely we should be thinking about the players age at the time of recruitment plus potential sell on at a later date. The signings don’t seem confirm that.

How many players do we buy at 25 or over? A lot of them.

Button 31, Ajayi 25, Bartley 27, Townsend 25, Livermore 27, Yokoslu 28, Phillips 25, Swift 27, Wallace 28, Reach 28, Robinson 27, Zahore 25. It is no coincidence that we cannot sell them on. It is just bad buying.

Of those under 25 we have had a variety of bad luck and average buying.

Grant 23, Diangana 21, Molumby 22, Bryan 21, Dike 22.

It also shows how little opportunities we give to our youngsters. The only player who has played many games for us over the last season and a bit is Dara O’Shea. One out of 18.

And don’t get me onto the length of the contracts we give them, plus extensions!

I feel so frustrated that we have spent good money on getting these players, including add on costs and large contracts. At our level you can expect to get some wrong but I think our record is far worse than that.

Yes Bruce is a big part of the problem now but this is the real problem and when someone new comes in I can’t see a way out in the short to medium term with the present owner.

[baggieal]

Look at Brentford - the correct model but success comes from the top - they have a cracking owner who invests and a forward thinking manager!

[Leicesterbaggie]

To my mind, the problem is that nobody in the club appears to really care. It's a given that the owner has no interest and is only looking to recoup his investment and is asset stripping us. However, there doesn't appear to be anybody else who has any vision, foresight, enthusiasm or knowledge to get us into a decent place. They all seem content to muddle along as we are doing and instead of progressing, going backwards. I could accept some poor results if we had a specific plan of action but we haven't. It's the same old week in, week out and Bruce coming out with the same platitudes after every dull, uninspiring performance. It's all very well saying that we played decent football but we're third from bottom, which says it all. With the greatest respect to Cardiff, 0-0 at home is just not acceptable.

The major worry is that under Lai plus the rest of the non entities that we have I cannot see us progressing in any way, shape or form. A sad state of affairs but that's the truth of it!

[baggiematt]

Young players have a premium added due to the likelihood of an increased resale value. Given we have no money the signings of Swift, Okay and Wallace are all good and they have 5 years left in each of them. We have been unlucky with Dike.

We really need those academy talents integrated to the first team. It’s a major gripe I have with Bruce that he ignores them. I’m not having for one minute that Furlong is better than TGH.

[Yarmbaggie]

Look at Brentford - the correct model but success comes from the top - they have a cracking owner who invests and a forward thinking manager!

Brentford are a good example of a club who have a strong recruitment strategy. They don’t spend a lot of money, especially as they are in the PL but what they do spend they have a clear strategy.

In 2021/22 they only paid for 4 players, 3 of which were 23 and one 24. This season they have paid for 3 new players aged 20, 21 and 22. This has been a clear strategy and like Borussia Dortmund they sell players on a few years later at a profit when appropriate to finance new deals.

The owner is obviously involved and committed but he doesn’t splash his cash. The Manager is inspirational and a great motivator. Doesn’t cost a huge amount of money but it does need key decisions to be right. Unfortunately we seem unable to great the key decisions right.

[mickd1961]

We could be the Villarreal of the Prem with the right people as owners and manager.

The fact that Brentford and Brighton are established PL clubs playing nice football is an added embarrassment for us.

[Yarmbaggie]

We could be the Villarreal of the Prem with the right people as owners and manager.

The fact that Brentford and Brighton are established PL clubs playing nice football is an added embarrassment for us.

Agreed but can I also add they both have had the right people in the Technical/Director of Football role overseeing recruitment and getting that right, with the support of the owner and Manager.

As with any successful business needs everyone pulling together in a clearly understood direction. I just don’t see that at our club and yes it does start at the top.

[baggieal]

Agreed but can I also add they both have had the right people in the Technical/Director of Football role overseeing recruitment and getting that right, with the support of the owner and Manager.

As with any successful business needs everyone pulling together in a clearly understood direction. I just don’t see that at our club and yes it does start at the top.

Totally agree! The top of three is rotten to the core! Gourlay didn’t even have an interview process - he appointed Bruce from past connections. Would any top successful blue chip company do that? No!!