Richard Montague

[jackal2]

Think people need to stop focusing on the Radar data and model. It?s not the dark art any more that people might believe it to be.

There is plenty of data available in the game now that is accessible to anyone and it?s not hard to use simple formulas to highlight players with particular traits. Once you have those metrics you then watch them, a lot, like a traditional scout would and if the eye test matches the data ? bingo!

That said, some people have a better eye for a player than others and the same remains for analysing the data, maybe that could be RM?s strength?

Difficult to say from outside the club where the balance lies between Richard Montague's own skills and the knowledge that exists within the wider Football Radar operation. What I do know is that our recruitment over the past four years has been vastly superior to just about any time in the 30+ years I've been watching Notts, aside maybe from the Munto 'moment' when cash was seemingly no object and we were bringing in virtually guaranteed hits like Schmeichel and Hughes.

It's striking that a company of data analysts (boffins if you like) have comprehensively outperformed a whole host of experienced 'football people', and it suggests that aside from the very occasional Peter Taylor type, most of the so-called trained eyes and scouts are just chancers going on gut feelings, or bringing in mates and players they've known from before, or relying on particular agents and contacts whose primary motive might not necessarily be to find you the best player. Football's a very ruthless business where most people are opportunists out for themselves.

We'll only know how much we've relied on Richard Montague if he goes, but there seems to be a bit of a pattern emerging, both with players and staff, that individuals who appear to shine brightly within our structure look noticeably less confident and assured and perform less well when they leave that structure and try to recreate the magic elsewhere.

Looking at that press conference from Luke Williams, he looks a shell of the Head Coach/Manager he was for us. Yes he was always one to go into great detail with his explanations, but with us he seemed assured and very protective of team of his team off and on the field, whereas here he seems to be rambling incoherently at times, and it never comes over well when a senior figure is washing dirty linen in public and hanging unnamed individuals out to dry. Even if his criticisms are correct, these are things you keep in house. It just sounds like someone trying too hard to stay onside with fans and deflect blame.

I must say, if I was Richard Montague I'd see the red flags from a mile off and stay within the structure and model that has allowed me to be successful to date. The grass ain't always greener, even if it's in soggy Wales.