He has no input into the process. He cannot suggest names himself. He can accept or reject the names put forward. The HC doesn’t have ‘targets’. Patrick confirmed that this was the way that transfers were operating. It’s why for example we have ended up with 5 number 10s in Moncur, Mowatt, Mallan, Knasmüllner and McGheehan when we don’t have a team structure to play any of them but they would score highly on the spreadsheet. How many times do you think hecky had seen Knasmüllner or Thiam or Pannilos or Cavare play?
This I find hard to believe tbh. Even the spreadsheet is open to suggestions and I wouldn’t imagine it excludes the H/c
As I said yesterday, coaching helps, he developed well given time and selection. As for our ex boss, he also said he loved it here, i take anything what he's said historically with a big industrial bag of salt. Just makes no sense to not want a no10 and have 6 of them recruited. As long as we learn and evolve this approach, i cant ask for anything more going forward. If they go out in the summer and sign 18 wingers and set up to play 3-5-2..... it may be a sign lessons weren't learnt.
Well what i'm saying is I've no idea how our recruitment process works, who is involved and who has most input. Any squad that wants to play 4-4-2 and ends up with 6 no10's.... something went a bit wrong when copying the formulas across from 2014.
Patrick said yes to Hammill. Just as the new owners can make any exceptions they want to the system but they are just that exceptions.
Well that’s exactly what I’m saying I’ve no idea so when the head coach says it I take it at face value and not try to put things between the lines to suit an argument . If Hecky says he has input and wouldn’t play players thrust upon then that’s good enough for me tbh.
So why, with his blessing if involved, did he buy 5 no10s, play 4-4-2 largely and loan 3 of them out at stages? My reading between the lines isn't to suit any argument, its to understand why on earth that would happen, because it makes no sense at all to me. It makes as much sense as me nipping out to buy 4 kilos of frozen prawns to make some lunch. And i don't like prawns.
I don’t buy that Jimmy and there’s no facts to back it up only rumours and hearsay . Imo the spreadsheet is a base and can be bypassed by rational thinking and not just the owners . I think the players are suggested and compared to the spreadsheet .
Maybe these players were signed by mistake by moving away from the spreadsheet ? It still doesn’t alter the statement by Hecky and people still putting their views as fact when it clearly isn’t
Pretty sure Heckingbottom himself said that the spreadsheet is used to identify targets, and then the scouting team go and watch said targets for x amount of games, and report back to him and the club. I very much doubt that Heckingbottom had no say in who we brought in. Wasn't he asking for a 'head of recruitment' to be brought in, shortly before he left?
I’m just going on what Patrick said to myself and others. Basically we had our fingers burned allowing managers to choose players so we had decided to provide them with a shortlist without allowing their input. Their discretion is to choose from players suggested to them. Southampton also operate a similar system. It’s a model that is employed at Brentford one of tbe reasons Warburton left. It also contributed to Wilson leaving. It’s also a model that exists in most of Europe where recruitment and coaching are generally treated separately often through a director of football style role.
None of us know the facts, hence why i'm asking questions and would love to have the situation clarified. What I know is we've wasted a lot of money on Mallan, Moncur, McGeehan and Mowatt if we aren't going to play them, use a system that allows them to play to their skills and even going to loan them out while subsidising their wages. Our ex boss has said numerous things, it doesn't mean they were true and it doesn't mean they have to be believed. Acquiring so many players in a redundant position makes zero sense to anyone who wants to scrutinise it. Whether scouts, the Cryne family, the coach, a computer programme or someone else came up with the idea of acquiring these 5 players to play a single role that wasn't part of the ideal system.... it matters not. It was downright daft and you'd hope someone somewhere has learned from that to stop it happening again. I'm sure we can at least find agreement on that.
I recall Patrick citing the example of Conor Wilkinson being the one person Johnson put forward wanting to sign (and on a 4 year deal) and that it wasn't going to happen again. That's a while back of course, but its very ambiguous how recruitment works and worked and when t shifted or was tweaked at any point. With new owners too, I'd be very surprised if the thing they seem to laud over all others isn't put under scrutiny and enhanced and improved.
I’ve no idea about the n10s that’s be just guesswork on my part . Maybe it was a gamble hoping one of the five could have been the next Connor and the gamble was worth it and the others could have been passed on with little loss .who knows . As for Hecky I take him as face value till fact defer otherwise