The recruitment team

The board, rightly so deserve to have awakward questions put to them however, the recruitment committee seem to have escaped the same level of scrutiny.

Knulassmuller...
George miller..
Schmidt... who might come good yet.

Three bizarre signings.

I struggle to believe that out of all the young centre halves in Europe that the Recruitment team could only identify the four we’ve signed with what 50 games between them.

I struggle to believe that there isn’t 21 year old left back who is better than Williams or can match Pinilos through out Europe.

I struggle to believe that the only place we can recruit is Leeds U23 squad.

I struggle to believe that there isn’t strikers at 20-21 year olds who can play with their back to goal or offer a physical presence who can actually score a few.


Seems to be something going wrong in that office. January’s going to be a laugh.

 

Didn't a couple of the recruitment team leave for Aston Villa?

 

It experienced Championship players we need but how you attract them to a relegation battle is anyone's guess.

 

Cheapest.

 

... all want shooting

 

Theyve failed miserably, and not for the first time either.

 

Need there computer s taken off them ,and go and watch some games

 

Overall over the last 5 seasons they have done well.

I read Fergies biography and he said that a success rate of about 30% was the norm with the same being ok and the rest failing. Judging by that we have done well.

Of course there have been and will be duds.

Where we have failed is to use the successes to improve our on field situation rather than our balance sheet.

 

I think our recruitment team are brilliant.
It’s a new building process - so I don’t think we were going to get all the new recruits in one batch.
There is definitely a short fall in some positions - but since the management of the club has now had chance to gauge that - then the owners should do their best to plug the gaps.
A striker who can play with his back to goal is definitely a position that needs sorting.

January window should be interesting - and it will give us an indication of the intent of the owners.

 

I understand that not everyone we will sign will be a success however we've regressed in terms of recruitment.

Gone from signing young 21-23 year olds with games under their belt to signing ones who’ve hardly played.

Gone from signing club captains and lower league players of the season to signing nobody’s.

 

this 100%

there is a big difference between youth and inexperience. Before we signed young players who had played full seasons, captained teams, won promotions etc - albeit at a lower level

now we are signing straight from academy’s, players with no experience at all

foreign signings should be thought about strategically. Sign a foreign centre back to partner one who knows the English league for example.

We’ve gone into some games with a keeper and two centre backs who’ve never played English football and out of position full backs straight out of the academy. A joke

 

If the owners sold the entire squad, bought Oakwell and sold it for housing development, closed down the club and retired to their home countries, you'd still be waiting for the next transfer window to see an indication of their intent.

 

I agree there but as Southampton are beginning to show at a higher level there is only so far you can go with the sell your assets repeat and rinse cycle before it bites you in the ass.

I assume the change in targets comes from the board rather than the recruitment team.

 

Southampton managed to concede 9 last night and still haven't conceded as many as us this season. Now that's impressive.

 

Excatly the same points made on Football Focus this lunchtime.

 

It won’t be a battle by January. We’ll be as good as down by then sadly.
Don’t forget though, August was our best ever window.....

 

When you're building a house you don't build a few walls and a roof, expect people to move in, and when they complain the place is falling down tell them you'll think about digging some foundations in a few months.

 

Dont disagree but Southampton seem to have left the layering model over recent years and started spending big money.

Goldfever hit their board.

And yes the criteria came from the board. However, do you think that Mads or Diaby would be near the top of anyones 21 year old potentials...
Proper left field signings and to be honest we'd be better letting our own kids whove never played than buying some.

 

I suspect the pool is pretty small given our new criteria but yeah don’t disagree.

 

I suspect its bigger than we think.

Problem is, its going towards the deep end without arm bands and your 25m badge.