What’s our scouting and recruitment plan?

We’ve loaned out Mikey Johnston who now has 2 goals in his last 3, and have brought in Kuhn, who looks like he might even be a downgrade on Johnston. We’re just a mess.

 

One of the key factors behind the success of Benfica's academy is being able to immerse youngsters in the club's culture as soon as possible. About 70% of the players the academy sign are aged between six and 12.

To further boost their youth set-up in 2008, Benfica opened four extra academies across the country so players can become part of the club without having to relocate to Lisbon with their families.

It means Benfica compete with fellow top-flight clubs Braga and Porto for the best young talent in the north of Portugal.

Silva and Neves both came through talent centres based outside the capital.

"In greater Lisbon we have two million people and this is not enough in terms of catchment area, so we try to be as active as possible across the country," Mil-Homens explains.

"Having them for long periods gives us the opportunity to transmit the culture of the club."

Competitive reserve teams 'a huge advantage'
When it comes to producing the best youngsters, Benfica and other top Portuguese sides also have one weapon Premier League clubs do not: the opportunity to blood young players in their reserve teams in the competitive environments of the second division.

While Premier League clubs must send their young players out on loan to give them professional experience, Benfica youngsters can cut their teeth in the second division with the B team while still training with the first team.

It is common for players to play for the Under-19 team in the youth league, the B team in the second division and the first team, competing for the top-flight title, all in the same season.

"This is a huge advantage," says Mil-Homens.

"We try to adjust the training level according to the potential of the player we have in our hands, otherwise it would be a waste of time for them.

"The players like this as they feel they are competing, training in an environment that offers them more rather than if they stayed with their age group."

We need to be copying Benfica’s multiple sites plan for the academies.

 

"the annual cost of running Benfica’s academy is around €10-12million (£8.8-10.5m) a year"

Would be interesting to know what we spend in comparison

 

Rodgers has now confirmed we got Idah on loan as a result of his contacts. Nothing to do with the club.

I don’t think we have a scouting department.

We sign players based on recommendations from agents. Agents that we already know and have dealt with previously.

I’m unsure if we employ more than two or three people from a recruitment standpoint.

We’ve got the resources and capabilities to complete with Copenhagen, Salzburg, Club Brugge etc, yet we’ve no interest in doing so.

It’s incredibly embarrassing, yet it’s accepted by the vast majority of our paying fanbase.

 

Not sure what the plans are going forward but it feels like there is a bit of a clear out going on the now.

Abada due to go, sounds like Bernabei is off on loan at least, and Kobayashi talk of a bid accepted for him.

I am wondering if Oh may be another on the move shortly with him being excluded from the last two squads either that or injured.

 

If we managed to get £12m/£13m for Abada, Kobayashi and Bernabei, we will be doing very well. Also clears the squad of players for a huge summer of recruitment ahead. You would imagine we will definitely get some good interest in Mikey Johnston after his start down in the Championship.

I'd like to see Lawal and Holm loaned out in the summer again, at higher levels. Certainly the championship for Lawal and a good SPFL team for Holm.

 

Hopefully we get away from watching DVD and YouTube videos and picking some * at random.

 

Been multiple cases of this now. Lagerbielke was another laughably * poor bit of recruitment..

Starfelt wanting to follow his missus abroad so his agent recommends another player of his who is nothing like Starfelt, or suited to how we play..

For what it's worth i like Idah and there will always be agents sounding clubs out....but it seems we heavily rely on it..

Look at the likes of Dudu Dahan as another prime example in recent years..

Then we had Ange who flipped the script and planned or made sure we pre planned with recruits and players he identified personally..

We really should be so much more advanced in this field than we are now..

Got a link Paul?

 

Stephen McGowan’s Concerning Celtic Transfer Insight | Latest Celtic News (celtsarehere.com)

 

Hairy *, juicy *?

 

Aye being so restricted is a joke for us.

I get that we are a selling club and we want to unearth gems. But we can't build a successful football team solely on 19-23 year olds.

Of a match day squad of 18 we would ideally want surely 13 of them being well established players (no developing), 3 being the development players in the 19-23 range and 2 being out own youth talent at 17-19 trying to step it up

Of a European 25 man squad you'd want the other 7 players to be another 3 established, 2 perhaps in the 19-23 and the last 2 our own youth again.

But we seemingly want to be building a match day squad with about thirteen 19-23 hear olds and 5 established players.

Which has issues. Big issues. It means at best we can have a spine of a team being established (Hart, CCV, McGregor, Kyogo) and the rest of players still trying to make their way in the game, with the bench filled of similar.

It's a complete opposite in numbers to what we should be doing.

Sent from my M2012K11AG using Tapatalk

 

Very interesting that McGowan's being that scathing of Lawwell jnr considering he's been Lawwell's go to man (well for a long time a while ago at the very least)..

He's done a proper pish job but if he really is being asked to shop about at 10 to 18 grand for international players under 23 then it isn't ideal..

We should start looking more to the Scandinavian/Eastern European/Belgian/German second tier etc leagues. South America still..

There's talent out there that would suit us. But we need to get rid of this wage cap/fee cap * as it's too low. It's ok still getting players in like this but we should've and need to start upping it again for genuine quality and game changers..

 

Certainly is.

The only thing Ive been thinking for weeks now is Lawwell jnr more than happy to take the flak and divert blame away from his da (lets be honest not one of use would recognise jnr if he was stood in front of us, whereas lawwell on the other hand...)

 

Aye it looks like that to me..

The fact it's happened now instead of at the end of the season as well to be made public also makes it look likes hes content to take the dairy for a collective mess..

 

You are not it!

 

Regardless of the outcome of the end of this season I think there is going to be a bit of a clear out.

Goalkeepers likely only senior one left will be Bain as a third choice.

Right back if Johnston’s old form continues it wouldn’t surprise me if a Bundesliga or bottom half EPL team move for him.

Left back we only have one and he will actually be going into the last year of his deal Taylor.

Centre back we are going to look to shift Lagerbielke at least, if CCV stays fit to the end of the season I think someone in bottom to middle will test us on him, Scales surprised he hasn’t signed a new deal I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sold for a couple of million to the championship. His stats look good for this year so someone that scouts that way would likely take a punt.

Centre midfield- O’Riley will be off for decent money. Hatate may angle for a move if he gets fit for the rest of the season. Kwon looks to be doing fine at St Mirren, would probably leave him there if Robinson is, although he’s been linked woth Aberdeen would he take him there on loan? Holm needs game time I agree we should try get him out to Hibs or Motherwell.

Wings - Johnston will be sold. If Palma is still on the bench by the end of the season I can see him looking to move on, scored a couple in CL so might be surprised who would be interested. Yang, Maeda and Kuhn will likely still be here. Forrest who knows but he doesn’t contribute. Tilio is just an odd signing that will probably be loaned out multiple times until he is released. Haksabanovic will be sold for £1m to somebody.

Striker - I think Oh may push for a move given his lack of game time. If Rodgers is still here does Kyogo fancy a move? Again not as good a season but had credit in the bank and scored at CL level.

Obviously they won’t all go but I expect when you include Hart, Bernabei, Kobayashi and Abada there will be at least a dozen heading out.

The big question is how do we turn the abomination of inward recruitment around to build a competitive squad? We have shown we struggle to handle doing a large quantity of deals given how we operate and are set up.

 

If true which looks very likely so, then it shows why we’ve recruited who we have-
Palma, Kuhn, Berni, Gustaf, Nawrocki, Holm, Yang etc all fall in the bracket.

Back to the scatter gun approach and hope one sticks. More profits for Desmond roll around in while holding the club back from every advantage we gain from any success.

I know things are never going to perfect but a * bat could see what we desperately needed the last 2 windows.

 

There's no maybe about it with Hatate mate. He's been trying like * to get away in previous windows..

My brother was sitting with a few agents on deadline day, one a Glasgow based hun and can't mind their agency but he basically told my brother Hatate was in direct contact with them about getting a move to England (hardly news i know) and even showed him a message from him..

So there's zero chance he'll be here at the end of the summer window..