Topic: Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter from Man City to join our scouting team

[keswick]

But WHY leave City for us?

[Kochevnik]

And how did they assemble that youth team and get their parents on board? ££££.

I'd still like to know why are they leaving City, can't be just because they are mates with Rodgers.

Oh well, at least we have Italy, Switzerland and Russia covered now - I welcome our next Padelli, Dossena and Degen.

The only players from those leagues I can find that have been signed since 2008 are Kolarov, some kid who didn't do well on loan to Oldham and Portsmouth named Scapuzzi, and obviously Balotelli.  Jo came in the same year as that scout, so it's hard to say before/after.  Could well be that the previous man in charge of Russian scouting was sacked after Jo arrived and he replaced him.

Either way, it's not exactly a stellar record, is it?

[rossipersempre]

The only players from those leagues I can find that have been signed since 2008 are Kolarov, some kid who didn't do well on loan to Oldham and Portsmouth named Scapuzzi, and obviously Balotelli.  Jo came in the same year as that scout, so it's hard to say before/after.  Could well be that the previous man in charge of Russian scouting was sacked after Jo arrived and he replaced him.

Either way, it's not exactly a stellar record, is it?

It's a deeply concerning record. Particularly given the seemingly unlimited funds at their disposal.

As has been said, if City were eager to retain their services, they wouldn't be leaving. Which begs a further question.

[macca888]

Hope we don't have to endure a Jo, a Santa Cruz, or a Robinho

What the fuck have you got against the Jackson 5?

[peachybum]

No one seems to be questioning 'Why' they are leaving the comfort of millionaires row, for relative paupers(in comparison) LFC?
Surely, if they where that good, City would just throw more cash at them to stay?
I'm very skeptical about anyone who leaves the millions and comfort of City.........I'm not being funny but, these fellas aren't life long LFC fans! Whats there motivation...A new project or City want to get rid anyway, as they're 'Not that very good'?

From what we read Fallows is getting a promotion and Hunter knows Rodgers from Reading. So there's some obvious reasons right there.

[Agent99]

Based on Ayre’s recent comments, I suspect that we will form a transfer committee comprising of Brendan Rodgers, Dave Fallows, the Head of our Medical Department, Michael Edwards (Head of Analytics) and somebody with their finger on the club’s financial pulse. I expect the club will pursue our new manager’s preferred targets but he will have to satisfy the other members of the committee / FSG that any acquisitions or disposals make objective sense. Hopefully this change will consign the spectre of Cheyrou, Diouf, Aquilani, Downing et al to the past and we can start to get real value for money.

Not sure if this has been answered before but why would the Head of the Medical Department have any input on who we sign?

[Veinticinco de Mayo]

Not sure if this has been answered before but why would the Head of the Medical Department have any input on who we sign?

I know. Lets not even do a medical...

[Shakes head and makes note of yet another thread to stay out of]

[CraigDS]

Not sure if this has been answered before but why would the Head of the Medical Department have any input on who we sign?

I can hear Kewell's and Aurellio's agents ringing us up as I type.

[rossipersempre]

I know. Lets not even do a medical...

[Shakes head and makes note of yet another thread to stay out of]

To be fair, a head of medical/fitness/conditioning shouldn't really have any input on the scouting and recruitment process.

Any signing is always subject to passing a medical, and it's at that stage, alongside Iqbal with his steth and ECG, that any concerns will crop up and their input required.

The manager and technical committee have a wealth of Opta stats to pore over, if they feel so inclined.

[peachybum]

Not sure if this has been answered before but why would the Head of the Medical Department have any input on who we sign?

Performing medicals and going over medical records of previous injuries etc isn't really that important is it. 

[Saint Kopite]

To be fair, a head of medical/fitness/conditioning shouldn't really have any input on the scouting and recruitment process.

Any signing is always subject to passing a medical, and it's at that stage, alongside Iqbal with his steth and ECG, that any concerns will crop up and their input required.

The manager and technical committee have a wealth of Opta stats to pore over, if they feel so inclined.

Well, the fact that the player may have a history of some threatening injuries etc doesn't matter? I don't see any issue with it. The Head of Medical Department won't say which player we should go for. His job would be to access the player's career and see if he has had any serious injuries which could potentially reoccur in future.

[rossipersempre]

Well, the fact that the player may have a history of some threatening injuries etc doesn't matter? I don't see any issue with it. The Head of Medical Department won't say which player we should go for. His job would be to access the player's career and see if he has had any serious injuries which could potentially reoccur in future.

Personally, I think we should steer VERY clear of any player who has such a dubious clinical history.

Of course, we could just become the Liverpool FC Rehab Centre instead, getting players fit ready to be loaned out/sold for peanuts to other clubs.

[CraigDS]

Well, the fact that the player may have a history of some threatening injuries etc doesn't matter? I don't see any issue with it. The Head of Medical Department won't say which player we should go for. His job would be to access the player's career and see if he has had any serious injuries which could potentially reoccur in future.

Not just that, but they also look at the technique of players and can see if they have a strange kick/twist of the leg/etc that could be a sign of a future injury or issues as they get older (in footballing terms).

[rossipersempre]

Not just that, but they also look at the technique of players and can see if they have a strange kick/twist of the leg/etc that could be a sign of a future injury or issues as they get older (in footballing terms).

No offence but you're talking nonsense here.

[Agent99]

To be fair, a head of medical/fitness/conditioning shouldn't really have any input on the scouting and recruitment process.

Any signing is always subject to passing a medical, and it's at that stage, alongside Iqbal with his steth and ECG, that any concerns will crop up and their input required.

The manager and technical committee have a wealth of Opta stats to pore over, if they feel so inclined.

I was aiming more for this. Probably should have worded my question better.

[Jeffe]

We're strengthening our scouting department with people who come from a club who have been better than us in the transfer market. And what do we do? Complain. Nice.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

We're strengthening our scouting department with people who come from a club who have been better than us in the transfer market. And what do we do? Complain. Nice.

Hey, at least we're consistent!

[Kovai Red]

But WHY leave City for us?

You can ask the same with any player/coach/anyone of anyclub who comes to join us. Being at City doesn't mean that the person should not join us. Some work for money, some work for their ambition. Its not the scouts who sign already star players gets menioned in history, its the scouts who unearth the gems. Maybe he is off the latter case.

[CraigDS]

No offence but you're talking nonsense here.

Nope, its actually true. Both Gerrard and Beckham had to change various things in their game (Beckham's was how his left foot and ankle acted when striking a ball) to prevent future injuries. I've read about a few other players but off the top of my head couldn't tell you their names.

Happens in other sports a hell of a lot too, Tiger Woods had to totally change his swing due to this.

[Carlito Roberto]

Who have city scouted in the last ten years?

Joe Hart must be one of a select few.

[Saint Kopite]

Personally, I think we should steer VERY clear of any player who has such a dubious clinical history.

Of course, we could just become the Liverpool FC Rehab Centre instead, getting players fit ready to be loaned out/sold for peanuts to other clubs.

Yes. But lets say we want Rossi. We would surely need the assessment of the Head of Medical Department then because while he he has had two serious injuries, he is a quality player. Whether there is any chance of of his injuries reoccurring or not etc. Like I said, I don't see any issue with him having an input. If anything, I actually think its a good thing.

[HarryLabrador]

The scouting job at city is like giving your wife your credit card on her birthday and telling her to go nuts.

Ha ha...it's my birthday on Sunday and that's exactly what I asked my husband for - his credit card. Seriously, so many exciting statements "building the club’s international scouting infrastructure using state-of-the-art technology". What's that when it's at home? I wonder what Graham Carr, chief scout at Newcastle will make of that.

[Juan Loco]

I see Rossi's already decided it's the wrong appointment on grounds of Untxikiness.

[sminp]

No offence but you're talking nonsense here.

He's not, they actually do that. They assess posture and all sorts as well. When you're spending millions you cover every potential injury.

[barnseysleftpeg]

Who have city scouted in the last ten years?

Vincent Komapny

[dast18]

No offence but you're talking nonsense here.

No offense, but he's not.

[macca888]

When are we signing up a Director of Recruitment Orthodontics to try and get a few quid knocked off the transfer fees?


http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/2176/serie-a/2009/06/17/1330743/exclusive-medical-expert-gives-views-on-aly-cissokhos-teeth

[rossipersempre]

We're strengthening our scouting department with people who come from a club who have been better considerably richer than thou than us in the transfer market. And what do we do? Complain. Nice.

[Gnurglan]

Found this on tlw.

I'm actually quite optimistic if these new guys are hired as "independent" from Rodgers. Means we're likely to keep them should we change managers. So we will at least have come one step closer to the kind of structure we want to have. Have no idea how good they are etc and their quality will be the key in the end. But as a general idea, I like what we intend to do here.

[barnseysleftpeg]

You would have to honestly say the record of City's scouts is mixed, at best, over the past 5 years or so.  Sure, they've won the league, but that's because they've been able to buy two or three 20 million pound+ players every window, and if one of them didn't work out, oh well.  Here we don't have that luxury, so there is more pressure to get it right, especially with the big money buys.

Hope we don't have to endure a Jo, a Santa Cruz, or a Robinho for every Kompany or Hart.  It's impossible for us to look behind the scenes to see which scout was heavily backing which players, and who was really at the reins when those decisions were made, but I'm hoping that these are the ones who were advocating the better ones.  How would our owners have any way of knowing which decisions these men were responsible for?

Jo to me seems like a scouts suggestion plus he had done well in the CL season before.  Santa Cruz was bought because he had been great for Hughes at Blackburn.  Robinho was a statement making buy, I doubt it had anything to do with the scouts.

[rossipersempre]

Ha ha...it's my birthday on Sunday and that's exactly what I asked my husband for - his credit card. Seriously, so many exciting statements "building the club’s international scouting infrastructure using state-of-the-art technology". What's that when it's at home? I wonder what Graham Carr, chief scout at Newcastle will make of that.

The man who got Comolli his P45 handed to him, and who FSG should have bent over backwards to bring in as Chief Scout.

Of course, they were waiting to appoint a DOF at the time weren't they? Or not, depending on what you wish to believe.

[rossipersempre]

I see Rossi's already decided it's the wrong appointment on grounds of Untxikiness.

Not at all mate, as my comment on Carr illustrates.

[Caffeine]

I'd still like to know why are they leaving City, can't be just because they are mates with Rodgers.

Why not? Cos you say so?

[stevo7]

I'm still waiting to see who is going to head up the contract negotiations for current/new players, cause this area has been shambolic for far too long.

We've managed some great signings in the last 10 years, but it's been down to the managers contacts - not Parry's/Purslow's/Ayre's ability to negotiate. If fact their lack of 'football' negoiation skills has led to some ridiculous contracts being given to certain players.

[mercury]

I'm actually quite optimistic if these new guys are hired as "independent" from Rodgers. Means we're likely to keep them should we change managers. So we will at least have come one step closer to the kind of structure we want to have. Have no idea how good they are etc and their quality will be the key in the end. But as a general idea, I like what we intend to do here.

haha, seems i'm echoing your thoughts a lot 

[barnseysleftpeg]

Joe Hart must be one of a select few.

Does Sturridge count?

[Kovai Red]

Does Sturridge count?

Micah Richards too?

[Juan Loco]

Not at all mate, as my comment on Carr illustrates.

So you're a big fan of Graham Carr, despite being at City when they scouted Gelson Fernandes, Rolando Bianchi, Elano, Felipe Caicedo etc? Basically a whole host of players who failed to settle in England... And Gelson Fernandes. I assume he would've been involved in scouting Jo as well, given he joined just weeks after Sven left, and Carr was tied to Sven.

He also worked under David Pleat when he was DOF at Spurs... Could he be the super scout that picked up Jonathan Blondel and Acimovic?

Carr's managed to have a banging season, let's be fair. He's not exactly Monchi in the mid-noughties though.

Would also seem a bit rich to put Balotelli on Fallows, given he's clearly Mancini's player, in moments of genius and otherwise.

[Cybertom]

I'm excited if anything, they've bought some decent players. Kompany and Hart obviously spring to mind first and foremost (although Kompany had build up a decent reputation), but also players such as Zabaleta and Adam Johnson have been more unearthed than not so. It's clear players like Robinho, Adebayor, Tevez, Silva, Aguero, Milner, Barry, Lescott, Nasri and such were very much owner/manager induced buys that displayed intent, but since scouting at Man City probably is a pressurised job where you are expected to bring in the best, I'd say its reasonably impressive that they've bought in some successful unknowns.

Note: Adam Johnson is, yes, up for debate as to which category he falls into.

[Cybertom]

Micah Richards too?

I wiki'd Richards because I thought he had moved there during his professional career, but he hasn't moved since becoming professional. Been at City since 2001.