Something Cotterill let slip in an interview, that when they chose the players it was a team strategy to sign players who fit the system they want to play. The difference with that and just signing 6 players for those positions is fine engineering. It takes a lot of confidence, vision and football knowledge to do it, and only the best teams are constructed in this way. Its excellent that SL has invested in the team at this stage, and if it has all been engineered by Cotterill then you have to admire it. But congratulations to Lansdown for backing the right horse
While publicly SC is in total control of all recruitment, I am beginning to wonder how much contribution is being contributed by Keith Burt and a scouting team. Cotterill obviously has a very good idea of how he wants the team to play and like all other managers probably spends hours on the road watching games involving possible targets, plus plenty of time in front of a TV looking at videos. But the recruitment very early in the summer for those positions that he saw as a weak link, looks as if it was the result of a well organised backroom team who were totally involved in the recruitment process but invisible to the public eye. And all done with the involvement and backing of SC. so far it appears to be paying dividends.
Well the likes of Smith, Freeman and Wilbraham were ALL wanted in the january window by cotts. So im sure he gets the biggest say in who we bring in
Of course he is, but probably for the first time at City, the manager decides who he wants in and then a team behind the scenes do all the negotiations leaving SC to do what he obviously does best.
