Transfer thread for 2016-17 season

Would you continue to pay someone who never went to a live game, yet was employed as a Scout ? Would you xontimue to employ someone whose office was based at the training ground yet would never get off his backside to watch Academy games or Fringe team pre season matches which took place less than 100 metres from his office ? Would you continue to pay someone who preferred to judge a player on his internet stats over actually watching the player live ?

 

Woah. Wasn't expecting this - I thought Mitchell was held in very high regard by the club, particularly by Poch himself who he worked under at Soton?

 

This is the bit that worries me about this. Is this likely to disillusion Poch?

 

It's the modern way. My kids expect everything to come to them via the electronic media and internet. When I travel to watch football or concerts they think that it's weird. I'm for the old fashioned way but maybe there's something in the new statistical approach?

No, it's all bollocks without actually seeing it for yourself. Stats in football are mostly useless information to my mind.

 

Doesn't look like he'll be going anywhere until after the window closes...



Also taking note here of Levy's "whilst most of our business has been completed."
Seeing as you don't really need a head of recruitment for outgoings, this is perhaps the strongest hint yet that there may well be one or two more incomings. Although if the one or two more Levy refers to is Nkoudou, I might cry.

 

The final Levy comment says it all. Levy's got nothing good to say about the bloke's performance at all. He's been here 2 years and he's got a lot of people working for him. I've written one or two references along such lines.

 

Well if he wasn't responsible for the arrivals of Alli, Toby and Wimmer I'd like to meet the man who was and shake him by the hand.

 

The Torygraph are reporting that Rob Mackenzie is headed to Derby. If so, the first thing he should identify is the club can do a lot better than leave their promotion chances in the hands of Barren Dent...

 

David Pleat was responsible for the signing of Dele Alli.

 

I've no idea who did what. I know a **** reference though.

 

What name did he actually give to Levy, then?

 

Probably not Bamidele, that's for sure...

 

Depends if it works or not. Our recruitment over the last couple of seasons has been enormously better than it has been for years and years.

This really worries me.

 

I don't like this at all. Both Mitchell and Mckenzie going?

Mainly because Pochettino wanted them there. No?

I hope this doesn't signify the beginning of Pochettino unrest.

 

Having read Spurcat's post about Mitchell and then tried taking an observational view, is his loss THAT big?

Our starting strongest XI:

Lloris
Walker, Toby, Jan, Rose
Dier, Dembele
Lamela, Eriksen, Alli
Kane

Of that team, only Toby and Alli were signed after Mitchell's appointment. It was well reported that Pleat was responsible for Alli's move to the Lane (confirmed by Spurcat too) and so it leaves Toby, along with squad players such as Kev, Tripps, N'Jie, Son, Wanyama and Janssen as guys that had come in during his tenure.
Toby was quality for Soton in 14/15 and so it's hardly good scouting work to know he'd have fit in well here, albeit he surpassed everyone's expectations.
Tripps and Wanyama are "known" players due to playing in the Prem.
Son and Janssen had big reputations in Germany and Holland respectively.
So I'd say it leaves just N'Jie and Kev as the two who I presume were genuinely scouted as unknowns who could make an impact. N'jie unfortunately suffered an injury and now looks to be off, though Big Kev has been a revelation.

Overall I'd say that Mitchell's signings, with the exceptions of Big Kev and N'Jie, were guys that were already established in which Poch & Co were likely already aware of and could have easily asked Levy to sign without the need/ help of Mitchell, especially the Prem-based lads.

It's also worth noting that Poch himself has helped develop players immensely and so while most of the signings have been successes, I think our gaffer and his coaching staff have played major roles in ensuring they fitted in well and impressed.

I'm probably seeing this as a glass half full scenario and while I'd rather not lose any staff in a period where we're enjoying a great spell, I really don't think Mitchell's loss is as bad as we all may think.

 

Hopefully, what we now have in place is a system for scouting where the actual individuals are actually replaceable e.g. Mitchell goes but we can find a similar person happy to slot into that role within it. While it may not be easy to find the right people to fulfil those roles well, it should never be the case that losing one person causes the whole thing to stop working.

If it is true that Mitchell has grown tired of Levy's penny pinching, then what does that say about him as a scout? Surely he is earning his money by identifying those players which are under the radar and as such relatively cheaper. I could be a scout and say that Draxler/Ronaldo/Pogaba are good players, so Levy, open your wallet and buy them. It's identifying and convincing the club that the likes of Kante, Mahrez or Alli are the ones we should be taking a punt on.

 

Spurcat has given a clear picture of his criticisms of Mitchell. Reading between the lines of Levy's comments he appears less than impressed with Mitchell. Maybe Pochettino is of a similar opinion.
When he was at Southampton and his mate was fired Pochettino immediately made it publicly clear that he wanted out. There is nothing to suggest that is his feeling at this time.
Finally, if a scout is getting pissed off at a chairman's tight control of the budget I think that suggests to me that the scout has a way too high opinion of himself.
he is supposed to identify players that suit the team being made by the coach/manager ...if anyone should be pissed of with lack of transfer funds it should be the manager imo.

 

Am I missing something? Surely Alderweireld and Wanyama were only known Premiership performers because Mitchell took them to Southampton?

 

Fair point but it still makes Toby as the only player to truly cement themselves in the first XI. Wanyama is here as cover/ competition for Dier.

Lloris, Walker, Jan, Rose, Dier, Dembele, Lamela, Eriksen and Kane were all here pre-Mitchell while Alli was scouted by Pleat.