Nigel Pearson's DIY approach to Bristol City recruitment this summer as Mark Ashton departs The Robins are not bringing in any senior recruitment help with the outgoing CEO having led the department for the last five years After assessing their options and looking at what best complements the recruitment process at the club, the Robins are sticking as they are. Bristol Live understands that Bristol City have decided to not recruit a director of football or head of recruitment as things stand, following Mark Ashton having a central role previously and now heading to Ipswich Town. Nigel Pearson and head of technical recruitment Sean Gilhespy will instead conduct all incoming and outgoing business in BS3 this summer, with medical/fitness staff to yet be brought in to help after a horrendous catalogue of injuries across the 2020/21 season. New CEO Richard Gould joins up in June but is not expected to have the same wide-ranging role that Ashton has held. We profiled Gilhespy last week, and the Portishead resident has steadily become increasingly influential at Ashton Gate and the Robins High Performance Centre. Recruitment analysts Chester Perks, Simon Cozens and Dan Calcott work under Gilhespy and are helping to filter out transfer targets and produce reports. Former Leicester City talent spotters Steve Walsh and Rob Mackenzie were both linked with the club previously but neither is expected to arrive in BS3, with Pearson having worked extensively with the duo previously and remaining firm friends with the pair. While the Foxes won the FA Cup last weekend maintaining the good work of Claudio Ranieri and Pearson's foundations put in at the Midlands club, as his second spell there led to promotion to the Premier League and then an at-times-unlikely survival. Speaking specifically on player recruitment at the Robins, Pearson recently gave some detail on the processes in place at Bristol City that the manager believes are sufficient. "We have a recruitment department that is actually very, very good," explained Pearson on Geoff Twentyman's Sound of the Cityradio programme earlier this month. "I've been working very closely with a number of the staff we have in at the football club and we have a very good technical scouting system... You've used the word filter yourself and it's very important that we do that," said Pearson when asked to explain how recruitment will work at City now. "I think what's really important to point out is that I'm a part of the team myself," said Pearson when asked on his involvement beyond first-team duties. "It's important that everybody knows where they sit in an organisation. "It's not about control or having too much power, it's about being part of a team which is able to come to decisions which are made through a very visible process. What I mean by that is that what we can't do is invest money in players coming into the club if there's not due diligence over players. "I think what's really important to point out is that I'm a part of the team myself. It's important that everybody knows where they sit in an organisation. "It's not about control or having too much power, it's about being part of a team which is able to come to decisions which are made through a very visible process. What I mean by that is that what we can't do is invest money in players coming into the club if there's not due diligence over players," the manager said. Regarding the actual recruitment, Bristol City are not close to completing any signings just yet, though the market can change very quickly. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...igel-pearson-bristol-city-recruitment-5439248
This is why we needed a manager like Pearson, Despite what LJ and DH said, we all know MA was the puppet master. It seems NP will be his own man, which I like. The manager should be the one who identifies who he wants to recruit, nobody else!
That's the only true way forward because the manager has to have a definite say in recruitment rather than the muppet/puppet down the hall. Perhaps this radical change can be our new way forward and it will take time for the chips to fall where they may. The dross have been told to pack their bags and I rather hope the incomings don't show up in Bentleys and Lambos.
NP done it at Leicester and can do it it here. Apparently he blew the Lansdowns away with his meticulous interviews and vision for the club. Let the rebuild begin.
I know someone else who blew the Lansdowns away with his interview, as he also did with Sunderland’s owners
As someone who interviews on behalf of my company it’s so frustrating - some people are just brilliant at interviews and other people are good at the actual job but crap at interviews. Not digging at LJ but those situs exist and often as a hiring manager you KNOW who could do a good job but you still have to play the HR game and score people on their interview.
I see that we have a new head of Head of Medical Performance in Dave Rennie and although that may not sound like earth shattering news it does point the way to the changes happening under the watch of Nigel Pearson. When you consider all the different parts of Bristol City that never quite met the criteria or standard required I feel a breath of fresh air and commitment to the task at hand wafting across landscape and if ever there was the right time to support our manager fully then this is it. Have we finally left our questionable past in the dust for something special to rise from the ashes or will we revert to mediocrity and doubt? Truthfully I think the former will prevail but I am prepared for something less than a smooth ride - so bring it on Nigel.
If this is the standard going forward we are in great hands https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/dave-rennie-appointed-head-of-medical-performance/
This is I thought was brilliant, enlightening and quite cutting in equal measure. Dave is an expert in ensuring that players are physically robust enough to deal with the rigours of the football season. He is an important appointment in addressing that and building a fit and resilient squad.
