One for Bergen

[grafikhaus]

Hi Bergen (and everybody else...)

I've noticed a bloke sat right in front of me in the directors box taking copious notes during each game. I've tried to neb in, but can't make out exact details.

It got me thinking, do the old 'scouts' still exist, either watching upcoming talent or preparing a report on future opposition? A bloke I know used to scout for Oldham. He ticked all the boxes, dressed in a sheepskin and knew fuck all about football unless it was pre-Charles Green ('Messi? He wouldn't have got a touch against Lawrie Madden!' True, he said that, he's a Wednesdayite and utterly delusional.)

I saw Geoff Taylor (of 'Wilf's the Zone Man' fame) scouting for Reading last season at BDTBL and wondered what the hell he would be writing about our 'style of play'.

Anyway, came across this rather lengthy article last weekend. It's about the latest state-of-the-art methods to assess PL footballers. Worth a read.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I would be surprised if United didn't use some sort of post match video analysis of their games, but I've always been curious of who we employ and how they work. I liked the article and the amount of stats being made available to management teams now is impressive. However, to make good use of it, it has to be combined with a modern, effective playing style where roles are clearly defined and players complement eachother. Putting together 11 players with good stats wouldn't necessarily form an effective, balanced unit.

It would be interesting to see some stats of Monty's passing accuracy and McDonald's sloppy defensive work, but then again, most fans wouldn't be surprised. I bet there would be many more interesting stats that we could really learn from though. I thought about attempting a PlayerWatch article from one of the streamed matches on BladesPlayer, but I think the resolution is too poor and the camera misses out too much of the action by zooming too often. I got dizzy just watching the Carlisle game.

I think there are still loads of old school scouts in football, especially in the lower divisions. The good ones will go to a match and notice many important things about a player or a team's style, but there are also loads of things they will miss if they don't watch the video again afterwards. A couple of times I've watched United games twice on video and been amazed at how much more you pick up on the second viewing.

Apparantly Micky Adams got rid of most of our scouting network and brought in Dave Bassett, aided by his old school contacts. Is he still involved? In the summer McCabe said we would revise our scouting system, saying it should be "robust", whatever that means. Frank Barlow said we weren't looking abroad for players, "because we don't have to". I assume he think there are good enough and affordable targets in the UK, and indeed we haven't been linked with, let alone brought in anyone from abroad under Danny Wilson.

 

[DuncDisorderly]

Dont we have that ProZone system? I recall seeing a demonstration of it at an Open Day a couple of years back. Looked incredibly comprehensive...

 

[broomhillblade]

Several years ago I had the privilege of sitting close to Derek Dooley and a few senior players who were watching a reserve game at Saltergate.

There was a lot of amusing banter going on but Dooley's comments on various players, their strengths and weaknesses, were really instructive. That man knew his football, and his in-depth knowledge of our young players was remarkable. He clearly took a keen interest in the players at all levels.

 

[stannyblade]

there used to be scouts at the lane each week sat at the top of the John st stand in the padded seats

 

[Pedro Verde]

there used to be scouts at the lane each week sat at the top of the John st stand in the padded seats

Yes theres been a guy with a beard seen him at the odd game over the last few seasons sat there, but Ive seen about 3/4 times so far this season. I asked him on Saturday if he had a season ticket this year

 

[SwissBlade]

Another one for Bergen.... Hello from Oslo!!!

In town for tonight only, so not had chance to organise a beer, but I'll be in norway in the new year and will try Toni get up to Bergen

 

[Fiery Blade]

Which scout recommended Porter?
Probably a Boy Scout !

 

[Grecian2000]

Pah, thought this was a Shawcross photo gallery thread.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Another one for Bergen.... Hello from Oslo!!!

In town for tonight only, so not had chance to organise a beer, but I'll be in norway in the new year and will try Toni get up to Bergen

Apart from the cheap beer and warm weather of course, why are you travelling to Norway Swiss?

---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 PM ----------

Which scout recommended Porter?
Probably a Boy Scout !

Didn't he score a hat trick in a reserve game at the Lane last season. Could his signing have been arranged before Wilson arrived?

---------- Post added at 10:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

pah, thought this was a shawcross photo gallery thread.

................

 

[SwissBlade]

DNV in Oslo

 

[dkc Blade]

When Blackwell was Warnock's no.2, I met Blackwell while he was on a scouting mission in Copenhagen. They used a Danish bloke who I presume scouted for other clubs too. We watched the first half of an FC Copenhagen game. The player they were interested in was a striker called Razak Pimpong. He was shit as I recall. We then drove to AB Copenhagen to watch the second half of a game up there. I got us lost on the way and we had to ask directions to the stadium at a garage. By that time I was trashed as they had free Carlsberg in the posh seats at FC Copenhagen. I seem to remember the scout and Blackwell trying to leaving the AB stadium while I was taking a piss but I caught up with them and got a ride back into town. I ended up mistakenly leaving with the Danish scout's jacket. I wasn't invited on any other scouting missions, dunno why.