Recruitment Department Update

[loveWalrusDaveTheBlade]

I thought the plan was to recruit a Head of Recruitment (taking over Paul Mitchell's desk) under which Hoyland (head scout) and his team would sit. Where is the HoR?

Is CWAK now the HoR? If so, it seems like a backwards step as we need someone who we can trust to make the right recruitment decisions with CW's input. CW needs to be on the training pitch coaching the team and not having to fulfil multiple roles.

It feels like much of last summer's recruitment was done by a CWAK HoR. I was hoping for better this time around.

 

[Bladezz]

We all know my bias towards Wilder however,

His League one / championship recruitment is some of the best ever. Even at Boro his signings were very very good. I am happy for him to have a large role in the championship recruitment.

However this isn’t a long term approach. In the PL we need to be much better Wilder included. This is the top of the top and Wilder is competing against large scale organisations like Brentford and Brighton on his own contacts. It’s not appropriate.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

 

[Shakespeare blade]

Great news, was just about to post this myself, hopefully this appointment and approach will pay off

 

[Yogi]

Only Darren Ward missing now

 

[Beans]

A bit more detail as I'm a nerd and wanted to know more about Allen; he had an analyst role with United from 2008 - 2021 then left and joined Boro eight months later as their Head of Analysis (presumably a Wilder hire for them, too).

 

[Yogi]

A bit more detail as I'm a nerd and wanted to know more about Allen; he had an analyst role with United from 2008 - 2021 then left to join Boro as their Head of Analysis (presumably a Wilder hire for them, too).

View attachment 183197

Yeah he also went with Wilder to Watford he was one of three backroom staff that left with Wilder. Prestridge, Allen and Ward

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Awesome another Bladey McBladey hire and Wilder surrounds himself with another buddy (at best) / yes man (at worse).

Seriously, I do this shit for a living, and if one of our MDs was hiring his mates/former colleagues into senior roles, we'd be raising serious objections.

 

[Wincobank S9 Blade]

Announce blades analytics

 

[Torrix1889]

Meh...

 

[Gimli]

Announce blades analytics

We can but dream

 

[S17 Blade 1889]

Awesome another Bladey McBladey hire and Wilder surrounds himself with another buddy (at best) / yes man (at worse).

Seriously, I do this shit for a living, and if one of our MDs was hiring his mates/former colleagues into senior roles, we'd be raising serious objections.

This

 

[S64 Blade]

Awesome another Bladey McBladey hire and Wilder surrounds himself with another buddy (at best) / yes man (at worse).

Seriously, I do this shit for a living, and if one of our MDs was hiring his mates/former colleagues into senior roles, we'd be raising serious objections.

To be honest, people hiring those they know is rife in my industry (financial services).

It can be both a good, or bad thing. It depends on the person being hired and them having the skills and experience for the role, rather than just being a mate. It could be a good trusted pair of hands.

I suppose we will have to wait and see. I do seem to recall Wilder speaking highly of Allen when he was last here. Maybe he played a big part in our success?

 

[Shakespeare blade]

To be honest, people hiring those they know is rife in my industry (financial services).

It can be both a good, or bad thing. It depends on the person being hired and them having the skills experience for the role, rather than just being a mate. It could be a good trusted pair of hands.

I suppose we will have to wait and see. I do seem to recall Wilder speaking highly of Allen when he was last here. Maybe he played a big part in our success?

Well said, I’ve done it on multiple times to great affect, as I knew their abilities and more importantly they could put up with me

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

To be honest, people hiring those they know is rife in my industry (financial services).

It can be both a good, or bad thing. It depends on the person being hired and them having the skills experience for the role, rather than just being a mate. It could be a good trusted pair of hands.

I suppose we will have to wait and see. I do seem to recall Wilder speaking highly of Allen when he was last here. Maybe he played a big part in our success?

I get all of that, and if it were bringing his mate Wit in to put cones out and collect bibs, I've no issue.

However, these two roles should be completely and utterly independent of the First Team Coach and should be buying players to a long term strategic plan that over-rides the coach/manager. It's 2024 and it's how the likes of Brentford, Brighton, Fulham (I could go on) have built sustained success.

Can you see either of these two telling Wilder £20m for Brewster is a really bad idea, or that Ollie Burke is a lost cause??

The biggest issue for me though, is we're now a Wilder tantrum away from the whole club having no infrastructure....

 

[S64 Blade]

I get all of that, and if it were bringing his mate Wit in to put cones out and collect bibs, I've no issue.

However, these two roles should be completely and utterly independent of the First Team Coach and should be buying players to a long term strategic plan that over-rides the coach/manager. It's 2024 and it's how the likes of Brentford, Brighton, Fulham (I could go on) have built sustained success.

Can you see either of these two telling Wilder £20m for Brewster is a really bad idea, or that Ollie Burke is a lost cause??

The biggest issue for me though, is we're now a Wilder tantrum away from the whole club having no infrastructure....

I get that, but don't we have a transfer committee? Or did, so Wilder does not have an overall majority say. I might be wrong and I guess we don't know how that really works in practice.

I do agree though that the structure should be different for better longevity, with probably these types of roles ultimately reporting to a Director of Football.

 

[Balham]

This all feels like the Prince has given up running United so he's expecting Wilder to do it for him.

 

[Yogi]

I get all of that, and if it were bringing his mate Wit in to put cones out and collect bibs, I've no issue.

However, these two roles should be completely and utterly independent of the First Team Coach and should be buying players to a long term strategic plan that over-rides the coach/manager. It's 2024 and it's how the likes of Brentford, Brighton, Fulham (I could go on) have built sustained success.

Can you see either of these two telling Wilder £20m for Brewster is a really bad idea, or that Ollie Burke is a lost cause??

The biggest issue for me though, is we're now a Wilder tantrum away from the whole club having no infrastructure....

I agree with everything you’ve said but if we are genuinely and actively looking for a buyer I don’t think long term planning is the top priority at ownership level and so having a sustainable staffing structure might not have been a concern.

It’s possible that the goal is for Wilder to keep it afloat until it’s sold and so him hiring who he wants in the meantime makes sense. It’s bad practice and slightly terrifying but I can sort of see the logic.

Also any time Wilder talks about recruitment he’s very keen to underline the importance of this summer which is slightly positive at least at some level even if it doesn’t extend to ownership the club knows the extent of the task.

 

[Bladezz]

It’s hard to argue with his recruitment in the championship.

His recruitment in the championship was very good.

Looking forward to this. When we get promoted we need to really change it though and add many more people.

 

[Shakespeare blade]

I get all of that, and if it were bringing his mate Wit in to put cones out and collect bibs, I've no issue.

However, these two roles should be completely and utterly independent of the First Team Coach and should be buying players to a long term strategic plan that over-rides the coach/manager. It's 2024 and it's how the likes of Brentford, Brighton, Fulham (I could go on) have built sustained success.

Can you see either of these two telling Wilder £20m for Brewster is a really bad idea, or that Ollie Burke is a lost cause??

The biggest issue for me though, is we're now a Wilder tantrum away from the whole club having no infrastructure....

We’re no where near having the infrastructure of the Brighton, Brentford & Fulham etc, as much as I wish that’s where we’d invest our money in a worldwide scouting system and analytics but we just don’t have that kind of money or wealthy owner to invest in this side of things.
I’d want my teams to always work together, Wilder may have a strop again but the club have taken him back knowing this and clearly backing him

 

[BobblesBlade]

Good old local Sheff Utd.

Just need to get rid of all these foreign players now.

 

[Rodley]

To be honest, people hiring those they know is rife in my industry (financial services).

It can be both a good, or bad thing. It depends on the person being hired and them having the skills and experience for the role, rather than just being a mate. It could be a good trusted pair of hands.

I suppose we will have to wait and see. I do seem to recall Wilder speaking highly of Allen when he was last here. Maybe he played a big part in our success?

The most successful MD I worked for used to go to a new company, get rid of the crap, develop the talent and plug any gaps with the same trusted Directors / Senior Management he rated.

We’re in a dire situation so anyone competent who understands intuitively the requirements of the club, particularly in terms of character and attitude (notwithstanding the usual ability, track record, etc) of players should be welcomed IMHO. We’ve certainly had some players dialling it in who seemingly have ability but can’t really be arsed this year.

 

[cooperblade]

Lots of good points in this thread.

I'm not sure there's anyone at the club who is focussing on anything other than the very short-term. On a personal level, there's no point Wilder making any decisions that will pay off in anything more than 6-12 months time. His career trajectory is currently going the wrong way and he needs to (a) hold onto this job and (b) get us promoted or as close to it as possible next season. I can't imagine he cares about anything much beyond that.

At a board / ownership level, we've got Bettis whose priority is keeping the Prince happy not making the club better and then a disinterested (at best) board and owner who have shown that they don't really understand how football works and have made bad decisions regarding contracts and delaying payments which have cost us dearly.

I hope our next owner, regardless of their wealth, is more mentally and emotionally invested in the club and actually looks to put some foundations in place and transform us into a club that is more strategic and has a clear direction.

 

[alcoblade]

It’s hard to argue with his recruitment in the championship.

His recruitment in the championship was very good.

Looking forward to this. When we get promoted we need to really change it though and add many more people.

The problem is it’s too late by then. Of course the other problem is we (like most others) can’t afford to do what’s required for a premier league setup when we’re in the championship.

 

[CrookesBlade]

“Data Driven”

 

[Bladezz]

The problem is it’s too late by then. Of course the other problem is we (like most others) can’t afford to do what’s required for a premier league setup when we’re in the championship.

We aren’t able to compete in the PL long term. But wilder did manage to get us up and keep us up. Maybe his championship recruitment can strike again.

 

[ancientblade]

know lots are sceptical about these appointments but we have to give them a chance i personally like the jamie hoyland appointment think he will do a good job here im also not as negative about next season as most on here are get a few big earners out of the door and bring some good championship players in and maybe a couple of promising lower league players pig fans are very gobby just now but i dont think weve anything to worry about from them next season

 

[Bladezz]

Lots of good points in this thread.

I'm not sure there's anyone at the club who is focussing on anything other than the very short-term. On a personal level, there's no point Wilder making any decisions that will pay off in anything more than 6-12 months time. His career trajectory is currently going the wrong way and he needs to (a) hold onto this job and (b) get us promoted or as close to it as possible next season. I can't imagine he cares about anything much beyond that.

At a board / ownership level, we've got Bettis whose priority is keeping the Prince happy not making the club better and then a disinterested (at best) board and owner who have shown that they don't really understand how football works and have made bad decisions regarding contracts and delaying payments which have cost us dearly.

I hope our next owner, regardless of their wealth, is more mentally and emotionally invested in the club and actually looks to put some foundations in place and transform us into a club that is more strategic and has a clear direction.

That takes some serious investment but you are right.

This whole idea Wilder career on a huge trajectory downward Is a bit far fetched. Since he left us he did excellent at Boro for one season. Terrible for 10 games and got the bullet. Signed some good players and brought them in over £30m in transfer fees. While he was courted by Premier league clubs at the time of his first season which was one of the main factors for his sacking and rightly so.

They should have sacked him at the time with the worst interview in history where he was heavily linked going to Burnley and Bournemouth.

 

[Grizzly blade]

So it comes down to this in the end….how good is our computer software!! Or more accurately that of Mr Allen!!

Yes, I’m sure there’s the issue of interpreting data and so on, but there’s really no substitute for the eyes of a top scout, scouring the leagues looking for that next big player.

We look at the continent, and specifically those players coming into France and Belgium from an African background means there seems to be some very good athletic players there who we just never seem to pick up. What I would have liked to have seen would be an expansion of our scouting on the books of our club, not some agency that’s hawking everyone they can to as many clubs as they can hoping someone takes the bait.

Hoyand may be the man, quite honestly I have no clue how good he’s been at his job to now, but there is a sense of Deja vu with these appointments that suggests it will be a tired system retried with new eyes rather than the overhaul that was needed.

We have to hope that they are on it now, targeting the players who’ve been good last season and getting the bids in now to push deals through early. We really need a few through the door and done before they all jet off to their villas and fancy hotels, if just to fill the gaps that are already smacking us in the face.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Lots of good points in this thread.

I'm not sure there's anyone at the club who is focussing on anything other than the very short-term. On a personal level, there's no point Wilder making any decisions that will pay off in anything more than 6-12 months time. His career trajectory is currently going the wrong way and he needs to (a) hold onto this job and (b) get us promoted or as close to it as possible next season. I can't imagine he cares about anything much beyond that.

At a board / ownership level, we've got Bettis whose priority is keeping the Prince happy not making the club better and then a disinterested (at best) board and owner who have shown that they don't really understand how football works and have made bad decisions regarding contracts and delaying payments which have cost us dearly.

I hope our next owner, regardless of their wealth, is more mentally and emotionally invested in the club and actually looks to put some foundations in place and transform us into a club that is more strategic and has a clear direction.

Next owner is the key.

Firstly when- if it’s not in the next 12 months then we can really start to be very concerned.

Who- It seems there are other clubs managing to find owners who have the funds to prop up a club through a season in the championship, we however do not and despite our revenue next season by far outstripping all but 2 other clubs we will likely still be fishing at mid table at best with transfer and wage budgets.

But, if we’ve still got this Prince and his band of hopeless men sat on the board (and I include Bettis in this) come the end of this season then I fear what may be coming could be oblivion. He won’t be taking the risks he did last time.