I’m not sure where folk think we offer any evidence of quality scouting.
Our summer business has been proof of that “scouting” team being none other than very poor.
But when you don’t want to invest in infrastructure and instead talk it up and then play lip service to it instead this is what you end up with.
Cheaper players (let’s face it none were exactly cheap) who are still way over priced but then also way out of their depth.
The only one or two that may end up useful are the ones that we saw plenty of as opponents last season!
So when all is said and done, a lot was made of Wilder wasting money and his poor recruitment, yet in the 3 years since he left nothing about the recruitment has changed. The successes are the ones we’ve had plenty of knowledge and experience of playing against, and the others nowhere near the level or simply don’t fit with any kind of playing style we are capable of.
So you have to ask what the common denominator is over the past 4-5 years when the recruitment has fallen away from the earlier successes of the Wilder years.
Even then, I’d argue that Injuries/illness can’t really be classed as evidence of failure.
McB- plenty of evidence to suggest he was going to be a success
Brewster- as above, ticked all the boxes we lacked, looked a quality player for Swansea and looked to be going only in an upward trajectory.
Berge- Age, physique, pace, ability and class. Again looked to be heading only one way. (I’d argue we badly utilised him as well as his injury luck)
Fact is, if you want to stay in the premier league, the players that got you there and get older need replacing with quality. We tried, we were unlucky. It failed.
We’ve then gone up and instead of thinking we can’t be that unlucky again, we’ve opted for a totally opposite policy that is pauper by premier league standards, but rich for the leagues below….problem is we haven’t brought in players good enough for this league or the championship.
So we are heading for a whole world of pain!!