Paul Mitchell - Our signings & success

[CaptainHotdog]

Piece in the Star today about how the opinion at Chesterfield is very much regret about how they let Paul Mitchell leave, Caldwell is unhappy there is no scouting network in place and that their misfortunes this season is down to poor recruitment.

I don't think it is a coincidence how since Mitchell has joined us our recruitment has become much more impressive and efficient.

Look at who we have signed this season:

John Fleck
Simon Moore
Mark Duffy
Jack O'Connell
James Hanson
Samir Carruthers
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Daniel Lafferty

There are more I could list - all have improved us and performed well. The point I am making is after years of shit signings we are finally getting right - almost all the time!

Chesterfield recruited very well while Mitchell was there.. He has a great knowledge of the game and player abilities.

He will prove to be just as, if not more important than any player that has joined us this season.

Just another reason to be positive about the future of this club! UTB

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Piece in the Star today about how the opinion at Chesterfield is very much regret about how they let Paul Mitchell leave, Caldwell is unhappy there is no scouting network in place and that their misfortunes this season is down to poor recruitment.

I don't think it is a coincidence how since Mitchell has joined us our recruitment has become much more impressive and efficient.

Look at who we have signed this season:

John Fleck
Simon Moore
Mark Duffy
Jack O'Connell
James Hanson
Samir Carruthers
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Daniel Lafferty

There are more I could list - all have improved us and performed well. The point I am making is after years of shit signings we are finally getting right - almost all the time!

Chesterfield recruited very well while Mitchell was there.. He has a great knowledge of the game and player abilities.

He will prove to be just as, if not more important than any player that has joined us this season.

Just another reason to be positive about the future of this club! UTB

He just needs to find todays version of Deane.

 

[YES Blade]

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Piece in the Star today about how the opinion at Chesterfield is very much regret about how they let Paul Mitchell leave, Caldwell is unhappy there is no scouting network in place and that their misfortunes this season is down to poor recruitment.

I don't think it is a coincidence how since Mitchell has joined us our recruitment has become much more impressive and efficient.

Look at who we have signed this season:

John Fleck
Simon Moore
Mark Duffy
Jack O'Connell
James Hanson
Samir Carruthers
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Daniel Lafferty

There are more I could list - all have improved us and performed well. The point I am making is after years of shit signings we are finally getting right - almost all the time!

Chesterfield recruited very well while Mitchell was there.. He has a great knowledge of the game and player abilities.

He will prove to be just as, if not more important than any player that has joined us this season.

Just another reason to be positive about the future of this club! UTB

Could have a very good point the scout . Do clubs perhaps not realise there importance until they have gone .

More prime example the demise of Leicester City and some of the purchasers they have made and there demise since Steve Walsh left and went to Everton.

Like Knill perhaps the chief scout is another unsung hero , like a bloody good fitness coach , medical staff etc etc .

We do seem to have cracked it in the back room staff , wilder has put together .

 

[I should coco]

Look at who we have signed this season:

John Fleck
Simon Moore
Mark Duffy
Jack O'Connell
James Hanson
Samir Carruthers
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Daniel Lafferty

Hoofers to a man.

Why has he not signed the new Messi or some other 'proper' footballer? For too long the S2 hoofers have forced us to sign dinosaurs who play dinosaur football in dinosaurland with their dinosaur paws and er....

Hound him out of town with sticks and get a proper scout in who knows how to play the 'right way'.

(Alcohol may have been consumed in the composition of this post possibly perhaps)

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Piece in the Star today about how the opinion at Chesterfield is very much regret about how they let Paul Mitchell leave, Caldwell is unhappy there is no scouting network in place and that their misfortunes this season is down to poor recruitment.

I don't think it is a coincidence how since Mitchell has joined us our recruitment has become much more impressive and efficient.

Look at who we have signed this season:

John Fleck
Simon Moore
Mark Duffy
Jack O'Connell
James Hanson
Samir Carruthers
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Daniel Lafferty

There are more I could list - all have improved us and performed well. The point I am making is after years of shit signings we are finally getting right - almost all the time!

Chesterfield recruited very well while Mitchell was there.. He has a great knowledge of the game and player abilities.

He will prove to be just as, if not more important than any player that has joined us this season.

Just another reason to be positive about the future of this club! UTB

Not withstanding the dangers of discussing an article in The Star on face value, the point on Mitchell is a good one. However, he did only join at the end of July so much of the earlier recruitment can't really be credited to his influence.

However, without really having Clarke's signing on his watch, his recruitment since joining has been nothing short of faultless. It's been a welcome return to astute transfers – something we've lacked for some time.

 

[The_Green_Man]

Whilst I agree that Mitchell is a fantastic scout, I think you also have to give Wilder a bit of credit because he obviously has a good eye as well!.....He has personally scouted a couple of these players himself, way before joining us.

He has stated that he has enquired about EEL in the past and tracked him from afar......The opportunity simply arose after becoming Sheffieldf United gaffer and it wasn't one that he was going to turn down.

And then we have Duffy and O'Connell, both of whom signed prior to Mitchell joining us as head scout......again you have to credit Wilder because in regards to Duffy in particular....Wilder said that he had watched him last season with Burton and he liked him.

I think it helps massively that Wilder has been avidly following United and League One......He has been to watch United a good few times and he watched plenty of Football League as a whole.......And I think a great deal of the earlier stuff was his doing.

Never the less though, I do believe that Mitchell is a fantastic scout with a great deal of knowledge about him. I remember an interview with Mitchell on Sheffield Live....One which he spoke of the scouting process and a desire to recruit the very best players from this league, the league below and non-league......Came across as very knowledegable.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Given the direction we appear to be headed, at what point do we anticipate signing players from abroad? Any club with ambition seems to have a credible scouting network abroad. I wonder if it's something we'll consider doing in future, or whether we're considering upping our game and looking at decent signings from abroad in the near future. Just a thought, and in no way meant as a criticism.

 

[The_Green_Man]

Given the direction we appear to be headed, at what point do we anticipate signing players from abroad? Any club with ambition seems to have a credible scouting network abroad. I wonder if it's something we'll consider doing in future, or whether we're considering upping our game and looking at decent signings from abroad in the near future. Just a thought, and in no way meant as a criticism.

I don't think that we have to go too deep overseas at any time in the immediate future.

I know it has been touted a good few times for obvious reasons however I think Barnsley are an excellent example of how recruitment can be done "sensibly" in that league. They went out and picked up a few players that had either flirted with or who they thought were tailor made Championship footballers....they then went on to compliment these players with a hand-full of young, hungry players from the top flight and top half of the Championship.

I am not saying that we should follow this to the book and that we would have the same degree of success in doing so....however it is most certainly food for thought and a fine example of sensible recruitment paying off.......It shows that splashing the cash here, there and everything isn't always necessary and that this country has it's fair share of talent, a good few of these being available for minimal fees if you do the homework!

Task One: Get promoted in the first place......

Task Two: Find our feet and establish ourselves as a Championship team again......

Task three (no timescale): Build sensibly and eventually be optimistic and go out in search of luxury players / match winners......

 

[LJBlade]

Just an aside, if it hasn't already been mentioned on here, Paul had actually agreed to join Portsmouth from Chesterfield about a week before Wilder called him up to say he'd been offered the job at United and he wanted him to go along as well. Portsmouth had apparently said he'd be given a big budget to work with to recruit players but he decided he really wanted to join United. It took some negotiation but our board made it happen

 

[itsinyerblood]

I don't think that we have to go too deep overseas at any time in the immediate future.

I know it has been touted a good few times for obvious reasons however I think Barnsley are an excellent example of how recruitment can be done "sensibly" in that league. They went out and picked up a few players that had either flirted with or who they thought were tailor made Championship footballers....they then went on to compliment these players with a hand-full of young, hungry players from the top flight and top half of the Championship.

I am not saying that we should follow this to the book and that we would have the same degree of success in doing so....however it is most certainly food for thought and a fine example of sensible recruitment paying off.......It shows that splashing the cash here, there and everything isn't always necessary and that this country has it's fair share of talent, a good few of these being available for minimal fees if you do the homework!

Task One: Get promoted in the first place......

Task Two: Find our feet and establish ourselves as a Championship team again......

Task three (no timescale): Build sensibly and eventually be optimistic and go out in search of luxury players / match winners......

Agree with all of that TGM. I'm too dyed in the wool to think beyond what we still have to achieve, and then next season. If we are promoted a few seasons building (not too many) won't harm at all. We can attempt to find little known jewels, or players that want their careers revived by decent coaches, and make us an increasingly stronger proposition, enabling us to tough it out and hopefully find that quality we'll definitely need. Although a long way off, I look at Southampton and their recruitment of overseas players. They've done very well in this department and it's contributed to their position as an established Prem club. But time enough for that, for now there's one priority that we need to address.

 

[The_Green_Man]

Agree with all of that TGM. I'm too dyed in the wool to think beyond what we still have to achieve, and then next season. If we are promoted a few seasons building (not too many) won't harm at all. We can attempt to find little known jewels, or players that want their careers revived by decent coaches, and make us an increasingly stronger proposition, enabling us to tough it out and hopefully find that quality we'll definitely need. Although a long way off, I look at Southampton and their recruitment of overseas players. They've done very well in this department and it's contributed to their position as an established Prem club. But time enough for that, for now there's one priority that we need to address.

I know what you are all about mate (#keepingitreal) and I know you are just gauging opinion for the long term etc.

I think the main question being...how equipped are we to scout in europe?

It must be somewhat unknown territory for us considering that we haven't looked much further than Scotland and a cheeky flirt in Holland in the last half decade to a decade. Mitchell is a decent scout in this country, he has experience in all tiers of the English system..however overseas? I would guess that he has little to no experience?

It would come at some point for sure because our set up is seen as our development setup is seen as one of the finest in England.....One day we will have half a dozen European youngsters around the place.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

I know what you are all about mate (#keepingitreal) and I know you are just gauging opinion for the long term etc.

I think the main question being...how equipped are we to scout in europe?

It must be somewhat unknown territory for us considering that we haven't looked much further than Scotland and a cheeky flirt in Holland in the last half decade to a decade. Mitchell is a decent scout in this country, he has experience in all tiers of the English system..however overseas? I would guess that he has little to no experience?

It would come at some point for sure because our set up is seen as our development setup is seen as one of the finest in England.....One day we will have half a dozen European youngsters around the place.

The problem is us setting up a scouting system outside the UK , it cost money . Also but for a few exceptions , the premiership clubs trawl the world like Japanese fishing trawlers .

Like you say Green Man it will come one day with European youngsters and first team players at BDTBL.

Someone mentioned Barnsley as the blueprint and there may be something in that . Closer to home - non league.

 

[The_Green_Man]

The problem is us setting up a scouting system outside the UK , it cost money . Also but for a few exceptions , the premiership clubs trawl the world like Japanese fishing trawlers .

Like you say Green Man it will come one day with European youngsters and first team players at BDTBL.

Someone mentioned Barnsley as the blueprint and there may be something in that . Closer to home - non league.

I think this "home grown talent" quota thing is working you know......This season being a prime example of how good the young talent is, not only in the top flight, but throughout all of the top four tiers.

Championship clubs are cashing in on it....and I am sure that we could as well. You only have to look at Joe Riley, he is one of the hot young talents at Manchester United.....Our reputation as a fine set up and development club brought him here......The first of many?

 

[Weasel]

I think if and when Utd get themselves established in the championship then that might be the time to get our scouts to dust down their passports and start looking overseas for players and perhaps we could have a bigger footprint in the more established overseas leagues such as the Spanish and German leagues. I think the Scandinavian market could potentially be a very good market for us with value for money for decent players.

Certainly I would hope that whilst not necessarily comprehensive, Utd already have an awareness of what's potentially about in the odd overseas league. I know Laurent D'Jaffo used to do a spot of scouting on the continent for Utd and it seems sensible to assume that we wouldn't have been using a large overseas scouting budget then.

It makes sense at the moment to ensure that we concentrate our scouting network and smaller budget on the market closer to home - trying to find the best up and coming players in division 1, 2, and some non league diamonds (like Barnsley have done). Also, we should continue to scout for the best young lads for the youth set up.

If and when we go up, and when we have a bigger scouting budget and we are trying to compete with clubs with silly transfer budgets, then this is when we really need to pick up some bargain's and get real bang for our buck. Look at Huddersfield for an example - they have gone overseas and brought in a fair number of very good players for not a lot of money. Certainly nowhere near what the Pigs have paid in transfer fees.

Despite that, I would always advocate us having a spine of the team which is British and ideally would have a natural affinity with the club. Ideally half our team would be Blades and lads who have graduated from the academy, but I accept that that is probably just wishful thinking.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Not withstanding the dangers of discussing an article in The Star on face value, the point on Mitchell is a good one. However, he did only join at the end of July so much of the earlier recruitment can't really be credited to his influence.

However, without really having Clarke's signing on his watch, his recruitment since joining has been nothing short of faultless. It's been a welcome return to astute transfers – something we've lacked for some time.

I suspect Mitchell was strongly involved last summer, he was as always coming here once Wilder was appointed. I agree it's early days though and how long is it since Mitchell was scouting for a Championship club.?

Always look at the head scout for any team that succeeds, he's one of t he key appointments. Treat him like a VIP and celebrate his achievements, always allowing for mistakes which there will always be.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Success in recruitment and utilisation of the transfer budget is one of the managers main tools to change things for the better, along with organisation, motivation and personal development of individual players.

 

[Northyorksblade]

Task One: Get promoted in the first place......

Task Two: Find our feet and establish ourselves as a Championship team again......

Task three (no timescale): Build sensibly and eventually be optimistic and go out in search of luxury players / match winners......

This will do me for the next couple of seasons.

 

[CaptainHotdog]

Some interesting points made, particularly around expanding our scouting network overseas..

I think it's a horses for courses scenario. On the whole League 1 doesn't accommodate foreign players who inevitably need time to settle. It's a long season, lots of games to be played and at times unattractive football on poor pitches.

I've watched a fair bit of Championship football recently, scoping what the standard is like for our (hopefully) imminent arrival. I see players getting more time on the ball, there is less emphasis on the physical and more on beating your opposition by out playing them. Foreign players have been schooled this way for a longer time than the British players and as such are settling in to Championship sides.

I agree with a point made previous - get out of this league, find our feet in the Championship and then expand the network - take some risks, see what is out there.

Surely the Belgium league has to be a high priority - the players that nation are producing at the moment is frightening.

 

[coolhandluke]

I think this "home grown talent" quota thing is working you know......This season being a prime example of how good the young talent is, not only in the top flight, but throughout all of the top four tiers.

Championship clubs are cashing in on it....and I am sure that we could as well. You only have to look at Joe Riley, he is one of the hot young talents at Manchester United.....Our reputation as a fine set up and development club brought him here......The first of many?

It could be plausibly argued that we seem equally adept at injuring these young loan players

 

[robbiez666]

I don't think it's down to Wilder, Knill or Mitchell on their own. It's a combination of them working together as a team.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Piece in the Star today about how the opinion at Chesterfield is very much regret about how they let Paul Mitchell leave, Caldwell is unhappy there is no scouting network in place and that their misfortunes this season is down to poor recruitment.

I don't think it is a coincidence how since Mitchell has joined us our recruitment has become much more impressive and efficient.

Look at who we have signed this season:

John Fleck
Simon Moore
Mark Duffy
Jack O'Connell
James Hanson
Samir Carruthers
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Daniel Lafferty

There are more I could list - all have improved us and performed well. The point I am making is after years of shit signings we are finally getting right - almost all the time!

Chesterfield recruited very well while Mitchell was there.. He has a great knowledge of the game and player abilities.

He will prove to be just as, if not more important than any player that has joined us this season.

Just another reason to be positive about the future of this club! UTB

I thought you were going to say which of those Mitchell scouted? I think most came in before he did? I hear he's a good scout though - but if you're going to attribute our success to his scouting then it would be more compelling if you said who he's scouted because it isn't all in that list.