January Transfer Window

[Oisin]

2 hours ago, benjii said:

I'm not too fussed if we don’t sign anyone else. Realistically, signing better players than Stewart, Armstrong, THB, Stephens etc. in January is not easy. We just need to get our players delivering.

GK was important and obviously it remains to be seen if we've got that right but we have at least tried.

A quality loan like Brooks would be great, though.

I have to disagree - this squad has been crying out for a proper number 9 for years. We need to loan someone in if we can’t find a permanent option. 

Experience tells us Ross will get injured very soon and likely be out for the season … which will leave us without any number 9 and trying to make ArmA work in that role again.

We can cope elsewhere but not up front. It’s not so much the goals but the whole pattern of play, as evidenced on Wednesday evening.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

2 hours ago, benjii said:

I'm not too fussed if we don’t sign anyone else. Realistically, signing better players than Stewart, Armstrong, THB, Stephens etc. in January is not easy. We just need to get our players delivering.

GK was important and obviously it remains to be seen if we've got that right but we have at least tried.

A quality loan like Brooks would be great, though.

Thats the crux for this season, the players, manager(s), coaching staff and club have not delivered this season. 

But hey at least we got LEVEL 1 at St Marys!

[OneMrsWallace]

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker, I can't see anything much happening now. So unless something remarkable takes place this week, for me, that means one of three things.

1) SR are so deluded they believe the current manager and squad can still reach the play offs (Given it's SR that is believable)

2) They have accepted promotion is now unlikely and would rather spend well in the summer 

3) Dragan is planning for a sale of the club at the end of the season and so doesn't want to invest the necessary on decent players in case we're still not promoted.

1 seems most likely 2 sort of middling - but I just have a gut instinct it's 3, based partly on the total silence from the board for much of the season and the fact that I'm not sure his ego will allow him to own a club outside the PL for another season. There's also been some speculation his business is not doing well from what I've read. I guess we won't know the truth for a while.

 

 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

19 minutes ago, OneMrsWallace said:

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker

Would happily see Armstrong moved on, although I do think it should be at the end of the season.

[woodsaint1]

6 hours ago, saintant said:

What you mean the £62 million profit we made on player trading 🙂

Sure SR have pocketed that already

[Harry_SFC]

21 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Would happily see Armstrong moved on, although I do think it should be at the end of the season.

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

[Patrick Bateman]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

I noticed that, but I just assumed it was because he felt Scienza should've passed to HIM to score ... ?? Either way, not great.

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

Yep, he actually looked pissed off immediately after the goal. F*** knows why such an un-inspirational shrug-shoulders player is ever entrusted with the captain's armband when Stephens isn't playing (other than the usual poor managerial judgement of course) 

I'd be inclined to move him on in this window if we can get a decent loan replacement for the rest of the season, despite the inevitable howls of derision from the "yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit" fraternity...

Edited yesterday at 16:04 by trousers

[Harry_SFC]

8 minutes ago, trousers said:

Yep, he actually looked pissed off immediately after the goal. F*** knows why such an un-inspirational shrug-shoulders player is ever entrusted with the captain's armband when Stephens isn't playing (other than the usual poor managerial judgement of course) 

I'd be inclined to move him on in this window if we can get a decent loan replacement for the rest of the season, despite the inevitable howls of derision from the "yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit" fraternity...

Yep. He's been really ineffective since the end of November and hasn't looked interested since Christmas. If we can get a decent fee for him and a good replacement then I agree.

[woodsaint1]

44 minutes ago, OneMrsWallace said:

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker, I can't see anything much happening now. So unless something remarkable takes place this week, for me, that means one of three things.

1) SR are so deluded they believe the current manager and squad can still reach the play offs (Given it's SR that is believable)

2) They have accepted promotion is now unlikely and would rather spend well in the summer 

3) Dragan is planning for a sale of the club at the end of the season and so doesn't want to invest the necessary on decent players in case we're still not promoted.

1 seems most likely 2 sort of middling - but I just have a gut instinct it's 3, based partly on the total silence from the board for much of the season and the fact that I'm not sure his ego will allow him to own a club outside the PL for another season. There's also been some speculation his business is not doing well from what I've read. I guess we won't know the truth for a while.

 

 

It's also worth adding that the January window is always more difficult. Teams are unwilling to sell mid-season unless they have a good replacement lined up and players are ridiculously overpriced.

When was the last time we actually made a decent permanent January signing? Gabbiadini? We've had some decent loans like KWP and Brooks, but plenty of panic buys like Tall Paul, Orsic, Carrillo and Sulemana 💩

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Yep, he actually looked pissed off immediately after the goal. F*** knows why such an un-inspirational shrug-shoulders player is ever entrusted with the captain's armband when Stephens isn't playing (other than the usual poor managerial judgement of course) 

I'd be inclined to move him on in this window if we can get a decent loan replacement for the rest of the season, despite the inevitable howls of derision from the "yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit" fraternity...

yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit.

I just wanted to join a fraternity. 🙂

[Convict Colony]

sell him while his stock is high

[saintant]

With the defence looking better now we need to bring in a good all rounder in midfield with power and strength plus a big centre forward. Loans from Prem clubs might be the way to go.

[Lord Duckhunter]

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

He played a straight bat when talking to Blackmore after the game. More or less said he's under contract here and will be happy to stay. 

[Harry_SFC]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

I wouldn't be against giving him a new deal tbh. Can never fault his commitment and is a steady player, probably doesn't kick up a fuss when he isn't playing. Let's be honest, we aren't going up this season so he would come in handy next year.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

10 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I wouldn't be against giving him a new deal tbh. Can never fault his commitment and is a steady player, probably doesn't kick up a fuss when he isn't playing. Let's be honest, we aren't going up this season so he would come in handy next year.

We've Suguwara under contract until 28 and signed Roerslev until 29. Tonda also likes a wing back. Bree could provide competition on the left too, but we have Manning and Welington there.

So, at least 1 is going to have to go, to give realistic room for Bree, I'd guess.

[Harry_SFC]

36 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

We've Suguwara under contract until 28 and signed Roerslev until 29. Tonda also likes a wing back. Bree could provide competition on the left too, but we have Manning and Welington there.

So, at least 1 is going to have to go, to give realistic room for Bree, I'd guess.

I doubt Bree will actually be here but I can't see a way back for Sugawara either.

I'd happily see the back of Manning as well. 

[skintsaint]

28 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

but I can't see a way back for Sugawara either.

Apparently doing already at Werder so might be off anyway.

[Hawkswood]

22 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Apparently doing already at Werder so might be off anyway.

Was that meant to say doing alright ?

[Suhari]

20 minutes ago, Hawkswood said:

Was that meant to say doing alright ?

Al Ready is the physio at Werder I believe.

[SW11_Saint]

7 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

I noticed that, but I just assumed it was because he felt Scienza should've passed to HIM to score ... ?? Either way, not great.

He’d have missed…

[coalman]

15 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

I noticed that, but I just assumed it was because he felt Scienza should've passed to HIM to score ... ?? Either way, not great.

Armstrong of all people can't complain when someone decides to take a shot. The man lashes at goal every chance he gets. Leo was clean through one on one and I trust his composure way more.

Not celebrating a goal against the Skates because you didn't score it isn't a good look.

[Turkish]

50 minutes ago, coalman said:

Armstrong of all people can't complain when someone decides to take a shot. The man lashes at goal every chance he gets. Leo was clean through one on one and I trust his composure way more.

Not celebrating a goal against the Skates because you didn't score it isn't a good look.

It cant be that surely? He was one on one he had every right to shoot. Could understand him being annoyed if he missed but he didn’t, surely people reading more into it than there is?

[coalman]

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

It cant be that surely? He was one on one he had every right to shoot. Could understand him being annoyed if he missed but he didn’t, surely people reading more into it than there is?

From the replays I saw it looked like he was already berating Leo for shooting before it hit the back of the net. And after the goal went in he just stood there and didn't celebrate at all. No idea why he reacted that way - but it was a really strange reaction.

[Fabrice29]

I haven’t seen his reaction but from what you’re describing it’s more likely he’s recognising every player is/about to be in our own half and he’s being cautious by staying in the opposition half. 

Edited 12 hours ago by Fabrice29

[Ted Bates Statue]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

It cant be that surely? He was one on one he had every right to shoot. Could understand him being annoyed if he missed but he didn’t, surely people reading more into it than there is?

Yes

 

 

[SaintLondon]

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

From the replays I saw it looked like he was already berating Leo for shooting before it hit the back of the net. And after the goal went in he just stood there and didn't celebrate at all. No idea why he reacted that way - but it was a really strange reaction.

I wouldn’t have passed to him either.  Won’t be sorry to see him leave.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

9 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

He’d have missed…

Definitely, with the form Armstrongs been in. It would not have been definite goal.

[tdmickey3]

Complacency, arrogance and cluelessness, should be the result if you enter Sport Republic in a search bar on the internet 

That`s why we are lower half of the Championship

[Turkish]

32 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Complacency, arrogance and cluelessness, should be the result if you enter Sport Republic in a search bar on the internet 

That`s why we are lower half of the Championship

It was before SR but they have for sure amplified it. Ever since Koeman went there seems to have been this belief that we could beat the system. SR have taken it up a notch. The fact that Ankersen seems to believe you dont need to watch a player before you sign them sums it all up, utterly bonkers. Would you hire a new employee without interviewing them, just going by what their CV and Linkedin profile said. You wouldn't do it for a self stacker in Aldi so why do they think it make sense to do if for a multi million pound transaction? This eyes can decieve you bollocks is just nonsense, you need to base you decisions on what you see AND data. For a while data said Jannick Vestergaard was one of the best centre backs in the premier league, but after watching him for 30 minutes you could quite clearly see he wasn't even one of the best centre backs when he was here.

Edited 10 hours ago by Turkish

[Miltonaggro]

45 minutes ago, SaintLondon said:

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

My decent contact, who has been on the money this season to be honest, reckons we have sounded out Piroe on loan. So it’s likely he is waiting to see if a better offer comes in before committing to the Tonda water-treading project. Said back in December that i thought we’d be in for a goalie, centre back and centre forward on half season loan in January and still think that’s what we will end up with. 

 

[ally_uk]

1 hour ago, SaintLondon said:

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

Sign a couple? Are we getting Posh n Becks? 🤣

[lambtiss]

1 hour ago, SaintLondon said:

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

If we're not going to be excited then what's the point. We're already overloaded with players that don't excite me 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

17 minutes ago, ally_uk said:

Sign a couple? Are we getting Posh n Becks? 🤣

Too much football knowledge for Rasmus to feel comfortable.

I reckon...

 

[DT]

19 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

It's because he's a cock

[Chez]

16 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

Are Charlton even looking to buy him? They have signed Harry Clark on loan from Ipswich until the end of the season. That suggests that either they didn't think Bree was all that or we informed Charlton we wanted him for the remainder of the season. Seeing as we have struggled for fullbacks, that might be the case.

[Chez]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

It was before SR but they have for sure amplified it. Ever since Koeman went there seems to have been this belief that we could beat the system. SR have taken it up a notch. The fact that Ankersen seems to believe you dont need to watch a player before you sign them sums it all up, utterly bonkers. Would you hire a new employee without interviewing them, just going by what their CV and Linkedin profile said. You wouldn't do it for a self stacker in Aldi so why do they think it make sense to do if for a multi million pound transaction? This eyes can decieve you bollocks is just nonsense, you need to base you decisions on what you see AND data. For a while data said Jannick Vestergaard was one of the best centre backs in the premier league, but after watching him for 30 minutes you could quite clearly see he wasn't even one of the best centre backs when he was here.

Watch them live or watch them at all? If the latter, then that's madness (personally I'd want to see a guy live before spending million on him), but I thought we had several video analysts at the club - so wouldn't they be watching film of players?

[bugenhagen]

26 minutes ago, Chez said:

Watch them live or watch them at all? If the latter, then that's madness (personally I'd want to see a guy live before spending million on him), but I thought we had several video analysts at the club - so wouldn't they be watching film of players?

Why on earth would you waste time watching players, when you can study their stats on spreadsheets? Stats don’t lie, and putting that data into a model will tell you if said player will generate profit in a year or two!

[Chez]

3 hours ago, coalman said:

From the replays I saw it looked like he was already berating Leo for shooting before it hit the back of the net. And after the goal went in he just stood there and didn't celebrate at all. No idea why he reacted that way - but it was a really strange reaction.

Doesn't look like that to me. I don't see him berating Leo at all. Looks like he shouts something to Leo immediately after he has scored as they faced each other - probably "yeeeessss" - and then Leo runs off to celebrate and AA doesn't chase after him.

Looking at the video closely, some players jog/run in Leo's direction to celebrate, but several ignore him and head towards Azaz. Pretty normal stuff - players reacting differently to goals going in. That said, Armstrong's celebration seems almost non existent and there is no "glee" which we all experienced. All I can say is that as a striker, you want to be the guy scoring the goals and when others score you sometimes don't feel the same joy. However, to counter that, if the game means everything to you, as this one should, then you are normally keen to share the enjoyment of a goal. Either he's being super professional and knowing the game still needs to be won or he just isn't feeling it at that moment?

Not sure Armstrong is a big celebrator of goals either, even his own (I might be wrong there). He often seems a little muted or that's the impression I have had this season.  I've tried to look back and see how he has celebrated recent goals, but he's not really been on the pitch when we have scored. I think the THB equaliser at Oxford was the last one - he certainly goes to celebrate with THB, but THB steams off and the video cuts off. Looking at that specific goal, it's noticeable that Fellows doesn't celebrate at all or try to join in, while the rest of the players at least head in the goalscorers direction. Is his reaction strange or is it just normal that you don't always 'feel glee' when a goal goes in? 

36 second in for that Oxford goal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBoicPHGYF4

[coalman]

32 minutes ago, Chez said:

Watch them live or watch them at all? If the latter, then that's madness (personally I'd want to see a guy live before spending million on him), but I thought we had several video analysts at the club - so wouldn't they be watching film of players?

I think they're referring to this interview with Ankersen where he says he prefers watching match videos over being in person though that the scout's job is not to say whether the play is good or not because they already know. Some key quotes below

https://thecorrespondent.com/2607/how-data-not-people-call-the-shots-in-denmark/230219386155-d2948861

Where he says:

• ‘The scouts do a different job here,’ Ankersen says. ‘We tell them: your job is not to tell us whether a player is good or not. We already know that. The scouts need to see whether they are a fit from a personal, psychological point of view.’

• In fact, Midtjylland are questioning how valuable it is for their scouts to travel to live matches to evaluate players. ‘One game doesn’t tell you anything as a scout. If you base your opinion of a player on a few games you’ve attended, it will blur your vision. It’s a small sample. We believe it is more effective to see lots of matches on video.’

• Last week, Ankersen travelled to Spain to meet with a player who is on a team in the Segunda Division. According to the model, however, the club plays like a mid-table team in the Primera Division; i.e. a lot stronger than its real-world position.

  ‘And I’m not going there to watch him play,’ Ankersen says – this could only muddle his opinion of the player, who he knows is good. ‘It’s to convince him to move to Denmark.’

• ‘People see huge difference between the Premier League and the lower divisions in England,’ Ankersen explains. ‘We think this is not true. There is a big gap between the Premier League’s number 7 and number 10. But the gap between the Premier League’s number 10 and the Championship, or even League One, is far smaller.’

• Sparv landed on the club’s radar because Midtjylland’s model was bullish on his former club, Greuther Fürth, from Germany’s second tier. ‘Our model says that last season, Greuther Fürth were good enough to play in the English Premier League.’
   
• ‘We redesigned the club based on a question: what would a football club look like if it had no human eye and ear? Of course, it turns out you need a human element. But if you say from the start that ‘Oh, it has to be a combination of stats and humans,’ then you won’t be radical enough to be able to make a difference.’

[Chez]

3 hours ago, SaintLondon said:

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

"We'll most likely sign a couple" - sounds promising. I haven't expected us to do any/much business in this window considering the amount of players signed in the summer.  

[coalman]

8 minutes ago, Chez said:

Doesn't look like that to me. I don't see him berating Leo at all. Looks like he shouts something to Leo immediately after he has scored as they faced each other - probably "yeeeessss" - and then Leo runs off to celebrate and AA doesn't chase after him.

Looking at the video closely, some players jog/run in Leo's direction to celebrate, but several ignore him and head towards Azaz. Pretty normal stuff - players reacting differently to goals going in. That said, Armstrong's celebration seems almost non existent and there is no "glee" which we all experienced. All I can say is that as a striker, you want to be the guy scoring the goals and when others score you sometimes don't feel the same joy. However, to counter that, if the game means everything to you, as this one should, then you are normally keen to share the enjoyment of a goal. Either he's being super professional and knowing the game still needs to be won or he just isn't feeling it at that moment?

Not sure Armstrong is a big celebrator of goals either, even his own (I might be wrong there). He often seems a little muted or that's the impression I have had this season.  I've tried to look back and see how he has celebrated recent goals, but he's not really been on the pitch when we have scored. I think the THB equaliser at Oxford was the last one - he certainly goes to celebrate with THB, but THB steams off and the video cuts off. Looking at that specific goal, it's noticeable that Fellows doesn't celebrate at all or try to join in, while the rest of the players at least head in the goalscorers direction. Is his reaction strange or is it just normal that you don't always 'feel glee' when a goal goes in? 

36 second in for that Oxford goal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBoicPHGYF4

Fair points. Maybe that's part of the problem - they squad aren't invested in each other's success.

[SWLondon Saint]

14 minutes ago, coalman said:

I think they're referring to this interview with Ankersen where he says he prefers watching match videos over being in person though that the scout's job is not to say whether the play is good or not because they already know. Some key quotes below

https://thecorrespondent.com/2607/how-data-not-people-call-the-shots-in-denmark/230219386155-d2948861

Where he says:

• ‘The scouts do a different job here,’ Ankersen says. ‘We tell them: your job is not to tell us whether a player is good or not. We already know that. The scouts need to see whether they are a fit from a personal, psychological point of view.’

• In fact, Midtjylland are questioning how valuable it is for their scouts to travel to live matches to evaluate players. ‘One game doesn’t tell you anything as a scout. If you base your opinion of a player on a few games you’ve attended, it will blur your vision. It’s a small sample. We believe it is more effective to see lots of matches on video.’

• Last week, Ankersen travelled to Spain to meet with a player who is on a team in the Segunda Division. According to the model, however, the club plays like a mid-table team in the Primera Division; i.e. a lot stronger than its real-world position.

  ‘And I’m not going there to watch him play,’ Ankersen says – this could only muddle his opinion of the player, who he knows is good. ‘It’s to convince him to move to Denmark.’

• ‘People see huge difference between the Premier League and the lower divisions in England,’ Ankersen explains. ‘We think this is not true. There is a big gap between the Premier League’s number 7 and number 10. But the gap between the Premier League’s number 10 and the Championship, or even League One, is far smaller.’

• Sparv landed on the club’s radar because Midtjylland’s model was bullish on his former club, Greuther Fürth, from Germany’s second tier. ‘Our model says that last season, Greuther Fürth were good enough to play in the English Premier League.’
   
• ‘We redesigned the club based on a question: what would a football club look like if it had no human eye and ear? Of course, it turns out you need a human element. But if you say from the start that ‘Oh, it has to be a combination of stats and humans,’ then you won’t be radical enough to be able to make a difference.’

Oh, so that's how they managed to build the second worst team in Premier League history.

Utter c***s.

[BARCELONASAINT]

9 minutes ago, coalman said:

I think they're referring to this interview with Ankersen where he says he prefers watching match videos over being in person though that the scout's job is not to say whether the play is good or not because they already know. Some key quotes below

https://thecorrespondent.com/2607/how-data-not-people-call-the-shots-in-denmark/230219386155-d2948861

Where he says:

• ‘The scouts do a different job here,’ Ankersen says. ‘We tell them: your job is not to tell us whether a player is good or not. We already know that. The scouts need to see whether they are a fit from a personal, psychological point of view.’

• In fact, Midtjylland are questioning how valuable it is for their scouts to travel to live matches to evaluate players. ‘One game doesn’t tell you anything as a scout. If you base your opinion of a player on a few games you’ve attended, it will blur your vision. It’s a small sample. We believe it is more effective to see lots of matches on video.’

• Last week, Ankersen travelled to Spain to meet with a player who is on a team in the Segunda Division. According to the model, however, the club plays like a mid-table team in the Primera Division; i.e. a lot stronger than its real-world position.

  ‘And I’m not going there to watch him play,’ Ankersen says – this could only muddle his opinion of the player, who he knows is good. ‘It’s to convince him to move to Denmark.’

• ‘People see huge difference between the Premier League and the lower divisions in England,’ Ankersen explains. ‘We think this is not true. There is a big gap between the Premier League’s number 7 and number 10. But the gap between the Premier League’s number 10 and the Championship, or even League One, is far smaller.’

• Sparv landed on the club’s radar because Midtjylland’s model was bullish on his former club, Greuther Fürth, from Germany’s second tier. ‘Our model says that last season, Greuther Fürth were good enough to play in the English Premier League.’
   
• ‘We redesigned the club based on a question: what would a football club look like if it had no human eye and ear? Of course, it turns out you need a human element. But if you say from the start that ‘Oh, it has to be a combination of stats and humans,’ then you won’t be radical enough to be able to make a difference.’

To put this into perspective i have some insight into modern scouting as my son is the Chief scout for a team in the 2nd division of the MLS.

He does not live in the USA and in fact  has only been to his team in Arizona once.

Yes he has travelled to watch players in the country his lives in (Venezuela), he did travel recently to do some scouting in Africa (Senegal) and he does go to games when back in the UK to visit family but that is generally as much face to face scouting he does.

The vast majority of his time is spent analysing video footage and stats. Anyone that knows him recognises he has an eye for a player and this pre-season for his American team has been telling by the number of players his side have signed purely on his recommendation.

I'm off the older generation where my idea of a scout is someone that goes to watch players all the time but i appreciate everything changes and nowadays it is possible to discover players purely through the ability to watch video footage.

 

 

[saintant]

3 hours ago, SaintLondon said:

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

If true that's a surprise said no one.

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, coalman said:

I think they're referring to this interview with Ankersen where he says he prefers watching match videos over being in person though that the scout's job is not to say whether the play is good or not because they already know. Some key quotes below

https://thecorrespondent.com/2607/how-data-not-people-call-the-shots-in-denmark/230219386155-d2948861

Where he says:

• ‘The scouts do a different job here,’ Ankersen says. ‘We tell them: your job is not to tell us whether a player is good or not. We already know that. The scouts need to see whether they are a fit from a personal, psychological point of view.’

• In fact, Midtjylland are questioning how valuable it is for their scouts to travel to live matches to evaluate players. ‘One game doesn’t tell you anything as a scout. If you base your opinion of a player on a few games you’ve attended, it will blur your vision. It’s a small sample. We believe it is more effective to see lots of matches on video.’

• Last week, Ankersen travelled to Spain to meet with a player who is on a team in the Segunda Division. According to the model, however, the club plays like a mid-table team in the Primera Division; i.e. a lot stronger than its real-world position.

  ‘And I’m not going there to watch him play,’ Ankersen says – this could only muddle his opinion of the player, who he knows is good. ‘It’s to convince him to move to Denmark.’

• ‘People see huge difference between the Premier League and the lower divisions in England,’ Ankersen explains. ‘We think this is not true. There is a big gap between the Premier League’s number 7 and number 10. But the gap between the Premier League’s number 10 and the Championship, or even League One, is far smaller.’

• Sparv landed on the club’s radar because Midtjylland’s model was bullish on his former club, Greuther Fürth, from Germany’s second tier. ‘Our model says that last season, Greuther Fürth were good enough to play in the English Premier League.’
   
• ‘We redesigned the club based on a question: what would a football club look like if it had no human eye and ear? Of course, it turns out you need a human element. But if you say from the start that ‘Oh, it has to be a combination of stats and humans,’ then you won’t be radical enough to be able to make a difference.’

Cheers. Interesting. There is so much to pick through in those bullets. 

Watching every game on tape makes sense to me. The more info the better. Interpreting what you see is the key though. Does that require a skill or is AI being used. If the latter, then its 'simply' a matter of getting the right parameters in place. That's what Liverpool do, I think. But they have spent millions. Doubt we have a similar system in place.

Are scouts and video analysts one and the same people?

I guess for Saints, I'd like to know who is watching the tape and determining whether a player is good or not? Is it one person or several? Are these people scouts too or are they video analysts? Are the video analysts less qualified to assess players than our scouts? If a video analyst has been doing this for years and years and continuously identifies the right players, then that's preferable to a scout that has done it for five minutes and picked some shockers. 

Ultimately, if good players are being identified like Fernandes, then it's hard to argue against a process, but if you are bringing players like Gronbaek into the club that then can't get a game in a poor side, then that raises questions.

 

 

[trousers]

10 minutes ago, Chez said:

‘People see huge difference between the Premier League and the lower divisions in England,’ Ankersen explains. ‘We think this is not true. There is a big gap between the Premier League’s number 7 and number 10. But the gap between the Premier League’s number 10 and the Championship, or even League One, is far smaller.’

Is it still possible to section someone in this country...?

#bagoffrogs

Edited 7 hours ago by trousers

[Chez]

42 minutes ago, coalman said:

Fair points. Maybe that's part of the problem - they squad aren't invested in each other's success.

I hope that's not the case. 

It could just be as simple as at that specific moment in time they are not in the mood to celebrate - their mind is elsewhere, maybe thinking about the fuck up they just made or whatever.