George Foster - who he?

[goldeneyed]

There does seem to be a broad consensus among most posters here that the main Achilles heel at the club is our so-called scouting network which has failed so miserably over past years.


Come in George Foster our head scout. Not sure how long he has been in that position, who appointed him (DJ?) and what his qualifications are. But I see no evidence at all that things are improving and surely Hoddle will have to address this situation sooner rather than later.


As someone has said elsewhere, we as a club seem to rely far too much on agents touting their client's talents rather than digging out our own finds from under the eyes of the competition. The Rasiak and Idiakez 'frees' which Derby's scouts got in for their club are classic examples of what our scouts have completely failed to do.


Having made such progress with the Academy, we now desperately need to improve our scouting and in particular find some really good younger players who can dovetail with our own very promising bunch who are beginning to break through. If the board won't/can't spend money bringing in some quality players I would like them to invest heavily in a completely new scouting network with some fresh input at the top.


A good scouting network should be able to unearth at least one diamond a year, especially if it has a worldwide reach, which these days is what you need. I'm fed up with campervan jokes and the DJ type amateurism. The hope is that the Hoddle revolution will bring a new broom to bear in the scouting team. At the moment we look bereft in this area and it is costing us a fortune. Rasiak and Idiakez could in theoryhave cost us almost£4m less than a year after Derby got them for nothing.


Message to Hoddle - study Wenger's ways and follow them. You will find that he has developed a superb scouting network as an absolute priority.

[SSW]

Again, I agree wholeheartedly with all that, Goldeneyed, I have been banging the same drum for a long long time.



For the record, the only qualifications I can find for George Foster
are short spells as manager of.... wait for it...... Mansfield Town and
Telford United.

[I.D.]

Don't blame DJ for the lack of a scouting system, he wasn't responsible for the farce that happened.

We used to have a chief scout who was a member of the board, but who was sacked in mysterious circumstances. We haven't had a decent scouting set up since then.

[wolf of sedgley]

I was gonna start a thread about our $$$$$e scouting network- but you
have summed it up perfectly. Our scouts want to start earnign their
money! The only guy doing a good job at the wolves apart from Hoddle is
Chris Evans!

[Grizzled Wolf]

The scouting system at Wolves is a mysterious organisation..gone are the days when our scouts would travel third class to some obscure ground..andstand in pouring rain watching out for up and coming prospects.


I think the tendency now is to sit in front of the computer with a whiskey.. waiting for any breaking news from the other clubs.

[wolf of sedgley]

The scouting system at Wolves is a mysterious
organisation..gone are the days when our scouts would travel third
class to some obscure ground..andstand in pouring rain watching
out for up and coming prospects.


I think the tendency now is to sit in front of the computer with a whiskey.. waiting for any breaking news from the other clubs.



I'm all for using championship manager and doing a search on their
editor for all players with potential 180+ but they want to get out to
easten europe and find the next nedved!

[peckhamwolf]

This reminds me of the threads I started on MM questioning the credentials of Derek Harrington and Paul Manduca- we have to have someone to blame smileys/smiley36.gif

That said, ID raises a number of good points and Grizz hits the nail on the head in that gone are the days when we would go and watch your Keegans, your Rush's and your Aldridge's.

This is arcaic in comparison to other clubs who have extensive scouting networks and directors of football actually earning their corn. If you look at Derby they have brought in some cracking players over the last decade, Igor Stimac who was the catalyst to their promotion to the premiership, Ciccio Baiano, Seth Johnson, Rasiak, Idiakez, etc. They may not have consolidated long term and are in deep financial doo doo but at least their scouting network gave them a chance of staying in the premiership and building a squad.

Instead we seem to rely heavily on agents these days which never inspires me with the greatest of confidence.

[Berkswolf]

I know nowt about the effectiveness or not of our scouts, but
someone has to have discovered our much vaunted crop of kids.
Whilst finding hidden gems that are ready to step straight into our
first team, and yet somehow no other scouts from any other clubs have
not discovered is asking for the moon IMHO. They are very, very few and
far between. And how do we know that there have not been some
reccomended by our scouting team that the management have, for whatever
reason, not followed up on?



Just playing devils advocate here.

[Orange Squash]

Totally agree Berkswolf.


It's easy to criticise something that is based upon perception and not exact knowledge. Our scouts have given us over the last 10 years some of the best youngsters that we have ever seen. How many other teams recently, with exception to Arsenal and Man U, have boughtkids through the academyto be regulars in the main team - Keane, Naylor, Lescott, Murray (Ok, question mark on him being a regular) and then the potential we all know about - Davies, Clingan, Clarke, Ikeme, etc etc etc.


OK, so we can always point to other teams i.e. Derby and see that they've got a couple of good transfers, but how many have they also bought that we don't hear about that have been flops..


And then wehave the likes of Vio (free), Seol for £1.2million, Jackie Mac (free)- Oops sorry, he's not 'foreign' so surely he doesn't count as being scouted through our system....

[Toon Wolf]

Mmm. Easy targets I feel. Looking objectively they're not really that bad. As already pointed out they've scouted a pretty good crop of kids over the years and I'm sure there's alot of fans around the Championship saying "Why haven't our scouts found such players as Seol and Ganea at Wolves?" There's also Gyepes this season and I believe a few years ago we scouted and trialled Anelka before Wenger brought him to Arsenal (though this could easily be a crock of cack!) Not to mention Maris the Latvian who went on to play for someone good ( Roma?), M'Bami and the Cameroon keeper.


All in all our fair share of successes as regards scouting, shame they weren't all signed.

[SSW]

There is a huge scouting void between schoolboy level and Championship
level apart from a smattering of modest internationals who the club are
likely to have been alerted to by their agents anyway.



When was the last time we signed a player from Division Two, Three, or the non-league?



I'll tell you, it was Jason Roberts in 1997.

[Orange Squash]

I'll tell you, it was Jason Roberts in 1997.



Sure it wasn't Akinbiyi?

[SSW]

Well actually there are Sean Connelly and Ivar Ingimarsson too but you
get the general thrust of what I'm trying to say. I think we have had a
tendency to overlook the lower divisions and focus higher instead,
allowing other clubs (Sunderland are a good example) to snap up the
bargains.

[Covwolf]

I point should out that George Foster was the scout who found out that Seol had a get out price on his contract, thus wewere able to bring him here, when many other Premiership clubs would have jumped atthe chance if they had know.


I do believe that Hoddle appointing another scout (yes his brother) was a issue concening Hoddle when he arrive and was the main reason for him being brought in, but most clubs our size rely on Agents touting their players, lower league managers making suggestions and the managers reputation and contacts.


Any expansion will require funds being diverted from other areas, so unless we wish to see a flood of threads about us not spending money on players, just remember there is no bottomless pit.


finally, Hoddle has already proven he wants to be prepared in all areas, scounting, I am sure is something he is working on.

[Ogerp]

Like you say CW...his brother...keep it in the family tradition at Molineux....it will pay dividends. But not to the share holders, heh Ulven?

[whitemouse75]

didnt we have a lower league player on trial just this week?

[Zuluwolf]

Speaking from experience of the Wolves set up I think you'll find that there are players Wolves are urged regularly to sign but the Manager/Board don't move quick enough for one. I also understand a largenumber ofplayersbrought to the attention of the Manager/Board by agents touting their clients. The scouts will check these out as much as possible of course but they are usually only seen on video and then brought for trial. One thing that I have noticed over the years is the increase in scouts that have no links to the game at all and though. Peoplejust happy to lend their time to be involved in the club - how effective they are I don't know....

[RAY STUBBS]

I USED TO GO ON ABOUT THIS MYSTERYMAN ALL THE TIME BUT I GOT TOLD TO EFF OFF OR SOMETHING SIMILAR BY POSTERS.

I SUPPOSE WE PUT MORE MONEY AND FAITH INTO OUR ACADEMY

BUT A CLUB GOING PLACES MUST HAVE A TOP NOTCH SCOUTING STRUCTURE.

[Guests]

I USED TO GO ON ABOUT THIS MYSTERYMAN ALL THE TIME BUT I GOT TOLD TO EFF OFF OR SOMETHING SIMILAR BY POSTERS.
I SUPPOSE WE PUT MORE MONEY AND FAITH INTO OUR ACADEMY
BUT A CLUB GOING PLACES MUST HAVE A TOP NOTCH SCOUTING STRUCTURE.



EFF OFF

[RAY STUBBS]

I USED TO GO ON ABOUT THIS MYSTERYMAN ALL THE TIME BUT I GOT TOLD TO EFF OFF OR SOMETHING SIMILAR BY POSTERS.
I SUPPOSE WE PUT MORE MONEY AND FAITH INTO OUR ACADEMY
BUT A CLUB GOING PLACES MUST HAVE A TOP NOTCH SCOUTING STRUCTURE.



EFF OFF



WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ARE YOU? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO?

[peckhamwolf]

I USED TO GO ON ABOUT THIS MYSTERYMAN ALL THE TIME BUT I GOT TOLD TO EFF OFF OR SOMETHING SIMILAR BY POSTERS.I SUPPOSE WE PUT MORE MONEY AND FAITH INTO OUR ACADEMYBUT A CLUB GOING PLACES MUST HAVE A TOP NOTCH SCOUTING STRUCTURE.


EFF OFF

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ARE YOU? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO?


My favourite programme smileys/smiley1.gif

[Guests]

Disappearing posts again?

[goldeneyed]

SSW as usual has understood what was said at the beginning while others have not. There is a complete difference between scouting 12 year olds who you put through your own Academy system and looking for and signing promising 19 + year olds to strengthen your squad from around the world. Anyone who cannot see our total failure in the latter area, particulalry in terms of picking up bargains from the lower divisions, has no idea what they are talking about.


I find it hard to believe that Foster and co have been offering a succession of bright talents to managers and have been ignored. In the end it is all about results ie finding the players, signing them up and developing them as real assets to the first team squad.


The scouting system has NOT been producing the goods. Whether that is a lack of resources, a lack of football intelligence, laziness or whatever I don't know. But Foster is the chief scout and has been for some time, so the buck stops with him.


I am just amazed that some here actually seem to think we are doing alright in this area.smileys/smiley3.gifHoddle needs to instill a new professionalism to the club and fast - our scouting capability is amateur in the extreme as far as I can see and until we start seeing some results from 'scouting activity' nothing will change my mind on this.

[cooper_J]

There is a huge scouting void between schoolboy level and Championship level apart from a smattering of modest internationals who the club are likely to have been alerted to by their agents anyway.

When was the last time we signed a player from Division Two, Three, or the non-league?

I'll tell you, it was Jason Roberts in 1997.



I think it was Ivar from Brentfordactually SSW but you make a very valid point.


Just look at David Nugent - picked up for next to nothing from Bury and rattling them in at PNE.