Confirmed Transfer Ben Wrigglesworth to Arsenal

[pork pie fox]

We're playing with the big boys now. In the same way that other clubs will want our better players, they will also want other members of staff that do well. This could be scouting, management, commercial, any side, really. We just need to make sure that, when someone leaves, we replace them as well as we appointed their predecessor.

 

[Moose]

With respect, you don't know what you're talking about.

Our 'technical' scouts watch loads of matches live each every year. They travel every bit as much as any of our actual scouts. So for example, both McKenzie and Wrigglesworth went to watch Mahrez on numerous occasions.

We subscribe to a data package that Rob McKenzie, Ben Wrigglesworth and others then developed and developed over a period of years to shortcut our need to do actual scouting. At the time, we lacked the network to be able to travel the world watching players and so wanted a way to find players more efficiently.

Our technical scouts have a database of hundreds of potential targets that changes all the time. They constantly watch players live on that database as well as on video in order to evolve it. When the club want a particular position strengthened, or we find someone we think may be worth looking at further, David Mills and his team look and then Steve Walsh does too.

This is a well refined and proven process that is absolutely vital to our 'edge' over our competitors.

My point in my previous comment in this thread was that the two people instrumental in developing this approach are no longer here. Instead, they are at rival clubs having taken everything they've learnt with them. I have no idea whether there is anything in place to stop someone from taking our 'list' of targets with them, but I doubt that it is feasible to do.

Now I know Steve Walsh is the key man as he can 'see' the potential in a player that distinguishes him from many other jobbing scouts. His track record is outstanding. This is why Arsenal want him too and I'm sure we'll have a hell of a job retaining him in the summer.

But anyone suggesting that losing key members of this team is anything other than seriously damaging to its effectiveness is deluding themselves. I don't know who is replacing Wrigglesworth. For all I know, he may be better. But it does matter.

I didn't say they didn't watch games. That's how they collect stats. But that's all they're doing - collecting stats. Most anyone could do that. They're not doing the really important work, which is working out if and how a certain player will improve our team. That's where the real scouting talent like Walsh comes in.

Wrigglesworth only joined the club in a full time capacity in July 2013. He started as a technical scout and that was his first job after graduating with a degree in Sports Coaching from Leeds Met. We had already signed Anthony Knockaert as well as players like Danny Drinkwater and Matty James before he even started working for the club. He became head of technical scouting in March last year, so had only been in the role 9 months before he left in December. With all that in mind, I find it hard to believe he was instrumental in setting up anything, indeed he makes no such claims on his linkedin profile or in any interviews. His new role at Arsenal is simply called 'First Team Video Scout', which would be a hell of a step down if he really was instrumental in creating our entire international scouting network. Clearly he wasn't.

For your info, the new head of technical scouting is Ollie Waldren, who is more experienced than Wrigglesworth having began working as a football analyst in 2009.

I suggest you have a browse through the hundreds of 'technical scout' or 'football analyst' profiles on LinkedIn. This will give you a more realistic picture of what these types of roles actually involve. It's very simple stuff, just using modern technology. We're not unique in using these type of people, every club has them. Man Utd's senior performance analyst, Paul Brand, started his football career as Blackburn's Head of Performance Analysis. Immediately prior to that he was a shift manager at McDonalds. To be clear, he went from working in McDonalds straight to being the Head of Performance Analysis at a major professional football club. That should tell you everything you need to know about how much talent is required to get those kind of jobs and what value is placed on them.

 

[camberwell fox]

I didn't say they didn't watch games. That's how they collect stats. But that's all they're doing - collecting stats. Most anyone could do that. They're not doing the really important work, which is working out if and how a certain player will improve our team. That's where the real scouting talent like Walsh comes in.

Wrigglesworth only joined the club in a full time capacity in July 2013. He started as a technical scout and that was his first job after graduating with a degree in Sports Coaching from Leeds Met. We had already signed Anthony Knockaert as well as players like Danny Drinkwater and Matty James before he even started working for the club. He became head of technical scouting in March last year, so had only been in the role 9 months before he left in December. With all that in mind, I find it hard to believe he was instrumental in setting up anything, indeed he makes no such claims on his linkedin profile or in any interviews. His new role at Arsenal is simply called 'First Team Video Scout', which would be a hell of a step down if he really was instrumental in creating our entire international scouting network. Clearly he wasn't.

For your info, the new head of technical scouting is Ollie Waldren, who is more experienced than Wrigglesworth having began working as a football analyst in 2009.

I suggest you have a browse through the hundreds of 'technical scout' or 'football analyst' profiles on LinkedIn. This will give you a more realistic picture of what these types of roles actually involve. It's very simple stuff, just using modern technology. We're not unique in using these type of people, every club has them. Man Utd's senior performance analyst, Paul Brand, started his football career as Blackburn's Head of Performance Analysis. Immediately prior to that he was a shift manager at McDonalds. To be clear, he went from working in McDonalds straight to being the Head of Performance Analysis at a major professional football club. That should tell you everything you need to know about how much talent is required to get those kind of jobs and what value is placed on them.

Nice.

 

[Robin127]

.....Immediately prior to that he was a shift manager at McDonalds. To be clear, he went from working in McDonalds straight to being the Head of Performance Analysis at a major professional football club.....

So he went from cooking the chicken nuggets to working for the chicken farmers...

 

[City Fan]

Let's be honest, no one here *really* knows what he does. So rather than try to guess, let's just assume that the club will replace him adequately shall we? Like they clearly did when the other guy went to Spurs.

 

[Borderfox]

Just a quick question how do you know all this BN? Unless of course you are currently a professional scout, with multiple skills regarding video editing and compilation of video evidence it's either that, or you have access to information from within the club. From my perspective Wrigglesworth is a graduate with two years work experience, that's all. As far as I am aware, he doesn't have either a Masters Degree or a PhD in his chosen field. so he really is a beginner . I am not saying he isn't good at what he does, clearly he is and he has taken what has been offered by Arsenal. However I do not believe it is a major blow to our scouting set up, or any players we may target. As someone else said numerous players are constantly being assessed by all clubs, there is bound to be a great deal of overlap so a 'list' of possible targets is not going to help anybody , any such targets may be deemed unsuitable by the club for whatever reason at any point. Sometimes its about taking a chance on a a player other clubs have rejected hence Vardy, Mahrez and Albrighton .This type of decision is about experience something one gains over many years of involvement in the game. Consequently I would agree losing Walsh would deal a severe blow to the club and his future with Leicester must be considered a priority.

 

[City Fan]

Give me strength.

I'm waiting for another "confirmed transfer"...Doris the laundry lady moves to Chelsea.

 

[Borderfox]

Give me strength.

I'm waiting for another "confirmed transfer"...Doris the laundry lady moves to Chelsea.

It's tomorrows headline in the Sun 'Doris hangs out Abramovich's dirty laundry'

 

[Feriol]

I can't believe that a member of the scouting team would have no idea who the club might target.

Do you think they just watch random videos or use the filtered search on football manager all day?

Or is it more reasonable to believe they are directed who to watch in detail and compile reports on?

Do you think they have no idea if the player they are reporting on is any good? or would they be given feedback on a players suitability?

Do you think that the head of a department would not be involved in discussions about who to recommend for further scouting? Or would Steve Walsh use the knowledge acquired to decide who to go and watch?

 

[M17TT C]

I can't believe that a member of the scouting team would have no idea who the club might target.

Do you think they just watch random videos or use the filtered search on football manager all day?

Or is it more reasonable to believe they are directed who to watch in detail and compile reports on?

Do you think they have no idea if the player they are reporting on is any good? or would they be given feedback on a players suitability?

Do you think that the head of a department would not be involved in discussions about who to recommend for further scouting? Or would Steve Walsh use the knowledge acquired to decide who to go and watch?

Where did anyone say that?

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

My guess is the 'list' is the key factor. We still have the 'software'. We can still produce the 'Stats' - km run/game, passes, tackles etc.

The 'knowledge' he takes may be what factors are considered by us as getting highest weighting. In our case any fan can see that it is; bonding in a team, die for the badge or another player, never give up, run for 95 minutes, know that whatever position you start in, at various times in the match you will supporting an attack or supporting a defence. Simples!

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

Being paid to watch footy on TV. That's a sweet gig.

 

[Miles Away]

Being paid to watch footy on TV. That's a sweet gig.

I can confirm as much.

 

[pork pie fox]

I can confirm as much.

Sweet.

 

[Feriol]

Where did anyone say that?

Above

 

[homer]

If he's taken the list with him, then we are as good as finished. It's made us what we are. Without it we are nothing

Unless someone can track down Superscout to get hold of the orginal

 

[Blue Maniac]

If he's taken the list with him, then we are as good as finished. It's made us what we are. Without it we are nothing

Unless someone can track down Superscout to get hold of the orginal

Outstanding.

 

[Lako42]

I'm sorry fellas, Wrigglesworth is Superscout