Summer Transfer chat

[A llad insane]

There is zero evidence that having the cost of a scouting network in another country returns a better calibre of player suited to the Scottish game. Name one team in Scotland that has a succesful european/scandinavian scouting network. The cost associated with that type of scouting network would far outweigh the benefit. It's not simply a case of getting Jimmy's brither to visit a few games in Holland to pick up the next Dave Bus, it requires in country knowledge and the ability to visit multiple grounds per week and see lots of games at a level that would be comparable to our own where the players are affordable. Laziness? Do you think there's a scout standing at the train station in Esjborg thinking "I'm nae sure I can really be arsed going to the Copenhagen game the day, it's raining"? It's pragmatism and cost.

 

We might be able to pick up a good foreign player through well placed and trusted contacts and I expect we have some people in that regard, but to suggest we start setting up scouting networks shows no real understanding of the cost and associated benefits. There's a reason no other club does it. We may also manage to pick up the odd loanee/out of contract player via a tip-off that would be worth a gamble on like hibs did with the half-decent Kamberi (remember, hibs don't have some massive Swiss-based scouting network that have so far only managed to find one player, it was a gamble on a loanee that paid off).

 

By all means suggest something different, but back it up with some evidence. Name one club in Scotland who has taken players from one particular area not in the UK with regularity that would suggest a succesful scouting network in that area/country. Alternatively, suggest an area that would allow us to take in multiple games per week where players in our affordable range would be regularly on show, that would involve serious cost and travelling hours.

 

Fair point re the cost of having full time scouts in said countries, but there must be alternatives to shopping in the over hyped, over inflated English leagues.

We have ex players & managers in some of these countries for instance, worth having a word in their shell like? Presume they left the club on decent terms. Some teams manage to recruit well offering far less money i'm sure, Motherwell for instance.

[tom_widdows]

Fair point re the cost of having full time scouts in said countries, but there must be alternatives to shopping in the over hyped, over inflated English leagues.

We have ex players & managers in some of these countries for instance, worth having a word in their shell like? Presume they left the club on decent terms. Some teams manage to recruit well offering far less money i'm sure, Motherwell for instance.

 

I don't understand using Motherwell as an example of good recruitment.

The Don's have finished 2nd for the last 4 seasons whereas Motherwell since they 'stole' 2nd place 5 seasons ago have only made the top 6 once and escaped relegation via the playoffs. The fact they reached both cup finals least season seems to have people thinking they were something special and forgetting they finished 7th. They have also had 6 Managers in those 5 seasons too.

 

Chris Cadden and Louis Moult are the only 2 I can think off the top of my head that seemed to be attracting real interest but they still played in a team that in recent years has been bottom 6.

 

 

[donsdaft]

Scouting network 

 

How much do you think it would cost to have some knowledgeable Hungarian guy keeping an eye on Hungarian, Slovakian, Austrian, Romanian, Slovenian, Czech (south) Polish (south) fitba?

 

Nae much mair than a normal company keeping a rep on the road.

[Guest kiriakovisthenewstrachan]

Part of what has brought the Dons "success" over the last few years has been the team spirit/togetherness whatever you want to call it.

 

I think a lot of this comes from the fact they are all British players, no language issues, same work ethic etc.

 

I would rather that DM continues on that theme rather than recruiting from abroad because from recent past experience the foreign route never seems to work in the long term.

[donsdaft]

Rooney did a'right.

 

In general I agree though.

 

European Union players only.

[Ramperbamper]

Part of what has brought the Dons "success" over the last few years has been the team spirit/togetherness whatever you want to call it.

 

I think a lot of this comes from the fact they are all British players, no language issues, same work ethic etc.

 

I would rather that DM continues on that theme rather than recruiting from abroad because from recent past experience the foreign route never seems to work in the long term.

 

Absolutely this.

 

The "we don't scout enough" debate is like the "blooding youth" debate, in the sense that fans can spout pish on Twitter, on forums like here, ranting and raving about how (less successful) teams do it better than us without fear of getting called out about it when they're proved wrong. Sometimes takes a little bit of thought as to what's actually involved in building a proper scouting network, or deciding when the right time is to blood youth players in terms of their individual development.

 

It's not a question of happy clapping, or just accepting shite as is the usual comeback - 9 times out of 10 I can see what the manager is trying to do or where he's coming from, even if it's not always the way I'd have done it, albeit hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 

[Lencarl]

Here is a thought, why not go for Burnley target Peter Crouch. I know he is 37 years old but still scoring goals. We should be able to get him for around £500K. 

[BigAl]

Here is a thought, why not go for Burnley target Peter Crouch. I know he is 37 years old but still scoring goals. We should be able to get him for around £500K. 

 

One word

 

WAGES

[Ten Caat]

2 words

 

HE'S SHITE

[KennyFuckinPowers]

Gabby Agbonlahor the latest name doing the rounds on Social Media. Fairly certain he's out of our wage budget and even if he was willing to take a drop, he's been pretty dire for several years now. Has scored 1 goal per season, in the last 3 seasons, but pre 2011, he was fairly prolific. Personally can't see it happening if there's truth in it.

[donsdaft]

I suppose we could always just go for somebody who's tall but cheaper.

[Slim]

I’d be surprised if we bought a target man, that’s Cosgrove’s role. You should never go full-Levein.

[Jute]

Getting close to start of season now so would have hoped we would have had a striker in by now.

[sallan2000]

I can see us waiting till after the English transfer window closes on the 9th of August before doing anything now.

[A llad insane]

According to evening paper, D.M hopes to have another striker on board before huns game.

[tlg1903]

I wonder if McInnes would consider taking Shankland back.  By all accounts the boy has become a man and he's scoring for fun for Ayr.  Someone is going to take a punt on him soon enough.....

 

His goal against partick at the weekend

 

Check out @spfl’s Tweet:

[Ten Caat]

I wonder if McInnes would consider taking Shankland back. 

 

Nah he has found his level. Maybe Dundee or Motherwell might take a punt but we need better quality

[tom_widdows]

I wonder if McInnes would consider taking Shankland back.  By all accounts the boy has become a man and he's scoring for fun for Ayr.  Someone is going to take a punt on him soon enough.....

 

His goal against partick at the weekend

 

Check out @spfl’s Tweet:

 

Can't help thinking of a certain Kiwi who turned up and scored the occasional 'spectacular' goal then went missing for mutliple games

[lancyclaret]

Here is a thought, why not go for Burnley target Peter Crouch. I know he is 37 years old but still scoring goals. We should be able to get him for around £500K. 

 

Crouch commutes from his Surrey home (south of London) by train from Euston.

 

Aberdeen might be a problem (commuting).

[tlg1903]

Nah Fallon never had a goal scoring record like LS, he's been banging them in for a year.  Yes it's at a lower level but he's clearly a goal scorer.  I reckon Shankland is going to have a pretty good career.

[LA-Don]

I think shankland would have done well in a reserve league against seasoned pros, and would, as a result, have grown up, developed his game, and still be here. Never given a chance. All the 5-10 minutes at the end of the games were close to pointless. Don’t know why he wasn’t given a chance other than DM thought he wasn’t good enough.

[tom_widdows]

Reserve league supposedly being brought back this season

[manc_don]

Agreed, reserve league might have changed things.  But he wasn't exactly setting the heather alight when he was going on loan (notably St. Mirren and Morton), I don't think the club really have much choice.  Sometimes these things happen.  I don't think we could afford to keep him sat on the bench given his performances he'd put in when he came off it. 

[Lencarl]

Chairman Stewart Milne is adamant that when Scott McKenna eventually moves on from Aberdeen it will be for a fee that dwarfs the record sale at Pittodrie.

 

£5 Million from Swansea City should do it then. 

[RicoS321]

£5 Million from Swansea City should do it then. 

 

That basically means: "he's for sale". £5M would be a large amount of money for a dons player. He's got it all though (or the potential to have it all). Wait until after the hun game. Spend a wedge on a decent striker.