Sensible Debate On Sporting Directors/Player Buys

[qblockpete]

I am a great believer if you have managers like Sousa or even De Canio, you need a guy to broker the deal and to buy the players and through scouts get them watched. If you are managed by a English manager or a manager who knows a league, I have no problem with letting him have full control.

Clubs in general seem divided on whether a manager should have full control or just take control of team matters. For me its important for a manager to identify a type of player, then for someone else to get him in.

So my argument is if we were managed by someone like Harry Redknapp or even a Gary Johnson, who knows the market, but when you have a foriegn coach, it is a different ball game altogether. It can be argued that someone like Dowie would also know more about the championship, than say a Sousa.

[ranger4life]

your post makes sence.....there is clearly some dodgy dealings.....i dont necessarily mean criminal but mistakes have clearly been made and people should be held accountable....in work if i made a serious mistake costing thousands then perhaps id get a written warning

[IsleworthRanger]

I am a great believer if you have managers like Sousa or even De Canio, you need a guy to broker the deal and to buy the players and through scouts get them watched. If you are managed by a English manager or a manager who knows a league, I have no problem with letting him have full control.

Clubs in general seem divided on whether a manager should have full control or just take control of team matters. For me its important for a manager to identify a type of player, then for someone else to get him in.

So my argument is if we were managed by someone like Harry Redknapp or even a Gary Johnson, who knows the market, but when you have a foriegn coach, it is a different ball game altogether. It can be argued that someone like Dowie would also know more about the championship, than say a Sousa.

Pete can you please take this debate over to Reports messageboard as he is constantly requesting you do so for some strange reason both before this site went down and since its been restored..

[Nodge70]

True - the continental set up. Having had first hand experience of this, I can see the good and the bad. The major failing I can see is that it effectively allows everyone to have slopy shoulders and avoid any responsibility. New signing not working out or team not performing? First team coach blames Sporting Director for buying a player he didn't want. Sporting Director blames coach for not using player correctly. No-one has ultimate responsibility. That's without touching the youth/academy set up too....

I really don't think the two are compatible - too many vested interests. My personal opinion is that you have a Sporting Director who is charge of "overall" football direction of a club (scouting, youth set up, training facilities, medical facilities, technology and worldwide networking) and a manager solely responsible for all first team and reserve decisions (player purchases, tactics etc.) Similar systems work very well at Chelsea with a number transfer targets (position, 1st choice, 2nd choice etc) being identified by the first team coach (Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, Hiddink) and the negotiations being carried out by the Chief Exec and Financial Controller. Sporting Director doesn't touch it. Arnesen keep abreast of all Academy, Scouting and medical updates.

[rblockells]

There are arguments on both sides.It obviously depends on who the manager is,and who the Sporting Director is.We have a very unusual situation at our beloved club,in that we have a manager who has achieved the lot as a player,and who has some international coaching experience.His coaching of an English football club at Championship level is being learned on the job,and you can now see how we are improving.Our Sporting Director brought in new owners when we were in serious danger of going bust,and therefore is in a position of power at our club,but,as we know,he has a loose-tongue and can be something of a loose-cannon.
So-of the 2 characters,which should be calling the shots regarding the football sde of things at QPR??

[qprjim]

I am not naive enough to think that Sousa has a suffiicient knowledge of the championship to be handed x amount of money to spend on uk based players. However I would still like him to assume more control regarding our transfer policy, with his contacts in european/global football I feel he would succeed in bringing in signings capable of taking us out of this division.

Ultimatley I feel we should let him live by the sword and die by the sword, as with before it is practically impossible to render Sousa culpable for underachieving with this group of players as they were signed by the sporting director.

[THE FLYING COW]

love love and still more love
next season we will rise above
watch us soaring like an irradescant dove
q block pete and myu have built a lovely new site
and we are going up you know thats right:red_heart::red_heart::red_heart::red_heart:

[writtler]

Never had an issue with a sporting director in principle - the person's qualifications for the job are an entirely seperate matter.

[Funky]

I have no problem with the Sporting Director system at all.

I think in modern day football it would be impossible for the manager to know every detail about players contracts, who is available and the loan market.

The 750k combined fee we paid for Buzz and Gorks shows how it can work in our favour.

As long as the Sporting Director and Manager have a good working relationship and that the final say regarding team selection, tactics and areas of the team that need to be improved are that of the manager.

The Sporting Director system on the continent is used all of the time its only in this country that it has never really taken off.

[PeterG]

No problem with a sporting director, lets get one in

[Funky]

[qblockpete]

Good to see our sporting director good mates with Harry Redknapp and Alex Ferguson;D

[Joff]

I understand your point Pete but I still prefere the Coach/Manager having full control.

[PeterG]

If we are having a sensible debate, if the club had advertised for a sporting director and interviewed and assesed candidates, would GP have got the job?

I don't think so and thats the problem i have with the position at qpr it seems to be a position created to keep GP around and involved rather than a real strategic position.

[writtler]

I just prefer the sporting director to have actual football experience not just as an agent - for every Gorrks & Buz there's a borrowdale/Gino/Agyemang waiting to happen.