Continental Football Managment

Karmafaerie

Bellow is part of an article by Ian Rush from the Liverpool Echo the other day.

THERE seems to be a growing trend in this country towards continental style management of football clubs.

And the signs are clear that we're not ready to embrace that culture just yet.

Newcastle have tried to adopt it. So, too, have West Ham – and both are in a mess at present.

Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley have both walked out over their respective clubs' transfer policy, and they won't be the last this season.

We're still very new to the European model of club management.

On the continent most clubs have a sporting director who scouts and hires the players, and a manager – or more accurately coach – then given responsibility for coaching those players and moulding them into a successful team.

Managers come into clubs with their eyes wide open, and the system works.

But here in England it's something alien to us.

Plenty of clubs are trying to adopt the practice, but it's being met with a grudging acceptance at best.

We still have a couple of old school managers in the Premier League in Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp.

But when they finally call it a day I can’t see too many others queuing up to follow their approach.

With so many billionaire owners pumping huge sums of money into clubs you can understand why they want a say in the players their money pays for.

But in almost every case, those super-rich owners have little or no knowledge of top level football.

We don't have that system in place at Anfield yet, but clearly the owners have tried to influence which players Rafa Benitez buys and sells, otherwise Gareth Barry would be at Anfield right now.

I firmly believe that one man, and one man alone should pull the strings at a football club – and that’s the manager.

Rafa Benitez should be the man deciding who is bought and who is sold – and he should live and die by those decisions.

Now I know that the article is about Liverpool (it is Ian Rush and in the echo afterall), but the problem isn't a Liverpool one.

So many clubs are facing this now.

Chelsea, Man City, Newcastle, West ham, and I'm sure more are gonna be facing it soon.

Anyone else think that it will be very bad for the game?
English clubs always had a history of patience with managers, unlike European clubs that could go through 10 managers in 5 years some times!
The director buy players, and then the manager gets blamed for the team not working.

It reminds me of Rafa's infamous quote about the system in Valencia when asked about the Valencia transfer policy.

Rafa wrote:

I asked for a sofa and they bought me a lamp

I know it's not as bad yet, but I hate to see this kind of system becoming more commonplace in the PL.

leninbenjamin

there's nothing wrong with the continental system, but what's important is that you fill the roles with the right personnel for it. the backlash to it in England is largely because we're seeing guys trained in the old school style of management now being asked to change their role; and by and large any employee group will resist such dramatic changes.

I think Newcastle will be a very interesting case study. the indications are Poyet will soon be put in charge, and it's pretty well known he has a good relationship with Wise and co. already. I know Newcastle fans wont like this appointment, but in the context of the current system i think it might well be the right one, as the most important aspects to these systems is that the individuals involved form a sound working relationship. In fact i think it's a failure to implement the latter (helped by the footballing ignorance of owners) as the prime reason the system hasn't worked to date in the EPL.

and when you think of it, it's not all too different from the current English system. I mean Fergy and Queiroz formed a partnership, and by and large Queiroz's role was much more of a 1st team coach than an assistant. in my opinion, it doesn't really matter what you designate as the roles, as long as the people can work together, share similar footballing philosophies, express themselves well to each other etc.

herbieflowers

you'd wonder why KK took the job in the first place.

I dunno, I think the whole continental style management is flawed. Well not the style, just this business of directors / technical directors etc, and the power they yield. They seem to be closer to the chairman than the actual manager, and I don't see how they're conducive to the success of the team on the pitch, primarily because they're (for the most part) not on the ground level, on the pitch, interacting with players etc.

iregk

Well to be honest, I don't have a preference either way for how it should be done. That said the one thing that strikes me is when a foreign manager comes into English football and then uproar happens when they try to impose this system upon them.

Take Mourinho for example. Now I've no idea what system he had at Porto but at Chelsea they were starting to bring in the continental system and he just didn't like it and kicked up a fuss yet he has walked happily into Inter who employ the very same system.

Benitez also for example had the continental system at Valencia and got upset when someone tried to buy him a player for Liverpool. Puzzles me.

Charlie

I have no objection to the DOF model, in theory, but I feel that it has so many pitfalls, that it has to be implemented delicately.

- Firstly, the successful models I have seen, are clubs such as Bayern, who's DOF is a club legend (in that case Beckenbauer) with vast experience, and who knows the club inside out. Barca had a similar setup with Cruyff up until a few years back. I fail to see what Dennis Wise, a man with little managerial experience, offers over someone like Keegan.

- A DOF should never be appointed after a managerial appointment.

- Someone made this point on talkSPORT, that a coach needs all his UEFA badges and training courses in order to be eligible for a job, whilst presently, anyone can become a DOF.

- Whilst I am not arguing that it can't work per se, I think its a farce that a lot of people seem to be viewing the model as the bees nees, when the English model has countless examples of success. A lot of it seems like change for the sake of change.

- There needs to be greater accountability of DOF's. At present, they seem to be men in the shadows, who are immune from taking the flack for failure. I think Big Martin Jol was hung out to dry by the failed transfer dealings of his DOF.

Karmafaerie

iregk wrote: »

Benitez also for example had the continental system at Valencia and got upset when someone tried to buy him a player for Liverpool. Puzzles me.

Rafa left Valencia cause of the system.
I'm sure he was told that it wouldn't be as restrictive in Liverpool (which it hasn't been to be honest).

elshambo

The whole director of football nonsence is/was basically a way for the board/chairman/owner to decide who is bought and who is not
Gets one of his buddies in OR someone who he can easily sack and players he fancies get bought.
Leads to either Galáctico's are bought policy or we buy youths and build them up policy
Neither is right, need a mix, man in charge of team, knows what he needs and should be allowed, with some restrictions, (O'Leary, Nuttser, BARRY as a left mid??? FFS)

Madrids best team over the last 15 years or so was the one the year before the Galáctico thing really kicked in. Inter have spent multi multi millions over the last 20 years with no success until the juve/Milan thing because the owner was picking the players.

Owners up and down England(and the UAE) are firing up the Football Manager as we speak:eek:

leninbenjamin

elshambo wrote: »

The whole director of football nonsence is/was basically a way for the board/chairman/owner to decide who is bought and who is not
Gets one of his buddies in OR someone who he can easily sack and players he fancies get bought.
Leads to either Galáctico's are bought policy or we buy youths and build them up policy

that's pretty much how NOT to implement a DOF system.

take a look at Arsenal; while not a DOF system, there are some similarities. the vast majority of signings were done (until recently) by David Dein, the CEO or whatever they called it. that system could just as easily have fallen apart as the DOF system if it weren't for the fact Arsene and Dein got along so well. Ironically since he left Arsenal have struggled in this area, largely because Wenger has had to take more control.

it really doesn't matter what system is in pace, as long as the individuals involved work for each other.

Mourinho is the other example. he complained about the DOF system being implemented in Chelsea, yet he's walked into the exact same system in Inter. the difference? as i see it he just didn't get along with the individuals at Chelsea and from day 1 couldn't/wouldn't work with them. his leaving Chelsea had little to do with the system itself, more the clashing with the personalities involved which can happen under any regime.

Charlie

leninbenjamin wrote: »

that's pretty much how NOT to implement a DOF system.

take a look at Arsenal; while not a DOF system, there are some similarities. the vast majority of signings were done (until recently) by David Dein, the CEO or whatever they called it. that system could just as easily have fallen apart as the DOF system if it weren't for the fact Arsene and Dein got along so well. Ironically since he left Arsenal have struggled in this area, largely because Wenger has had to take more control.

it really doesn't matter what system is in pace, as long as the individuals involved work for each other.

Mourinho is the other example. he complained about the DOF system being implemented in Chelsea, yet he's walked into the exact same system in Inter. the difference? as i see it he just didn't get along with the individuals at Chelsea and from day 1 couldn't/wouldn't work with them. his leaving Chelsea had little to do with the system itself, more the clashing with the personalities involved which can happen under any regime.

Wenger would never have a player imposed on him, or a player sold without his consent. Further, I imagine when Wenger identified a gap in the squad that needed filling, Dein bursted his bollox to get the player for Wenger.

All of the above were not afforded to the likes of Jol, Mourinho, and Keegan.

elshambo

leninbenjamin wrote: »

that's pretty much how NOT to implement a DOF system.

take a look at Arsenal; while not a DOF system,

Mourinho is the other example. he complained about the DOF system being implemented in Chelsea, yet he's walked into the exact same system in Inter.

I never said that how to run it, i said thats how the majority of them are run
and how the english ones will be run
Sheva/Ballack to Chelski

Dein didnt pick the players to be signed, Dein NEVER picked the players, In yer average DOF the DOF picks the players to be signed
Wise at Newcastle

Wenger picked the players, Dein just handled the contracts,fees etc, most clubs the contracts are handled by a member of the board
Parry at Liverpool
(problem is Parry & Rafa dont get on, for 2 reasons, one being parry and the second being rafa)

Jose went to Inter because it was basically the only big club were he would get a job at the moment
Barca at the moment hate him(it will pass im sure) as do ManU Pool Arsenal
Madrid wanted an open style of football
Milan werent hiring
basically left Inter
Mancity next year? lol

Moriatti has apparenlty seen the error of his ways and is allowing the coach SOME more input?

leninbenjamin

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Wenger would never have a player imposed on him, or a player sold without his consent. Further, I imagine when Wenger identified a gap in the squad that needed filling, Dein bursted his bollox to get the player for Wenger.

All of the above were not afforded to the likes of Jol, Mourinho, and Keegan.

I know, that's why those regimes fell apart. but that's not how the DOF should work. all signings should be in consultation with the coach/manager etc. this is how the successful systems work, for example Inter Milan.

a simplified version;
manager and DOF identify weak areas of the squad.
DOF and his scouts draw up a list of potential targets.
manager gives his recommendations on who to sign.
DOF go and attempt to sign those recommended.

this is how it should work, and there's no reason why it shouldn't.

elshambo wrote: »

Dein didnt pick the players to be signed, Dein NEVER picked the players, In yer average DOF the DOF picks the players to be signed

my point is, with the power afforded Dein he could easily have gone out and started signing bigger names signings a la Perez, or players Wenger didn't want. but he didn't. he worked with the manager.

Charlie

leninbenjamin wrote: »

I know, that's why those regimes fell apart. but that's not how the DOF should work. all signings should be in consultation with the coach/manager etc. this is how the successful systems work, for example Inter Milan.

a simplified version;
manager and DOF identify weak areas of the squad.
DOF and his scouts draw up a list of potential targets.
manager gives his recommendations on who to sign.
DOF go and attempt to sign those recommended.

this is how it should work, and there's no reason why it shouldn't.

I couldn't agree with you more. But presently, the English clubs that are trying to adopt this model, by and large, aren't sticking to this formula, and it is becoming a bloody mess. thus, when the DOF is brought in by the owner/chairman of an English club, I think it should be treated with extreme suspicion, and fans and media commentators alike, should question the move.

All I am hearing in the media at the moment is that there is a shift towards the DOF continental model, but this couldn't be further from the truth. What we are are seeing at the moment, is a move towards the owners dictating the transfer policy solely, and this is not the successful continental model.

Karmafaerie

leninbenjamin wrote: »

a simplified version;
manager and DOF identify weak areas of the squad.
DOF and his scouts draw up a list of potential targets.
manager gives his recommendations on who to sign.
DOF go and attempt to sign those recommended.

this is how it should work, and there's no reason why it shouldn't.

While I agree with most of that, I'd make one change to it.
The DOF shouldn't come up with the list.
The manager should.
The manager should see what's needed.
Make a list of possible choices.
Give that to the DOf, and the DOF can then work with the list.

The DOF's job should be that of a middleman.
Working between the manager and chairman to get the best for and from both.

This is what Parry is supposed to do in Liverpool (but he's ****e at it), and what Dien did at Arsenal.

elshambo

leninbenjamin wrote: »

my point is, with the power afforded Dein he could easily have gone out and started signing bigger names signings a la Perez, or players Wenger didn't want. but he didn't. he worked with the manager.

My point too!

So could any other person with his job in the other clubs, they dont either

U an arsenal man by any chance?:D

elshambo

Karmafaerie wrote: »

This is what Parry is supposed to do in Liverpool (but he's ****e at it), and what Dien did at Arsenal.

In fairness to parry, first and probably only time id defend him, (I remember when he got the job and the Premier league were glad to be rid, he was a bit of a joke, I got slagged by everyone when he got the job:D:o)

At a time when pool skint Rafa is trying to sign a 6th or 7th CM

Wenger never behaved like that while the stadium was being built

For an DOF system to work, he/she has to be in place first with the system and the Head Coach (not manager) then hired
as is in England, hiring manager first then imposing, it is incroching on his domain

leninbenjamin

Karmafaerie wrote: »

While I agree with most of that, I'd make one change to it.
The DOF shouldn't come up with the list.
The manager should.
The manager should see what's needed.
Make a list of possible choices.
Give that to the DOf, and the DOF can then work with the list.

The DOF's job should be that of a middleman.
Working between the manager and chairman to get the best for and from both.

This is what Parry is supposed to do in Liverpool (but he's ****e at it), and what Dien did at Arsenal.

I would disagree. scouting players is a very costly and time consuming business, that's the reason behind having a DOF in the first place. I agree the manager should have some input on it, but that's where the emphasis on a good working relationship would come into it I feel.

elshambo wrote: »

My point too!

So could any other person with his job in the other clubs, they dont either

U an arsenal man by any chance?:D

maybe. i'd consider myself a follower, wouldn't really qualify for 'fan' status.

I should note though, i think Dein is a c*nt. a very effective c*nt, but a c*nt nonetheless. but i thought him worth a mention die to his working relationship with Wenger, which was as good as it could be between a suit and a gaffer (arguably too good, but that's another grumble).

p.s. elshambo, i may have misread your earlier post. may.

therecklessone

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Wenger would never have a player imposed on him, or a player sold without his consent. Further, I imagine when Wenger identified a gap in the squad that needed filling, Dein bursted his bollox to get the player for Wenger.

All of the above were not afforded to the likes of Jol

That depends on who you choose to believe. I find it ironic that people are so willing to accept the Jol-stabbed-in-back theory, while ignoring that:

1. Jol was appointed as assistant manger to Jacques Santini by DOF Frank Arnensen when the Frenchman wanted to appoint his own #2, and subsequently stepped into his shoes when Santini walked away in his first year at the club.

2. Jol was not averse to using interest from other clubs to renegotiate his contract and secure better terms (did so twice, with Ajax and Newcastle)

3. Jol enjoyed an excellent relationship with original DOF Arnensen, and until Arnensen was replaced by Damien Comolli there were no complaints from within the club in relation to the management structure.

4. Jol's judgement on transfer targets was questionable to say the least, and without Comolli may well have signed his preferred targets Lee Hendrie and Linvoy Primus (I've that confirmed by two very good mates with good contacts at Spurs) Contrary to reports, Jol was the man at Spurs who identified Darren Bent as a player worth signing, after he scored a brace in the 1st 45mins of a game vs Spurs at the Valley.

charlie mchugh wrote:

Whilst I am not arguing that it can't work per se, I think its a farce that a lot of people seem to be viewing the model as the bees nees, when the English model has countless examples of success.

It also has countless examples of failure.

Charlie

Regarding Jol, you have your ear much closer to the ground on that one than me, so I can't really argue it out with you. However, I always thought it was farcical that a DMF was not signed as per his request, yet Bent was forced upon him when yous already had 3 top Prem strikers. The dogs in the streets could have told you Spurs were crying out for a big money DMF, and not a big money striker. They are still suffering imo because of this neglect.

therecklessone wrote: »

It also has countless examples of failure.

But that's my point, both models seem to have varying degree of success and failure. Yet I don't see why now, there is a move in England to promote the continental model as the superior model, when in reality, both have faired roughly the same in their respective countries, and the implementation of the Continental model in England, has so far been nothing short of disastrous.

Karmafaerie

leninbenjamin wrote: »

I would disagree. scouting players is a very costly and time consuming business, that's the reason behind having a DOF in the first place. I agree the manager should have some input on it, but that's where the emphasis on a good working relationship would come into it I feel.

Look at any succesfull scouting dept.
They report to the manager, and work with the manager not DOF.
Eduardo Macia was brought by Rafa, from Valencia, cause they had a great working partnership.
Not Macia and Parry.

If the scout knows the mind of the manager, he will automatically know what kinda player to be scouting for.
In fact, Macia recently said in an interview that his relationship with Rafa was the reason he uprooted his family to move to Liverpool, and the reason they've been so successfull.

therecklessone

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Regarding Jol, you have your ear much closer to the ground on that one than me, so I can't really argue it out with you. However, I always thought it was farcical that a DMF was not signed as per his request, yet Bent was forced upon him when yous already had 3 top Prem strikers. The dogs in the streets could have told you Spurs were crying out for a big money DMF, and not a big money striker. They are still suffering imo because of this neglect.

If he wanted a DMF he should have insisted Comolli cam back with better than Zokora, shouldn't he? Jol had an input into every transfer in, no players were "forced" on him, despite his efforts to shape the narrative from his time in charge.

It's also worth noting that while we had three strikers before Bent came in (four if you include Mido), Jol was convinced that Defoe and Keane could not play together (he was obsessed with the big man/little man combination up front), and wanted Bent to be signed.

All that aside, no management structure is perfect, and it is entirely possible that a DOF may be able to deliver players to address certain squad weaknesses, but then isn't it also possible that a traditional manager might not be able to do the same?

charlie mchugh wrote: »

But that's my point, both models seem to have varying degree of success and failure. Yet I don't see why now, there is a move in England to promote the continental model as the superior model, when in reality, both have faired roughly the same in their respective countries, and the implementation of the Continental model in England, has so far been nothing short of disastrous.

The impact of the credit crunch on English football is exacerbating the teething problems associated with its introduction, along with the cack-handed nature of its implementation at certain clubs. Some clubs are having to rethink their finances, and fans are blaming the DOF system rather than accepting that even with a traditional management structure both West Ham and Newcastle may have found themselves selling players to balance the books, only in that case it would be forced by club chairmen rather than a sporting director.

As I've stated before, there were few complaints re. the DOF at Spurs when the role was held by Frank Arnensen. Reading's Nicky Hammond does a quiet and unassuming job, and despite their relegation the club are still well run.

therecklessone

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Look at any succesfull scouting dept.
They report to the manager, and work with the manager not DOF.
Eduardo Macia was brought by Rafa, from Valencia, cause they had a great working partnership.
Not Macia and Parry.

Look at one of the most successful scouting operations in the modern game, Sevilla. Managed by Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, aka Monchi, who oversees 700+ scouts worldwide and provides cheap yet talented replacements for Sevilla when they sell on established stars. Many credit him with providing the talent that Ramos got to work with and bring two UEFA Cups to the club.

http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/kind=4/newsid=494401.html

The fact the Spanish club, which recently saw its president José María del Nido re-elected until 2010, has surged to still greater achievements immediately after selling its three most fêted players, José Antonio Reyes, Sergio Ramos and Julio Baptista for around €85m, might make you think they have simply hit lucky.

Envy
But with the profit on those deals approaching €80m the proof Sevilla have a transfer market vision and a youth development policy which is the envy of the footballing world stems from the fact that relatively little of the cash has been reinvested. Instead of paying the €20m-plus transfer fees which are commonplace in Spain, Italy and England for an individual player, they have added Freddie Kanouté, Andrés Palop, Luis Fabiano and Enzo Maresca over the last couple of seasons for less than that total.

Top scorer
Kanouté is La Liga's top scorer and with Fabiano they have contributed 20 of Sevilla's 35 goals so far this domestic season. Throw in the promotion of the mercurial Jesús Navas from their youth ranks plus the clever selection of practically unknown South American talents such as Renato, Adriano Correia and Daniel Alves and it's clear that if selling Reyes, Ramos and Baptista was a risk it was an utterly calculated one.

Visionary
Sevilla's visionary transfer market director is Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, or 'Monchi' as he is known. Once a goalkeeper, this still young man simply lives football. Under his control he has an army of 700 scouts across the world - Asia, America, Africa, Europe, South America. Their job is to bring him the very best players in the planet, before AC Milan, before Real Madrid CF, before Manchester United FC, before FC Bayern München. Every scout in Europe worth his salt tries to find out where Monchi is going and who he is watching - just to try and gain a competitive advantage.

'Stable and balanced'
"We have shown we're really good at buying and selling to our own advantage," Monchi admits. "We want to be stable and balanced but also to stay high in the football élite. The key to that is not only signing well but having a great youth policy [400 players across 22 youth teams] so that if one day the results stop coming we don't have to go out and spend millions of euros."

Ajax also have a technical director/DOF in Martin van Geel, who replaced Louis van Gaal, who in turn replaced Leo Beenhakker. Ajax created the post of technical director in 2000.

I am also lead to believe that Messi came to Barcelona's attention through the scouting network of then sporting director Carles Rexach.

Karmafaerie

therecklessone wrote: »

Look at one of the most successful scouting operations in the modern game, Sevilla. Managed by Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, aka Monchi, who oversees 700+ scouts worldwide and provides cheap yet talented replacements for Sevilla when they sell on established stars. Many credit him with providing the talent that Ramos got to work with and bring two UEFA Cups to the club.

http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/kind=4/newsid=494401.html



Ajax also have a technical director/DOF in Martin van Geel, who replaced Louis van Gaal, who in turn replaced Leo Beenhakker. Ajax created the post of technical director in 2000.

I am also lead to believe that Messi came to Barcelona's attention through the scouting network of then sporting director Carles Rexach.

And like I said, look at Macia.
The guy who set up such an amazing scouting department, and relationship with the manager, at Valencia, that made Valencia into a double championship, and European winning team.

Bellow is a great interview about how you manage such a massive and succesfull scouting network.
I emboldened the more pertinant parts to this discussion.

Eduardo, you've been at the club since 2006 as Chief Scout. How did you come to join Liverpool?

Well, Rafa was trying to procure me every day. I met him through Valencia and then he asked me to come here. Rafa said I need a chief scout to head up our global scouting network. He wanted to build up the system. That's not to say I wasn't happy where I was. I was very happy in Valencia. It was a good life that I really enjoyed. So coming here was a big decision. If I hadn't been happy in Spain then it would have been an easy choice to come to England. But it wasn't easy, although I do think I made the right choice. Along with the decision to get married this was the biggest choice I've ever had to make in my life. My dad was a fan of Liverpool and he told me all about Dalglish, Hansen and Phil Thompson. In Spain before the Premier League started we'd get one English game on TV every month and it was nearly always Liverpool. So for me the club had a mythical quality about it. Now to be working for this club and with these people makes me feel like I'm very lucky. People tell me that all the time.

What about your time at Valencia. You were very successful there...

We won the league with a fantastic team. There were a lot of young players involved like Marchena, Baraja, Vicente, Angulo, Albelda... From that Rafa knew I could help him build a strong squad. We won two league titles in Spain and the UEFA Cup in the space of three years. That was despite the fact that Barcelona, Real Madrid, Deportivo and Atletico all had more money than us. But we were working with the idea of combining all the older players such as Carboni, Anglomar, Luque with the up and coming players. With those guys we knew we had a foundation to build a great team.

What about your future with Liverpool?

Now we are building for the future here. We've brought in a lot of young players in the last few years. Guys who are 16, 17, 18 years old and they all have the mentality we want. That's why they won the reserve league last season. We know they can still improve as players, but they have the right mentality. Guys like Nemeth, San Jose, Bruna, Spearing, Darby, Insua, Gulacsi... Now we are hoping to add more players to that quality. It's a young side, in Spain it would be described as a B team. The idea is to provide first team players for the future so that when they are 20, 21, 22 they are ready for the Premier League. Another type of player we are bringing in is someone like Lucas Leiva who was one of the best young players in Brazil and then there's Ryan Babel. Both of them are in their early 20s and are players for the future. On the next level it's Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger. They are still young, but have lots of experience and can go straight into the first team and should be here for many years. The idea is that in the future we will be bringing through enough players for the first team that the manager might only need to buy one or two players every summer. He won't need to go out and sign four or five. Steven Gerrard, Carra, Sami Hyypia and Finnan are all fantastic veterans. And we've tried to add to that with guys like Kuyt, Alonso, Reina and tried to unite the team. It's not possible to spend £200m to win the Premier League. We can't do that so we have another way. Now Rafa is happy with the young players we have and wants to continue improving the senior squad.

You talk about looking for players with the right mentality. Do you feel the Liverpool squad have the same winning mentality as the Valencia team you were involved with?

This group of players we have now is one of the best I've seen during my time here. I think it's better than the squad we had at Valencia when we won the league and UEFA Cup in 2004. That was nearly five years ago now and the level of football has gone up since then. The game has progressed a lot in such a short space of time. That's what we've got to keep doing, improving. If you're not then you're going backwards. Even when you win something you've still got to try and become better by bringing in more quality. For example, Lucas Leiva says give me the ball, even if I make a mistake I'm not afraid to take responsibility in big games. That's the mentality we require; strong players who can think for themselves and don't need to be told what to do. They are clever guys who can make their own decisions on the pitch and help you win games. Mentality of the player is the most important thing. There are probably a million players with quality in the world. That's not enough. I don't want someone who is fantastic in September and November. I want someone who is fantastic all year round. If you want to be a successful team you need players who can still be at their best when it comes to the end of the season and the big games arrive almost every few days. It's not a matter of quality. You can improve a player's fitness, technique and make them tactically better. What you can't do is give them the mentality. You can be a fantastic player at a lower level team but if you want to come here then you've got to be a winner. When you play for a big club, particularly in the Premier League, everyone else will be doing their utmost to beat you every weekend. You've got to be able to deal with that and produce 100 per cent every week.

Can you explain to us how your scouting network works?

We have scouts located all over the world. They live in the country that they cover. That's the way we like it to be. If you are based in England and just travel over to watch the player you don't get the full picture. It's easy to see if a player is performing well or not. We want to know everything about the player, not just how he performs. For example, Lucas Leiva, our scout watched him and asked lots of different people about him. Then we spent two weeks in Brazil watching him training as well as playing. From that we hope to be certain about a player. Of course you can still make a mistake but this method reduces the chances. Sometimes even when you know everything you can still get it wrong. There are lots of factors to consider, such as language, wife or girlfriend not settling in a new country. You can still get it wrong, but we hope to make the least number of mistakes. And it's not only a system we use when signing first team players, we also use it for bringing in younger lads. If you are 17 or 23 it doesn't matter. If your family is not okay or your mentality isn't right then it won't work. So we spend a lot of time gathering lots of info on possible signings.


What qualities do you look for in your scouts?

They've got to be totally professional. The scouts who work for us are not friends of mine. I never work with friends. We use guys who have worked for big clubs like Real Madrid or been a sporting director in Italy and been at the biggest club in Brazil. They are all very experienced, strong people. They don't say maybe, they give definite answers on players. They are usually the best scouts in each country. I think the best scouts should find you the best players. Being discreet is very important. Nobody can know who you are. I try to stay out of the spotlight because it's more beneficial if people don't recognise my face. I don't like to be in the newspaper. If they know you then they will be able to know what player you are looking at. You are working for your club, nobody else so it's important not to show other clubs what you're doing. You will have Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Lyon all chasing the same players. They are all powerful clubs with a lot of money so you have to make sure everything you do is secret. The scouts can't be telling anyone they work for the club. So if your scouts can stay discreet it helps.

Would you say scouting is something of an art form?

No. Football is not a science, therefore scouting can't be either. It's all about decisions and relationships. One and one doesn't always add up to two in football. What you think will work doesn't always and vice versa. For example Ryan Babel's impact in the Arsenal Champions League game. 44,000 people in Anfield and they all have different ideas about what to do after Arsenal score. We're going out of the competition and then Rafa sends on Ryan Babel. Within seconds he's won a penalty and then he scores a goal. That is something that's beyond your control. So a scout can never be 100 per cent sure that a player will go on to be a success in the first team. But you've got to find players who have all the requirements to do that.

How many times will you watch a player before deciding whether he is the right man for Liverpool?

Sometimes five times, sometimes ten. Sometimes twice and you are sure because you already know everything about him. Normally we watch them five, six or maybe seven times - and it's not just me. At the end, when you hand the report to Rafa you have to be certain. I have to convince Rafa that this player is right for Liverpool. He is the most difficult one to convince. You have to believe in the player's capabilities. If Rafa isn't sure and you're not convinced yourself then the player will never be signed. When you are starting out it's a long process. Sometimes it's more difficult to find younger players rather than senior guys. When they are 16, 17 years of age they play less games. So making a decision with the scout, working with Rafa, and then finalising the move with Rick Parry is a very long process. When you are watching the unveiling press conference everyone is very happy. You are relaxed at that stage. That is a fantastic feeling. People are very happy when the player signs. They say: 'yes, we've signed a new player,' but behind the scenes it's a difficult process.



How does your family cope with your job. I assume your job involves very long hours...

I never stop. Even at the weekends I am still going to watch a game on a Saturday and Sunday. It could be an U17 or U19 UEFA tournament. Or during the season I might be attending a Champions League game on Tuesday and Wednesday and then a UEFA Cup game on a Thursday. It's a special job that you have to love a lot. If you don't then it would become impossible. I don't see much of my family, although they are very happy here. When my wife and young twins went to Spain recently she said it was too hot. That shows how accustomed they've become to life here. Another problem is the language. I try to teach them Spanish and also the dialect from my home town. While they're obviously learning English now. It gets very confusing at times. When they started saying: 'ta' for thank you I didn't know what they were talking about because I'd never heard of it! But I love this job and I'm proud to work for the club; it's a price worth paying.

What does an average day at Melwood involve for you?

We start with a breakfast meeting when we talk about everything that has to be done. I have to organise the scouting team. Some days I chat with Rafa and update him on different players. It's not a typical office routine. It varies from day to day. Scouting is not set every day. You are working looking for players and everything can change quickly. For example you might plan to watch an U18 game but if the player you are checking on doesn't feature then you can't work. It means you always need a plan b and sometimes even a plan c. You have to be flexible

The interview goes on about how a successfull scouting department works with the manager.
you look for amazing youth prospects, young talent on the cusp, and expeerienced players to add dept to he team.
This is the perfect model for a scouting network.
One that incorporates youth teams, reserve teams, and the first team.

The set up in Liverpool is one where the scouting dept works with every facet of the club.
Directors, Academy, Physios, Coaches, Manager.

When you integrate everything, then things work smoother.

When a manager wants to build a dynasty, he's buying players that probably won't even feature for the club for 5-6 years!
The coaches and managers know what player will suit the squad.
What kind of issues there could be, whether a player would cause difficulties, or suffer from them.
Directors sit in offices and worry about contracts, not the players emotional state!

In a set up with a high turn around of players, like Seville and Ajax, then that model can work.

With bigger clubs however, you have to look at the long term picture.