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players signed after little scouting/analysis

gp13tot

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
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Hi all

I am a teacher and have recently been looking at analysis in elite level sport specifically football. One of the things we look at is the time taken at the elite level to analyse both players at a club and players they might like to sign

In many cases this is after extensive scouting and analysis. IIRC mikel was watched for an awful long time by man ure and Chelsea and lets not even get started on leandro. But I'm more interested in when clubs go against this MO and sign players after a short period of time in form or in the first team without a long period of scouting.i Because these signings often don't work out and it will allow me to highlight to students the importance of thorough analysis. I can think of bebe to man u and diouf and diao to Liverpool after Senegal doing well at wc2002. Stumped after this so S.C. hoping you may help me if you know of any other good examples.

I suppose if the goat itk of mcmanaman comes off this could be an example as he has only had 2 months first team experience and then boom big club sees the short term performance levels and takes a plunge.

Appreciate any help, ta very much
 

Danners9

Available on a Free Transfer
Mar 30, 2004
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Isnt Bebe another one, signed by Fergie after watching a few videos ?

worse than that, he'd been signed by Vitoria Guimaraes 5 weeks before. Man Utd paid 7.4m for him after Vitoria Guimaraes got him for free. He only played pre-season games before leaving.
 

whitelanefever

Well-Known Member
Aug 21, 2012
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Dennis wise signed a couple of players for Newcastle after watching clips provided by agent & utube,xisco was 1 & there's another who's name escapes me, Ferguson signed a good few(oiled his palm) bebe djemba djemba kleberson liam miller obertan jordi cruyff & a striker who he later offloaded to shef utd(can't remember name but he was in there team when they last got relegated from pl) & massimo Taibi of course.
Leeds really famous one was Seth Johnson, Liverpool had Sean Dundee, there was that striker blackburn signed from southampton Davies I think, just remembered lad who went shef utd after man u webber,
 

Mouse!

Fookin' Legend in Gin Alley
Aug 29, 2011
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Chris Smalling to Utd always struck me as unusually hasty. IIRC Fulham had only just plucked him from non-league football before Utd came in with a massive offer of £10m or so.
 

Armstrong_11

Spurs makes me happy, you... not so much :)
Aug 3, 2011
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Scouting via Football Manager? Still never understood why Everton signed bakayoko all those years ago...
 

gp13tot

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
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Cheers whitelanefever the xisco and Sean Dundee examples are particularly good (or bad) thanks. Remember the xisco one now
 

whitelanefever

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Aug 21, 2012
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Cheers whitelanefever the xisco and Sean Dundee examples are particularly good (or bad) thanks. Remember the xisco one now
No worries gp, thought of couple more back in 88 Newcastle signed a Brazilian player called Mirandinho didn't last long & was gone within a season, jimmy Carter went to Liverpool from Millwall hardly kicked a ball for them & there was kvarme at Liverpool also.
 

RichieS

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Dec 23, 2004
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Dennis wise signed a couple of players for Newcastle after watching clips provided by agent & utube,xisco was 1 & there's another who's name escapes me, Ferguson signed a good few(oiled his palm) bebe djemba djemba kleberson liam miller obertan jordi cruyff & a striker who he later offloaded to shef utd(can't remember name but he was in there team when they last got relegated from pl) & massimo Taibi of course.
Leeds really famous one was Seth Johnson, Liverpool had Sean Dundee, there was that striker blackburn signed from southampton Davies I think, just remembered lad who went shef utd after man u webber,
Yeah, Kevin Davies. Not really one for this thread I wouldn't have thought...
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
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I remember Utd signing the Czech, Karel Poborsky, which smacked of them buying him after a good Euro 96. Wasn't terrible but didn't do very well for them.

AC Milan bought Luther Blissett after reportedly asking for Watford's number 7 as Barnes wore 7 for England but a different number for Watford (number might be wrong). Clearly didn't scout enough as they didn't know what he looked like. Blissett rejects this story though.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
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I remember Utd signing the Czech, Karel Poborsky, which smacked of them buying him after a good Euro 96. Wasn't terrible but didn't do very well for them.

AC Milan bought Luther Blissett after reportedly asking for Watford's number 7 as Barnes wore 7 for England but a different number for Watford (number might be wrong). Clearly didn't scout enough as they didn't know what he looked like. Blissett rejects this story though.
So do the Italians because they wanted a striker not a winger
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
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So do the Italians because they wanted a striker not a winger

Never knew if the story were to be believed or not.

Either way they made a mistake. If they meant to buy Barnes they cocked up, if they wanted a striker then they shouldn't have bought Luther Blissett.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
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29,551
Hi all

I am a teacher and have recently been looking at analysis in elite level sport specifically football. One of the things we look at is the time taken at the elite level to analyse both players at a club and players they might like to sign

In many cases this is after extensive scouting and analysis. IIRC mikel was watched for an awful long time by man ure and Chelsea
I don't think mikel was scouted at all by Chelsea, they stole al united's targets by outbidding them, robben was shown around united's training ground before Chelsea stole him. It didn't help that Kenyon knew united inside out
Never knew if the story were to be believed or not.

Either way they made a mistake. If they meant to buy Barnes they cocked up, if they wanted a striker then they shouldn't have bought Luther Blissett.
He was a striker.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
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I don't think mikel was scouted at all by Chelsea, they stole al united's targets by outbidding them, robben was shown around united's training ground before Chelsea stole him. It didn't help that Kenyon knew united inside out

He was a striker.

Yes I know, but one that wasn't good enough for AC Milan.
 
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