Rangers must improve their scouting network quickly

[iang2911 423]

I know it's the rag but a good article and right to the point.

David McCarthy: Rangers must improve their scouting network quickly

WHILE boardroom battles at Ibrox continue to dominate headlines - DAVID says the non-existence of a scouting network is one of the most damaging blows inflicted upon the club.

KENNY McDOWALL stood in for Rangers boss Ally McCoist at a press conference a couple of weeks ago.

At it he said ‘there’s no scouting structure. Since Neil Murray went it has been left to ourselves. A club of this size needs to have a scouting network’.

That statement wasn’t given a big billing but it should have been.

It should have been screaming from the top of every article written from Murray Park that day because for a club of Rangers’ size to not have a scouting network is nothing short of a disgrace.

While all the battling, back-biting and bluster from those who are fighting for the right to run Ibrox has dominated the headlines, this fundamental element in any club’s well-being has been neglected.

And that is as corrosive as some of the nonsense that has been going on at the top of the marble staircase for God knows how long.

Think about it for a minute. The Gers have recruited nine players since the ending of their registration embargo.

But apart from Arnold Peralta, who was presumably flagged up to them by a foreign agent, and Bilel Mohsni who was recommended by Paul Sturrock, the rest were known to McCoist, Ian Durrant and McDowall because they’d played football in Scotland.

Nicky Law, John Daly, Richard Foster, Cammy Bell, Steve Simonsen, Stevie Smith all had previous SPL experience and Nicky Clark’s 41 goals for Queen of the South last season made the decision to sign him easy.

Those players were not signed as a result of a sophisticated scouting network but Rangers are going to have to build one as a matter of priority.

They can’t go on merely cherry-picking Premiership players. That kind of short-term policy is unsustainable.

Rangers have won League One already. The only debate is whether they can go through the season undefeated.

They could win the Championship next season with the same squad as they have at the moment.

But without a scouting organisation, where is the next generation of Rangers player coming from?

Without a network out there to identify young talent, how are they going to find and select future prospects to bring to Murray Park.

Rangers are already miles behind the likes of Dundee United in identifying, raising and playing young talent.

One of the players of the season this term, United left back Andy Robertson, was even playing in the same division as the Ibrox club last season at Queen’s Park, yet they missed him.

Robertson, Ryan Gauld, John Souttar, Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Dow – all kids getting Premiership experience.

Rangers had the chance to blood their own kids but the only one to do so has been Lewis Macleod. Others have been given occasional outings but he is the only regular.

A scouting web isn’t only for identifying kids. Look at the role Inverness Caley’s chief scout Steve Marsella has done for Terry Butcher.

Marsella either has one hell of an eye for a player or a contacts book to die for because year after year he is bringing players from backwaters such as Macclesfield and Kidder-minster to the attention of Butcher and Maurice Malpas.

But they can’t be sourced if there is a condemned sign hanging from the door of the scouting department.

And all of this is before you start to think of what is needed to co-ordinate a global scouting organisation to bring untapped talent from around the world. It won’t come cheap but if the money blown on pay-offs and bonuses to over-paid executives and directors had been channelled into youth, it could be up and running by now.

Instead, the scouting department has been allowed to wither and die.

It is one of the many blows inflicted upon this club and although it has been largely ignored, it has been one of the most damaging.

[Skol 401]

Good article. It's felt like we've been lacking in this department for years.

A number of the gems we've picked up in years past like Arteta and Cuellar have been players we've stumbled across by playing against them

[scarkev 3,540]

Yip, I said it a few weeks ago but if we dont sort out the internal side of things i.e Scouting, coaching, youth recruitment etc then we will end up back in the same mess again....We have to develop a long term plan that is both sustainable and cost effective. Unfortunatly I fear all too many are interested in is the present without the forsight to addresss the future....

[ClydebankBearWATP 877]

Lets be honest our club is a fucking shambles right now and this is just a part of it. Infuriates me we never took the chance to start fresh in Division 3 as an opportunity to reinvent the club football/scouting side. No scout what a fucking shambles! wouldnt trust our management team to identify a player either

[RedWhiteBlue1872 407]

Agree with the article.

Although in the next year or so it wouldnt be required, we would really need some sort of scouting network in place when we are back in the premier league.

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Ooft, this won't go down well with the 'everything is ok' brigade.

Good article.

[iang2911 423]

Agree with the article.

Although in the next year or so it wouldnt be required, we would really need some sort of scouting network in place when we are back in the premier league.

We do have some time but it is fast running out.

We are spending too much money and time having to fend off attacks on the business side of things. Until that gets sorted out, whoever wins, we are stuck in a position where development of the football department will suffer.

They need to get it sorted out very soon, or show that the likes of scouting etc is being addressed.

[iang2911 423]

Ooft, this won't go down well with the 'everything is ok' brigade.

Good article.

Is there anyone saying everything is ok?

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Is there anyone saying everything is ok?

There's a few on here with that mindset.

As long as we win back to back promotions that's all that matters.

We nearly never had a club.

These things take years to implement.

Bla bla.

[DarcheVinny 1,003]

I cannot agree more with that article. We have a serious problem that will leave us a decade behind Celtic if we don't fix it now.

[loyalfollower 1,543]

Cant disagree with any if that. Pretty ashamed though that we seem to behind the likes of dundee utd and ict. Now lets see if this issue gets brought up at the agm.

[Marco Negri's Beard 1,423]

Of course the article is spot on. Nobody would question that despite what some say. Unfortunately this won't change until we get the business side of the club sorted out

[Jimfanciesthedude 25,004]

Why need a scouting network when we can just keep buying league titles

[iang2911 423]

Of course the article is spot on. Nobody would question that despite what some say. Unfortunately this won't change until we get the business side of the club sorted out

I was trying to avoid bringing that in to it but I guess we can't.

The amount of money that has been wasted on investigations, severance packages and continual legal battles is ruining the redevelopment of the football side. Roll on the AGM so hopefully we can get some time to focus on the football club!

[nachothelegend 1,932]

This is critical to our growth.

Nail on the Head stuff.

[Marco Negri's Beard 1,423]

I was trying to avoid bringing that in to it but I guess we can't.

The amount of money that has been wasted on investigations, severance packages and continual legal battles is ruining the redevelopment of the football side. Roll on the AGM so hopefully we can get some time to focus on the football club!

Sorry! The two are of course inextricably linked. Once we return to a level of stability (if that day ever bloody comes), this should be the first thing we sort. Absolutely no question. Whether fans would accept perhaps struggling on the pitch in order for us to invest fully in our scouting/coaching, reaping the rewards in the future, well that's another question

[ayro 3,155]

Article is spot on and mentioning the kid Robertson that was at QP last season is equally spot on all 4 games he played against us he was very good, more so going forward than defending but rather than try to progress an 18 year old as back up to Wallace, we give out a contract to Stevie Smith because he has greater experience, knows the set up etc. complete lack of foresight which I blame solely on all the in fighting at board level where they are all out for their chunk of the blue pound whilst not giving a fuck to the damage they have done and continue to do to the infrastructure of the club

[trublusince1982 768]

sums up my thoughts perfectly

[ayro 3,155]

That rant wasn't meant as a dig at Smith as he is far from the worst but more at the lack of long term strategy

[CraigG 56]

We don't need a scouting policy. All we need is a chequebook. Just ask Ally.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

LOL both Ally and MacDowell have said this publically, s I'll assume they are saying it privately as well - however both also say they are using thir own contacts, and that is a network (of sorts) BUT it was Green that cut that costs and until we get some sort of business stability its impossible for the club to rectify this.

[GOAT 30,449]

It's critical to the clubs long term future. As things stand we're a selling club and we need to identify players that wont just improve the club, but make us money in the future.

I said it before but Lech Poznan once signed lewandowski for half a million. With a proper scouting network we could have found him. Saying that we need proper footballing coaches to bring them on aswell.

We had the perfect chance to build something from scratch and we've completely fucked it!

[cushynumber 25,178]

Such as obvious thing to have - and yet ours in non existent and even when we had it it was down to one or two individuals - thats not a network.

Its like a farmer not growing crops and buying in all the food he needs - so utterly ridiculous it beggers belief.

[4everGers 82]

I thought for years that we should have an acadmey in every big uk town & city all run the same way with all age groups all playing each other & one big tourement once a year witch the scouts could have there pick the talent would soon come through would not even cost that much to set up as you don't have to own them you could hand them out on a franchise & pay them the going rate for any boy that makes the grade

[MaddistonKnight 1,572]

It is depressing, isn't it. Will our club ever fuckin' learn?

Too many excuses, not enough action.

Mind you, Christ knows how we are going to do this as it costs money, something we don't have a lot of. And I note from some of the posters on RM there are a good few who seem to baulk at putting their hands in their pockets at all when it comes to Rangers. I can recall a good few moaning about the potential price of a pint in the new Rangers bar - fuck sake, if there ever was a place to accept paying a premium for a beer surely it would be a place which would directly help your club!