Scouting Non League

[Pompey55]

According to the snooze we have been turned down by Richard Hughes’s who is highly rated for his good transfer dealings which have helped Forest Green Rovers get promoted to League One. So it’s back to the drawing board I’m afraid and this news will set back our transfer plans whether non league or not.Just hope we have another good target lined up

It’s now being reported we have approached Cambridge to secure Ben Strang their director of football

[jam tomorrow]

Cambridge United fans will be delighted they are very derogatory about him, looks like we are scraping the bottom again folks.

Ben Strang and Graham Daniels have mis-managed the football club and guided us to a position of weakness in the football league. A League Two football club should not tie the hands of the manager, and their wages are simply a waste of our very thin budget. Their signings have been poor and if it wasn't for Colin Calderwood, we would be back in the non-league.

[Sam_Brown]

According to the snooze we have been turned down by Richard Hughes’s who is highly rated for his good transfer dealings which have helped Forest Green Rovers get promoted to League One. So it’s back to the drawing board I’m afraid and this news will set back our transfer plans whether non league or not.Just hope we have another good target lined up

Same hughes that used to play for Pompey per chance?

[Pompey55]

Cambridge United fans will be delighted they are very derogatory about him, looks like we are scraping the bottom again folks.

Ben Strang and Graham Daniels have mis-managed the football club and guided us to a position of weakness in the football league. A League Two football club should not tie the hands of the manager, and their wages are simply a waste of our very thin budget. Their signings have been poor and if it wasn't for Colin Calderwood, we would be back in the non-league.

Not sure where that quote come from but as I remember they are in our league and in fact losing to them killed any chance of a playoff position. However agree with you about scraping the bottom of the barrel seems to me we put all our eggs in one basket expecting Hughes to walk out on his club and are now desperately scrabbling around for alternatives sounds very much like our recent player acquisition activity

[PeteM]

According to the snooze we have been turned down by Richard Hughes’s who is highly rated for his good transfer dealings which have helped Forest Green Rovers get promoted to League One. So it’s back to the drawing board I’m afraid and this news will set back our transfer plans whether non league or not.Just hope we have another good target lined up

Same hughes that used to play for Pompey per chance?

I did wonder that too, as "our" Richard Hughes was involved in recruitment and then as technical director at Bournemouth under Eddie Howe - but no, it's a different fella.

[PeteM]

Cambridge United fans will be delighted they are very derogatory about him, looks like we are scraping the bottom again folks.

Ben Strang and Graham Daniels have mis-managed the football club and guided us to a position of weakness in the football league. A League Two football club should not tie the hands of the manager, and their wages are simply a waste of our very thin budget. Their signings have been poor and if it wasn't for Colin Calderwood, we would be back in the non-league.

Not sure where that quote come from but as I remember they are in our league and in fact losing to them killed any chance of a playoff position. However agree with you about scraping the bottom of the barrel seems to me we put all our eggs in one basket expecting Hughes to walk out on his club and are now desperately scrabbling around for alternatives sounds very much like our recent player acquisition activity

Calderwood left Cambridge in January 2020, so it's a pretty old quote, wherever it came from! Sounds like it's probably from when he kept them up in League Two at the end of the 2018/2019 season after taking over.

From the outside, Cambridge seem to be a reasonably well run club off the pitch, got promoted last season when they weren't expected to and have stayed up comfortably in League One (plus winning at Newcastle in the FA Cup!). That was despite losing Paul Mullin last summer (to National League Wrexham) who I think was the top scorer in English football last season (scored 32 in the league) and not spending a penny in transfer fees.

I don't know anything about Ben Strang really, so can't say whether he's the right fit for us - but on paper it wouldn't seem to be a terrible idea to speak to him. I'm sure Hughes was our first choice (and FGR have recruited really well in recent seasons) but I'm sure he wasn't the only person on our short list. That would make sense given we immediately knew who we then wanted to target as second choice once Hughes was no longer an option.

[Portchesterblue2]

Cambridge United fans will be delighted they are very derogatory about him, looks like we are scraping the bottom again folks.

Ben Strang and Graham Daniels have mis-managed the football club and guided us to a position of weakness in the football league. A League Two football club should not tie the hands of the manager, and their wages are simply a waste of our very thin budget. Their signings have been poor and if it wasn't for Colin Calderwood, we would be back in the non-league.

Not sure where that quote come from but as I remember they are in our league and in fact losing to them killed any chance of a playoff position. However agree with you about scraping the bottom of the barrel seems to me we put all our eggs in one basket expecting Hughes to walk out on his club and are now desperately scrabbling around for alternatives sounds very much like our recent player acquisition activity

Did we put all our eggs in one basket? Hughes contract was running out, we spoke to him, he clearly gave an indication of interest in the job. Forest Green didnt want to lose him so offered him a bumper contract to stay, and he did.
the fact that the day after he decides to stay we ask to speak to someone else which suggests to me a plan b, which doesnt suggest putting all your eggs in one basket does it ?

[jam tomorrow]

There does seem to be a Pattern being developing here we have been looking and trying to recruit in the lower reaches of the leagues for positions in the club, ie Andrew Cullen (MK Dons) Hughes ( Forest Green) Ben Strang (Cambridge United) be it clubs that have over achieved for their size. This strategy is probably also being applied to players to some extent, some will say this is not very ambitious others will back it, only time will tell.

[Portchesterblue2]

i think one of the telling comments in one of the posts on here, where the players being part of the team or being for development, was
"4 or 5 players good enough to be in the first team"

now for me, if they are good enough to be in the first team, does it matter where they come from??
I really fail to see what this massive hang up on DC saying they were looking to recruit from the lower / non leagues, its something we have always done, and probably always will.

in the last few years we have bought players in from lower leagues, some have been a success and moved on, Jamal Lowe, others not so succesful.
other like Curtis are still with us, but maybe moving on to higher leagues.

FFS we bought Whittingham out of the army for £500 and look what he did

If the players are "good enough", then they are good enough.
and before someone says how do you know, simple answer, you dont! we have bought good ones and bad ones form lower leagues, we have bought good ones and bad ones from higher leagues for big money and they havent worked out.

[eltorrro]

Now I am probably wrong (I very often am although my wife says I'm always wrong!!) but my take on this subject was that DC was looking in lower/non leagues for 'young-ish' players with potential that could be garnered by Pompey and be peripheral players then sell on at a later date.
So, not necessarily seeking immediate first team players but 'potential' first teamers??

Thoughts anyone??

[Portchesterblue2]

Now I am probably wrong (I very often am although my wife says I'm always wrong!!) but my take on this subject was that DC was looking in lower/non leagues for 'young-ish' players with potential that could be garnered by Pompey and be peripheral players then sell on at a later date.
So, not necessarily seeking immediate first team players but 'potential' first teamers??

Thoughts anyone??

The 'vision' stated was that we "sign 4 or 5 players of promise that are good enough to play in our first team that can become assets"

I think this is the quote that is causing the issue, but as per my previous post, the telling words are "good enough to play in our first team"
If they are good enough does it make a difference where they come from??

[eltorrro]

Now I am probably wrong (I very often am although my wife says I'm always wrong!!) but my take on this subject was that DC was looking in lower/non leagues for 'young-ish' players with potential that could be garnered by Pompey and be peripheral players then sell on at a later date.
So, not necessarily seeking immediate first team players but 'potential' first teamers??

Thoughts anyone??

If they are good enough does it make a difference where they come from??

....or how old they are??

[Sam_Brown]

Now I am probably wrong (I very often am although my wife says I'm always wrong!!) but my take on this subject was that DC was looking in lower/non leagues for 'young-ish' players with potential that could be garnered by Pompey and be peripheral players then sell on at a later date.
So, not necessarily seeking immediate first team players but 'potential' first teamers??

Thoughts anyone??

I do feel most managers these days are seen as the front face of the club and it's almost as much a marketing \ sales role trying to "sell the club to the fans" as it is about the on pitch stuff. As with everything sales related actions speak louder than words. As a few others have said "time will tell".

[Blue Walter]

i think one of the telling comments in one of the posts on here, where the players being part of the team or being for development, was
"4 or 5 players good enough to be in the first team"

now for me, if they are good enough to be in the first team, does it matter where they come from??
I really fail to see what this massive hang up on DC saying they were looking to recruit from the lower / non leagues, its something we have always done, and probably always will.

in the last few years we have bought players in from lower leagues, some have been a success and moved on, Jamal Lowe, others not so succesful.
other like Curtis are still with us, but maybe moving on to higher leagues.

FFS we bought Whittingham out of the army for £500 and look what he did

If the players are "good enough", then they are good enough.
and before someone says how do you know, simple answer, you dont! we have bought good ones and bad ones form lower leagues, we have bought good ones and bad ones from higher leagues for big money and they havent worked out.

I think the concern is, I know mine is anyway, that these players are not the finished product when they arrive and it takes time to establish whether or not they are going to 'make it'. It then takes even longer for them to become Jamal Lowe's. You can, of course, say that about any player but coming from a couple of leagues below is more of a gamble.

[Sam_Brown]

Now I am probably wrong (I very often am although my wife says I'm always wrong!!) but my take on this subject was that DC was looking in lower/non leagues for 'young-ish' players with potential that could be garnered by Pompey and be peripheral players then sell on at a later date.
So, not necessarily seeking immediate first team players but 'potential' first teamers??

Thoughts anyone??

I do feel most managers these days are seen as the front face of the club and it's almost as much a marketing \ sales role trying to "sell the club to the fans" as it is about the on pitch stuff. As with everything sales related actions speak louder than words. As a few others have said "time will tell".

I swear I was responding to a different post when I wrote that . Can't even delete it now. Second time I've done that today. Time for me to log off.