Current Staff Ed Waldron

[BrockBuster]

Recruitment/scouting is extremely tough to judge. Having known scouts who have identified top players in the past only for the club to go ahead and sign flops in their place, from a public perspective, very easy to blame a scout/DOF/head of recruitment when so many people involved who can make the call (manager/chairperson etc).

That's not to mention suitable players being identified but the club just not having the budget.

Specific example of my mate - he was working for Portsmouth who were looking for a holding CM - they found and recommended Sami Khedira in 2009, when he was still at Stuttgart and within their price range.

Was overruled by a joint decision from manager and chairman to instead sign - Hayden Mullins. A year later Khedira moved to Real Madrid. Mullins did not.

 

[Stranger]

Recruitment/scouting is extremely tough to judge. Having known scouts who have identified top players in the past only for the club to go ahead and sign flops in their place, from a public perspective, very easy to blame a scout/DOF/head of recruitment when so many people involved who can make the call (manager/chairperson etc).

That's not to mention suitable players being identified but the club just not having the budget.

Specific example of my mate - he was working for Portsmouth who were looking for a holding CM - they found and recommended Sami Khedira in 2009, when he was still at Stuttgart and within their price range.

Was overruled by a joint decision from manager and chairman to instead sign - Hayden Mullins. A year later Khedira moved to Real Madrid. Mullins did not.

Real Madrid's loss

 

[carefreeoufc]

It's a bad look but maybe it's not been helped by setting up so negatively in most games and inviting endless pressure? Cam is a big miss of course but I think the players are better than they've shown so far, it's easy to say they aren't good enough but I recall similar posts when we were heading towards League 2 with a squad containing Brown, Moore, Brannagan, McGuane, Murphy, Goodrham etc. Get this next manager right and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see people think that maybe the likes of Krastev are definitely good enough for this level.

To try and not take this off track I'm really on the fence about Waldron. For all the criticism levelled at him we've progressed as a club and the squad is certainly in a better place than when he took over. He seems to be proxy for recruitment in general but that's more Mitchell's role and I have to say I've been impressed with a lot of what we've done in the past couple of windows with the caveat that he was completely stitched up in the summer. Waldron will also have been key to manager recruitment and we've done well there three times in a row.

On the other hand Rowett clearly wanted Campbell in the summer. The fact we didn't get him when he was the most low hanging of fruit implies Waldron said no which was a ridiculous risk that we're now paying for. Some contract extensions (Harris!) looked poor at the time and awful in hindsight. The fact we're struggling to shift so many players suggests we're either not good at it or we're overpaying them in the first place which is why no one is willing to match their wage to take them away. We can't afford as much wastage as we have currently, although some of this is carried over from players who got helped us up but were never going to be Championship standard such as Dale and Thorniley. There is a lack of assets but I think either Tim or Grant mentioned we were loving away from the player trading model more into ready to go Championship players, despite this I think BDK and Spencer are assets and who knows what else we could have managed with an unobstructed window

I'd be interested to see if things changed above him he magically looked better at his job. I've said before I'm willing to cut him, and particularly Mitchell, plenty of slack because they were hampered so badly in the summer and most the blame should go above them. That doesn't give a free pass though and this next managerial appointment is massive. Going forwards if rather see the club run competently from above. It would obviously be better all round but it would take away a lot of the cloud and doubt about the likes of Waldron and Mitchell. Get it right above them, give them every opportunity and let them sink or swim, don't dick them about and make a tough job several times harder.

The Harris extension was a sensible one if you/your CEO and Chairman had an eye on us competing in L1 in 2026/27. Proven at that level and potentially a player that could be loaned out in the 2025/26 season.

If we stayed up and he’d done well on loan, option to buy. If we went down, he’d be our go to No.9.

 

[isibuko]

On the other hand Rowett clearly wanted Campbell in the summer. The fact we didn't get him when he was the most low hanging of fruit implies Waldron said no which was a ridiculous risk that we're now paying for

This is a wild take.

 

[Joey]

This is a wild take.

Is it? Campbell was hanging around for weeks and Rowett was on record saying he wanted a deal done. Someone must have kiboshed it and we're in a situation where with Sibley not part of things we've got no cover at all in central midfield. That's an oversight whichever way you cut it.

 

[isibuko]

Is it? Campbell was hanging around for weeks and Rowett was on record saying he wanted a deal done. Someone must have kiboshed it and we're in a situation where with Sibley not part of things we've got no cover at all in central midfield. That's an oversight whichever way you cut it.

Not if they deemed him to be shite.

 

[Stranger]

I'd rather have Sibley than Campbell, tbh. Sibley gets a bad press on here considering he's had hardly any game time in which to prove the doubters wrong. He did okay in pre-season played out of position on the left wing or at left back and even left wing back, whereas Campbell was anonymous in all the pre-season games he played.

 

[Joey]

Not if they deemed him to be shite.

That's a fair point but in that case there's a disconnect between manager and head of football allowing him to hang around for so long. I thought we treated him pretty shoddily but at least Rowett would have played him if he were here, with Sibley not involved at all we're down to two midfielders after a single injury. That's crap planning, either sign him or move him on and find someone else, doing neither put us in an entirely avoidable jam.

 

[Nadi-]

Our recruitment for a few seasons has been slow, indecisive lacking practicality and some poor judgment. It’s pretty evident we’re missing someone in charge, with knowledge of championship football recruitment and planning
Mitchell’s recruitment at Wycombe was first class, but for some reason, we don’t seem take that initiative or be ahead of the game anymore.
Needs some proper experience and the brakes being taken off.

 

[SSO]

he's knocking on a bit now, but I wouldnt mind having him on the bench to salvage a point at away games - sign him up, I believe hes out of contract?


View attachment 32533

FFS this is the problem leaving our best player on the bench to get the leveller. What I would be looking for is someone from Go Ahead Eagles.

 

[SSO]

he's knocking on a bit now, but I wouldnt mind having him on the bench to salvage a point at away games - sign him up, I believe hes out of contract?


View attachment 32533

A bit more than knocking on a bit now I’m afraid. Think he has been Hovis about 20 years now.

 

[Barrywedge]

Ed Waldren invested in poor players that are not Championship standard. Spending a fortune not one as good as players past. Not one of them could hold a light to players of the past Aldridge Hamilton defence midfielders forwards all better and worth far more than what we got

 

[OUFCGav]

You can't really compare the football transfer market of the 80s to that of today. The money is very different, buying a player the standard of Aldridge for £300k (today's equivalent to the £78k he cost) just wouldn't happen in England. We were also not affected by things like Financial Fair Play which limits the amount of money the club can lose (and there is not the ability to creatively account as there was then).

The money spent is in line with our financial position (and Erick's willingness to fund it). We can't compete with the spend of many clubs in the Championship, so we have to sign within our means, and sometimes take risks on players that are not guaranteed to work out. We could have done better, but we are where we are.

Transfers are also a wider team, not just Ed Waldron.

 

[90syeIlow]

If only people realised that he is not a 1 man team in the transfer department.

 

[dickwalton1964]

I think a lot of these modern day recruitment gurus are getting swallowed up in the foreign markets, data and over analysis. While football has moved on - some for the better - in the past 40-50 years have the players changed so much ? Some examples - John Aldridge banging in 25-30 a season at Newport County in the old Division 4 made it into the great Liverpool side of the late 80's - we paid Newport £70,000 for him. Ian Rush one decent season and a dozen goals at Chester in the same league became the most feared striker in Europe in an even greater Liverpool side that dominated the early 80's - he cost £300,000. Notts Forest paid Long Eaton £2,000 and a set of track suits for Garry Birtles - he went on to conquer Europe twice, win titles and get a move to Manchester United. Ian Wright another - Dulwich Hamlet straight into the Palace team that reached the FA Cup final in 1990, Wright scoring twice in the final. Take Drinan at Swindon, he clearly knows his way to goal, his he going to give you the press that Sparky supposedly does ? Probably not but neither did Aldridge, Birtles or Wright, exhibiting their talents by pure finishing instead. Rush, to be fair, did the donkey work. It seems to me that recruitment teams are potentially missing some gems on their doorsteps, preferring instead to scour what is a more complex and swamped European market and coming up with, lets be honest, not a lot if the likes of Prelec are the fruits of their labour.

 

[Carpy]

Ed Waldren invested in poor players that are not Championship standard. Spending a fortune not one as good as players past. Not one of them could hold a light to players of the past Aldridge Hamilton defence midfielders forwards all better and worth far more than what we got

Use the search function next time please, we already have a thread for Ed.

 

[tatabanya]

Ed Waldren invested in poor players that are not Championship standard. Spending a fortune not one as good as players past. Not one of them could hold a light to players of the past Aldridge Hamilton defence midfielders forwards all better and worth far more than what we got

A fortune? By what standards? Many teams in the league have bought a single player for our total transfer outlay in the last two windows.

 

[Eric Blair]

I think a lot of these modern day recruitment gurus are getting swallowed up in the foreign markets, data and over analysis. While football has moved on - some for the better - in the past 40-50 years have the players changed so much ? Some examples - John Aldridge banging in 25-30 a season at Newport County in the old Division 4 made it into the great Liverpool side of the late 80's - we paid Newport £70,000 for him. Ian Rush one decent season and a dozen goals at Chester in the same league became the most feared striker in Europe in an even greater Liverpool side that dominated the early 80's - he cost £300,000. Notts Forest paid Long Eaton £2,000 and a set of track suits for Garry Birtles - he went on to conquer Europe twice, win titles and get a move to Manchester United. Ian Wright another - Dulwich Hamlet straight into the Palace team that reached the FA Cup final in 1990, Wright scoring twice in the final. Take Drinan at Swindon, he clearly knows his way to goal, his he going to give you the press that Sparky supposedly does ? Probably not but neither did Aldridge, Birtles or Wright, exhibiting their talents by pure finishing instead. Rush, to be fair, did the donkey work. It seems to me that recruitment teams are potentially missing some gems on their doorsteps, preferring instead to scour what is a more complex and swamped European market and coming up with, lets be honest, not a lot if the likes of Prelec are the fruits of their labour.

Today's teams have much bigger youth set ups and have hoovered up most of the talent. I dont think there are many Aldridges, Wrights or Birtles available these days who arent already at academies of broader squads.

 

[Twiggy85]

I think a lot of these modern day recruitment gurus are getting swallowed up in the foreign markets, data and over analysis. While football has moved on - some for the better - in the past 40-50 years have the players changed so much ? Some examples - John Aldridge banging in 25-30 a season at Newport County in the old Division 4 made it into the great Liverpool side of the late 80's - we paid Newport £70,000 for him. Ian Rush one decent season and a dozen goals at Chester in the same league became the most feared striker in Europe in an even greater Liverpool side that dominated the early 80's - he cost £300,000. Notts Forest paid Long Eaton £2,000 and a set of track suits for Garry Birtles - he went on to conquer Europe twice, win titles and get a move to Manchester United. Ian Wright another - Dulwich Hamlet straight into the Palace team that reached the FA Cup final in 1990, Wright scoring twice in the final. Take Drinan at Swindon, he clearly knows his way to goal, his he going to give you the press that Sparky supposedly does ? Probably not but neither did Aldridge, Birtles or Wright, exhibiting their talents by pure finishing instead. Rush, to be fair, did the donkey work. It seems to me that recruitment teams are potentially missing some gems on their doorsteps, preferring instead to scour what is a more complex and swamped European market and coming up with, lets be honest, not a lot if the likes of Prelec are the fruits of their labour.

Sorry but the football landscape is completely different to the 80’s - it’s just not comparable. If a player is scoring 25-30 a season in any league then every club in the country would
Be chasing their signature and this be way out of our affordability.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Sorry but the football landscape is completely different to the 80’s - it’s just not comparable. If a player is scoring 25-30 a season in any league then every club in the country would
Be chasing their signature and this be way out of our affordability.

Also tactically, football is different now. In the 80's strikers and wingers were known as your quick, nippy players playing against big lumps at CB. These days CB's are just as quick as strikers, full backs as quick as wingers.

 

[SteMerritt]

The money is very different, buying a player the standard of Aldridge for £300k (today's equivalent to the £78k he cost)

Football inflation is way higher than that, I've seen figures suggesting that the Aldridge deal is the equivalent of around £1.5M to £2M today. So around the same price as Romeny...

 

[dickwalton1964]

Sorry but the football landscape is completely different to the 80’s - it’s just not comparable. If a player is scoring 25-30 a season in any league then every club in the country would
Be chasing their signature and this be way out of our affordability.

Drinan will get 30 in L2. Ballard and Wootton will get 25 each in L1. We’ve just had a transfer window and these three stayed at their respective lower league clubs. Bit of interest in Drinan from Salford, that’s about it, talk of £300,000 bid but Swindon wanting £500,000. That’s peanuts to us, why aren’t we and others all over it ? Instead we’d rather go for Prelec - a one in eight striker from abroad who then has to acclimatise to the English game. Forget the Swindon bit, who’d whet your appetite more on the face of it ? Drinan, Ballard, Wootton - or Prelec ?

Cheek got 25 for Bromley last season and on 15 so far this - 40 in just over a season and a half. Where are these supposed clubs chasing him ?

 

[Eric Blair]

Cheek got 25 for Bromley last season and on 15 so far this - 40 in just over a season and a half. Where are these supposed clubs chasing him ?

I know you're point is a broader one but I have seen Cheek play a few times. He absolutely could not cut it in the Championship - not in the slightest.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

who’d whet your appetite more on the face of it? Drinan, Ballard, Wootton - or Prelec ?

Prelec. Honestly.

Not saying he is the answer specifically, but I'd be far more excited about spending £1m on a striker from The Netherlands or Greece then a comparable amount on one from League Two.

Macauley Langstaff was banging them in. He's got 3 in a season and a half at this level. Olaofe has bombed so hard at Charlton that they've binned him off on loan back to Stockport despite their acute need for goals at this level.

It's a big step up.

The real joy at this level, for a striker, for our money - is to go abroad and do another BDK style signing. Even if Lauritsen was out of our budget (and certainly is now) I do believe there is value to be had by finding the next Zian Flemming or Žan Vipotnik (both signed for fees we could afford) - even if you've got to kiss a few frogs along the way.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Drinan will get 30 in L2. Ballard and Wootton will get 25 each in L1. We’ve just had a transfer window and these three stayed at their respective lower league clubs. Bit of interest in Drinan from Salford, that’s about it, talk of £300,000 bid but Swindon wanting £500,000. That’s peanuts to us, why aren’t we and others all over it ? Instead we’d rather go for Prelec - a one in eight striker from abroad who then has to acclimatise to the English game. Forget the Swindon bit, who’d whet your appetite more on the face of it ? Drinan, Ballard, Wootton - or Prelec ?

Cheek got 25 for Bromley last season and on 15 so far this - 40 in just over a season and a half. Where are these supposed clubs chasing him ?

Michael Cheek is a non-league veteran and 34 now. I think the last couple of years have been his only ones in the league. Not someone we've 'missed out on'.

 

[Front Post]

If only people realised that he is not a 1 man team in the transfer department.

Exactly - Scott Mitchell is Head of Recruitment and has been since November 2024. It's his team who identify players and pass them on to Waldron, the head coach and the rest of the panel.

 

[southcoastyellow]

Exactly - Scott Mitchell is Head of Recruitment and has been since November 2024. It's his team who identify players and pass them on to Waldron, the head coach and the rest of the panel.

Yes but as it’s “his team”, we will have to take ultimate accountability (as per any industry) he clearly works very hard for the club, but based on our overall transfer strategy, we have had more failures than successes and now have an over sized squad, with lots of loans. Luckily we have a very good owner, but if it was me and my money I would certainly be reviewing the situation.

 

[carefreeoufc]

It's going to need reviewing before we get to the summer, regardless of what league we're in. If we stay in the Championship, we'll have loanees returning (some we may be able to keep) as well as several OOC players from the Des days.

If we were to go down, you'll have to make a decision on the OOC players; it's highly unlikely any of the loanees will stick around, and we may well lose some of our better performers/assets. Even those that we've just signed e.g. McDonnell and Emakhu. There would need to be a significant rebuild in that instance, if I was Erick, I'd want to know that the team identifying the players and defining the transfer strategy were absolutely on it.

 

[Old Man]

Hang on a mo, isn’t the idea to buy players(younger ones ) to develop them to a higher standard or have I got that wrong .

 

[Shosho]

Come the summer we will have (from what I can find), the following OOC:

Ingram
Leigh
Findlay
Placheta
Fernindan
Peart-Harris
Dale
O'Donkor
Bradshaw

Along with the following loans expiring:

Roosken
Davies
Makosso
Konak
Donley
Lankshear
Prelec

We also have players out on loan that may or may not have a future depending on which league we are in:

Kioso
Sibley
Negru
Goodwin

Irrespective of the league we are in, there is a big overhaul to come. Also a big opportunity should we get it right