So Stevenson starts at the Albion today

[Iamapen15]

Stephenson estimates he personally watches 80 to 100 games a season.

His six-stage process to scouting players will include a scout watching a player three times at home and three times away before the likes of the chief scout and assistant manager will become involved.

The manager will not then go and watch the player himself until stage four, which is when he will also read a 40 to 50-page dossier on the potential target.

If the manager is keen on signing the player, it is then up to Stephenson to conclude the deal before the chief executive or Chairman “rubber stamps” the transfer.

The final stage is when the club attempt to integrate the player following his arrival.

Stephenson said: "The six-stage process is the key to how well Watford have done in terms of recruitment in the last two years. The fact that people believed in it and allowed it to happened is great credit to those involved"

All a bit different to the Barry Lloyd school of scouting!

 

[Rookie]

and the full article

John Stephenson discusses time at Watford ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion move From Watford Observer)

 

[backson]

That's quite a stringent test; although completely hypothetical, it would be interesting to know how many current players would have got through after all of that.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Interesting that he is bringing a couple of other people with him. I thought only managers did this.

As an aside, he's a SCARY looking bloke, isn't he? Looks like one of those raving American evangelist preachers!

 

[Badger]

He looks a bit like Charlie Slater from Eastenders

 

[Titanic]

 

[Lincoln Imp]

and the full article

John Stephenson discusses time at Watford ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion move From Watford Observer)

What a grown-up article in Watford's local paper. **sigh**

 

[Jesus Gul]

great look-a-likeys!!

 

[Exiled in Exeter]

Stephenson helped to set up the academies at Reading, Preston North End and Celtic before coming to Watford

And he views the move to Brighton and Hove Albion, who should move into a new 22,500-seater stadium in the summer, as his next big challenge.

Stephenson said: “The chairman [Tony Bloom] there has a particular vision for the football club and it is going to be exciting times for everyone at Brighton. The new stadium is just the start of what the chairman has in mind for the football club, so it is an opportunity to do it all again at a club that maybe has the potential to go a little bit further.”

Sounds good to me!

 

[The French Mistress]

"up and coming Brighton" ..........patronising sods !!!

 

[Gully]

That's quite a stringent test; although completely hypothetical, it would be interesting to know how many current players would have got through after all of that.

It certainly is, but one would assume that it would highlight strengths, weaknesses and potential. Whilst natural ability is a pre-requisite the fact that a player could do with losing a couple of pounds or improving an area of the game are things that could be fairly easily remedied by a change of diet or training regime. It sounds like the footballing equivalent of a full property survey before you buy a house, very thorough indeed.

 

[house your seagull]

i read this and found it all very interesting ...

without knowing the ins and outs of the club scouting hierarchy at present, i preusmed that Zigor Aranalde reported directly to Gus, and Gus would also have fingers in various pies too through his connections.

this system at watford certainly sounds ultra professional, but wasn't somebody on here saying that the appointment was from bloom, not poyet?

Where does this leave Aranalde (a Gus appointment) and how does it fit in with Gus' plans? Playing devils advocate, remember bloom is a friend of mike ashley who bought in dennis wise at newcastle in a similar role and look what happened there!

equally it's interesting looking at our current sqaud at their roots;

Ankergren (Gus' pal from Leeds)
Calderon (Gus signing, joined 3 months before Aranalde)
Elphick (Schoolboy)
Greer (Not sure, wasn't at Swindon during Poyet's time there)
Painter (Martinez favour, mate of Poyet)
Bennett (Salde signing)
Bridcutt (Chelsea connections of Poyets)
Dicker (Salde signing)
Noone (current scouting system)
Wood (Di Matteo favour, Gus' mate)
Barnes (Poyet so maybe aranalde
Sandaza (who knows, spanish connections of poyets, aranalde)
Murray (wilkins)
Kishishev (mate of poyets)
Brezovan (with swindon at poyet)
Dunk (schoolboy)
Sparrow (who knows?)

so in terms of finding diamonds in the rough, only calderon has made any impact.

we'll see the success of development squad when contracts are renewed in the summer, but the argentinian lads and toby haven't set the wordl on fire yet.

 

[Mendoza]

"up and coming Brighton" ..........patronising sods !!!

well we are aren't we?

We haven't had money in ages (thinking getting promoted to the top division years)

We have been in the bottom two tiers of the football league in all but 3 of my 20 or so years watching

We have a new stadium coming, a new academy coming and the potetial to spend shit loads of money to get to The Premier League coming aournd the corner

 

[Wozza]

Ankergren (Gus' pal from Leeds)
Calderon (Gus signing, joined 3 months before Aranalde)
Elphick (Schoolboy)
Greer (Not sure, wasn't at Swindon during Poyet's time there)
Painter (Martinez favour, mate of Poyet)
Bennett (Salde signing)
Bridcutt (Chelsea connections of Poyets)
Dicker (Salde signing)
Noone (current scouting system)
Wood (Di Matteo favour, Gus' mate)
Barnes (Poyet so maybe aranalde
Sandaza (who knows, spanish connections of poyets, aranalde)
Murray (wilkins)
Kishishev (mate of poyets)
Brezovan (with swindon at poyet)
Dunk (schoolboy)
Sparrow (who knows?)

Insightful - thanks.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Noone was spotted by Gus himself in September when we played Plymouth. He was so impressed by him terrorising Painter that he spoke to Reid at half time about him. Fortunately for us, Reid switched Noone onto the right for the second half of the match.

 

[sydney]

Interesting that he is bringing a couple of other people with him. I thought only managers did this.

As an aside, he's a SCARY looking bloke, isn't he? Looks like one of those raving American evangelist preachers!

he looks like abrahmovichs' mad uncle ...ffs

 

[The Face]

Tippy-Tappy football in the third tier, The Development Squad, Private Seat Licenses, Six-Stage Scouting process. We are at the forefront of a footballing revolution!

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

What on earth can you put in a 40-50 page dossier on a player? Maybe they pad it out with lots of pictures n stuff

 

[I'll Get Me Coat]

he looks like abrahmovichs' mad uncle ...ffs

He is a dead ringer for Joe Bugner...............hope he's a better scout than boxer !

 

[shaolinpunk]

What on earth can you put in a 40-50 page dossier on a player? Maybe they pad it out with lots of pictures n stuff

MICHAEL OWEN BROCHURE: The complete 32-page agents' dossier on the fallen Newcastle star and former England striker | Mail Online