Summer 2026 Transfer Window

[manc_don]

Seen a few people talk about him really highly, but it doesn’t feel like the market we should be playing in. Does he (Robinson) have good pedigree in unearthing players from random English league teams?

[wee toon red]

If we’re back to the head coach plucking random players out of nowhere then it would mean the sporting director model has been chucked in the bin, which I don’t think has happened so I can’t see us being in for this guy. Probably just agent talk.

[RicoS321]

19 minutes ago, wee toon red said:

If we’re back to the head coach plucking random players out of nowhere then it would mean the sporting director model has been chucked in the bin, which I don’t think has happened so I can’t see us being in for this guy. Probably just agent talk.

The sporting director model should include the ability for a manager to recommend players that he's either had experience of, or scouted, previously. It has to be a blend. The player should go through the recruitment team who do their research based on data and videos and additional scouting, and then he gets presented to the sporting director for final sign off. I guess they could apply weighting based on recommendation etc. For me, the sporting director needs to be the one that's on top of the overall balance of the squad and playing devil's advocate by asking how particular players fit into overall strategy and so on. He's there to make sure a robust process is in place and followed, ultimately refusing a signing who might be good, but would end in us having three similar players for example. There's no reason that a manager shouldn't be - in effect - signing players, there is every reason to prevent a manager from signing most or all of the players. It's about balance. Within that balance there must also be a commitment to not blocking the pathway for youth development.