It's clear with hindsight that what we have done is recruited players with a decent record at other clubs but we haven't recruited decent players that have come together as a TEAM. This squad, as has been proved this season can't (or wont/don't want to) play effective football together.
That IMO is on the recruitment. Whether that's on KJ, AH and NH or just on KJ and AH is up for debate but in attacking areas most of our attacking players have lived up to what I expected and some have simply just not been good enough.
Our strikers we've had at our disposal are nowhere near the quality needed to score the goals to get us out the division IMO. Its by some miracle we're still involved in the play-off race, not because we've been decent but because everyone else has been as inconsistent/shit as us, although most others are worse defensively rather than not being able to score goals. Defensively IMO we're strong but I'd imagine that's where a fair portion of our budget has been spent.
Using analytics to recruit is a weird one IMO. BG says we're need to move away from being in the 'pool' competing with everyone else for players, yet goes on to say everyone is starting to use analytics, presumably meaning that method will identify the same type of players clubs want ( I.e a striker who is quick, mobile, a physical presence, scores goals, can hold the ball up).
For me, we have lacked an energy/fitness to get around the pitch, a method of creating chances and the obvious lack of someone to put the ball in the back of the net. That doesn't need some analytics to tell me that and IMO KJ or AH shouldn't need analytics to tell them the type of players. Identifying those type of players is what they get paid to do Shirley, go out and watch players in person, that's the best judge, not an algorithm.
Also have doubts that our budget, if as BG says in the KOL article is going to be similar for next season, will be able to accommodate the probable 3 strikers we need (as well as Andrews for next season.
I'd be amazed if we recruited only 3 or 4 players in the summer and were in the top three next season. We need 6 or 7 attack minded/creative/goalscoring players in our squad for next season IMO.
None of J Williams, Lapslie, J Clarke, Mahoney have done enough to warrant being immediate picks for next season and we need at least two if not three strikers alongside Andrews.
On PS anyone who thought PS was quietly going to fade into the background and didn't still want his fingers in pies doesn't know him very well. He may have 'expertise' but he is also someone who could never delegate or let others do what they're paid to do.
