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336:: Players from lower leagues can be available at cheaper transfer prices, and command smaller wages. In particular, a talented cheap player can help a football club to progress in a league, knockout cup competition, or into continental cup competition, potentially even ahead of other clubs with superior financial clout.
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leagues, players are typically not allowed to leave training to undertake trials unless they are already out of contract and need to prove their fitness and ability to any clubs interested. Smaller clubs in need of the cash for transfers may also be more amenable to allowing their players to leave on trials.
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assess the matches of upcoming opponents of the club and prepare dossiers for their teams' tactical preparations. Instead of identifying talent in these matches, the scout assesses the team and each individual player to identify the relative tactical threats and weaknesses in the opposition. Tactical
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Tactical
Scouting also involves the use of technology and analytics to assess movements of footballers both on and off the ball. Football itself has many variables which specific technologies can home in on and bring out. And as a result, clubs can even go as far as drawing up shortlists of desired
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Tactical scouts watch the games of a club's upcoming opponents to assess their overall ability, as well as their specific threats and weaknesses. Almost every major club side in the world is known to employ the extensive services of tactical scouts. From these assessments, tactical scouts compile
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staff evaluate the player's suitability for the club in terms of his personality and training attitude. Clubs also tend to perform background checks on the player. A trial at the club allows the club to evaluate the standard of the player against players already on its roster. However, in the top
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and many heads of recruitment and talent identification professionals within the
Premier and Football League. The PFSA currently help supply the Northern Premier League with a complementary scouting network, providing newly qualified members the opportunity to provided detailed reports to all 68
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A player scout typically attends as many football matches as possible to evaluate targets first hand. Scouts who wish to identify promising young players typically attend lower-league club games, where their talent can be compared to older peers, or under-16, 18 and 21 international tournaments.
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Player scouts or physical scouts evaluate the talent of footballers with a view to signing them on a professional contract for their employers. Some scouts focus on discovering promising young players and future stars while others are employed to run the rule on potential signings. Smaller clubs
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Relatively few football scouts are employed full-time, even in the largest professional clubs. By and large, their numbers are made up by talent scouts, the vast majority of which work part-time, and a club may hire several hundred of scouts.
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and reports are watched, read and reviewed by players a few days before the game. Nearer towards the game, it is typical for coaches to convene meetings to summarise the findings of these reports and the approach recommended to the players.
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his progress over a period from as little as a few months to as many as a few seasons. Scouts continue to evaluate whether a player has turned in consistent performances, if he has retained his appetite for team responsibilities, and so on.
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Football Scouts and is the only known representation for football scouts in the UK. They provide four scouting courses including Talent
Identification in Football and Advanced Reporting. Notable testimonials for the PFSA are
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players whose statistics match that of their desired objectives, all without the scout even leaving his/her training ground. Scout can gather the data, watch footage and save money on travelling the world to find talent.
264:, for example, if the opposition team should be attacked with sustained pressure or to invite them onto the attack and strike on the counter. The scout also assesses the team's general passing pattern and playing tempo.
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With the modernisation and globalisation of football and the football club economy, scouting has grown in stature and importance. Competition to search for young talents is extremely keen.
342:: Scouting opposition matches allows clubs to build up a knowledge base about opponents that club coaches would otherwise not have the time and resources to research on their own.
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are assessed according to which sides and corners they prefer aiming their kicks at. Famously, a scribbled scouting report on penalty kick takers aided
271:. For instance, a right winger who is very weak with his left foot may be marked in such a manner as to force him infield towards his weaker side.
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Details
Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's notes on Argentina's spot kick takers. In the event Lehmann saved two penalties to win the shootout.
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On the first evaluation, player scouts determine whether a player has the desired technical attributes to succeed at the sport. They then
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might only scout within their own country region, while larger and richer clubs can have extensive international scouting networks.
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When the club is satisfied that a player fits the requirements of the club, the club may extend the invitation to the player to
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are assessed according to which parts of the field they cut in towards goal or cut out to stay wide, and their preferred moves.
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277:, particularly weaknesses in strength, pace, stamina and concentration that can be exploited by the team's strengths.
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In major clubs, it is typical for scouts to assemble detailed reports and videos on specific opponent players. These
148:: good reflexes, communication with defence, one-on-one ability, command of the penalty area and aerial intelligence.
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scouts are typically full-time employees of clubs as their knowledge and findings are considered precious to clubs.
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this player to the club management. Some of the desired attributes that scouts look in players include:
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202:: finishing ability, composure, technical ability, heading ability, pace, off-the-ball intelligence.
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330:: Scouting allows clubs to cast the largest possible net to find players from all around the world.
192:: pace, technical ability like dribbling and close control, off-the-ball intelligence, creativity.
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Once the player has passed these evaluations, the club then starts negotiations with a view to a
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158:: good heading and tackling ability, height, bravery in attempting challenges, concentration.
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The
Professional sports Football Scouts Association (PFSA) was formed in 2013 by two elite
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Not all scouts are actually employed by football clubs. For instance, the creators of the
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Scouts may also receive tips from agents, peers and club colleagues. Evaluating players
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dossiers with recommendations to club coaches and players on their actions on-field.
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article reports on a leaked tactical scouting report by José Mourinho's
Chelsea on
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The importance of scouting offers football clubs with several distinct advantages:
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Details José Mourinho's coaching and tactical assessment methods while at
Chelsea.
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182:: stamina, passing ability, team responsibility, positioning, marking abilities.
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810:"Scouts lined up to serve every club - The Evo-Stik League Northern Premier"
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to collect intelligence on young players. Typically, there are two types of
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Football coach "Matt" explains the general principles of tactical scouting.
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296:'s Germany to a victory over Argentina in a penalty shootout during the
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Once a player has been recommended to a club, the club may continue to
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movements, as well as their deficiencies when defending set pieces.
168:: pace, stamina, anticipation, tackling and marking abilities,
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opposition's key threats and ways which they can be dealt with
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computer game have their own international network of scouts.
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BBC Sport interview with former
Chelsea scout Gwyn Williams
417:"Alex Ferguson happy his investment in youth is paying off"
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699:"EXCLUSIVE: THIS IS WHY MOURINHO IS KNOWN AS SPECIAL ONE"
236:, or co-ownership (as is common in the Italian leagues).
786:"The Professional Football Scouts Association® (PFSA)"
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503:"Scouting report: Mark Beevers, Sheffield Wednesday"
52:, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a
657:"Lehmann's Argentina Penalty Notes up for Auction"
534:"Scouting report: Kyle Naughton, Sheffield United"
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437:
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522:centre back evaluates based on these attributes.
491:goalkeeper evaluates based on these attributes.
472:"Scouting report: Colin Doyle, Birmingham City"
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303:Identify the opposition team's favoured attack
584:central midfielder based on these attributes.
565:"Scouting report: Ben Watson, Crystal Palace"
596:"Michael Kightly, Wolverhampton Wanderers"
91:attends football matches on the behalf of
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275:Highlight the opposition's key weaknesses
72:Learn how and when to remove this message
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347:Professional Football Scouts Association
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33:contains content that is written like
262:advice on the team's general approach
99:: player scouts and tactical scouts.
553:full back based on these attributes.
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256:More specifically, tactical scouts:
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678:"How To Scout An Upcoming Opponent"
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386:Career, Explorer (29 August 2024).
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760:"Mourinho the man for all reasons"
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646:forward based on these attributes.
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615:winger based on these attributes.
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758:Castles, Duncan (2007-12-09).
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388:"What does a sports scout do?"
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218:at the club, where scouts and
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444:Holt, Sarah (2006-07-25).
415:Kay, Oliver (2007-11-03).
400:: CS1 maint: url-status (
340:Specialist tactical advice
739:thescoutingdirectory.com
172:and team responsibility.
814:www.evostikleague.co.uk
644:Wolverhampton Wanderers
642:Scouting report on the
613:Wolverhampton Wanderers
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487:Scouting report on the
316:Importance of scouting
54:neutral point of view
627:"Sam Vokes, Wolves"
520:Sheffield Wednesday
179:Central midfielders
46:promotional content
446:"Scouting mission"
48:and inappropriate
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362:Shaun Goater
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328:Global reach
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40:Please help
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145:Goalkeepers
819:2017-05-14
795:2016-03-31
770:2008-12-12
744:2020-06-22
710:2008-12-12
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513:2008-12-13
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455:2008-12-12
427:2008-12-13
373:References
366:David Dunn
358:Ryan Giggs
165:Full-backs
42:improve it
421:The Times
305:set piece
170:work rate
137:highlight
62:July 2018
834:Category
766:. London
633:. London
602:. London
571:. London
540:. London
509:. London
478:. London
450:BBC News
423:. London
396:cite web
229:transfer
220:coaching
199:Forwards
86:football
369:clubs.
281:Wingers
208:monitor
189:Wingers
717:Mirror
290:takers
260:Offer
97:scouts
715:This
93:clubs
89:scout
402:link
250:DVDs
234:loan
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