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Monday, 13 May 2013

MORE SHOPPING

The majority of European seasons, except for the Nordics, Russia, Ireland and some more are coming to the end. We are knowing the champions, the teams that will play in Europe, the ones that will lose the category, the ones that will be promoted, etc. It's the moment the big dance of each year begins, with players and coaches packing to leave a place and go to another.

Now it is the time where you will see the work done by the various Technical Secretariats. It's not an easy job. You have to work many months to provide the coach (a new one or the same one, it’s the same), a number of players that can be used to improve the current squad. Clubs that will be forced to sell to balance their budgets. Clubs that will be able to pay anything for that desired player. Clubs that will miss 2, 3, 4 or 8 players, for whatever reason, and must make a new squad.

Although it is not an easy task, the work of the Technical Secretariat is much better than a few years ago. Today it is possible to watch on TV the majority of the Leagues in the World. In one place or another, you can watch every week hundreds of games and thousands of players. Clubs with less budget may only have 1 person for this job and, in the most modest, is the same coach who does all the functions at once.

And, this is where I start to wonder. How big clubs may not sign virtually unknown players, and later they will pay the price of gold when they start to show up in an average team? How can you have Serbs, Poles or Greeks (to give some examples), which are in some average teams without that great teams know anything about them? How is this possible that often see very good level players in regional categories, which could be much higher? It is true that it is not possible to see all the players in the World but sometimes you understand nothin. Because, of course, to sign Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (today), my nephew, who is 11, can do it, and he only  watches Barça’s matches. To sign them with 15-16 years you have to work more. Or, to sign a 19-year young Swede playing in the first division of his country and bring it to a Top-Ten, you have also to work. May be is this, not work hard enough or, maybe they do not know, many of them, what they have to look for in a player or, what kind of player the Club searches or, any other reason.

You look for a full-back and you finish signing an "adaptable" winger, you looking for a play-maker and you take a defensive midfielder. You are looking for a striker and you take a quick forward that can open spaces on the side. You are looking for a goalkeeper good on aerial ball and you take one that plays well with his feet. And so, whatever you want. And, when the player is "perfect" for the needs of the team, this is worth a lot of money unreachable. Should not the Clubs have a list of players (4-5 for the more modest, 15 to 20 for those with more resources) for each position? And should not be all its features (technical, tactical, economical, personal, etc.), included in the file? Sometimes it seems that the one that signs has done it because the player is highly regarded in any of the simulation games that are about football, because if not, often you don’t understand things.

And, not all players are good to play in any team. Each team plays one way and the players that go well for it are not the same that go well for another team, which plays differently. A typical question is: And why was this one playing so well on that team and he does not in this one? Simple, because the team plays differently and functions to do by the player are different, and his characteristics are not good for this style of play. And you see that working and watching players and games and, more players and more games. And, also, knowing exactly how your team plays and which player is the one that really serves. And it is hard work and often not done. May also be one of the problems.

And, forgive me, but I don’t understand that, with so many people in the Technical Secretariats you finish asking a player to the “Agent on duty”. I'll take the one he represents, and he will charge the corresponding commission. The fault lies not with the agents, it is clear. Blame it on those who didn’t do the job they had to do. When you go shopping, you have to know what you want to buy, because if not, you’ll pay for a 600 (Fiat 500), the price of a Porsche.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

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