[Albion] Dan Ashworth joins Newcastle

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

If I'm honest I have no idea. But as per response above to Seasider78, if all the structures and ways of doing things successfully are in place, I see no reason another person cannot come in and improve on what DA started. Time will tell I guess.

David Weir has been appointed as the new technical director, he was doing the role in an interim basis when DA went on gardening leave, now it’s been confirmed he’s taking on the role full time. Appointing someone from within who already knows the club and the structure should mean the transition is seamless. We are also looking to appoint an Assistant Technical Director as part of the clubs succession planning.

 

[Silverhatch]

There are probably people on this site who are better equipped than I am to answer my questions. I really don't know the answers; maybe only time will tell ....

What specific positive difference did Dan Ashworth make for Brighton and Hove Albion while he was with us?

How much difference will he make to our/Newcastle's prospects?

Is Premier League football competition terminally reduced to rich clubs with seemingly infinite spending power (and dubious ownership)?

From everything that can be gleaned/read about Ashworth he is a builder of football architecture and infrastructure. He puts systems and people in place so that the right long term football culture can be generated to meet medium/long term objectives. In Brighton’s case academy development focussing on young uncut gems and in the case of the first team players who are under the radar - Biss, Cucrella, Mwepu etc. he didn’t/do all the day-to-day but it was his responsibility to have people and processes in place that did. I’m sure he has exactly the same brief at Newcastle.

And the reason the Geordies want him, is that lots/all clubs try this but very few achieve it. He has, three times.

 

[Machiavelli]

My understanding is that Ashworth came in and set the direction and tone, establishing the processes, governance and personnel involved in how football works at Brighton across all teams.
Once you've established those processes and structures, it can take years to bed in.
Ashworth it seems was the glue around all the staff. Losing him would've been impactful as a supporting and guiding hand has gone.
The positive is that when anyone leaves, there are opportunities for growth and for those that have been on the journey to have seen what works and what doesn't. In addition, the meticulous succession planning has to happen at all levels of the club, so they will have been prepared.
Yes, it's a loss but if he's as good as they say he is and those stepping up are good too, you wouldn't expect any long term damage and his legacy will live on

Agree with this, but I'd inflect it by saying that the most important thing is the introduction, establishment and bedding in of those structures and, once that's been done, the most important work is out its way. In short, Ashworth's key contribution came in the early stages of his spell -- in contrast to certain of the players we've signed under his watch, eg Ali Mac, Caicedo, Sarmiento(?)

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Agree with this, but I'd inflect it by saying that the most important thing is the introduction, establishment and bedding in of those structures and, once that's been done, the most important work is out its way. In short, Ashworth's key contribution came in the early stages of his spell -- in contrast to certain of the players we've signed under his watch, eg Ali Mac, Caicedo, Sarmiento(?)

And with this, our recruitment team were already in a good space. We had a 40-page dossier on Pascal Gross before we signed him, we spent a couple of years working on the Joel Veltman deal.
Ashworth's contribution was in creating and embedding the development pathways and supporting processes within the club. This does link to recruitment (you don't want to do an Everton and have 9 AMCs) but the link will be in the processes managing the volume of recruitment against retention, loans etc.

 

[Machiavelli]

And with this, our recruitment team were already in a good space. We had a 40-page dossier on Pascal Gross before we signed him, we spent a couple of years working on the Joel Veltman deal.
Ashworth's contribution was in creating and embedding the development pathways and supporting processes within the club. This does link to recruitment (you don't want to do an Everton and have 9 AMCs) but the link will be in the processes managing the volume of recruitment against retention, loans etc.

Wow. Thanks. Really informative post. Where did you find out the Gross and Veltman info? It's worth adding that, of signings that we've paid a fee for, the pair are about as good as it gets.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

(Pray for) Warren Aspinall spoke about this a few months ago on Albion Unlimited, he was very insistent that Winstanley is the man behind the scouting, I think he suggested that Ashworth’s system highlights the players but PW and his team do the rest. David Weir has been here long enough to know what he’s doing. We’re in safe hands.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

The risk here is Change. Within any organisation change brings a challenge, for better for worse. My only concern is that we wouldn't have wanted him to leave. The Club hasn't stood in his way, but, justifiably in my opinion, we have made it tricky to leave. If his biggest input is designing and building infrastucture and processes that certainly helps mitigate the risk. But a risk still remains as its the leadership of those processes, the environment that he creates that will have helped that structure to work - otherwise, everyone would be doing it.
All organisations should of course plan for succession and we appear to have candidates to fill in, but I am not so sure it's as simple as the "processes are in place, therefore we simply carry on".

 

[dwayne]

I guess the worrying thing now is If ashworth tries to poach non playing staff and playing staff.

Would be great if we had an agreement in place whereby none of our staff could join castle for at least a year.

Also annoying that ashworth knows all our targets which we've spent big time and money scouting.

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I've got an Everton mate who says that Weir was very highly thought of. Greer always impressed me when he spoke as well. I'm completely confident that the development side of the club is in good hands.

I'm less confident that Saudi Utd won't now sign a loads of young players who we had scouted, but hopefully some sort of clause was inserted into the agreement we signed with Newcastle, but i'm unsure how that would work.

 

[Commander]

I guess the worrying thing now is If ashworth tries to poach non playing staff and playing staff.

Would be great if we had an agreement in place whereby none of our staff could join castle for at least a year.

Also annoying that ashworth knows all our targets which we've spent big time and money scouting.

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

It wouldn't work. If Newcastle offered us £100 million for Bissouma, we'd obviously want to take it. In which case the clause would need to say nobody can go to them unless we agree it. Which is exactly what the current system is anyway.

Edit: Just realised you're probably talking about non-playing staff. In which case I would have thought he'll have a non-poaching clause in his contract.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Wow. Thanks. Really informative post. Where did you find out the Gross and Veltman info? It's worth adding that, of signings that we've paid a fee for, the pair are about as good as it gets.

Can't recall the Veltman info (perhaps in an interview he mentioned a good 18-month pursuit)
Gross interview is here.
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/spo...-of-how-albion-sealed-bargain-signing-2845157

Also only today...

https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/20...tedly-complete-signing-bradford-city-starlet/

Some exceptional planning going on.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Can't recall the Veltman info (perhaps in an interview he mentioned a good 18-month pursuit)
Gross interview is here.
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/spo...-of-how-albion-sealed-bargain-signing-2845157

Also only today...

https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/20...tedly-complete-signing-bradford-city-starlet/

Some exceptional planning going on.

Naylor mentioned we tried to sign Veltman when Hughton was in charge, pre Ashworth

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

 

[lefty]

David Weir confirmed as Brighton technical director following Dan Ashworth exit
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...-scotland-brighton-dan-ashworth-b2090611.html

 

[Icy Gull]

I would love it if we could sneak in here


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/foo...sedgntp&cvid=f525ada944ca47868c1fa9ebaf14e773

 

[Springal]

Winstanley was here before Ashworth & Weir… I wonder what his thoughts on it all are

Bump

 

[Bozza]

CTRL-C, CTRL-V...

"NEWCASTLE UNITED are beefing up their scouting and recruitment department - and also moving to the position-specific model that Sporting Director Dan Ashworth used at Brighton.​

​

Brighton organise their scouting according to player positions rather than geography, which is the traditional model. This change was brought in under Ashworth and Head of Recruitment Paul Winstanley.​

​

Ashworth joined Newcastle from the Seagulls last June, while Winstanley is now Director of Transfers at Chelsea.​

​

At Brighton, four Senior Scouting Managers oversee different positions, rather than overseeing scouting for different parts of the country. Pete Bulmer, for example, is responsible for scouting centre-backs for the first team.​

​

These Senior Scouting Managers oversee a pool of scouts, who produce player reports and work closely with the club’s recruitment analysts.​

​

Three Scouting and Intelligence Co-ordinators also help to compile initial shortlists of players for the Senior Scouting Managers and use both objective (data) and subjective (mainly scouting reports) measures."​

Source and full article: https://trainingground.guru/article...uting-department-and-move-to-positional-model

 

[dazzer6666]

CTRL-C, CTRL-V...

"NEWCASTLE UNITED are beefing up their scouting and recruitment department - and also moving to the position-specific model that Sporting Director Dan Ashworth used at Brighton.​

​

Brighton organise their scouting according to player positions rather than geography, which is the traditional model. This change was brought in under Ashworth and Head of Recruitment Paul Winstanley.​

​

Ashworth joined Newcastle from the Seagulls last June, while Winstanley is now Director of Transfers at Chelsea.​

​

At Brighton, four Senior Scouting Managers oversee different positions, rather than overseeing scouting for different parts of the country. Pete Bulmer, for example, is responsible for scouting centre-backs for the first team.​

​

These Senior Scouting Managers oversee a pool of scouts, who produce player reports and work closely with the club’s recruitment analysts.​

​

Three Scouting and Intelligence Co-ordinators also help to compile initial shortlists of players for the Senior Scouting Managers and use both objective (data) and subjective (mainly scouting reports) measures."​

Source and full article: https://trainingground.guru/article...uting-department-and-move-to-positional-model

Junior mentioned this yesterday - saw a job ad on one of his usual links.

https://www.nufc.co.uk/media/73423/positional-analysts-jd.pdf

 

[A mex eyecan]

how long until Chelsea come in for all our scouting department heads and followed by all four of the group scouts

 

[nicko31]

Junior mentioned this yesterday - saw a job ad on one of his usual links.

https://www.nufc.co.uk/media/73423/positional-analysts-jd.pdf

Wonder what is pays for a job like that?

 

[dazzer6666]

Wonder what is pays for a job like that?

20-30k.