Should the club have a manager signing the players or the director of football?

[Guy Fawkes]

So do people seriously expect the manager to scout and prepare tactics on the opposition, to take training, and also watch hundreds of hours of videos of potential signings and maybe even have to travel around the World to look at potential new signings (of which there can be hundreds?)

Would he have time to do all that effectively? - No.

The manager tells the recruitment team what sort of player he wants, they go and try to find players that meet the managers criteria and report back to the manager who has the final say on any potential new signings. It doesn't mean that those identified will actually sign (like Grabben)

This sounds to me like it would have been better if the fans didn't know how it was done because suddenly this non issue has become an issue (how was this done and by whom when we were in our final years at the Goldstone or whilst at Gillingham? - anyone know without google?)

Some players work out, some don't whatever system is used and there is no foolproof way to do it.

How did Torres do at Chelsea? - everything suggested he would be very successful and why they shelled out around £50m for his services
and the same for Carroll to Liverpool and countless others.

Did McCormack look like an £11m striker to you when he played against us for Fulham this season?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Gus and Tano certainly scouted him themselves more than once, I don't know if they were the ones to first identify him but it seemed very much a signing driven by the manager.

Didn't the tip off come from a scout first rather than Gus suggesting him straight away as a potential signing?

After he was identified, researched and then shown to Gus and co, they may have chosen to go and see him play (the visa issue would certainly have givent hem more time to research him as a potential signing than most) but they certainly don't fly around the world, taking in random games in the hope of spotting the next potentially great signing.

Plus how do you scout someone in person during the closed season? - they use video and the manager watches the short list before giving his view

A manager may suggest players by name, (like the rumours that Garcia did) but it doesn't mean it will happen as they may be unavailable or too expensive to bring in or may simply say that they don't want to move (especially if changing country is involved).

 

[BensGrandad]

Surely the answer is the DOF selects people who fit into the budget requirements of the club but from that list the manager picks who he wants if anyone. If there is nobody suitable that the manager wants you dont sign anybody and either start looking again or rethink your budget.