Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[The_Gun]

Not that it’s necessarily this chap’s fault, but Plymouth fans seem to think their recruitment has been awful for the past few years…

[Worthy4England]

Schumacher alluded to this in an interview a couple of weeks back, said he'd been talking to "a recruitment guy he'd worked with very well in the past," or something close to that...

I'd settle for shit recruitment that sees us promoted tbf.

[TonyDomingos]

Not that it’s necessarily this chap’s fault, but Plymouth fans seem to think their recruitment has been awful for the past few years…

It's only two years since they were promoted as L1 champions with 101 points; surely they weren't complaining about recruitment in that season?! I'm guessing it's recruitment over the past couple of seasons that they're unhappy with.

[The_Gun]

Not that it’s necessarily this chap’s fault, but Plymouth fans seem to think their recruitment has been awful for the past few years…

It's only two years since they were promoted as L1 champions with 101 points; surely they weren't complaining about recruitment in that season?! I'm guessing it's recruitment over the past couple of seasons that they're unhappy with.

I think Jimmy only got the job in 2022.

[jmjhb]

Not the news I was expecting, although this does make sense.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's only two years since they were promoted as L1 champions with 101 points; surely they weren't complaining about recruitment in that season?! I'm guessing it's recruitment over the past couple of seasons that they're unhappy with.

I think Jimmy only got the job in 2022.

Yep (see below) - and Plymouth were promoted the following year.

Said many times their promotion was rocket-boosted by several very savvy loanees. They had some good players (eg keeper Cooper, Niall Ennis, a few other solid fellas further back in the XI) but the majority of their 'goal involvements' came from loanees like Cosgrove, Morgan Whittaker, Finn Azaz and Bali Mumba.

I know there are dangers in loaning players but I could cope with the peril of a 101-point season. They signed Mumba and Whittaker after promotion; Azaz was out of their reach and they discarded Cosgrove (who's never played as effectively since). And they stayed up the following year...

Screenshot 2025-05-11 at 10.58.15.png (151.65 KiB) Viewed 953 times

[Bertie Wooster]

I think that he was at Plymouth prior to May 2022 in another role (analyst ?), it looks like he got promoted to head of recruitment in 2022.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I think that he was at Plymouth prior to May 2022 in another role (analyst ?), it looks like he got promoted to head of recruitment in 2022.

Yeah he joined in 2019, the year Lowe and Schuey did. Lots of detail here (trigger warning: contains mention of data analysis)
https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/first-team-staff-changes

A 17(!)-page forum discussion on him here. (I like the ability to post reaction emojis)
https://pasoti.co.uk/threads/jimmy-dick ... ur.132563/

[Worthy4England]

I'm not sure anyone is against "data analysis," just that on its own, it is generally incomplete even where it's better than what you had 5 or 10 years back. It should rightly be one factor, amongst many.

[BWFC_Insane]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... dickinson/

So I think I’ve got to give Worthy an apology here. Because he’s right in that the structure is now confusing.

I get that Harkin may have agreed to the deal for the Plymouth head scout (or head of recruitment nowadays) and may even have made the mechanics of contracts work. But there is no way he’s his pick is there? It’s clearly Schumachers. But sounds like he will report to Harkin.

Yeah sorry worthy - this is confusing and you were right.

[The_Gun]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... dickinson/

So I think I’ve got to give Worthy an apology here. Because he’s right in that the structure is now confusing.

I get that Harkin may have agreed to the deal for the Plymouth head scout (or head of recruitment nowadays) and may even have made the mechanics of contracts work. But there is no way he’s his pick is there? It’s clearly Schumachers. But sounds like he will report to Harkin.

Yeah sorry worthy - this is confusing and you were right.

How can the structure be confusing when the club haven’t even announced Dickinson is joining yet? Surely wait until they actually announce the structure before assessing it.

[Worthy4England]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... dickinson/

So I think I’ve got to give Worthy an apology here. Because he’s right in that the structure is now confusing.

I get that Harkin may have agreed to the deal for the Plymouth head scout (or head of recruitment nowadays) and may even have made the mechanics of contracts work. But there is no way he’s his pick is there? It’s clearly Schumachers. But sounds like he will report to Harkin.

Yeah sorry worthy - this is confusing and you were right.

Bizarrely enough, I think this is more comforting. This fella is clearly Schumacher's pick and someone he's worked with previously.

[BWFC_Insane]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... dickinson/

So I think I’ve got to give Worthy an apology here. Because he’s right in that the structure is now confusing.

I get that Harkin may have agreed to the deal for the Plymouth head scout (or head of recruitment nowadays) and may even have made the mechanics of contracts work. But there is no way he’s his pick is there? It’s clearly Schumachers. But sounds like he will report to Harkin.

Yeah sorry worthy - this is confusing and you were right.

Bizarrely enough, I think this is more comforting. This fella is clearly Schumacher's pick and someone he's worked with previously.

It’s comforting from that angle I agree. And probably clearer in actuality. But that’s only because it’s someone clearly associated to Schumacher. Were it not we’d be discussing who had chosen them and further who was dictating signings etc….

[Worthy4England]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... dickinson/

So I think I’ve got to give Worthy an apology here. Because he’s right in that the structure is now confusing.

I get that Harkin may have agreed to the deal for the Plymouth head scout (or head of recruitment nowadays) and may even have made the mechanics of contracts work. But there is no way he’s his pick is there? It’s clearly Schumachers. But sounds like he will report to Harkin.

Yeah sorry worthy - this is confusing and you were right.

Bizarrely enough, I think this is more comforting. This fella is clearly Schumacher's pick and someone he's worked with previously.

It’s comforting from that angle I agree. And probably clearer in actuality. But that’s only because it’s someone clearly associated to Schumacher. Were it not we’d be discussing who had chosen them and further who was dictating signings etc….

For sure mate.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I guess what's confusing isn't just the order of command - who reports to whom - but also the order of execution.

If Schuey wants a fast right-winger, does Jimmy Dickinson suggest possibilities or contact them?

What of Ludonautics and our in-house data-miners?

It's alright to have more brainpower round the table and more contacts books - as long as everyone's pulling in the same direction and they don't violently disagree – but there also needs to be rules of engagement. What if (say) Jimmy suggests a young Everton winger and the data folk disagree? Is it a majority decision or does anyone have a veto? Whose is the final say?

And do we really believe Evatt, Markham, Sharon and Ludo all signed off on a seven-figure fee for Joel Randall?

[jmjhb]

I guess what's confusing isn't just the order of command - who reports to whom - but also the order of execution.

If Schuey wants a fast right-winger, does Jimmy Dickinson suggest possibilities or contact them?

What of Ludonautics and our in-house data-miners?

It's alright to have more brainpower round the table and more contacts books - as long as everyone's pulling in the same direction and they don't violently disagree – but there also needs to be rules of engagement. What if (say) Jimmy suggests a young Everton winger and the data folk disagree? Is it a majority decision or does anyone have a veto? Whose is the final say?

And do we really believe Evatt, Markham, Sharon and Ludo all signed off on a seven-figure fee for Joel Randall?

I can probably find out the answers to most of these.

Football clubs are a little strange with the chain of command but likely Fergal will be both Schuey's and Jimmy's superior/head of department. Jimmy will report to both Schuey and Fergal although it's not clear whether it's just recruitment for the first team or more. I expect this is more of a 'chief scout' role in practice, as I remember Schuey mentioning that he wanted to return to a physical scouting model, as opposed to just data analysis under Evatt.

Fergal will be the 'football' guy in the board meetings as sporting director comprises much more than just the first-team and recruitment.

Ludo had nothing to do with Randall and indeed don't sign off on anything, it's purely advisory. Sharon doesn't solely sign off on purchases and sales either.

[Prufrock]

We didn't have any physical scouting under Evatt/Markham

Presumably if not there was at least full match video analysis, if not going watching them in the flesh?!

[jmjhb]

We didn't have any physical scouting under Evatt/Markham

Presumably if not there was at least full match video analysis, if not going watching them in the flesh?!

Yeah, full match video analysis, as opposed to people physically watching the games in the stands.

[Worthy4England]

We didn't have any physical scouting under Evatt/Markham

Presumably if not there was at least full match video analysis, if not going watching them in the flesh?!

Yeah, full match video analysis, as opposed to people physically watching the games in the stands.

It felt that way too.

[BWFC_Insane]

I guess what's confusing isn't just the order of command - who reports to whom - but also the order of execution.

If Schuey wants a fast right-winger, does Jimmy Dickinson suggest possibilities or contact them?

What of Ludonautics and our in-house data-miners?

It's alright to have more brainpower round the table and more contacts books - as long as everyone's pulling in the same direction and they don't violently disagree – but there also needs to be rules of engagement. What if (say) Jimmy suggests a young Everton winger and the data folk disagree? Is it a majority decision or does anyone have a veto? Whose is the final say?

And do we really believe Evatt, Markham, Sharon and Ludo all signed off on a seven-figure fee for Joel Randall?

It’s also the question that as you have pointed out previously the advantage of this structure is that if the head coach (nee manager) leaves everything else is in place and carries on. But if Schumacher is bringing in people he’s worked with before in key roles like head of recruitment then that doesn’t work so well. Cos what’s to stop him leaving upwards and taking Jimmy etc with him ala Allardyce? Or the alternative needing a new manager and him not wanting the staff Schuey did?