‘Transfer Strategy’

[Unseen work]

Transfer strategy - Something everyone seems obsessed with now a days.


Listening to a Ben Foster podcast and him and Jagielka were speaking about clubs being scared to sign anyone in their late 20’s or 30’s.

They also talk about how important it is to have these types in the changing room, especially the ones with something to prove or that have lost their way a bit

It got me thinking about some of our signings the last couple of years.

We’ve been big on the buy young promising players and sell them on for big fee’s that we went away from signing more experienced players. To say it’s not been particularly successful is generous.

Some of our best signings recently imo

Obita - signed when he was 29, our POTY imo.
ALF - Signed when 36 and is quality, u lucky with injuries but showed his worth and talked about having plenty left.
Maolida - 25 years with something to prove and to get his career back on track
Marcondes - point to prove to get career back on track after injuries

Add that with Newell who imo is one of our best players and Cadden, who has made a big difference since his return. Is there a case of be made with a team in their mid to late 20’s/early 30’s.

With players able to play much later in their 30’s now is this route something we should continue to go down and hopefully find more quality additions? That we ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford.

It seems to be something Montgomery liked doing at Mariners.

Funnily enough Foster and Jagielka mentioned how it is something Warnock used to do, maybe that’s where Monty got it from?

[worcesterhibby]

Transfer strategy - Something everyone seems obsessed with now a days.


Listening to a Ben Foster podcast and him and Jagielka were speaking about clubs being scared to sign anyone in their late 20’s or 30’s.

They also talk about how important it is to have these types in the changing room, especially the ones with something to prove or that have lost their way a bit

It got me thinking about some of our signings the last couple of years.

We’ve been big on the buy young promising players and sell them on for big fee’s that we went away from signing more experienced players. To say it’s not been particularly successful is generous.

Some of our best signings recently imo

Obita - signed when he was 29, our POTY imo.
ALF - Signed when 36 and is quality, u lucky with injuries but showed his worth and talked about having plenty left.
Maolida - 25 years with something to prove and to get his career back on track
Marcondes - point to prove to get career back on track after injuries

Add that with Newell who imo is one of our best players and Cadden, who has made a big difference since his return. Is there a case of be made with a team in their mid to late 20’s/early 30’s.

With players able to play much later in their 30’s now is this route something we should continue to go down and hopefully find more quality additions? That we ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford.

It seems to be something Montgomery liked doing at Mariners.

Funnily enough Foster and Jagielka mentioned how it is something Warnock used to do, maybe that’s where Monty got it from?

Like so many things in life, a balance is needed..too many young inexperienced players won't go well, but if we sign too many older players you lose the chance to make profit from player sales and may also be lacking in energy, enthusiasm and pace. I think it's key to have experience in the spine of the team so I'd love to see a 28 year old unit of a player being signed at Centre back for next season. Otherwise our current age balance is about right.

[Bobby's Cinema]

I think signing young players is fine but not signing multiple to try and unearth a gem at the detriment of all else. I look at the likes of Nisbet and McGinn yes they were young with potential but they had games under their belt at a comparable level. The potential was pretty clear.

It's when in recent years we go for guys that have only played U23's somewhere and barely played a first team game OR that we underestimate the quality of the Scottish premiership relative to other leagues we are signing from - that are a concern to me and those types rarely make enough impact to get another contract with us.

The main thing I like to see is the clear identifying of problem areas for strengthening and bringing in a player that is fit, will settle quickly, has games at a comparable standard that can hit the ground running. At times in the recent past windows have went past and key glaring problem areas were not addressed and left us limping through to the next window.

Easier said than done but I hope the signs are we are improving in that area.

[Saint Hibee]

I think a transfer strategy would be a great idea.

[Smartie]

In amongst his drivel, Johnson used to make interesting points about squad structure - and how you’d want a certain number of players from each age bracket in order to end up with an adequately balanced squad.

It sounded pretty sensible to me. I’ve been critical of many aspects of Hibs’ transfer policy over the years and have criticised us for being another “moneyball” outfit but it has been pointed out that signing the likes of Marshall, ALF and Obita have flown in the face of that argument.

Our squads often look poorly put together… but sometimes if you take away the injury-ravaged nature of them you can just about see that there has been some sort of strategy at play.

[Gmack7]

Maybe not on topic but what happened to the young South American supposedly going to Bournemouth then coming to us? Did he move ?

[04Sauzee]

Maybe not on topic but what happened to the young South American supposedly going to Bournemouth then coming to us? Did he move ?

Oscar Zambrano? Doesn't look like he moved anywhere in the Jan window. A number of clubs were interested and he seemed to be the one Bournemouth were interested.

[jacomo]

Buy low, play well, sell high.

No one else in the football world has thought of this, so it’s there for the taking.

[Gmack7]

Oscar Zambrano? Doesn't look like he moved anywhere in the Jan window. A number of clubs were interested and he seemed to be the one Bournemouth were interested.

That's him👍