Johan Lange

[mikeyp102]

I am very surprised we haven’t seen a couple Danish players cheap signings in, even at youth level. I thought he had real good links in that market. 

[Zatman]

The way I see it is Lange was doing his job fine in the background working with Smith until the Ego struck. The Ego wanted to hire his mate from the sectarian league and rip up our transfer policy completely

When the shit does hit the fan I expect Lange to get the chop for his bosses shit judgement

[mikeyp102]

2 hours ago, Zatman said:

The way I see it is Lange was doing his job fine in the background working with Smith until the Ego struck. The Ego wanted to hire his mate from the sectarian league and rip up our transfer policy completely

When the shit does hit the fan I expect Lange to get the chop for his bosses shit judgement

What evidence do you have that he was doing fine? 

[Tayls]

I’d argue that none of the transfers we have done under him have been a resemblance of top quality scouting and research. We haven’t uncovered any gems since Benteke. 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Tayls

[daft]

1 hour ago, Tayls said:

I’d argue that none of the transfers we have done under him have been a resemblance of top quality scouting and research. We haven’t uncovered any gems since Benteke. 

It could well be that you are right.

Although we have to acknowledge that all clubs chase essentially the same people, as the pool of talented and even goof footballers isn't endless, and I would wager that there are few truly 'hidden' gems that one team knows about and another does not. Information is too readily available for I think. 

It could also be a question club philosophy. We have a tendency to judge very harshly at times, mostly because we love the club and are upset when things look bleak.

Oftentimes I think the explanation is much more mundane and in the grey zone.

But again, you could well be right, but with modern tools such as technical scouting to complement the traditional scouting, I doubt we much more in the dark regarding gems than most others.

[DaveAV1]

24 minutes ago, daft said:

It could well be that you are right.

Although we have to acknowledge that all clubs chase essentially the same people, as the pool of talented and even goof footballers isn't endless, and I would wager that there are few truly 'hidden' gems that one team knows about and another does not. Information is too readily available for I think. 

It could also be a question club philosophy. We have a tendency to judge very harshly at times, mostly because we love the club and are upset when things look bleak.

Oftentimes I think the explanation is much more mundane and in the grey zone.

But again, you could well be right, but with modern tools such as technical scouting to complement the traditional scouting, I doubt we much more in the dark regarding gems than most others.

I think the strategy is to get them young and continue their development here. Mostly you’ll get a few reasonable hits and the rest at a lower level we can sell on or who just don’t make it. Very occasionally one of the hits might be a real gem. 

[villa4europe]

2 hours ago, Tayls said:

I’d argue that none of the transfers we have done under him have been a resemblance of top quality scouting and research. We haven’t uncovered any gems since Benteke. 

Again though, he's not our chief scout, he's our sporting director 

Edit -  also if you want to say all players in and out are his remit i'd argue that maybe he's not even trying to... He's hit the academy hard, we've bought in 3 or 4 potential first teamers, do you clasee them as gems? Feeney, Smtih, Wilson, Timbo off the top of my head 

Edited August 22, 2022 by villa4europe

[Don_Simon]

4 hours ago, villa4europe said:

Again though, he's not our chief scout, he's our sporting director 

Edit -  also if you want to say all players in and out are his remit i'd argue that maybe he's not even trying to... He's hit the academy hard, we've bought in 3 or 4 potential first teamers, do you clasee them as gems? Feeney, Smtih, Wilson, Timbo off the top of my head 

Who on earth is "Timbo"?

[WHY]

16 hours ago, Zatman said:

The way I see it is Lange was doing his job fine in the background working with Smith until the Ego struck. The Ego wanted to hire his mate from the sectarian league and rip up our transfer policy completely

When the shit does hit the fan I expect Lange to get the chop for his bosses shit judgement

Sanson, Traore, Ings, Bailey have hardly been a success and Buendia hasn’t really ripped up trees either given he’s our record signing, over £120m spent and another £500k a week on the wage bill. Not pointing all the blame at Lange but he’s part of the problem.  

[Zatman]

15 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

Who on earth is "Timbo"?

Irougbunam

[Anything11]

On 22/08/2022 at 06:02, Zatman said:

The way I see it is Lange was doing his job fine in the background working with Smith until the Ego struck. The Ego wanted to hire his mate from the sectarian league and rip up our transfer policy completely

When the shit does hit the fan I expect Lange to get the chop for his bosses shit judgement

He has signed a lot of players that don't seem good enough regardless of who has been in charge.

However, I don't seem him as much of a problem at the moment.

[M_Afro]

If we don’t sort the central midfield out in this transfer window, then this guy has some serious questions to answer. It’s been an issue for his entire tenure and still we wait. It’s all very well waiting for the perfect midfielder (JWP, Bissouma, Phillips) but if we can’t get them, it’s his job to sort suitable alternatives. There are plenty of options available. 
Lots of people questioning the players that he has bought in but it’s the ones that we haven’t bought which is more damning in my view. Sort it out Johan!!

[PieFacE]

Now I don't know exactly what the day to day tasks of a "Sporting Director" is, but one thing I've always thought they were supposed to do is to ensure that regardless what happens at the club whether it's a player leaving, player injured or manager leaving for whatever reason, that a level of continuity remains at the club so we never have to scrap it all and start again. But it really feels since Grealish has left we've had a complete scattergun approach to everything in relation to this football club.

Signing players to replace Grealish who aren't direct replacements

Bringing in a manager who wants to play in a completely different manner to the previous, resulting in player requirements being completely different. 

We don't look like a particularly well managed club at the minute in all honesty. All of this may not fall under the remit of Lange, but I was of the opinion it should be. 

[gwi1890]

14 hours ago, PieFacE said:

Now I don't know exactly what the day to day tasks of a "Sporting Director" is, but one thing I've always thought they were supposed to do is to ensure that regardless what happens at the club whether it's a player leaving, player injured or manager leaving for whatever reason, that a level of continuity remains at the club so we never have to scrap it all and start again. But it really feels since Grealish has left we've had a complete scattergun approach to everything in relation to this football club.

Signing players to replace Grealish who aren't direct replacements

Bringing in a manager who wants to play in a completely different manner to the previous, resulting in player requirements being completely different. 

We don't look like a particularly well managed club at the minute in all honesty. All of this may not fall under the remit of Lange, but I was of the opinion it should be. 

True but does Purslow have to much say? For all we know the outstanding candidate in Lange’s eyes could have been Hassenhutle or Kasper Hjulmand both probably would have made more sense given the players we had/have.

[Made In Aston]

Lange is clearly a good negotiator but the club doesn't appear to have a long term strategy. Rather then evolving the playing style with a new manager we close one who plays in quite a different way. Now we need a big outlay to get the players who will work in the system. Fail 1.

Under Smith, long term player recruitment was about buying high potential younger players and developing them, with hopes of making a good profit. We now are generally buying older players on big contracts with no resale value.  Fail 2.

A strategic approach is long term, but we seen to be making decisions based on the demands of the current manager. This is a big red flag as the manager should be fitting in with the club's ethos, rather than the other way around.

[Villa Gaffa]

Johan Lange and the scouting team might be coming up with plenty of players that are worth looking at.

Purslow and Gerrard would still have the final say on signings though I'd assume.

[Tom13]

Lange is doing a fine job.

[VillaParkAvenue]

18 minutes ago, Villa Gaffa said:

Johan Lange and the scouting team might be coming up with plenty of players that are worth looking at.

Purslow and Gerrard would still have the final say on signings though I'd assume.

This is probably correct and if so, it's a problem. Sporting director normally is an executive position, he's not supposed to be a scout.

[Zatman]

As Sporting Director you have to go call your bosses not the managers bestie and get this shit sorted

This is your job

[rodders0223]

On 26/08/2022 at 12:47, Villa Gaffa said:

Johan Lange and the scouting team might be coming up with plenty of players that are worth looking at.

Purslow and Gerrard would still have the final say on signings though I'd assume.

I wonder say final say but way too much of a say.

It was a plan and a project. Young players. Good ages.

Gerrard thought thought he could buy ready made sneak a trophy and **** off to better things. He doesn't give two shits about the club or the project. He's a narcissist.