Who is Paul Mitchell and why have Spurs prised Southampton's head of recruitment away?

[mawspurs]

Talent-spotter and analyst whose department transformed Saints this summer while banking £30 million is on his way to Spurs who badly need his input

Read the full article at Telegraph

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Great article!

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

At Southampton, he has overseen an entire department dedicated to this science. In a large open-plan room at the club's new football development centre, there are literally 10 computer screens of matches being watched throughout the day by full-time staff. In another corner is the base for a team of scouts who physically get out and identify potential players right the way from the age of five upwards. They include men like Rod Ruddick, who spotted an eight-year-old Gareth Bale at a six-a-side tournament in Newport.

The most intriguing element of the department, though, is what is known as the "black-box". It is a small room with a phone, a desk and a row of chairs that faces a giant screen. Southampton designed their own computer software that is used in this room and, with just a few clicks, Mitchell and his team could be watching any player, team or target anywhere in the world. Yet the "black-box" is not used solely for identifying players but also analysing Southampton's own squad and future opponents.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Mitchell's approach at Southampton was to tailor his energy to the club's specific needs but then delve with almost forensic depth into a player's background and past performances. Character references were sought and off-field habits were also throroughly investigated. "We've seen before and heard quotes from managers that have probably perception-wise based their acquisition on the two games they've played against that player in the Premier League or the Football League," explained Mitchell. "I work off a very simple theory of I had one good game once, but I think the 80 other times I played I wasn't so good.

"Part of the philosophy and the theory is to not waste time on things that are unachievable. What can we achieve? How can we achieve it? How can we be more efficient? Then how can we analyse that to make it even better the next window or the next time we debrief it, and constantly just keep evolving and challenging ourselves every day. That's the key.

This sounds like a fantastic signing, that won't help in january, but could pay big dividends next summer and beyond.

 

[goughie1966]

It looks like there are still some background staff that worked with Mitchell at Southampton. We'll need to get them too, plus their scouts. Their players and manager would be nice too.

And we wonder why they hate us so much!

 

[avonspurs]

I think the writer may have got a bit carried away with this:

'The most intriguing element of the department, though, is what is known as the "black-box". It is a small room with a phone, a desk and a row of chairs that faces a giant screen. Southampton designed their own computer software that is used in this room and, with just a few clicks, Mitchell and his team could be watching any player, team or target anywhere in the world. Yet the "black-box" is not used solely for identifying players but also analysing Southampton's own squad and future opponents'

Particularly as the examples he then goes on to give are solely to do with Southampton's own squad:

(1) 'For example, when Arsenal offered £16 million for Calum Chambers during the summer, part of Southampton's decision-making was based on the assessment that they already had a superior right-back in Nathaniel Clyne'
(2) '...to sit with Fraser Forster when Dave Watson (the goalkeeping coach) is going through the pre- and the post-match with him or to even deliver to a young player we potentially want to sign into the academy and have him sat there with mum and dad and go through a visual presentation to say why he should choose Southampton.'

It sounds wonderful, but if this 'black box' was that powerful, GCHQ and FBI would have recruited Paul Mitchell, not us

 

[chinaman]

Better form another company to buy Southampton and use them as our feeder club.

 

[Edgarsglasses]

Good article & sounds like a top signing.Just watch him become a turkey with us!

 

[yiddopaul]

It looks like there are still some background staff that worked with Mitchell at Southampton. We'll need to get them too, plus their scouts. Their players and manager would be nice too.

And we wonder why they hate us so much!

Sorry, Liverpool's grubby little mitts have been all over them more than ours. We just had their manager. It happens in football.

 

[Smokinhotspur]

Get him in. I wonder how much due diligence went into signing Paulinho for example, a player who almost gave up football after a difficult period in Poland and Lithuania where he didn't settle.

He then openly admits in an interview last season that he has struggled to adapt and communicate with teammates at Spurs but is too lazy to learn English. Absolutely abysmal and exactly the type of mentality that continues to cost us. One of the reasons Sandro was successful was the way he threw himself into the banter of the dressing room making him a favourite with fans and players alike. So unfortunate he started to pick up those injuries.....

 

[DOX]

Good article & sounds like a top signing.Just watch him become a turkey with us!

Sad... But soooo inevitable.

 

[longtimespur]

Sounds like we could have done with that box before we spent the Bale money

 

[slartibartfast]

Sounds like we could have done with that box before we spent the Bale money

Should have bought one with the Bale money lol.
Seriously though that sounds like proper bollox to me.

 

[Hot$pur4Life]

Oh that's a relief... Thought we were getting a hairdresser

 

[whitesocks]

I wonder how he will cope without the fancy bespoke software?
I doubt we have anything comparable - HR was a self admitted technophobe.
In fact for all the statto type comments that were directed at AVB, he clarified that it was Mourinho who liked the dossiers - he also preferred to use his own eyes.
TS did not strike me as someone who would use anything fancy, and that goes for MP too. They too are hands on people.

Welcome Paul Mitchell. Here is your desk, and Levy's old betamax video player.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

The most intriguing element of the department, though, is what is known as the "black-box"

Exactly what you need when your club is crashing and burning..........

 

[cliff jones]

Get him in. I wonder how much due diligence went into signing Paulinho for example, a player who almost gave up football after a difficult period in Poland and Lithuania where he didn't settle.

He then openly admits in an interview last season that he has struggled to adapt and communicate with teammates at Spurs but is too lazy to learn English. Absolutely abysmal and exactly the type of mentality that continues to cost us. One of the reasons Sandro was successful was the way he threw himself into the banter of the dressing room making him a favourite with fans and players alike. So unfortunate he started to pick up those injuries.....

we might have discovered in advance he had previous for putting in girlie tackles and turning his back in a wall like he did last season.

 

[Danners9]

Welcome Paul Mitchell. Here is your desk, and Levy's old betamax video player.

And here are the Rothmans Annuals from 1995-2000 left behind by Mr Redknapp.

 

[doom]

"with just a few clicks, Mitchell and his team could be watching any player, team or target anywhere in the world."

gosh how technology has advanced... or is it just Youtube!

 

[spursram]

What happens to Baldini?