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Irish Hammer 3:15 Thu Aug 19
Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Decent read, enjoy !

Rob Newman: Who is West Ham’s new head of recruitment from Manchester City?

In a transfer window where West Ham United are keen to make more additions to the team, it is the off-field appointment of Rob Newman as head of recruitment that could prove most important.

The Athletic can reveal Newman will begin his new role in late September. The 57-year-old, who has been placed on gardening leave by Manchester City, joined the reigning Premier League champions in 2008 and worked as an international scouting and recruitment manager. Previously, he managed Southend United and Cambridge United, and was then assistant manager at Bournemouth.

Newman was involved with first-team recruitment at the Etihad Stadium and worked alongside Txiki Begiristain, James Smith, Brian Marwood and Gary Worthington, all of whom are key figures in City’s extensive scouting department.

He also worked with the analytics team, and was assigned to scout young talent in Spain and France and is fluent in both languages. The former defender, who made almost 250 appearances for Norwich City in the 1990s, had some involvement in the signings of Brahim Diaz, Angelino and Pablo Maffeo between 2013-15.

During that timespan, the City Football Group wanted to bring in top talents from Europe to increase the level of competition in the academy. Newman played a key role in this and is also understood to have been involved in recruiting Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.

Diaz, Angelino and Maffeo were signed for a combined fee of £200,000 and subsequently sold for a grand total of around £40 million to Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Stuttgart respectively. West Ham manager David Moyes has stated on numerous occasions he wants to sign young players who have resale value. Newman’s impending arrival will enable the Scotsman to achieve this.

When it comes to scouting full-backs, Newman is keen for them to be big, strong and quick. For midfielders, they need to have good technique, passing ability and a tactical brain.

At City, Newman was known for being a hard worker, active, with a bulging contacts book, popular among the scouts and a people person.

This will be great news for Moyes, given the camaraderie with his backroom staff and the squad. Also, the two men were team-mates at Bristol City in the 1980s.

“Rob was really good with young players and approachable,” says Josh Simpson, who played under Newman at Cambridge. “He made us all feel welcome and was really good at telling us how we could improve our game. He brought a lot of young players to the club but he wasn’t given enough time. I can see why he went on to become a scout because he’s great at identifying talent.”

Most importantly, Newman joining West Ham will help take the pressure off Moyes and co-owner David Sullivan.

Over the past 19 months, the signings of Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Said Benrahma show the club is heading in a positive direction. Yet prior to Moyes returning for a second spell in charge in December 2019, West Ham were often very reliant on agents’ recommendations, with Sullivan effectively acting as their director of football.

“I want to get us a state-of-the-art recruitment department for the future which we can look to use,” Moyes said shortly before the last winter transfer window. “We are undoubtedly behind, I would argue, probably every other club in that area. But it’s something I will fix, it’s something I want to get in place better.”

The appointment of Newman is a step in the right direction and The Athletic understands he will focus on identifying talent already in the UK. Moyes is also keen to develop a younger department packed with analysts. The long-term plan is for the club to build a European scouting system. In previous spells as manager of Preston North End, Everton and Manchester United, it was Robbie Cooke who worked alongside Moyes in senior recruitment roles.

But a quick look at West Ham’s recent history will tell you they have had a poor record with the director of football role.

Gianluca Nani worked under Gianfranco Zola and then Alan Curbishley between 2008-10 and was responsible for the signings of Savio Nsereko, Valon Behrami, Diego Tristan, Herita Ilunga, David Di Michele and Alessandro Diamanti.

Mario Husillos, who worked under Moyes’ successor (and predecessor!) Manuel Pellegrini, had also not previously worked in English football but had some involvement in the arrivals of Jack Wilshere, Sebastien Haller, Lucas Perez, Pablo Fornals, Goncalo Cardoso, Samir Nasri, Ryan Fredericks, Albian Ajeti, Roberto, David Martin, Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Xande Silva, Fabian Balbuena and Carlos Sanchez.

Of the 15 players signed between 2018-19, five remain at the club, with Fornals the only first-team regular.

Having splurged £170 million on players, which yielded mixed results, Sullivan said: “Under the previous regime, the only two players I picked were (Issa) Diop and (Lukasz) Fabianski; I bullied the manager to take them because I liked both players.

“All the other players him and his director of football picked.

“I regret, in a way, not stopping some of the signings, because you have to back the manager. The fans were on my back to have a director of football, a big-name manager. We did what the fans wanted. It didn’t work.”

Newman has a proven track record and it is an added bonus that he was one of City’s key scouts in Europe.

Lessons have been learned from Pellegrini’s year and a half in charge and one of the reasons why Alphonse Areola, the goalkeeper signed on loan from Paris Saint-Germain after spending last season in the Premier League with Fulham, has been the only summer arrival for the first team is down to the emphasis on bringing in the right personnel.

Newman’s arrival will allow him and Moyes to plan ahead for the January window.

Head of recruitment is a position the manager has been keen to address for quite some time.

The signing of Newman could prove to be the club’s most astute yet.

El Scorchio 3:20 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Having splurged £170 million on players, which yielded mixed results, Sullivan said: “Under the previous regime, the only two players I picked were (Issa) Diop and (Lukasz) Fabianski; I bullied the manager to take them because I liked both players.

“All the other players him and his director of football picked.

“I regret, in a way, not stopping some of the signings, because you have to back the manager. The fans were on my back to have a director of football, a big-name manager. We did what the fans wanted. It didn’t work.”

CLASSIC SULLIVAN BULLSHIT. He did this schtick with Snodgrass and Fonte as well.

It's funny how in glorious hindsight he's got a 100% success rate with prospective signings, takes all the credit for the good ones and blames every single bad one on someone else. Even the fans, this time.

El Scorchio 3:21 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

...and I should add, he will do the exact same thing with Rob Newman, in time.

Nagel 3:35 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

The issue with Husillos was that it was HIS director of football. The whole point of a DoF is that he looks at the long term aims of the club, and chooses the coaches, players and backroom staff who fit with that long term vision. He should be the manager's boss, not his employee.

That way you get players and coaches who fit together and you don't have to change up half the team every time you change manager (which, these days is every 2-3 years even for a fairly successful one).

LeroysBoots 3:47 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Sullivan in trying to be popular with fans bullshit

Far Cough 4:25 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

“Under the previous regime, the only two players I picked were (Issa) Diop and (Lukasz) Fabianski"

As good as they both were, he shouldn't be involved in ANY signings, that's the manager's job or DoF

Mad Dog 4:37 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Wondered what happened to him after he split with David baddeil

JayeMPee 4:37 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Pointless appointment and another waste of money. Why appoint anyone to this position when we all know that nothing will happen until the little liar has put his game away?

Lee Trundle 4:42 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Mad Dog 4:37 Thu Aug 19

I think he headlined Glastonbury the other year?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNUgANHM07s&ab_channel=doubledeckers

Nagel 4:42 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

JMP, I reckon Sully would have gone for this aspect of Newman's recruitment credentials: "Diaz, Angelino and Maffeo were signed for a combined fee of £200,000 and subsequently sold for a grand total of around £40 million"

Although knowing Sully he'd take it as a reason to stop funding the academy like he did when they first took over.

chim chim cha boo 4:44 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

El Scorchio 3:20 Thu Aug 19

Classic narcissistic, small bloke with loads of money behaviour.

'I bullied the manager' - I've worked for CUNTS like that who are fucking useless but everyone wants to keep their jobs so just let them get on with it. They get absolutely no push-back and spiral down into the very worse people you can imagine.

Most of us have people in our lives that will pull you over and say you're being a bit of a cunt. They don't mean any harm in it, in fact they are doing you a service. You wind your neck in a bit and move forward.

Sullivan doesn't have that and here's the result. A detestable man.

Eerie Descent 4:48 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Far Cough 4:25 Thu Aug 19

That decision ultimately saved us from relegation, as Worzelgrini wanted Roberto as his No.1

Thanks Irish 5:14 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Thanks Irish

Crassus 5:17 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

The words that leapt at me
'Newman’s arrival will allow him and Moyes to plan ahead for the January window.'

Well it could all be a coincidence and of course, 'January is never a good time to buy', so goes their old mantra

Thanks Irish, interesting article again mate

claypole 5:26 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

You see that small midget in the fucking stupid hat and coat?


That's you that is, that's you in your best party clothes

Manuel 5:34 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Never been convinced about these types of roles. So this fella gets paid a lot of money to fly all over the world to watch a stack of football matches and he might find us a couple that we make some coin from? Well yeah, so could most of us. His biggest claim to fame is Diaz, Angelino and Maffeo were signed for a combined fee of £200,000 and subsequently sold for a grand total of around £40 million to Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Stuttgart respectively.

Well, fucking amazing that. 40 mil? Drop in the ocean in today's game. Three players, how many were there he recommended that never made it? A fucking shit load I would hazard a guess.

Pardon me for not getting too excited about this.

Nagel 5:47 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

I would hope that he's in charge of setting up and running a whole scouting network, not just watching games himself and making his own recommendations.

This is the basics of what Moyes had at Everton:

Thousands of online reports on potential targets which conform to a blueprint, which matches the club's culture, aspirations and financial status.

Each scout must assess every player under the age of 24 at his match, and grade them on specific aspects of performance. Moyes produced what he called "an MOT Test", where players were judged against a checklist of up to 12 criteria for each position.

The optimal aim is to have up to 50 reports on a primary transfer target, written by between 10 and 12 scouts.

You can read more about it here:
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/scouting-system-reveals-david-moyes-mind-8756011.html

Manuel 5:57 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Fair enough, good info that.

Since you know so much about it do scouts still wear raincoats, have a combover and drink bovril at half time?

Nagel 6:00 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Ag! Yeah, but only the top notch ones.

Alex G 6:13 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Doesn't begin with us until late September? I'm guessing we're holding off making any signings until he starts.

Jasnik 7:51 Thu Aug 19
Re: Article on Rob Newman - our new Head of Receuitment

Newman’s arrival will allow him and Moyes to plan ahead for the January window. -- so nothing now.... okay..

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