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Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 7:50 am
by Bluemike
Ipswich Town have appointed Manchester United's Sam Williams as the club's new 'head of recruitment'.

Williams has been 'first team recruitment analyst' at Old Trafford for the last three years and helped ex-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identify signings across six transfer windows.  

It's understood that Blues chief executive Mark Ashton made the hire after speaking to his former head of recruitment at Oxford United, Mick Court, who is the current 'technical chief scout' at Manchester United.

Further recommendations came from Town management duo Kieran McKenna and Martyn Pert, who also worked alongside Williams in Manchester.

Having initially graduated with a degree in 'Management and Leisure' back in 2009, Williams went on to complete a masters in 'Performance Analysis in Sport' Salford University.

Following academy scout roles at Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton, he initially joined Manchester United as a 'Performance Analyst' in November 2017 before promotion to the first team set-up came in December 2018. 

Williams will work alongside Andy Rolls (director of performance), Gary Probert (director of football operations), Luke Werhun (chief operating officer), Alex Hood (first team recruitment analyst), Scott Mitchell (head of academy recruitment), Charlie Turnbull (head of analysis) and Will Stephenson (head of performance analysis) as the Blues make plans for the 2022 summer transfer window and beyond. 

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Speaking back in September last year, after Town had signed 19 players in the last summer transfer window, Ashton outlined his plans to revamp the club's recruitment team.

He said: "We have no objective or subjective recruitment department.  

“Right now, every agent, every player, every club has to come through either myself, Luke Werhun, Paul Cook or his team.   

“That’s fine. We are where we are right now. We’ll build the aeroplane while we’re in flight.

"I can see, by Christmas, us having four or five people in that recruitment department who are both data driven and scouting driven."

He added: “Talent identification and player recruitment are two of the most important areas of the football club.

“We can have the biggest and best commercial deals, we can make Portman Road immaculate, but if we sign the wrong players it all becomes under par.   

“The guys who are working with me are getting used to how I work. I'm systematic. I like to be considered in my judgements and I like us to work professionally.  

“That means, from a recruitment perspective, having real experts in that field to help us plan one, two, three transfer windows ahead."

Ashton then spoke further about recruitment when the recent January transfer window shut.

He said: “It’s a collective, collaborative approach.

“We all work together. Andy Rolls works in it from a performance perspective because there’s no good us recruiting a technical and tactical player that can’t physically do what Kieran wants them to do. 

“Gary Probert pulls it all together. That’s part of his key role. It’s his job to make sure the pathway is in place from the 18s to the 23s and into the first team.

“And we’re in the process of recruiting at least two people into the recruitment department who will be specialists in that area.

“It’s such a key area that we don’t want to rush and get that wrong. Myself, Kieran, Luke Werhun, Gary Probert and Martyn Pert, who has been a superstar in this, have come together and really started to design what we want that department to look like. 

“To be clear, the manager has absolutely final sign off. It’s in his contract, as it’s in every manager’s contract who works for me, that no player comes into the first team without the manager signing off on it."

McKenna, reflecting on the January business, added: “I think what we have done is leave ourselves in a really good position for the summer now. We didn’t make any rash decisions, we tried to be very methodical in not only preparing as well as we can for the rest of the season but also leaving ourselves in a good position for the next window when we know there’s going to be good backing from the club again.

“Recruitment is such a big area where we can make immediate gains. Coaching and development is massive, but transfer windows are a massive opportunity to fast forward that process if we can bring in the right profile of players who can slot into how we play. That can improve us very quickly if we manage to make the right decisions. 

“It’s something I’m looking forward to. At the moment the priority is the games and getting as many points as we can, but I’m looking forward to that process in the summer, whatever position we’re in, to be able to build the squad as I want it going into pre-season."
 

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:17 am
by hallamblue
Absolutely brilliant . We are being built to be a big club in every sense of the word, and it’s SO exciting how quickly this Club is being carried forward. I’m getting blown away the more the news comes out of this Club every day now.

Get your ST’s early guys , coz they’re going to fly off the shelves ! 👍 BLUE ARMY 👍

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:21 am
by Bluemike
We've sold over 2k in a few days and more relevant is that over 40% of those are newbies.

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:26 am
by hallamblue
Reckon we’ll be looking at mid 20k attendances next season as the norm ….bloody awesome !

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:26 am
by marko69
Ipswich Town Football Club “Back in the Big Time” in a few years. 👍👌💙

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:58 am
by Ricco
That's great and all, but United have recruited awfully?! :lol:

Please don't bring us players with personality problems, I'd rather have a professional hard worker than a wonderkid with self entitlement issues!

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:14 am
by Shed on tour
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:21 am
We've sold over 2k in a few days and more relevant is that over 40% of those are newbies.
I renewed mine on Monday, earliest I’ve ever done it. COYB!!!

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:32 am
by Bluemike
Ricco wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:58 am
That's great and all, but United have recruited awfully?! :lol:

Please don't bring us players with personality problems, I'd rather have a professional hard worker than a wonderkid with self entitlement issues!
I'd love to be as positive as you Ricco 🤣🤣

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 11:58 am
by jimmyt
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:21 am
We've sold over 2k in a few days and more relevant is that over 40% of those are newbies.
One being me - for the first time! I've supported ITFC since a boy and was born in Melton (The Phyliss!), so consider myself a local......

I thought the best way to show appreciation for the new owners and the setup they are putting in place was to cough up for a season ticket.

So I look forward to a pre-match beer with one or two regulars on here!

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:20 pm
by Bluemike
Thats fab mate and good on you, I think the c*ck and Pye pub pre game next season could be a fab meeting place for us all.

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:33 pm
by marko69
Just google earthed that in relation to the stadium, Mike.
0.8mile walk? Come on, man, give the lazy bstds some consideration here! :lol:

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:49 pm
by Bluemike
Lmao, I won't have lazy bastards in our fanbase Marko, ask Andy about the "hike up the hill" away at Barnsley to get to our away fans pub !! Not sure what the gradient was but bloody steep, us Two oldies were striding out in front with the youngsters all lagging behind 🤣

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:42 pm
by marko69
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:49 pm
Lmao, I won't have lazy bastards in our fanbase Marko, ask Andy about the "hike up the hill" away at Barnsley to get to our away fans pub !! Not sure what the gradient was but bloody steep, us Two oldies were striding out in front with the youngsters all lagging behind 🤣
Hahaha :lol: I can imagine. And no doubt all ordering pies on arrival.
When you say Andy……. You mean Charnwood?
Piece of cake for him! He’s walked to the moon and back on fairways!

Don't tell us you’ve got your own personal buggy, Charny! We’d need photos! :D

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 2:40 pm
by Bluemike
Yes I meant Charny, im sure he remembers it

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:46 pm
by Ricco
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:32 am
Ricco wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:58 am
That's great and all, but United have recruited awfully?! :lol:

Please don't bring us players with personality problems, I'd rather have a professional hard worker than a wonderkid with self entitlement issues!
I'd love to be as positive as you Ricco 🤣🤣
I'm an engineer, my job is to think of and consider every way in which something can go wrong or fail.

I'm starting to see how that can leak in to other areas of my life :lol:

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 6:04 pm
by Bluemike
Lol, I was only kidding and to a point you are correct, KM OUT !!!!

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 6:10 pm
by Ricco
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 6:04 pm
Lol, I was only kidding and to a point you are correct, ASHTON OUT !!!!
I've adjusted your typo :wink:

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 6:46 pm
by Bluemike
Hes the man, rebuilding our club lol 😆

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:33 pm
by Denny61
Only thing I worry about is that man United have realised how good a coach they let go ..so rather than do the hard work themselves .they will let mckenna do the coaching and when he has the players playing to their full potential..unfortunately United come a calling for them back ..unless we in the Premier ship.by then ...

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:54 pm
by goldandblack
Denny61 wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:33 pm
Only thing I worry about is that man United have realised how good a coach they let go ..so rather than do the hard work themselves .they will let mckenna do the coaching and when he has the players playing to their full potential..unfortunately United come a calling for them back ..unless we in the Premier ship.by then ...
Exactly Right Denny61.

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:48 pm
by hallamblue
marko69 wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:42 pm
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:49 pm
Lmao, I won't have lazy bastards in our fanbase Marko, ask Andy about the "hike up the hill" away at Barnsley to get to our away fans pub !! Not sure what the gradient was but bloody steep, us Two oldies were striding out in front with the youngsters all lagging behind 🤣
Hahaha :lol: I can imagine. And no doubt all ordering pies on arrival.
When you say Andy……. You mean Charnwood?
Piece of cake for him! He’s walked to the moon and back on fairways!

Don't tell us you’ve got your own personal buggy, Charny! We’d need photos! :D
Well he clearly needs to improve his handicap if he’s having to walk so far on the golf course ha ha!!

That hill in Barnsley was bloody monumental I can tell you , and all I can remember is Mike downing the biggest meat pie n gravy I’ve seen in a long while ….. but those two made it up that bloody hill in 2 minutes , the “carrot” was the promise of a couple of pints lol !

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 11:00 pm
by Charnwood
hallamblue wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:48 pm
marko69 wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:42 pm
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:49 pm
Lmao, I won't have lazy bastards in our fanbase Marko, ask Andy about the "hike up the hill" away at Barnsley to get to our away fans pub !! Not sure what the gradient was but bloody steep, us Two oldies were striding out in front with the youngsters all lagging behind 🤣
Hahaha :lol: I can imagine. And no doubt all ordering pies on arrival.
When you say Andy……. You mean Charnwood?
Piece of cake for him! He’s walked to the moon and back on fairways!

Don't tell us you’ve got your own personal buggy, Charny! We’d need photos! :D
Well he clearly needs to improve his handicap if he’s having to walk so far on the golf course ha ha!!

That hill in Barnsley was bloody monumental I can tell you , and all I can remember is Mike downing the biggest meat pie n gravy I’ve seen in a long while ….. but those two made it up that bloody hill in 2 minutes , the “carrot” was the promise of a couple of pints lol !

How can I ever forget that bloody hill, and as I recall the pub took some finding too and I don’t remember being in there very long either, but long enough for a few very good 🍺🍺🍺’s. Thinking back was that the first time I met you guys or was that Pride Park Derby ?

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2022 8:57 am
by Charnwood
Charnwood wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 11:00 pm
hallamblue wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:48 pm
marko69 wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:42 pm


Hahaha :lol: I can imagine. And no doubt all ordering pies on arrival.
When you say Andy……. You mean Charnwood?
Piece of cake for him! He’s walked to the moon and back on fairways!

Don't tell us you’ve got your own personal buggy, Charny! We’d need photos! :D
Well he clearly needs to improve his handicap if he’s having to walk so far on the golf course ha ha!!

That hill in Barnsley was bloody monumental I can tell you , and all I can remember is Mike downing the biggest meat pie n gravy I’ve seen in a long while ….. but those two made it up that bloody hill in 2 minutes , the “carrot” was the promise of a couple of pints lol !

How can I ever forget that bloody hill, and as I recall the pub took some finding too and I don’t remember being in there very long either, just long enough for a few swift very good Yorkshire 🍺🍺🍺’s. Thinking back was that the first time I met you guys or was that Pride Park Derby ?

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2022 10:12 am
by Bluemike
I think it could have been first time we met, we also met up at Burton

Re: Man Utd - Our feeder club !!

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2022 8:10 pm
by Stuart81
Exciting times ahead!