Forum | Edwards just makes it look Eze by ActonExile

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Edwards just makes it look Eze 14:30 - Apr 14 with 7976 views

If we get another barrow load of cash from the gift that keeps giving (Eze) how much would we have to pay to get Edwards.

Poll:

Wherever QPR end up playing home games in the future, what is most important?

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:42 - Apr 16 with 726 views

aston_hoop

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:37 - Apr 16 by KensalT

That's great, provided the data actually exists.

I don't know what data is collected on non-league football. And I don't know how consistent and extensive data collection is around the globe.

If your starting point is always going to be the data then you are limiting yourself to leagues and clubs who are wealthy enough to invest in that sort of data collection, storage, and sharing.

Maybe the reason Peterborough are recruiting so well from the lower leagues is that they know the wealthier data-led clubs aren't bothering to really look there now.

We signed a lad from Hertford Town a few months ago and have had countless others from non-league on trial. If we weren't looking before, we are now.

Poll:

Moses Odubajo - Stick or Twist?

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:46 - Apr 16 with 707 views

KensalT

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:26 - Apr 16 by nick_hammersmith

I'm not sure we will be bothering Southampton too much next season.
The gap between the relegated Prem clubs and an average Championship club is huge.

With Luton being the current anomaly to what I just said ;p

I reckon Southampton might be silly enough to let him go, but don't underestimate the weighting of a players cost. Strikers and #10's like Eze are always more expensive than a CB, I think Edwards is good, but would he ever be worth £40m+ not sure!

When Southampton signed Ronnie Edwards last summer they had just been promoted playing possession-based football under Russell Martin who has always favoured that style.

Against that background Ronnie Edwards looked like the ideal investment for them

Since then Southampton have spent a season getting monstered in the PL and Martin has been sacked.

Recently Martin told Sky that Southampton had underestimated the physicality and athleticism of the PL.

Now we have Danny Rohl being heavily linked to the Southampton job. He plays a more direct style than Martin and it's quite likely Southampton will change their approach next season.

All of this could mean that Edwards' face doesn't fit at Southampton anymore and they might be willing to let him go out on loan or even cash in on the back of his recent performances with us.

But that doesn't mean he would be coming to us. I'm sure there would be plenty of other clubs interested if Saints decided to move him on.

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:52 - Apr 16 with 677 views

KensalT

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:42 - Apr 16 by aston_hoop
We signed a lad from Hertford Town a few months ago and have had countless others from non-league on trial. If we weren't looking before, we are now.

Fair point.

But that's for the Development Squad.

Young players won't have much data on them unless they've come through the PL puppy farms.

But it does suggest there is still some sort of scouting operation in place at the club.

That's good to know. It would be even better if someone at the club was willing to talk a bit more about it and explain the processes they use.

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:55 - Apr 16 with 661 views

aston_hoop

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:52 - Apr 16 by KensalT
Fair point. But that's for the Development Squad. Young players won't have much data on them unless they've come through the PL puppy farms. But it does suggest there is still some sort of scouting operation in place at the club. That's good to know. It would be even better if someone at the club was willing to talk a bit more about it and explain the processes they use.

17 year olds who look good in non-league aren't going to stay there for long so picking them up for the development squad is how we are going to have to operate.

Actually data for young lads playing non-league is a big growing thing, companies like non-league gems do this...

[Post edited 16 Apr 14:55]

Poll:

Moses Odubajo - Stick or Twist?

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:56 - Apr 16 with 655 views

nick_hammersmith

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:46 - Apr 16 by KensalT

I remember Nourry saving he didn't like loan deals where there wasn't any possibility of a signing, so you never know.

Knowing our luck he was talking about Ashby... ;p

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:58 - Apr 16 with 643 views

KensalT

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:55 - Apr 16 by aston_hoop
17 year olds who look good in non-league aren't going to stay there for long so picking them up for the development squad is how we are going to have to operate. Actually data for young lads playing non-league is a big growing thing, companies like non-league gems do this... [Post edited 16 Apr 14:55]

So the recent non-league recruitment for the DS might have been data-led rather than the result of scouting!

Oh well, at least they're looking at non-league.

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 15:00 - Apr 16 with 632 views

aston_hoop

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 14:58 - Apr 16 by KensalT
So the recent non-league recruitment for the DS might have been data-led rather than the result of scouting! Oh well, at least they're looking at non-league.

Well the lad we signed in January came on trial and scored a hat-trick, so that helped too!

Poll:

Moses Odubajo - Stick or Twist?

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 15:06 - Apr 16 with 595 views

KensalT

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 15:00 - Apr 16 by aston_hoop
Well the lad we signed in January came on trial and scored a hat-trick, so that helped too!

They've got a website, although it doesn't say much:

https://nonleaguegems.com/

This is from their LinkedIn page:

About us

At Non-League Gems we have coded an algorithm to create the first predictive modelling scouting tool designed to discover emerging talent in the non-league market. Our software offers a unique rating of the 12,000 players competing in the 15 leagues within the non-league pyramid. Our primary objective is to guide clubs' expansion into the non-league market and to unearth undervalued players with first-team potential. We created this tool to offer clubs an edge following the new limitations imposed by Brexit and the outbreak of coronavirus.

https://uk.linkedin.com/company/non-league-gems

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 15:15 - Apr 16 with 565 views

BrizR

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 10:55 - Apr 16 by StreathamRanger
How do we know the club weren't interested but simply could not compete with Southampton who paid £3million for him? He was certainly on someone's radar as we brought him in on the first day of the transfer window.

Sure, but the point is that you don't compete with Southampton in the summer of 2024 to sign him when he's got 100 league games under his belt, you look at picking him up in 2022 when Peterborough have just got relegated and he'd probably love a move back into the Championship, or in 2023 when he's played nearly every game for them and they've made the play-offs.

Obviously there's loads of caveats. Maybe we did try and he wasn't interested, or Peterborough wanted more money than we were willing to pay, or we had other priorities and targets - in 2021-22 the club probably thought they had their centre-backs for the next few years lined up with Dunne and Dickie. One club is never going to spot every player and be able to get them, especially one with a budget towards the bottom end of the Championship; there'll be loads of near-misses and players you wonder why we never signed them and that's just football. With Edwards specifically though it's that extra dimension - fairly local boy, played non-league near us, played against us 3 times in a season in a team we couldn't lay a glove on, and you can see how bloody good he is immediately. As Clive said, the fact this seems to happen so often to us doesn't encourage you to think our scouting and recruitment is as good as it might be.

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 15:17 - Apr 16 with 558 views

BostonR

Edwards just makes it look Eze on 11:04 - Apr 16 by Northernr

I guess if I calm down a bit it's not about where they come from per se, it's just that our recruitment has been poor for a long time - bar one January where we got Austin, Field, De Wijs and Johansen to turn the season around, and last year where we shifted Dozzell and made good acquisitions in Andersen and Hayden.

I think it's good that we're looking to Europe, other clubs have found great value there, not least Brentford down the road. Preston have picked up really good players from Scandi etc. I just look at what we've done this year and, like 2021/22, it feels like we've missed another huge opportunity. There was money to spend, there was headroom, better TV deal, overspends rolling out. And, yeh, Nardi's ok, Varane's ok, Dembele potentially... But we haven't progressed as a team really. There is no big sellable asset which we desperately need. We have wasted very large amounts of money for us.

And that frustration does become particularly acute when the players are there in plain sight on our doorstep. As said above, Edwards played three times against us 21/22 for a relegated team that beat us three times. He was playing non-league football at the end of the Northern Line - Peterborough saw him, we didn't.

Olise a great example. Philogene another local boy, playing in Uxbridge when he got picked up. It's been going on a while - Jamal Lowe was playing at Hampton, we end up taking him on loan when somebody else has discovered him, Albert Adomah was at Harrow and even supports the club, we end up taking him in his 30s when somebody else has discovered him.

From everything I've heard, from speaking to people like Mel Johnson, from listening to Gallen and others on the WLS, and what we see out there on the pitch, I don't think our physical scouting operation is where it needs to be, and I don't think our data approach is delivering.

This post has been edited by an administrator

I watch a lot of non-league football from step 4-6. Amersham Town (step 5) will probably be promoted to step 4. They have a young centre-forward, Jake Tabor who has scored 49 goals this season and hit 50 plus last season. There is a bit of the “Jamie Vardy” about him and it’s likely he will move to a L2 side next season. I can’t believe R’s haven’t even bothered to check him out.

I think a lot of scouts turn their noses up and can’t be bothered to venture out to see some of these lads - many of whom have been playing a reasonable level since they left their respective academy’s.

I’ve watched half-dozen young lads this season who were quicker, stronger and better than Madsen. You see the odd scout but as I understand it they do not believe there is any value in players at step 4-6 otherwise those players will have been through an academy. Short-sighted and foolish to say the least.

I understand Tabor is Swindon bound.

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