Tisdale should be looking at modernising our scouting department as a priority…

Paul Tisdale, manager of Exeter City prior to the Emirates FA Cup Second Round Replay between Exeter City and Forest Green at St James Park on December 12, 2017. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Guilty of neglect

Paul Tisdale is close to being appointed by Celtic to look after a few aspects of the club, including scouting which for me is one of the most important areas of a football club, and one we have been guilty of neglecting in years gone by.

Sure we’ve had plenty of good signings throughout the years, but some of them have been through our various ‘contacts’ rather than a tried and trusted scouting method.

The Ajax Example

Look at Ajax for example. They employ 55 scouts, with 50 of them based in the Netherlands alone. I’m not saying we need to have that many, but we need to upgrade on what we have currently which isn’t that many.

Paul Tisdale the manager of Bristol Rovers looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Second Round match between Bristol Rovers and Darlington FC at the Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2020 (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Ajax is just one example, as there are several European clubs who are on a par with us, and they have such a good scouting system and network that it helps them compete against the bigger sides in Europe. That’s what we should be looking to emulate.

Mark Cooper was recruited

Double our scouting network in the UK and Ireland, while adding a few more in Europe and the rest of the world. It’s not beyond our means and should be easily achievable. Mark Cooper was added to the payroll back in May and he has great experience in the South American and MLS market which is great, but we need more like him in all corners of the globe.

Ange Postecoglou’s J-League knowledge

Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou – Photo Jane Barlow

Because Ange Postecoglou knew the J-League market we ended up with three current first team starts – Kyogo, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate – but none would have been at the club had we reed on our current set-up where our scouts knew as little about this three players as the wider Celtic support, myself included. Zero.

Due to our limitations when it comes to spending, enhanced scouting is a key component that could help us bridge the gap between us and the elite. Get it sorted Paul.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy