HUDDERSFIELD Town boss Mark Robins is ready to go square-eyed in the search for new Town players.
The manager and his staff at Huddersfield Town are making good use of the investment in a video tool which provides instant access to UK and international football footage.
Wyscout was established in Italy in 2004 and is now used by more than 200 clubs as they check up on potential transfer targets and opposing teams.
It’s helping Town, who also use IT software from Scout 7 and Prozone, spread the net as Robins builds a squad for the forthcoming Championship campaign and beyond.
The boss, fresh from a string of continental scouting trips, is working with head of football operations Ross Wilson to make best use of the various systems.
Wilson has revamped Town’s scouting and recruitment structures right down to junior levels, explaining: “We use a mixture of traditional and analysis and data-based methods.
“We have made large changes and investment in our network of staff that means we look at more players and games than ever before.
“We are also assembling information on European leagues, starting from scratch to build relationships which provide information we can trust. It’s important we spot talent early, then filter the information and use it to make correct judgements.”
Wilson says agents also have an important role to play, adding: “They have vital, up-to-date information on the availability of players.
“Agents are not a necessary evil as some people claim. They play an important part in the game and it’s about utilising them properly.
“The key is to be proactive and avoid recruitment being an agent-led process, and it’s important to spend time with them face to face.”
