Chapter 6

" I'm sure everyone knows why we are here " Yusuf started wanting to get right to the crux of the problem.

" To fill this empty table" volunteered one of the others.

" That would be correct, today I'm keen for us to shortlist and begin approaching for three of the more senior roles at the club, the rest I will entrust to Henrik and I'm confident I will be impressed"

"I will fill them up with the best we can afford"

"I trust you will, the three positions are Chief Scout, Assistant Manager & Academy Manager, since Paul Williams was recently moved on"

"I'll kick off with a recommendation for Chief Scout, David Trezequet"

"Are you trying to start an all-star football team ?" japed Maxi.

" I'm trying to find the people who will produce the best results for our club and besides I wouldn't get close to any all-star team"

" I think I was a tidy player but if the level is Trezequet and Mr Larsson here, I've probably got as much a chance as you do." Maxi said disparaging himself.

" You only retired recently so I think you would have much better fitness than we do"

"At least that's one thing I'd be better at"

" Bringing it back to work, why do you think Trezequet would sign for us?" Larsson inquired.

"He was recently released as a scout for Juventus, and I have a plan to overhaul our entire scouting department. To compete with the biggest teams, we need to scout better than they do and find the most talented players before their price rises too much. To achieve that I want disparate coaches from key locations around the globe to feed information back which can be combined with analytics to find the players we need. I require someone with experience to interpret the players we are looking for and manage this network. I understand what you mean though and I'll need you to sell the project and its aims to him."

" I'll give it my best, but the news stated that his reasons for stepping down were to pursue a managerial or directorship job so I'm not too confident about this one" Larsson replied, vocalising his apprehension.

" Sebastian Arnesen is very experienced and has a great eye for players" Maxi volunteered.

"He's got some pedigree, but I've heard he has pivoted towards being an agent focusing heavily on emerging African players, it would be good to keep relations with him though especially if he has retained that eye for players"

"I'll get in contact and raise the position with him as an excuse to get familiar" he nodded back taking his role as advisor seriously.

" I've got a second recommendation which I think you'll all agree with, Leonardo Masieri"

" I'm not familiar with him"

" Me neither"

" I didn't expect you to be in truth, I've been keeping my ear to the ground around the premier league ever since my previous time at Birmingham came to an end. I first heard of him during his time at West Brom and he's gone from strength to strength. He's currently at Chelsea working as a regional scouting coordinator"

" Same question as last time, why would he want us?"

" I believe in this case alone we can offer him something that his current club can't . The top clubs are like massive conglomerates with numerous voices shouting to be heard. This makes it difficult for any one individual to have an impact which is partially by design. The seats at the top table are often also filled as there is no incentive for anyone to move on as for them a better job in the market doesn't exist. This means the people in the second tier are simply waiting for an opportunity to open above them. We can provide him a platform to succeed and grow his prestige in the game." Yusuf expounded his ideas clearly.

"Not to rain on anyone's parade but it sounds like you want us to be a steppingstone for him"

" I want us to be a steppingstone for everyone. If the sum totals of a person's ambition are languishing in the tail end of the championship, I'm not interested in having them here. I want people who yearn for the top because that's where I plan to bring this team. If someone doesn't feel like we have what it takes they are welcome to leave but I am certain we will be there soon."

"Our manager is an ambitious one, I feel like we've got a lot of work on our hands Henke"

"I wouldn't be here if he wasn't, he convinced me already. I'll get in contact with Leonardo and bring him on board"

"In terms of the academy, I recommend Adin Osmanbasic and before you say anything I know you haven't heard of him. Adin is the U17 Head Coach for the Houston Dynamo FC in the MLS having previously worked in a similar youth focused role for Atlanta United. His experience in youth development is clear and he would bring a lot to the table. I believe we could snatch him away with the promise of having total control of the academy, being supported financially and competing against the very best."

"Before you ask me too much about him, I would like you to read this." Yusuf forestalled any arguments, while passing over a printed copy of an article written by Adin which was titled Juego de Posición under Pep Guardiola.

The next few minutes passed in complete silence as the two others poured over the document with mouths somewhat agape. It was only on the second reading that one of them first spoke.

" This is astonishing, the level of game understanding alone speaks for itself. He is quite a find." Larsson said while shaking his head.

"I believe wholeheartedly that if his coaching is matched by his theoretical knowledge he can go to the very top of the game."

" I will get on the phone to him tonight, I'll be sure to secure him"

" For your Assistant, I recommend recruiting internally to maintain some consistency and I would suggest promoting Paul Harsley" Larsson contributed.

" I was considering the same, he has experience of the club, is well-liked and also has a better understanding of the current crop of youths at the club than anyone else. He has earned this opportunity."

The meeting continued in a similar fashion with the trio suggesting multiple people for each role and recommending people for the other empty positions. Yusuf felt the importance of the staff couldn't be understated, as they would be the people who would make sure his vision was carried out. A strong backroom would be like drawing wings onto a tiger and he would need all he could get.