January 30 News The Athletic UK reporter team went deep into the football industry and interviewed
The title of the column is——The reality of football scouting in 2023: ‘You do it for love – not money’
Arsenal fans may still remember this “senior international scout” who once coached Reading, Leeds United and other famous teams, Brian McDermott, he was TA’s first interview subject.
TA went with him to watch a game against Notts County and Alton Short in the England National League. During the game, McDermott revealed anecdotes about him at Arsenal.
McDermott talks a lot about the importance of the “feel” he has for players when he’s scouting the field — something you don’t get when you’re watching on a screen, he says.
McDermott added: “A lot of people (in scouting) talk themselves out of it. ‘What can’t he do?’ ‘Tell me what he can do.'”
TA asked him: At what point do scouts try to talk to people close to players about their lives off the field and whether a transfer is feasible.
In fact, is that the scout’s job?
McDermott said: “This is the duty of scouting. I will not go to the head coach until I get everything. I need to know what his family is like. I know what his agent is.
Like, I know his thought process – will players come to the club, what kind of deal will it be.
When I’ve done all that, I’ll go to the manager and say, ‘I’m absolutely sure.
We need to do this.
’ I want my scouting to be 100 percent sure.
”
He sighs: “You’ll hear a lot of stories from scouts about missing out on players, or saying things to your chagrin. I watched Erling Haaland when I was at Arsenal, when he was in the Norway U19s.
team. At one point I looked at him and thought: ‘Oh my God.’”
McDermott typed Haaland’s name into his phone to find the notes he had made at the time (he always wrote a line or two about players on his phone during games for his own reference).
“22 July 2018. Haaland: puts his body in. Makes good runs. Great shape/size. Loads of potential. At the money nailed on.”
(July 22, 2018, Harland, he is very good at using his body, has excellent running ability, good physical fitness, and unlimited potential.)
McDermott explained: “If I were writing a scouting report for Arsenal, that wouldn’t be the case. I would be writing ‘advice’, ‘strengths and weaknesses’. I don’t write War and Peace,
But I read everything. I made this simple note for myself, just to make sure I didn’t miss anyone.
I watched three Haaland games, met his father, Alfie, and we got on really well – he was at Leeds and I was manager of Leeds.
But we never got Erin Haaland and I knew then that he was not going to Arsenal.
His career was planned, they knew he would go to Salzburg (Red Bull), then Dortmund and then he would make his choice.
that is the truth.
“