SCOUT’S HONOUR
Technology isn’t the be-all and end-all when trying to uncover stars SAYS EWAN CHESTER
Ewan Chester once told Walter Smith to sack him if a player didn’t produce the goods at Ibrox. Thankfully for him, Steven Davis proved his worth.
As a scout, you live and die by your judgment. That’s why, even in the age of data analytics and Moneyball theories, someone like Chester is alive and kicking. The ex-Rangers chief scout rejoined Birmingham City last month as a football consultant to boss Gar y Rowet t af ter rejecting the chance to stay at English Championship counterparts Brighton as well as a Premier League offer.
Chester isn’t averse to modern day technology. If it’s used as a support tool, he is in favour of it.
But at heart, he’s old school. Ultimately he believes the best way to scout a player is to watch them with your own eyes.
After that, it’s all about gut instinct – and a little bit of luck.
In 1999, for instance, he stumbled on the signing of a former USA captain. While watching a Bundesliga target Claudio Reyna caught his eye.
After pulling out of a move for another midfielder, Reyna’s name was put to then Ibrox manager Dick Advocaat and Chester was able to submit a detailed report before securing a £1.2million deal.
The flip side to that was the hard graft and long hours he put in to secure the loan signing of a certain Harry Kane for Norwich only for the future England international to get crocked on his first start.
That’s the life of a football scout and Chester wouldn’t change it for the world.
He’s relishing his new role at St Andrew’s and hopes his contacts and expertise can help Rowett build a squad able to reach the top flight.
As he reflected on 30 years in the business, the Scot told MailSport: “The art of scouting has changed dramatically from when I first started.
“With the advent of technology it’s completely different. When Bosman happened, we all did it on a wing and a prayer if I’m honest.
“At Rangers around that time, the club was cash-rich.
“Agents were making the same call to me as they would to Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool.
“In the mid-90s I was going to the same games as the top English clubs and we had the same targets.
“But back then agents would rhyme off a player’s stats and achievements off the top of his head.
“You didn’t have the access to technology where you could check it out.
“Now within a minute I can say, ‘ Well yeah, he’s played 30 games but he’s only started 12’.
“You can now disprove statistics. But post-Bosman it was all new to us. You’d go away and chase things up only to f ind a player’s record wasn’t quite as good as it had been portrayed.
“You were learning as you went along. Now it’s far more sophisticated. Obviously some key factors remain.
“You can’t beat hard work and natural enthusiasm for the game and spotting talent. That will never change in scouting.
“But the technology now, if used in the right way, is fantastic. When it’s used as a scouting support it can be really helpful.
“It can lead you to players and it can also help with eliminating other players. That can save a lot of time and expense.
“But when it takes over – and some clubs have gone down a very analytical route – I’m not so sure.
“I still think you have to employ good people whose judgement you trust.
“You still have to go and see players. Sometimes you can be at a game and there’s nothing on the pitch. But the guy
you’re sitting next to might come up with a bit of information. That’s priceless.” Any scout, whether using analytics or the naked eye, will only be as successful as the players he recommends. That’s why Rangers’ signing of Northern Ireland skipper Davis from Fulham in 2008 still gives him a sense of satisfaction. Chester, who worked with Smith during both his spells as Gers boss, said: “The best days were under Walter and Archie Knox. But it was because we talked about football 24/7. It was an education. “What I got from them was a work ethic. With the staff we had back then, it was morning, noon and night. But we did it because we wanted to – we loved it. “There’s no substitute for natural enthusiasm. It’s similar here at Birmingham. Gary is a football man as are all his staff. We see the game in simple terms. When you’re identifying the profile of a player you need, that makes it so much easier. “Sometimes people can overcomplicate it. I know clubs l ike Brentford have gone down the Moneyball route but I don’t think it’s an exact science. “An afternoon in the office with a pot of tea, talking about players, it’s amazing what you get out of that with the right people around you. “The one signing that gives me most pleasure is when we got Davis in. “Walter had returned to the club and wanted legs in the middle of the park. I’d come back from Fulham and knew Steven.
“Walter had watched him but didn’t really know him. I told him, ‘If Davis doesn’t work out here, sack me’.
“He asked if I was that sure and I said absolutely. So I spoke to my mate who was chief executive at Fulham and we got the ball rolling. “We got Steven initially on loan and then on a permanent deal. He’s a terrific pro with a brilliant attitude. It’s great to see him playing at the level he’s at with Southampton in the Premier League as well as at the Euros this summer with Northern Ireland.
“That gives me real satisfaction, probably more than anyone else, just because the gaffer backed my judgement so implicitly.”
Of course, there are others who don’t work out. Sadly for Chester, Spurs’ £30m-rated star Kane was one of them.
Not only did his loan spell at Carrow Road end prematurely, boss Chris Hughton and his chief scout faced the wrath of fans for recruiting him at all.
Little did they know that Kane would go on to become one of the top strikers in Europe. Chester said: “When Chris was manager of Norwich, he pleaded with me to get him a fourth striker. I’d seen a young Harry Kane at Tottenham. He’d been on loan at Millwall and other places.
“We approached Spurs and they said if they got Clint Dempsey in, we could have Kane. But it was deadline night, I was with the Norwich chief executive and nothing was happening.
“At that point there was no one coming in. The Norwich fans weren’t overly pleased about that.
“But we sat tight and saw on Sky TV that Dempsey was reporting to Spurs for his medical.
“Suddenly it was back on. We actually got an extra hour’s dispensation to get Harry signed in time.
“When the news broke the next morning, we literally got caned. The Norwich fans slaughtered us for bringing in a kid from Tottenham. We were accused of lacking imagination.
“Unfortunately, Harry only played two games before picking up an injury and he went back to Spurs for his recovery.
“Looking back, though, I don’t think that was a bad call when you look at what he’s gone on to achieve. Even the Norwich fans would agree with that I’m sure.”
I still think you have to employ good people whose judgment you trust