Hutchinson joins Grimsby
PAUL Hurst is pleased to see Grimsby Town continue to move forward with the appointment of Joe Hutchinson as the club’s new Head of Recruitment Analysis. Hutchinson, who has been in his new role with the Mariners for the last couple of weeks according to Hurst, arrives from Lincoln City, where he had held a similar position for the last three years. He has also worked at Hull City and with England’s youth teams as a performance analyst.
The appointment will contribute greatly to the Mariners’ recruitment effort in identifying targets ahead of the upcoming January transfer window but also in the long term through various different scouting methods. Hurst said: “We’re pleased because he’s got an excellent track record with his previous employers and it is just another indication of the club moving forwards thanks to Jason [Stockwood] and Andrew [Pettit]’s support which can hopefully have an impact in January. “We’re obviously looking more at the long-term picture with this appointment.
“He will identify potential players for us to bring in, but he will also do some of the more traditional scouting because of his background.
“He’s got a vast knowledge of players at this level and already has a large database with information on them already and has been out watching games for us already. We’re having ongoing discussions over where I believe we can strengthen and what profiles of players we would like to bring into the club.”
It is not always easy for a club in Town’s position to get their transfer targets if there is heavy interest from higher up the pyramid, but with Hutchinson’s extensive knowledge and detailed player database, he has already identified players that might fly under the radar.
As a manager, the buck stops with Hurst and will remain that way moving forward, but with Hutchinson’s expertise, the club will have a better chance of bringing in the right players that fit the manager’s ideal profile. Hurst continued: “For a long time it was just me and Chris [Doig] doing the scouting but now we’ve had [Giles Coke and Ben Davies] going to watch players and with Joe in now, he will head all of that up.
“It will be his responsibility to bring names to me and also look at certain players that I ask him to. “The end decision on who we bring in will always be mine but I am open-minded as to what he might bring to me and I want him to look at players that aren’t necessarily obvious targets. “We’re not going to get the players that everyone wants, that is the reality, so we can identify someone who is on an upward trajectory and will increase in ability or value.
“We’ve got an idea of how we want the squad to look, but it won’t be one hard and fast rule, it’ll be about whatever fits to help us be competitive on the pitch.”