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Who is Paul Mitchell and why have Tottenham Hotspur prised Southampton's head of recruitment away?
Talent-spotter and analyst whose department transformed Saints this summer while banking £30 million is on his way to Spurs who badly need his input
Saints no more: Mauricio Pochettino will be joined at Tottenham by Paul Mitchell, another signing from Southampton Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Jeremy Wilson
4:02PM GMT 17 Nov 2014
10 Comments
Paul Mitchell is the head of recruitment who has become one of the most sought after men in football. Mitchell's own playing career was ended by injury at the age of 27, he has been at Southampton for less than three years and is still only 33 but it is with good reason that Tottenham Hotspur believe they are making one of the more important signings in their recent history.
The entire ethos at Southampton is of a club dependent on their structure and culture rather than any one individual for success but you needed to spend only a few minutes at the club's training ground to appreciate Mitchell's considerable input.
He has been in charge of the recruitment department since January 2012 but the quality of that operation has never been more evident than during this past summer when Southampton sold around £95 million worth of talent, reinvested about £65 million, and still seem to have improved their squad.
Tottenham had a not dissimilar challenge in 2013 when they sold Gareth Bale for £85 million but, despite spending in excess of £100 million, have instead gone backwards. You can certainly understand why Levy might have cast some envious glances in the direction of St Mary's during this past month.
So just what do we know about the set-up at Southampton that Tottenham will presumably now try to replicate? The first point is that Mitchell's work is rather different to a director of football like Franco Baldini. He is not being brought in for his worldwide network of contacts among agents and club executives but rather for his ability to analyse football players.
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The most intriguing element of the department, though, is what is known as the "black-box". It is a small room with a phone, a desk and a row of chairs that faces a giant screen. Southampton designed their own computer software that is used in this room and, with just a few clicks, Mitchell and his team could be watching any player, team or target anywhere in the world. Yet the "black-box" is not used solely for identifying players but also analysing Southampton's own squad and future opponents.
For example, when Woolwich offered £16 million for Calum Chambers during the summer, part of Southampton's decision-making was based on the assessment that they already had a superior right-back in Nathaniel Clyne. Mitchell believes that the "black box" really was something unique to Southampton.
"Unless people have got a real black box underground, I've never heard of a training facility having something like that - having something designed and bespoke with that ability to deliver," he said, shortly before handing in his notice at Southampton.
"It's not just recruitment. That's where the theory started, but I've seen the power of that room, to sit with Fraser Forster when Dave Watson (the goalkeeping coach) is going through the pre- and the post-match with him or to even deliver to a young player we potentially want to sign into the academy and have him sat there with mum and dad and go through a visual presentation to say why he should choose Southampton. It's just a very powerful platform."
Mitchell's approach at Southampton was to tailor his energy to the club's specific needs but then delve with almost forensic depth into a player's background and past performances. Character references were sought and off-field habits were also throroughly investigated. "We've seen before and heard quotes from managers that have probably perception-wise based their acquisition on the two games they've played against that player in the Premier League or the Football League," explained Mitchell. "I work off a very simple theory of I had one good game once, but I think the 80 other times I played I wasn't so good.
"Part of the philosophy and the theory is to not waste time on things that are unachievable. What can we achieve? How can we achieve it? How can we be more efficient? Then how can we analyse that to make it even better the next window or the next time we debrief it, and constantly just keep evolving and challenging ourselves every day. That's the key.
"It's not proven science, but I think our philosophy and theory was always risk management. Let's try to offset as much of the risk as possible to make the best acquisition. You have a responsibility to your owner that invests a hell of a lot of money to work as hard as you possibly can to make the best acquisition for the football club, and that's what we're trying to do. We're investing in the processes and the strategies. I actually do feel within the industry there is a little shift. The transfer window is becoming box office, it's real intrigue. I think that will shift to people looking at best practice throughout the industry and then taking that as their own."
A first concrete example of this is how Mitchell himself has been prised from Southampton.
Talent-spotter and analyst whose department transformed Saints this summer while banking £30 million is on his way to Spurs who badly need his input
Saints no more: Mauricio Pochettino will be joined at Tottenham by Paul Mitchell, another signing from Southampton Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Jeremy Wilson
4:02PM GMT 17 Nov 2014
Paul Mitchell is the head of recruitment who has become one of the most sought after men in football. Mitchell's own playing career was ended by injury at the age of 27, he has been at Southampton for less than three years and is still only 33 but it is with good reason that Tottenham Hotspur believe they are making one of the more important signings in their recent history.
The entire ethos at Southampton is of a club dependent on their structure and culture rather than any one individual for success but you needed to spend only a few minutes at the club's training ground to appreciate Mitchell's considerable input.
He has been in charge of the recruitment department since January 2012 but the quality of that operation has never been more evident than during this past summer when Southampton sold around £95 million worth of talent, reinvested about £65 million, and still seem to have improved their squad.
Tottenham had a not dissimilar challenge in 2013 when they sold Gareth Bale for £85 million but, despite spending in excess of £100 million, have instead gone backwards. You can certainly understand why Levy might have cast some envious glances in the direction of St Mary's during this past month.
So just what do we know about the set-up at Southampton that Tottenham will presumably now try to replicate? The first point is that Mitchell's work is rather different to a director of football like Franco Baldini. He is not being brought in for his worldwide network of contacts among agents and club executives but rather for his ability to analyse football players.
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08 Nov 2014
The most intriguing element of the department, though, is what is known as the "black-box". It is a small room with a phone, a desk and a row of chairs that faces a giant screen. Southampton designed their own computer software that is used in this room and, with just a few clicks, Mitchell and his team could be watching any player, team or target anywhere in the world. Yet the "black-box" is not used solely for identifying players but also analysing Southampton's own squad and future opponents.
For example, when Woolwich offered £16 million for Calum Chambers during the summer, part of Southampton's decision-making was based on the assessment that they already had a superior right-back in Nathaniel Clyne. Mitchell believes that the "black box" really was something unique to Southampton.
"Unless people have got a real black box underground, I've never heard of a training facility having something like that - having something designed and bespoke with that ability to deliver," he said, shortly before handing in his notice at Southampton.
"It's not just recruitment. That's where the theory started, but I've seen the power of that room, to sit with Fraser Forster when Dave Watson (the goalkeeping coach) is going through the pre- and the post-match with him or to even deliver to a young player we potentially want to sign into the academy and have him sat there with mum and dad and go through a visual presentation to say why he should choose Southampton. It's just a very powerful platform."
Mitchell's approach at Southampton was to tailor his energy to the club's specific needs but then delve with almost forensic depth into a player's background and past performances. Character references were sought and off-field habits were also throroughly investigated. "We've seen before and heard quotes from managers that have probably perception-wise based their acquisition on the two games they've played against that player in the Premier League or the Football League," explained Mitchell. "I work off a very simple theory of I had one good game once, but I think the 80 other times I played I wasn't so good.
"Part of the philosophy and the theory is to not waste time on things that are unachievable. What can we achieve? How can we achieve it? How can we be more efficient? Then how can we analyse that to make it even better the next window or the next time we debrief it, and constantly just keep evolving and challenging ourselves every day. That's the key.
"It's not proven science, but I think our philosophy and theory was always risk management. Let's try to offset as much of the risk as possible to make the best acquisition. You have a responsibility to your owner that invests a hell of a lot of money to work as hard as you possibly can to make the best acquisition for the football club, and that's what we're trying to do. We're investing in the processes and the strategies. I actually do feel within the industry there is a little shift. The transfer window is becoming box office, it's real intrigue. I think that will shift to people looking at best practice throughout the industry and then taking that as their own."
A first concrete example of this is how Mitchell himself has been prised from Southampton.
"We've seen before and heard quotes from managers that have probably perception-wise based their acquisition on the two games they've played against that player in the Premier League or the Football League," explained Mitchell. "I work off a very simple theory of I had one good game once, but I think the 80 other times I played I wasn't so good."
We've done this so many times over the years.........
We've done this so many times over the years.........
I see your point but if they were that qualified, why don't they just manage a club ....its like pundits, easy to dissect a game from a sofa, but different kettle of fish in the actual hot seat.
PS - I'm a bit biased against 'more chiefs than indians' scenarios, which I feel that DoFs tend to be.
Not everyone wants to be a manager, and it's not the be-all, end-all of a career. I can see your point about "more chiefs than Indians", but there's also the contrasting scenario, where one person tries to control too much and can't do anything properly as a result. Most successful clubs in Europe have the DoF system for a reason, and outside of football, just about every team sport uses that same system.
I reckon we should play this guy at the back. He can't be any worse than Fazio, and it'll also allow him to do some scouting for a striker.
Honestly, vlaar and Jonny Evans would be better than vlad and Kaboul. players like Milner, Lescott, Barry would've cost 18 million between them, yet we get fazio and paulinho instead. they're not 'ardiles-like' like in their style/stature our fans wont except it. when are we gonna realise that we just need a base and then sign one proven name per window to improve ourselves over a few years?
I think people like the idea because he is a 'Poch player'. It's a sign of actually backing the manager and getting him a player he wants for once. Do you think he wanted Fazio? I'm not so sure...
They know each other well, speak the same language and from what Moreno has said he would play his heart out for him.
He isn't the answer to all our prayers. But he is a defender that knows and works well in Pochettino's system. And he actually wants to play for us.
Two things we can't say about Chiriches and Kaboul right now.
And he's got an English sounding name(well it's scottish,to be precise)
Weird...Not sure this will catch on.
Cant we call him Paulo Mitchellio or something?
Weird...Not sure this will catch on.
Cant we call him Paulo Mitchellio or something?
Racist!
I'm sure Pochettino's already got a nickname for him...
Since when has a 6 foot non English speaking Mexican not been the answer to our problems?
I'm still grasping for an idea of what that "black box" is and what makes it so powerful.
The article makes it sound as if it's a magical room that allows them to peek in on a player as they go about their lives off-camera.
"Alright boys, boot it up. Let's have a look at what Shaqiri is doing right now."
"My god... Smashing drunk club sluts four at a time. He'll fit right in!"
The article makes it sound as if it's a magical room that allows them to peek in on a player as they go about their lives off-camera.
"Alright boys, boot it up. Let's have a look at what Shaqiri is doing right now."
"My god... Smashing drunk club sluts four at a time. He'll fit right in!"
It sounds just like a very effective theatre for rapidly displaying video and data together for small groups of people.
Exactly my point, cutting through the sarcasm.
I guess the point of it all is that scouts out in the field are predominantly film-makers rather than football experts, and that the backroom staff parses through all of that to create tailored video packages player by player with relevant stats, etc.
I guess it's like Youtube highlight reels without being solely composed of a player's best moments. I wonder if the backroom staff is also obligated to dub over the highlights with shitty dubstep music?