CHARLIE FROM THE STANDS: Agents can make all the difference

In the second part of my delve into Football Recruitment, I look at a topic which has been questioned so much, yet many clubs could not function without it – the role of the Football Agent.

Bringing you into my professional world for a moment - with my company, we look after the Top 10% of Estimators (Quantity Surveyors) in North America. When I say we look after, I mean that we find them opportunities, place them in roles, secure contracts etc.

For example, when one of the Top 20 Construction firms in the US need an Estimator, they call me and I speak to my network and find one. Of course, there are other firms that do what we do, but the difference is that I only look after the Top 10%. The crème de la crème.

Now going back to football, and more specifically, the League of Ireland, managers, clubs and Heads of Recruitment all yearn for this kind of access. You may have heard names such as Jorge Mendes (Cristiano Ronaldo) and the late Mino Raiola (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) – the ‘Super Agents’ of the game. These guys have this access. Mendes has been widely lauded for his influence in the upward trajectory of Wolves over the years, and how he managed to move his clients to the Midlands to help build a Premier League force.

But even domestically, few people outside clubs will recognize how influential agents can be in helping create success for clubs. Imagine you were a manager of a club, and you had access to the Top 10% of Irish footballing talent. That is what I believe Dundalk had back in 2014, when they were winning everything.

Stephen Kenny used his genius to befriend an agent that had access to the best talent – Liam Carroll. This allowed him to almost get first refusal on any talent when it became available. From this, he was able to build a stable of players who would create longevity and success for the football club.

A more recent example can be seen in Tallaght, where Shamrock Rovers are utilizing one of the most successful Irish agencies today, Integrity Sports. Manager Stephen Bradley’s relationship with Integrity’s Graham Barrett is one that has allowed Rovers to access so many of the top Irish players domestically, evident by the large number of Rovers’ squad on Integrity’s books. This is a perfect example of how, when managed properly, an agent can be a huge asset to a manager or club.

In Ireland, it would be very difficult for an agent to generate major income from players that may only have a career here, with their revenue coming from cross-channel moves. But it is also a clear example of how some agents operate – some do it for financial gain, some are more inclined to do it for the personal relationships that they build. Go into any academy now and there are young kids who have ‘agents’ – though most of them probably aren’t registered under FIFA.

These guys are promising kids and their families the sun, the moon and the stars. “I’ll get you a trial here” – “Such and such is interested in you” – “You’re gonna have a huge career”. All that bollocks. Many of these agents have never seen these young lads play. Many of these agents are scrolling through Instagram looking at international underage squads and checking out who may not be signed yet. That side of things, along with the notorious issue of agent fees can make life difficult for the good ones.

But track records speak for themselves.

The art of recruitment has been significantly supported by the introduction of software such as Wyscout. For any of you unfamiliar with this, it is a scouting platform which has access to football from all over the world. It records matches, breaks them down into individual actions and provides data on players. Essentially, you can log on (Paid subscription) to Wyscout and watch thousands, if not millions, of players from all over the world.

If used properly, it can be an incredible tool. But like any piece of new shiny tech, it has its downsides and can bring out a lazy side in managers. I am nearly sure I could clip a few of my matches from back in the day to make me look like a decent prospect! Wyscout allows a manager to get a quick look at a player, then follow that up with a visit to watch him live - the latter happens less than you think.

One point to note – considering there have been a number of, let’s call them, ‘duds’, to have played in the league in recent years – you can pick your own best moments on Wyscout. So basically, you can play poorly for 89 minutes, and clip one pass that’ll catch someone’s eye. Those kinds of videos are seen more than you think!

If you’d like to know more or want to discuss this, give me a shout on X!

Non-stop drama

Well this could be a big week in the League of Ireland!

The first question is: Will Derry City FC face Stephen Kenny on Friday night?

First of all, let me say that I don't expect Stephen Kenny to take the St Pat’s job. This is not because I have some inside track on what he is thinking or going to do, but it just seems like the wrong move for Stephen right now. Now, don’t get me wrong, the League of Ireland would be much stronger with Stephen Kenny in it.

The one thing about Stehen Kenny is that he is ruthlessly ambitious and always has been, and remember he is only 52 years old. I understand the attraction from Mr Kelleher at St Pat’s - we know he has deep pockets, supposedly offering Jack Byrne €1m over four years to make the switch from Shamrock Rovers during the off-season. So, why not go after one of the most successful managers the league has ever seen?

However, I believe Stephen Kenny will have bigger aspirations with the English and Scottish seasons coming to an end. I just think that if Stephen was to take the opportunity at St Pat’s now, it would all but end any hope of getting a role in a top European league. 

Still, imagine the headlines if it all went through… And what a game to make his return - home to his old employers and club where he is revered, Derry City. I am sure if Kenny is unveiled over the next few days, RTE will be devastated they are showing Sligo Rovers vs Bohemians on Friday night. 

In other news, Dublin City Council has finally gifted Tolka Park to Shelbourne FC for the next 250 years - an incredible turnaround from the plan of Bohemians and Shelbourne ground sharing in 2016. Kudos must go to the Shels fans for pushing Dublin City Council to allow them to stay at Tolka Park, another huge step forward for Shelbourne as a club. However, it is now when the real work begins, as the club now has to redevelop one of Ireland's most iconic stadiums. (Anyone remember the 2002 FAI Cup Final? Liam Coyle and the Cup Final goal. Great memories!)

Last week proved that Shamrock Rovers are still way, way off where they were last season. The idea that they can just turn it on is ridiculous, although I have to remind myself that they are still only three points off top. It also proves that if you can put together a run of wins in this league, it can change everything completely.

Waterford winning three on the bounce has moved them into fourth. I said it last week that this season is not your typical one where the team with the best defence will win the league. This campaign will be determined by who score the most, who picks up points against the ‘lesser’ sides.

If you can score goals like Waterford (seven goals in their last two games) you will have a much better chance of winning games. The reason for me saying this is most teams in the league are struggling with this aspect of the game right now. All the games are being won or lost by the odd goal, which tends to be scored later in the game. Teams are becoming more and more content with staying tight and trying to sneak a goal late when their opposition is tiring.

It can make for interesting late viewing, but also as Galway have displayed on numerous occasions so far this season, low-scoring affairs!

The good and the bad

Michael Duffy’s performance on Friday night was as good as I have seen. The first 60 minutes in the Shamrock Rovers game at the Brandywell recently was a glimpse into what Michael Duffy is all about. On Friday night, he kicked on with a scintillating performance off the bench to win the game for Derry. The dilemma for the Derry City management team now is how do they deploy him with two huge games - away to St Pat’s on Friday and Shamrock Rovers on Monday.

On the bad side, Dundalk goalkeeper George Shelvey received a 10 match ban having been shown a red card after the final whistle of his side's 2-1 loss to Drogheda United on Monday.

From what he allegedly said, I can understand why the Independent Disciplinary Control Unit went so hard on him, although I have heard a lot worse during my time. The big positive here is how Dundalk have handled the situation. They could have easily appealed this sanction and dragged this out and dragged George through an embarrassing appeal process which would have attracted unwanted media attention. Instead, they took matters into their own hands made a decision and will work with George to help him understand he cannot use such language in our game. 

Never a dull moment!