Sporting Directors: Copycat Phenomenon or Professional Strategy?

Sporting Directors:?Copycat Phenomenon or Professional Strategy?

In 2005, 33-year-old Frenchman Damian Comolli was announced as Tottenham Hotspur's Sporting Director, a role which had previously only existed in clubs outside the UK.?This surprised many in British football, who did not grasp what this ‘European role’ comprised and therefore saw no need for it. ?Fast-forward 20 years, and throughout English Football (particularly within the EFL) there appears to be a virtual arms race to appoint a sporting executive lead, or Technical/Sporting Director (TSD). ?

Since the Premier League launched in 1992, 64 clubs have fallen into administration due to mismanagement of prized community assets.?Most recently, there were significant fears over Derby County, which reportedly at one point owed ￡56m in outstanding tax, and loans.?Cause for optimism can be seen in the common-sense thinking of certain clubs, which, driven by a new business model, retain the core principle of the club as a community asset. ?By professionalising, clubs have become more strategic, flexible, and adaptable in an unpredictable market.?A central pillar of this change is the introduction of TSDs focused on the football side of the business. ?This has enabled the non-football side to focus on creating new and diversified income streams, thereby allowing the club to become less reliant on fluctuating football market revenues and thus more sustainable.?However, issues have arisen with regard to the aforementioned central pillar, as clubs appear, without a clear underlying rationale for recruiting a TSD, to be simply copycatting other clubs’ hiring practices.?This risks incurring costs and creating legacy issues, among other undesirable outcomes. ?

The tenure of recent TSD appointments raises concerns.?If the ambition to create and implement a TSD role is related to a club’s mid-to-long term goals, it is hard to see how the success of these new appointments can be assessed in such short time periods.?The creation of the TSD role arises from an apparent determination to appear modern and forward-thinking, but how clearly is this role envisioned and to what extent do participating clubs and personnel at all levels buy into it??It could be suggested that unclear remits, ego and ambivalence have led to an undermining of the role’s purpose.?Ambiguous, overlapping, or conflicting areas of responsibility associated with the role and its longevity, when viewed alongside that of the Manager/Head Coach (HC), contribute to the problem.?

In all industries, no employee is un-sackable, but what are the financial implications and potential internal damage caused by 'wrong' hires and their rapid firing and replacement? ?Fan-based pressure and unrealistic expectations of a team’s instant success all too often lead to a finger-pointing, knee-jerk reaction.?Undesirable outcomes include exorbitant financial costs, adverse publicity and disquiet regarding management.?A professional approach requires accountability in all areas: ?the cornerstone of a successful enterprise.??What is behind the haste to hire, under-develop and too-rapidly sack as a response to apparent failure??If it is indeed “failure”, whose failure is it??

If senior management of the club (board level/ownership) do not fully understand what they truly require, and are not employing evidence-based recruiting practices, how can they expect to recruit successful TSDs, who are themselves expected to advance the club’s goals??Few appointees have all the skills required from the start to fulfil this vitally important role.?Most require additional time and support to fully understand the requirements – the KPIs - in each football area they are responsible for. ?What is a reasonable time period in which to evaluate an appointee’s effectiveness, aligned with the club’s vision and strategy, in a TSD role? ?Three larger questions must be addressed.

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What is the rationale for the appointment of TSDs?

Since their inception, UK clubs have been viewed as the individual identities of local working-class communities, which essentially were owned and run as small organisations by successful local businesspeople, often as a part-time commitment. ?Off the pitch a standard formula existed. ?On appointment, a new manager would effectively take charge of the entire club and would be joined by a regular team of staff, who followed the manager into each new role. ?The Chief Scout, working in tandem with the manager, was seen as pivotal, as he was effectively the eyes and ears of the manager in the recruitment of new players. ?Some have argued that the TSD is simply the Chief Scout in another guise but there is at least one essential difference: ?new players are recruited by the TSD, aligned with the manager in accordance with the club’s agreed strategy.

In continental Europe, the role has evolved in credibility and importance, helping clubs professionalise their operations and develop a holistic vision and strategy. Adopting this new position requires a new thought process, signifying a shift in the power and control dynamic under which British football has traditionally operated. ?However, ambivalence about embracing change has created a resistance to forward thinking. British football has traditionally seen itself as the ruling elite with a 'we created the game' mentality. ?Yet its working-class roots remain, as demonstrated by the term "gaffer", still in use today to refer, respectfully, to a HC.

Little has changed in this regard.?If British football were to be plotted on an innovation cycle chart, it could reasonably be characterised as a late adopter. Managers have struggled to countenance the idea of introducing TSDs, apparently regarding them as an intrusion into their position and authority. ?But this perception of leadership is changing.?

Football is evolving on and off the pitch, with technology and science being important drivers alongside an important catalyst: ?new ownership. ??A re-evaluation of professional leadership has given rise to the widespread view that so-called unicorn managers are in retreat.?This has led to an improved understanding of the value and impact of all non-playing employees (business and football) and therefore increased investment in off-pitch infrastructure. ?This supports club efforts to modernise and remain competitive in the areas of player welfare; sport and data science; stadium optimisation and other non-match day related commercial activities, adding value to all aspects of the business. ?

Currently, there is a lack of understanding about, or an apparent unwillingness to understand, how the recruitment to, and execution of, the TSD role should support all footballing departments of the club, arguably undermining the role’s intended purpose and chance of success. ?Currently, there appears to be a disconnect between individuals appointed to the role and successful outcomes. Could this be due to the skillsets and suitability of the individuals appointed to these positions??Are clubs providing the support necessary for them to develop in those areas of significant knowledge gaps? ?Unclear remits and possible disagreements about the TSD role raise obvious difficulties when appointing to and evaluating the role.?Current practice suggests that the appointment of TSDs often appears to be a simple reimagination, with a new title, of the Recruitment Lead role.?

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What should the TSD role comprise?

As another transfer is confirmed, anticipation of the release of an official image is palpable. Official photos usually present a smiling player standing by the TSD mid-handshake, wearing or holding up a home-shirt. All impressions from the image indicate a TSD solely responsible for the recruitment of the player. ?It's easy to understand why the role in recent years has been characterised almost exclusively as a scouting + recruitment role, obscuring all other football-related duties, which are arguably not seen as exciting to discuss.?After all, the fruits of off-the-pitch investment, whether academy or performance related are not always initially apparent. ?However, these duties are crucial, especially when aligned with the ROI-inclined aspirations of new ownership.

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The TSD role should exist as an intrinsic part of a long-term plan. ?It goes without saying that clubs must compete on the pitch, making optimum use of available funding, alongside sensible recruitment practice. ?But this should be supported by all the other football-related areas of the club. ?Where do we see this all-encompassing type of TSD role within British football? Dan Ashworth and Stuart Webber of Newcastle United and Norwich City respectively have both achieved great successes in their careers to date. These TSD's, both involved throughout the football-related areas of their clubs, recently sat for interviews with media outlets and discussed their role and how they believe it should be carried out for both personal and club success.

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Interviewed on Newcastle United's YouTube channel about what the TSD role is intended to achieve, Dan Ashworth identified its key function as to “connect some of the strands across the club”, listing the following as some of his responsibilities at Newcastle:?“first team [...] player loan [...] an academy perspective [...], recruitment [...] a medical point [...] The women's team”.?When discussing the confusion around various titles used to describe a TSD, he mentioned a meeting he held with 20 people in the room where “12 different titles were identified, including sport director, technical director, director of football operations, director of football [...] a raft of different titles. ?"We haven't really landed on one in this country yet, (while) in Europe people tend to get called the same name […]?People think the job of sporting director is all about recruitment […] for the men's first team ... It isn't. ?That's a big part of it, of course, but it's about all of the other things I've just mentioned”.

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Stuart Webber speaking on the Training Ground Guru podcast noted, “For me ultimately my philosophy is as a sporting director you're here to build something which will stand the test of time [...] implement a vision because the vision ultimately has to be around facilities, around youth productivity, around improving our scouting areas and all of them actually take time [...] You can't actually fast track them, unfortunately.”?

In response, the interviewer suggested that Stuart's role is “the purest form of a sporting director in the country [...] because you [...] clearly head up the football department. ?You are visible, you're a figurehead.”

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Webber responds that “it's maybe (a) glorified head of recruitment job or a glorified academy manager job [...] I think it's a job, where for me, in its purest form, a bit like on the continent, you appoint the head coach [...] alongside other people of course (who) make decisions on player recruitment, academy pathway, facility development, all of these different things [...]?If you're just signing players […] you’re (a) head of recruitment really [...] that's how the role should be […] How can you be accountable for something if you haven't got that autonomy? [...] yet often as a Sport Director you are rolled out to deal with answering questions [...] That wasn't my decision but you're having to justify it.”

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In the past few months, it was announced that a team operating within Scottish football had appointed a Director of Football "with a recruitment bias".?In what way is this appointee expected to perform differently from a Head of Recruitment?

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The catalyst of new club ownership led to the appointment last week of another Sporting Director. ?Championship side Huddersfield Town appointed the highly-regarded Mark Cartwright, former Technical Director at Stoke City and Sporting Director at the United Soccer League. ?In the Huddersfield Town website press release, new Huddersfield Town CEO Jake Edwards characterised the club's thoughts regarding their expectations of Mark's role:?"Although the Sporting Director role is a varied one, player recruitment and contract management are vital components of that".

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Ending here seemingly contradicts the previously outlined reasoning for employing a TSD lead, potentially firming up the stance that the role is a recruitment one only, with other footballing-related duties either irrelevant or of lesser concern.?“However,” the CEO continues, “Mark's skills at developing staff and creating an elite culture at the training ground will be highly important in his other responsibilities, such as ensuring we have (a) strong player pathways from the academy, and in managing other areas such as medical, sports science and analysis".

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This addition is both important and welcome because, while it acknowledges the importance of recruitment, it also recognises the prominence of additional areas for which the TSD is responsible and accountable.?It also accords closely with Ashworth and Webber’s views. ?Extrapolating from all comments, it seems clear that the TSD should work closely with the CEO and the board, on which the TSD, as a director, should sit, and whose combined aim is to develop a professional strategy, achieve its KPIs and drive the long-term vision of the club.?It is an executive leadership position supported by several individuals leading specific areas, all under one sporting umbrella. ?Depending on the club’s size and infrastructure, the role can include, but is not limited to, player and HC recruitment; academy development and pathway; sports science and medicine; data and analytics, player loans, women’s football; mental health and wellbeing. The TSD’s key contribution is to oversee, link and harness all these vital processes, applying technical knowledge to advance the club’s strategy and facilitate the achievement of its vision.?Given the vital importance of CPD in strengthening a club’s infrastructure and long-term future, the TSD should be fully engaged in safeguarding the club’s sustainability by ongoing involvement in legacy and succession planning. ??

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How is the TSD role recruited?

There appears to be a disconnect between what CEO/HC/Board say they want and what they end up getting. This indicates a lack of robustness and joined-up thinking when approaching the recruitment process.?Recent conversations with football CEO's suggest that a major reason many current TSD roles comprise solely recruitment, or are strongly recruitment-focused, is cost.?The thinking appears to be, "Why have an expensive head of recruitment and a TSD?".??Effective recruitment relies upon a clearly-articulated vision and strategy regarding the club’s aims as agreed by the owner, board, and CEO.?Only when this is in place can a TSD role and corresponding job description be developed. To what extent is the role created in a bespoke way to fit a club’s requirements??What internal needs analysis is carried out??A solid senior management structure working together to define the club’s needs has to be established so that a coherent, achievable vision can be drawn up.?Effective working relationships are required so that KPIs and role remits can be agreed at the outset. ?

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In clubs operating below the EFL Championship, where revenues and resources are significantly smaller, employee infrastructure, turnover and operating costs must be taken into account. ?Many such clubs function within an outdated cultural model.?Owned by successful business people, they frequently operate with a small number of full-time employees, supported by part-time members who are often fans of the club.?Tighter budgets, in addition to the lack of a clear vision of the TSD role, creates more pressure when recruiting a senior position. ?Clubs need to assess whether a TSD is necessary, or whether another role with a less executive remit would better meet the club’s needs. ?

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Head-hunters are increasing engaged throughout the league to support, i.e. shortlist, TSD hires in the top two English divisions. ?Their remit is to identify exciting talent within the football pyramid, who are then recruited by clubs with enhanced employee infrastructures to fulfil, and here is the problem, “expanded accountabilities and responsibilities”. ?Subsequently, some clubs opt to appoint essentially a Recruitment Lead with the title of TSD, which risks not only undermining the role but also blurring lines between this and existing roles.?Unless the aforementioned accountabilities and responsibilities are closely specified, it is unfair to delegate the hiring or short-listing task to head-hunters, who may not have real access or insight into the club’s culture and its true requirements. ?Head-hunters’ strength lies in their expertise in assessing and analysing a wide pool of talent, developing long and short lists, thereby reducing the need for clubs to use third-parties who may have conflicting interests.

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At worst, this leads to TSDs being effectively set-up for failure and “departing” from the club earlier than expected, with each subsequent replacement - or debate about replacement - further casting doubt on the value of the role.?Each “disappointment” potentially heralds the return of a unicorn leader to the club, which could be a retrograde step.?To avoid potentially hiring the wrong employee it would be astute for clubs to evolve their knowledge and understanding of what they truly require and what the role comprises before accepting candidate proposals from head-hunters in a marketplace where rarely are two TSD roles the same. ?Given that so many clubs are moving to recruit TSDs, as often noted in sites such as The Training Ground Guru, while not fully researching and analysing how such appointments fit their culture, vision and strategy, it’s reasonable to ask what underlies this choice. ?Is it triggered by copycatting the industry, without deploying due diligence, as a form of ‘insurance' cover to avoid criticism??Is it a carefully-identified need for a recruitment analyst, or academy specialist to target specific KPI's, i.e. a step towards an aligned footballing strategy? Or something else?

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For example, if an individual is replaced or removed from a TSD role whose priority focus has been Recruitment, might the appointee have fulfilled the role more successfully if, from the outset, it had been defined and titled as such? Where a position has been promoted as TSD and the appointee is deemed unsuccessful, clubs need to look at their hiring practices, accept responsibility, and conclude to the Board’s satisfaction whether the role was fit for purpose, i.e. devised and presented to head-hunters both professionally and in accordance with the club’s vision and strategy.?

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So what?

Whether or not these questions have been properly answered here, much is at stake for clubs high within the pyramid regarding the recruitment of a TSD, however the role is defined.?Having rationalised the decision, clubs need to support this growth pathway. ?What does the senior management team need to do to develop an employee into a successful TSD that would justify the position’s worth, stabilise appointees’ employment within the role and support the club’s strategy?

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• Audit their own processes so as to clearly identify the right individual and skillset required to successfully execute a TSD role and title that fits that specific need as there is no one-size-fits-all, once the decision has been rationalised.?
• Clarify how new TSDs can legitimately develop the capabilities and knowledge pertinent to executing the TSD role successfully.?Once a tighter, recruitment process is in place, a candidate’s performance can be evaluated on evidential criteria, and a development strategy refined to support the employee, upskilling any areas identified for improvement in their own skill base, and allowing them to grow into an effective c-suite operator, thereby adding true value to the role and de-risking long-term investment. ?
• Incorporate big-picture and long-term thinking, and recognise interest in their off-field assets (i.e. employees) as an endorsement of their internal development success.?This type of investor, owner, board, and CEO can identify, hire, and develop talent, without fearing the potential loss of club-developed employees to teams further up the pyramid, which is an identified concern arising from employee CPD investment. ?
• Deploy individuals’ personal growth as a mechanism for employee retention and company productivity, as this is a tool that can help retain or attract high-calibre, motivated employees. ?Valuing generational workforce changes is important to future success.?The new generation of employees, while attracted by improved salaries and club badge reputations, are increasing influenced by a desire for their own personal and skills development.

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Club owners and managers who acknowledge the bespoke nature of their requirements are carefully devising their TSD remits to fit their culture and maximise their potential value. ?Now they need to create methodical pathways that develop the TSD position, where developmental milestones are fulfilled in the individual’s career journey, adding value to both club and individual. ?

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The TSD position should not be pursued by individuals for its perceived power but as an avenue to develop the football club holistically and maximise its legacy. It’s about club and team success, not an individual’s reputation or ambition.?Where owners and/or CEO's retain a significant influence on the sporting side, this requires excellent negotiation at the recruitment stage for both sides to ascertain whether they can work in tandem to contribute positively to the club’s overall development. ?Clubs looking to move in this direction should “avoid the noise” and adhere to a carefully drawn-up long-term strategy.?

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The case has been made for a clear plan to de-risk TSD appointments such that they can be the positive, protective, and financially prudent measure well-managed clubs need them to be. ?Progress is underway, with pockets of teams working towards greater sustainability, accountability and productivity by means of focussed professionalism.?These clubs are discreetly ascending the pyramid, employing strategic thinking, and eliminating emotion from decision-making.

#tsd #sportingdirector #technicaldirector #football ?#soccer ?#leadership #strategy

Written by Joseph Donkor

Special thanks to Victoria Martin