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Is Thomas Driesen Gone? - he popped in on p16, and back out on p26
Comments
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Oh yeah, fuck him entirely. I wouldn't want anyone tied to Roland involved with the club. Just wanted to play devils advocate a little. Maybe he'll have success in a more limited role elsewhere in the future,stoneroses19 said:
Prefer him not to have anything to do with us ever again. No matter what the role.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
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That is just pure guesswork on your part.el-pietro said:FishCostaFortune said:
I think you just need to re-read that leaked email that RD sent to Powell where he mentions how his 'scouts' analysed the players and playing system and concluded that our current players were 'below average'.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
In this email RD specifically refers to the 'scout who was heavily involved in this exercise' who essentially 'knows more than Powell' and made the decisions on which players we should sell (Kermogrant), and which players we should play (Thuram obviously). I am going to assume that Scout was Driesen, and I don't think he deserves any credit for any of that.Yeah the entire system was a disaster. From the outside looking in Driesen appears to have been given too much decision making power. Thats not entirely his fault, though it does highlight his overconfidence/cockiness.That doesn't mean there weren't some interesting ideas that if implemented in a better system with more oversight by experienced football people who understand the championship and Charlton in particular couldn't have worked.
Compare recruitment since Gallen took over!2 -
Your second sentence is exactly what I'm talking about. We immediately assume every good signing ever made is down to Gallen/Bowyer/anyone not connected to RD. Signings have been better since Gallen came in, I'm not denying that, but you and I have no real idea of how much input Driesen has had in that time. We only have snippets of information. Maybe since Gallen came in he has been able to better filter Driesens recommendations, or better direct them. Of course its guesswork, I'm not in the room with them, and neither are you so you don't know that hes had no positive input anymore than I know hes had only negative input.supaclive said:
That is just pure guesswork on your part.el-pietro said:FishCostaFortune said:
I think you just need to re-read that leaked email that RD sent to Powell where he mentions how his 'scouts' analysed the players and playing system and concluded that our current players were 'below average'.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
In this email RD specifically refers to the 'scout who was heavily involved in this exercise' who essentially 'knows more than Powell' and made the decisions on which players we should sell (Kermogrant), and which players we should play (Thuram obviously). I am going to assume that Scout was Driesen, and I don't think he deserves any credit for any of that.Yeah the entire system was a disaster. From the outside looking in Driesen appears to have been given too much decision making power. Thats not entirely his fault, though it does highlight his overconfidence/cockiness.That doesn't mean there weren't some interesting ideas that if implemented in a better system with more oversight by experienced football people who understand the championship and Charlton in particular couldn't have worked.
Compare recruitment since Gallen took over!
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Um.... since Gallen came in there's been a marked improvement.el-pietro said:
Your second sentence is exactly what I'm talking about. We immediately assume every good signing ever made is down to Gallen/Bowyer/anyone not connected to RD. Signings have been better since Gallen came in, I'm not denying that, but you and I have no real idea of how much input Driesen has had in that time. We only have snippets of information. Maybe since Gallen came in he has been able to better filter Driesens recommendations, or better direct them. Of course its guesswork, I'm not in the room with them, and neither are you so you don't know that hes had no positive input anymore than I know hes had only negative input.supaclive said:
That is just pure guesswork on your part.el-pietro said:FishCostaFortune said:
I think you just need to re-read that leaked email that RD sent to Powell where he mentions how his 'scouts' analysed the players and playing system and concluded that our current players were 'below average'.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
In this email RD specifically refers to the 'scout who was heavily involved in this exercise' who essentially 'knows more than Powell' and made the decisions on which players we should sell (Kermogrant), and which players we should play (Thuram obviously). I am going to assume that Scout was Driesen, and I don't think he deserves any credit for any of that.Yeah the entire system was a disaster. From the outside looking in Driesen appears to have been given too much decision making power. Thats not entirely his fault, though it does highlight his overconfidence/cockiness.That doesn't mean there weren't some interesting ideas that if implemented in a better system with more oversight by experienced football people who understand the championship and Charlton in particular couldn't have worked.
Compare recruitment since Gallen took over!
No way on earth did Tommy D know ANYTHING about Cullen, Field, Gallacher, Leko, Bielik or any youth footballer playing in the Prem or Efl.
Do me a favour!6 -
Maybe but I doubt it. An arrogant shit who has been give min too much power and believes his own hype.el-pietro said:
Oh yeah, fuck him entirely. I wouldn't want anyone tied to Roland involved with the club. Just wanted to play devils advocate a little. Maybe he'll have success in a more limited role elsewhere in the future,stoneroses19 said:
Prefer him not to have anything to do with us ever again. No matter what the role.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.Oh, I may have previously mentioned Tony Keohane in a similar way. Love you Tone.3 -
I bet Steve Gallens happy, makes you wonder how many decent players we missed out on, I’d trust Steve Gallen all day long, as for this other fella, good riddance!6
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Apparently we came close to signing this Roy bloke, terrific write up in Dreisen's magazine, just couldn't contact the agent.
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Yes of course he’s welcome.el-pietro said:
Oh yeah, fuck him entirely. I wouldn't want anyone tied to Roland involved with the club. Just wanted to play devils advocate a little. Maybe he'll have success in a more limited role elsewhere in the future,stoneroses19 said:
Prefer him not to have anything to do with us ever again. No matter what the role.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
*Tommy* ........ Hey Tone did he want fries with his burger?1 -
I guess the Peterborough owner will take him on now although he is not 'cheap'.11
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So this footballing genius scouted Johnson, Williams, an already shot Poyet then the panic wage bill signings 4 years ago. That Colchester, Huddersfield and Hull week remains the lowest footballing point in my lengthy CAFC supporting time. KM should be doing 5 years in Holloway for that alone. Thanks for the memories Thomas (and no doubt you will be reading this given the egomaniac you are), will be intrigued to hear your side. Why not pop along to a game sometime and mix with the people you've given so much joy to during your tenure.12
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soapy_jones said:"What kind of bullshit article is this?"
As he boots his Action Man across his bedroom narrowly missing his tank of Sea Monkeys...
The image of him having a meltdown reading that has put a huge smile on my face.7 -
This 100%. That email tells you everything you need to know about Driesen assuming he was the scout of course.FishCostaFortune said:
I think you just need to re-read that leaked email that RD sent to Powell where he mentions how his 'scouts' analysed the players and playing system and concluded that our current players were 'below average'.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
In this email RD specifically refers to the 'scout who was heavily involved in this exercise' who essentially 'knows more than Powell' and made the decisions on which players we should sell (Kermogrant), and which players we should play (Thuram obviously). I am going to assume that Scout was Driesen, and I don't think he deserves any credit for any of that.
Would love for Jimmy Stone to ask this to Driesen directly on Getting To Know The Network if he was indeed that scout along with a simple yes or no answer.
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@el-pietro Vetokele is often cited as proof Driesen once signed a decent player but he was signed by Bob Peeters, having played for him at Cercle Brugge and Gent. Not a scout signing.10
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I don't necessarily agree with this. I know we all joke about Driesen's knowledge being restricted to Football Manager but if scouting was his job then he would almost certainly have an interest in football at youth level and would therefore have known about some of these young players.supaclive said:
Um.... since Gallen came in there's been a marked improvement.el-pietro said:
Your second sentence is exactly what I'm talking about. We immediately assume every good signing ever made is down to Gallen/Bowyer/anyone not connected to RD. Signings have been better since Gallen came in, I'm not denying that, but you and I have no real idea of how much input Driesen has had in that time. We only have snippets of information. Maybe since Gallen came in he has been able to better filter Driesens recommendations, or better direct them. Of course its guesswork, I'm not in the room with them, and neither are you so you don't know that hes had no positive input anymore than I know hes had only negative input.supaclive said:
That is just pure guesswork on your part.el-pietro said:FishCostaFortune said:
I think you just need to re-read that leaked email that RD sent to Powell where he mentions how his 'scouts' analysed the players and playing system and concluded that our current players were 'below average'.el-pietro said:I'm definitely interested in hearing what he has to say. Theres a tendency to blame him for all bad signings and give credit for any good signings to anyone else involved at the time. His connection to RD, as well as a general opposition by many to any statistic based analysis means he is on a hiding to nothing.Theres no doubt many of the players brought in during the early Roland years were poor, but how much of that is strictly because he chose bad players, how much of it was due to a lack of understanding of the standard of the Championship, and how much was due to restrictions on funding put in place by RD.There were definitely some decent players in his time, Igor had his difficulties with injuries but he was clearly talented. JBG is playing in the Premier League. Paddy Bauer scored one of the most important goals in recent Charlton history. I have no idea how much involvement he had in these signings or others, but potentially he could do a decent job identifying talent as part of a proper recruitment structure. He definitely shouldn't be given final say on signings, but if he had a role looking for under the radar players and passing on recommendations then that could work.I suspect hes probably due more credit than he has traditionally been given, but I also suspect he won't do himself any favours by speaking publicly cos he comes across as cocky prick who will try to give himself credit for any good signings and pass off any bad signings as someone elses fault.
In this email RD specifically refers to the 'scout who was heavily involved in this exercise' who essentially 'knows more than Powell' and made the decisions on which players we should sell (Kermogrant), and which players we should play (Thuram obviously). I am going to assume that Scout was Driesen, and I don't think he deserves any credit for any of that.Yeah the entire system was a disaster. From the outside looking in Driesen appears to have been given too much decision making power. Thats not entirely his fault, though it does highlight his overconfidence/cockiness.That doesn't mean there weren't some interesting ideas that if implemented in a better system with more oversight by experienced football people who understand the championship and Charlton in particular couldn't have worked.
Compare recruitment since Gallen took over!
No way on earth did Tommy D know ANYTHING about Cullen, Field, Gallacher, Leko, Bielik or any youth footballer playing in the Prem or Efl.
Do me a favour!
Gallagher was Chelsea's young player of the year, Leko was once nominated for the Golden Boy award and Bielik has been a strong prospect on Football manager for at least 2-3 years.
Perhaps i'm giving him too much credit though.5 -
I recall every Saturday morning waiting for Roy of the Rovers to be delivered. Best comic ever and what a great feeling when it arrived! My favourite was Billy's boots but they were all fantastic.Raith_C_Chattonell said:Apparently we came close to signing this Roy bloke, terrific write up in Dreisen's magazine, just couldn't contact the agent.7 -
26p! Those were the days. Also remember reading Billy the fish in Viz when i got olderMuttleyCAFC said:
I recall every Saturday morning waiting for Roy of the Rovers to be delivered. Best comic ever and what a great feeling when it arrived! My favourite was Billy's boots but they were all fantastic.Raith_C_Chattonell said:Apparently we came close to signing this Roy bloke, terrific write up in Dreisen's magazine, just couldn't contact the agent.1 -
I’ve long felt the abuse and hate towards Tommy boy has been OTT. I’m not convinced how involved he was right at the beginning with the opening disasters, and equally I’m fairly sure he has had a positive influence in the excellent recruitment of the last two years.
The situation of Gallen & co having to filter their recommendations through him wasn’t ideal, but then again, it might not have been such a bad thing having an approval phase as independent and outside the inner camp. As said, it’s a process no one can argue from the outside hasn’t worked over the last two years.
Im glad for everyone he’s gone though.3 -
@Chris_from_Sidcup the following.....
Gallagher was Chelsea's young player of the year, Leko was once nominated for the Golden Boy award and Bielik has been a strong prospect on Football manager for at least 2-3 years.
Sums my thoughts up entirely!!!0 -
Ha ha the Bielik bit was tongue in cheek!supaclive said:@Chris_from_Sidcup the following.....
Gallagher was Chelsea's young player of the year, Leko was once nominated for the Golden Boy award and Bielik has been a strong prospect on Football manager for at least 2-3 years.
Sums my thoughts up entirely!!!0 -
Not a patch on Readers wivesorpingtonRED said:
26p! Those were the days. Also remember reading Billy the fish in Viz when i got olderMuttleyCAFC said:
I recall every Saturday morning waiting for Roy of the Rovers to be delivered. Best comic ever and what a great feeling when it arrived! My favourite was Billy's boots but they were all fantastic.Raith_C_Chattonell said:Apparently we came close to signing this Roy bloke, terrific write up in Dreisen's magazine, just couldn't contact the agent.4 -
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As I mentioned previously in this thread, the leaked emails here: https://gettingtoknowthenetwork.com/the-emails/, clearly show that Roland and thus player recruitment were heavily influenced by a scout who was 'heavily involved in analysing players and the playing system'.AFKABartram said:I’ve long felt the abuse and hate towards Tommy boy has been OTT. I’m not convinced how involved he was right at the beginning with the opening disasters, and equally I’m fairly sure he has had a positive influence in the excellent recruitment of the last two years.
The situation of Gallen & co having to filter their recommendations through him wasn’t ideal, but then again, it might not have been such a bad thing having an approval phase as independent and outside the inner camp. As said, it’s a process no one can argue from the outside hasn’t worked over the last two years.
Im glad for everyone he’s gone though.
It seems clear to me that this scout is Driesen, and was the one who choose which players we released and which players we brought in at the beginning of Roland's ownership. Player recruitment at this juncture was at its complete worse, and is what caused the opening disasters we experienced.
I am of course basing this on what I have seen and read, and maybe there was actually someone else whose name I have not heard who had Roland's ear instead, and Driesen was just a small cog in that machine.
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AFKABartram said:I’ve long felt the abuse and hate towards Tommy boy has been OTT. I’m not convinced how involved he was right at the beginning with the opening disasters, and equally I’m fairly sure he has had a positive influence in the excellent recruitment of the last two years.
The situation of Gallen & co having to filter their recommendations through him wasn’t ideal, but then again, it might not have been such a bad thing having an approval phase as independent and outside the inner camp. As said, it’s a process no one can argue from the outside hasn’t worked over the last two years.
Im glad for everyone he’s gone though.I think the concept of having an extra phase in approval is a good one. With Driesen though it's not the what, it's the who. If Driesen was Roland's mate who he liked, but also a very experienced scout with a football background then I don't think there would be much personally directed hate at all. The reality is though, Roland trusted recruitment, the single most important part of running at football team, to some kid who reckoned he had a magic spreadsheet. That's the galling thing and that will never be fixable. We went from having a recruitment system under Powell where the player and the person were evaluated and signed to fit in with our playing style and ethos (I still remember Powell saying a character like Marlon King wouldn't get anywhere near his club regardless of form), to a system where some numbers were run against no practical reality so we had 'the best right back in Hungary' brought in who they claimed was statistically better than Chris Solly and arsebags like Reza who didn't want to be there and watched uninterested as we got relegated. Add to that the fact that Driesen from his Twitter account doesn't exactly hold himself up to be a person who inspires you with any confidence and I think he gets pretty much what he deserves. He and Katrien are the same in terms of their appointments; no experience in the area, just cheap young loyalists that Roland could chuck in to do the work and take the flak. Which, if you want to run your business into the ground like that fine, but not when it's a community-based football club, that does not fly, and I think once the sheer magnitude of how out of their depth they were became clear people like her and Driesen should have bailed, but they both have that shitty arrogant streak that makes them believe it's the thousands of fans and results that are wrong, not them.I'm still really interested to hear what he has to say on the podcast, and fair play to him for agreeing to do it, but I suspect what we'll hear is a version of 'I'm great, statistics are good, I knew about Naby Keita before his mum did, the only bad player I ever signed was El-Hadji Ba, it's not my fault your coaches don't know how to use my players, Charlton fans are really mean'. It won't touch the reality though.
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kentaddick said:He’s said to jimmy stone that he’ll appear on the final episode of “getting to know the network”. Claims he has “evidence of all the things people have lied about”.
Aren't we still waiting for Poyet's version of the truth?4 -
Not forgetting the arrogance of the lad when he offered his services to the Peterborough owner on Twitter, I’d have loved to be in the room when he was introduced to Barry Fry. 😂7
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Just a reminder of how much damage Mr Driesen has inflicted on our beloved club (from a News shopper article dated 2nd September 2016). I don't think this is even half the story tbh.
Thomas Driesen has been revealed as the network scout for Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet.
Driesen has recruited players for three of Duchatelet’s five clubs Charlton, Ujpest and Sint-Truiden.
The article on the young scout appeared in Belgian outlet Sport Magazine, and in a translated copy sent to News Shopper, we can reveal the details of his work in SE7.
Driesen started scouting for Charlton when Duchatelet bought the club in January 2014.
He bases his recruitment of players on statistics and video analysis, something which annoyed successive managers and long-serving chief scout Phil Chapple, who eventually left to go to Fulham.
After Duchatelet’s first transfer window at the club, established first-teamers such as Yann Kermorgant and Dale Stephens were sold, and replaced with players from the Belgian tycoon’s network clubs.
Loic Nego was signed on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Ujpest and played just once for the Addicks, while Anil Koc was brought in on-loan from Standard Liege and failed to feature.
Sport claims Driesen’s computer-based stats show a preference towards futsal players, rather than footballers.
It also says that in the early days of Duchatelet’s reign at Standard Liege, Driesen used his algorithm to explain why his “idol” Mario Balotelli had never missed a penalty.
Back in March, former Charlton head coach Guy Luzon told News Shopper Driesen always had the final say on transfers.
He said: “I was not the one who chose how to do the recruitment – the last say was from the network scout, not from me.
“The transfers were done through the scout in Belgium and he was the person who had the last say about players at Charlton.
“I would give him my opinion on a certain player but the last say was from the network scout.”
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Apologies to Driesen supporters, but my son would seriously have done a better job.10
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Is there a single ‘Driesen supporter’?4
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That girl that blogs always seemed to back him and compliment him.AFKABartram said:Is there a single ‘Driesen supporter’?0 -
Driesen was a very convenient figure of fun. The secrecy about his role, his youthful eccentricity and the (over?)sensitive way he managed his twitter account all made him a very easy target for cheap jokes and a godsend for propaganda against the regime. He wasn't quite up there with Meire as the ultimate target, but he was on a par with the sofa, the laundry van and the duck-taped shoes as a subject of ridicule.AFKABartram said:I’ve long felt the abuse and hate towards Tommy boy has been OTT. I’m not convinced how involved he was right at the beginning with the opening disasters, and equally I’m fairly sure he has had a positive influence in the excellent recruitment of the last two years.
The situation of Gallen & co having to filter their recommendations through him wasn’t ideal, but then again, it might not have been such a bad thing having an approval phase as independent and outside the inner camp. As said, it’s a process no one can argue from the outside hasn’t worked over the last two years.
Im glad for everyone he’s gone though.
Was it fair on him? Probably not. Do I care one jot? Absolutely not. It may seem different for someone who continued to watch the football and even enjoyed it in latter years. But as someone who stopped attending, the regime was the reason behind a very unwanted change in lifestyle. He was a part of that regime. It may not have been what he wanted, but he was a part of the reason why I, and my boys, didn't attend The Valley. He had it coming. Both barrels.
Had our lives been swapped somehow, I'd have probably taken the Charlton job just as he did. Who wouldn't? But that doesn't mean that others have to accept his role in our club. I don't wish him any harm and I would be genuinely interested to hear his side of the story, but I won't be forgetting what he was a part of, in any great hurry. To me, he will always be a spotty twerp sitting in his bedroom meddling with our squad, and if a cheap joke at his expense springs to mind I'd still rather share it than stifle it.12
