Wednesday cast player net wide

[I.T.I]

SHEFFIELD Wednesday’s new scouting set-up is already paying off as the club rebuild for the future.

They have been able to research potential signings more thoroughly and added to the fund of knowledge already possessed by and Chris Evans.

Assistant manager Evans plays a key role in administering the network and believes that player recruitment is a vital part of the game.

Megson was aghast about the Owls’ lack of a proper scouting system, when he took the manager’s job, and saw the creation of one as an important goal.

“Chris co-ordinates the scouts.” he said. “We have people up and down the country who are looking all the time.

“Obviously we are playing catch-up.

“Quite a few of the players we have seen are down to our knowledge of them anyway.

“There are others that we are looking at who have come on to the radar since we have got the scouting system up and running. That’s a big plus to us. We have to encourage and nurture that scouting system,

“We have to make sure we view it as a very important thing, not just a token gesture.”

Megson has given Milan Mandaric the names of six players that he would like to bring in, but the asessment of the player market is never ending.

The manager has also identified to the chairman the players who, in his opinion, would be better off by moving to other clubs.

Megson has yet to disclose whether or not he will try to keep any of the principal loan players, Rob Jones. Danny Batth and Neil Mellor.

Joey O’Brien, troubled recently by a groin injury, has had relatively little involvement since he was signed in March and may not be seen by Megson as a target for next sesason’s squad.

Megson sent Isaiah Osbourne back to Aston Villa early because the midfielder did not figure in his plans for the rest of this season.

Lee Nicholls was recalled by Wigan last week because one of their keepers was injured, and it coincided with Nicky Weaver’s return to fitness.

Talks with Wednesday’s own players who are running out of contract are due to begin when the season has finished.

With Wednesday having sent Bristol Rovers down with last Saturday’s 1-1 draw, Pirates chairman Nick Higgs says an announcement on the manager’s job and the retained list will be made in the next fortnight.

Caretaker boss Stuart Campbell has said that he wants to stay in charge.

Higgs said: “There will have to be major changes as some of the recruitment over the last two years has not met the necessary standards.”