https://www.kicker.de/manga-verhandlungen-mit-watford-924756/artikel#twfeed Looks as if we're signing Ben Manga from Eintracht Frankfurt. Quite the coup if true imo, although depends how much he'll be listened to over Mogi.
Can someone explain why this is so good? Saw the same sort of comments from Forrest fans when they hired Giraldi.
Bit strange considering we have Giaretta and Bayat essentially doing this role already. Would make sense if the talk of outside investment is true and those investors did not want Pozzo and his lackeys solely in charge of the money and where it goes. Considering how highly rated this guy supposedly is and the media response appears to be ‘WTF he’s going to Watford?’, there must be something afoot.
Eintracht Frankfurt finished 16th the season before he joined. Since then they've finished 11th, 8th, 7th, 9th, 5th, 11th and are currently 5th. According to transfermarkt over the time he's spent at Frankfurt (although impossible to say how many of these were "his" players) they've had a net spend of -€35m. So basically he's turned a relegation level Bundesliga team into a solid mid-table/challenging for Europe team, whilst turning a profit on transfers. Frankfurt currently have a valuation of €227m on transfermarkt as well. Some notable buys: Luka Jovic (bought for €22m, sold a season later for €63m) Seb Haller (bought for €7m, sold 2 seasons later for €50m) Andre Silva (bought for €3m, sold a season later for €22m) Rafael Borre (free transfer, currently valued at €20m on transfermarkt) Muani (free transfer, currently valued at €20m on transfermarkt) Ndicka (bought for €5.5m, currently valued at €32m on transfermarkt) Sow (bought for €10m, currently valued at €22m on transfermarkt) Kamada (free transfer, currently valued at €22m on transfermarkt) Lindstrom (bought for €7m, currently valued at €17m on transfermarkt)
Basically he does the Pozzo model better than Pozzo potentially ever has. I remember us heavily linked with Borre and I desperately wanted him to join. I’d like to think this is a shrewd move based on a radical changing of philosophy and thinking and would be the smartest move the owner has made in years maybe ever. But then I remember who we’re talking about.
'Hi Ben, welcome to the club. As agreed, we will give you total independence to make any signing you want... ... provided they're on this list of bang average footballers from the Belgian league.'
Well I had some champagne on ice when Gieretta was going but then he bizarrely came back (Lazarus style) perhaps I can crack out the champagne again?
I wonder if Giaretta will be moved to a different scouting role instead. Gino stuck his neck out by sticking by him so would be odd to sack him again a couple of months later. We lost an important scout to Spurs in the summer so could be a slight restructure in the scouting department
Well maybe if he is employed to clean the football boots of the U18s team then I'm game otherwise get shot.
Will be interesting to see what he can provide, as long as his is not smothered by Gino and given room to do his thing. He seems to be very highly regarded so in that respect one would hope he is given the time to make an impact. So if we are now finally re-structuring our scouting, how long till we can re-structure our ownership?
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/yoib0d/plettenberg_exclusive_frankfurts_ben_manga_will/ interesting reading the comments yesterday when it broke he was joining a club in England. Man Utd/Chelsea/Liverpool all thrown around as potential destinations, imagine a few people are surprised that he's joining Watford instead!
Maybe this is the start of a deviation from the current (mostly failing) model many of us have been crying out for? Plenty of false dawns and missed opportunities since things started going wrong, but if this guy is coming in to run the recruitment side of things and Gino is taking a hands off approach, I think that’s something to be optimistic about. Whether he’s given free reign to implement change is another matter, but if nothing else, his appointment seems to be a step in the right direction.
I do find it amusing seeing Watford Twitter raving about this guy. No doubt that, like me, the vast majority had never heard of him until today. That's not an insult to the man (I haven't heard of any sporting directors bar our own and 1 or 2 more), but it's amusing seeing the reaction nonetheless.
Never heard of him before, but seems an ambitious signing based on what others have said. Fingers crossed.
Ben Manga would be an absolutely fantastic appointment I do wonder why he would want to come here and work under Gino though.
I know people on here are cynical, but with the Udinese connection & football experience within the club, we're an attractive and fairly unique proposition I think. Also a complete free hit, doesn't work out 'ah Watford are a basket case, look at Frankfurt'. Does work out he looks like even more of a genius.
