One of the main points about having a director of football or sporting director is that it ensures a degree of continuity when it comes to the balance of the squad, changing managers shouldn’t see a total swing from one philosophy to the next.
Ross Wilson’s last two transfer windows in particular have come in for some heavy criticism, key players from the summer have not been able to make the impact expected – partially due to bad luck – with Giovanni van Bronckhorst having to go back to players who have been at the club for a few years.
A new manager will have a say in new signings with our recruitment already likely to have a potential list of targets and, if they have been paying attention to the first half of this season and the World Cup, one of them should be Aissa Laidouni.
Yeah very good, he’s available on a Bosman in January. He was in my summer target’s project; the graphic below is from that. pic.twitter.com/DO8ojwdYZk
— Patrick Caskie (@patrickcaskie) November 22, 2022
The Ferencvaros midfielder is out of contract at the end of this season and was impressive as he drove his side to a creditable draw with Denmark in Tunisia’s opening game – an early challenge on Christian Eriksen getting his and the fans’ blood pumping.
Laidounni, as Patrick Caskie’s graphic shows, is capable of contributing at both ends of the park and his display against quality opposition highlighted everything that is good about his game. The 25-year old regularly turned defence into attack with decisive passing rather than just taking the safe option and he provided an energy and aggression that has sometimes been missing from our play this season.
If he isn’t already, he should be pretty high up Wilson’s list when the January window opens.