Greens reveal ambitious new scouting plan

PAUL STURROCK has announced ambitious plans for the Pilgrims to expand their scouting network.

Argyle boss Sturrock said the club will initially look to cover the whole of the British Isles before, long-term, hoping to spread their wings as far afield as the Far East and the United States.

"We are going to be adding several scouts to our system so we can have a perusal of the whole of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland," said Sturrock.

"At this minute in time the administration of the scouting system has been taken over by one of the scouts, so games and positions are getting looked at now, as are individual players recommended to us.

"That is all being done, but what I have got to do now is bring seven different scouting areas into play.

"So, I am putting out feelers for people who would be interested in doing the jobs in those areas so we have a blanket effect over the whole lot.

"The 'admin boy' will hand out all the games the scouts are supposed to go to and when we need a player – a right-back or a centre-back – we will have the files of all the games they have been at.

"Then it will be up to me and (head coach) Paul Mariner to go to games and peruse two or three of the candidates and take it from there.

"I want to streamline everything at the club and the first thing is the scouting system."

Sturrock added: "The first thing is to get Britain done.

"Then we can start thinking about Europe, the Far East and America.

"If we want a scout for the MLS in America, we have got Paul (Mariner).

"If anything is going to come from that end, they have to have work permits and we will have to deal with the MLS.

"But if there is something there which takes our fancy, I am sure we will get something sorted come the summer or the January transfer window."

As for adding to his current staff, Sturrock said: "I am reviewing everything at this moment in time.

"The important thing for me is time-frame – I won't be rushed.

"I have several options in mind – people who are in contracts with other football clubs, people who are coaching at other clubs and people who are playing at other football clubs.

"There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before we determine anything.

"The important thing was to get kick-started with the team.

"We have pushed the team on and that was the important thing, to get that started.

"There is no point in having great ideas about coaching stuff if all of a sudden we are dead and buried.

"The important thing is to get this gap which has developed closed as quickly as possible to another five or six teams."