How recruitment at Sunderland actually works - and what Michael Beale's role will be in crucial January window

Sunderland are stepping up their search for January recruits - so how does the recruitment process at the club actually work? And what will the new head coach Michael Beale's role in the process actually be?

Here we run you through the process from its very initial stages right through to the moment a player is signed...

The background phase

One of the key areas of investment since the arrival of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has been in the data analysis and recruitment team at the Academy of Light, which has been rebuilt from an almost non-existent entity under the previous regime.

All of these teams and staff are ultimately overseen by Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman, but the recruitment team reports initially into Harvey. Fundamentally, the aim of the recruitment operation is to identify talented young players who could potentially thrive within the profiles that have been specifically designed for each position in the Sunderland XI.

Data forms a vital part of this initial phase, streamlining the process and also in broadening Sunderland's scope, potentially allowing them to identify players from undervalued markets and divisions that they might not be able to track with more traditional scouting methods.

This work goes on both through and in between transfer windows, allowing Sunderland to have an extensive database of players who could potentially be valuable acquisitions, from which the hierarchy can then select according to the needs of each specific window. This process also moves the other way, with Sunderland constantly evaluating how the team and the individuals within it are performing when compared against the very top level in the division.

Building the bigger picture 

Sunderland are not driven entirely by data and do scout traditionally, watching players who could be of potential interest in person. The data points the Black Cats in the right direction, from which they then undergo more extensive research.

Harvey in particular does a huge amount of travelling to scout potential targets, and has been travelling all over the world in recent months ahead of the January window. Being on the ground can also allow for some really important work to be done in building contacts and bridges ahead of a future move. In some cases, going to watch a player who has been flagged up as a possible target can then lead to you spotting another player of interest.The process then works the other way round, with the data and analysis happening second to see if Harvey or another scouts eye test aligns with the club's goals.

A significant part of this phase is also doing extensive background work to learn about the player off the pitch, their background and what their personality is like. Determining how a player would fit into the group on Wearside and how the dynamic of the squad might be impacted is an important part of the process. Interestingly, former head coach Tony Mowbray said earlier this season that this background work was beginning to expand in scope, with Sunderland now aware that a potentially significant sale to the Premier League in the next few windows could allow them in turn to target a more expensive and better calibre of player. That is what this background work is all about: to establish a large pool of talented players from which specific targets can then be drawn for the specific window ahead.

Preparing for the window

All of that work then begins to allow Sunderland to narrow their focus as a window approaches. Throughout the season the recruitment team and coaching staff meet for player audits, in which they discuss the progress of the squad. This might flag up some areas where future strengthening might be needed, or it might simply involve discussing what an individual player in the squad needs to make a bigger impact. 

Close to the window, these meetings will focus specifically on transfer strategy. Part of that will be based on the obvious short-term needs of the squad, and the positions in which the head coach's options are currently light. Part of it will also be based on the possible longer-term needs of the squad, identifying positions where it might be wise to recruit a player who can bed into the group over time and emerge as a successor to a player who could, for whatever reason, be moving on in the future. This could be a loanee or a player attracting significant interest from elsewhere. The club will also be considering whether any of the young players in the academy might be ready to step into one of the positions being discussed.

This is the stage at which the head coach is normally beginning to have a relatively significant input, though Michael Beale’s arrival midway December means much of the background planning for this window has been done without him. He has now had a chance to offer some thoughts on how he would like to tweak the squad, however, and that will be factored into the targets that Sunderland now go and pursue.

Select and engage

Where Beale will now become part of the process in a more major way is the final phase, in which the hierarchy will decide to move on a player. The decision will be a collaborative one, with a profile and extensive background presented to the head coach on a target. Again, the process has had to be streamlined for this window as usually, coaching staff are sent clips and extensive research that has been done by the recruitment team on possible targets to assess and offer their own feedback.

This window may be slightly different as Beale may also have come into the job with his own intel and with some possible recruitment opportunities of his own, which he will then put to the club and allow the recruitment team to then get to work on their own backgrounding ahead of a potential move. Head coach recommendations can lead to a move, but only if the player meets the club’s strict criteria.

If Beale approves of a potential club target , and the sporting director is satisfied that it is a deal that works for the club, then the wheels begin to turn on trying to strike a deal. Ultimately it's the sporting director who drives the deal and its terms, though he strictly operates within the budget that has been set by Louis-Dreyfus and the ownership. Where the head coach might be involved at this stage is in talks with the player, to outline where they'd fit into the team and what to expect if they make the move.

The process, of course, doesn't always quite operate in such a structured manner. Part of the remit for any club and recruitment team is to be able to respond quickly to the way the market can rapidly change. Players can unexpectedly become available or move within your budget parameters, perhaps because the circumstances at their current club have changed. The aim is to build a database and a level of knowledge that allows you to adapt quickly and rationally.

Striking a balance

Generally Sunderland in their current guise are working towards two goals in each window: to strengthen the team right now and to build value in the squad for the long term. That will be no different in this window - so don’t be surprised if Sunderland look to the loan market to bolster Beale’s current options but also to the permanent market to add talented youngsters whose role in the first team may be limited for a time.

In both cases, any addition will have to fall strictly into line with the club’s budget and their longer-term philosophy. Which is why though Beale will have a voice, he ultimately does not have the determining say. A player won’t be signed if he does not agree, and equally a player will not be signed purely on his say. Recruitment is collaborative, designed to ensure that the style and quality of the team is resilient regardless of who is at the helm - and that is what Beale has signed up to in his own recruitment process.