Nobody knows the specifications of a Derek Adams team better than Ross County’s new head of recruitment Greg Strong.
Adams’ first move of the January transfer window was to bring in Strong to head up his scouting operation.
Former defender Strong was a team-mate of Adams at both Motherwell and Livingston.
In recent years their working relationship has strengthened even further as Strong headed up Adams’ recruitment department at Plymouth Argyle and Morecambe.
As he begins his third spell working as Adams’ recruitment chief, Englishman Strong insists he is well versed on what the Staggies boss is looking for in his side.
Ross County Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Greg Strong as our new Head of Recruitment.
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— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) January 1, 2024
Strong said: “I first started working with Derek about seven years ago at Plymouth Argyle.
“It was easier the second time at Morecambe, because then I knew what a Derek Adams team looks like, and what he wanted from players.
“We came up with a player profile in each position, and what’s important is what he sees, not what I see.
“My job is to match up players who fit his profile for those positions. If you look at the teams we have built, there are a lot of similarities physically and athletically.
“It’s difficult to get all of the things we want, but we get as close to them as we can.”
Mellon an example of what can be unearthed from loan market
Strong made the switch from Morecambe on January 1, following in the footsteps of Adams who made the same move just over a month previously.
During his time at the Shrimps, who are in English League Two, the bulk of the Shrimps’ recruitment came through the free transfer or loan market.
Among Morecambe’s biggest success stories from recent times is striker Michael Mellon, who has returned to Burnley after netting 15 goals in 27 games during his loan spell.
The Staggies have been credited with an interest in Mellon, who broke into the Scotland under-21 squad last year, although they face competition from Premiership rivals Dundee along with a host of English sides.
Strong insists the financial constraints he worked under at Mazuma Stadium have made him accustomed to casting his net far and wide to find suitable players.
Looking outside the box can pay off for Staggies
He added: “I went into Morecambe and because of the way the club was and their finances, we had to look outside the box to get the profile of player we wanted.
“A lot of times there is a trade off. If you want these attributes, you can have them and it will either cost you a lot of money – which we couldn’t do – or you have to be the team to take a chance on a young loan player.
“We did that for two years, and we’ve had some really good success with players.
“Michael Mellon was one this year – a 20-year-old centre forward who’s on 15 goals. I think every club in Britain wants him at this moment in time, but we took him in over the summer and gave him a platform to show what he could do.
“Last year’s loan players have all gone on to play at a higher level, and this year I think all five of the players we brought in have been recalled to let them play at a higher level.
“We’ve had to look outside the box while still trying to stick to our principles of what we want the team, and our players, to look like.”
Strong leaning on own experience of Scottish football
While working as Plymouth’s chief scout, Strong’s recruitment helped Adams to lead the Devon club into English League One via the play-offs.
Bolton-born Strong also had a spell with Salford City, coinciding with the club winning promotion to the English football league and going on to win the EFL Trophy.
While Strong will be casting his eye over the English market, he insists he will lean on his own playing experience in Scotland when making his pitch to potential new signings.
The 48-year-old added: “Every job you go into has some sort of gain and some sort of loss in some ways.
“It’s up to us to use the positives that we’ve got in our favour to help us get these players.
“In terms of the league, having a big platform is huge for us.
“With my Morecambe hat on, I would tell players they will get exposure, play games regularly, and we can help them get to the next level.
“At Ross County, we can do all of that – but you can do it in front of 60,000 people instead of 3,000 or 4,000 people. I think we’ll have a better chance of getting them.
“It is a huge platform for players to come to. Younger ones and experienced ones all want to come and play in a top league and pit their wits against really top opposition, which is what I think all players want to do.
“I had a meeting with a player and his agent, and it does help when you can revisit your own career.
“Going into games against Rangers and Celtic, those are the ones you don’t forget.
“Telling that to a younger player, or even an experienced player, there aren’t many places where you can go and sample that, so we need to use that.”
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