Expert issues Arsenal claim amid Danny Karbassiyoon transfer reveal
Some may feel that former Arsenal youngster Danny Karbassiyoon’s playing experience may actually count against him in his scouting role for the club.
That is the view of training ground expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Karbassiyoon played a handful of times for the Gunners between 2003 and 2005, but injuries forced him into early retirement just two years after he left the club.
The American then moved into the tech industry before returning to north London as a senior scout in 2016.
Karbassiyoon revealed in an interview with Arsenal’s official website last Tuesday (16 August) how his experience in both football and tech helped him design the club’s recruitment platform.
Dinnery acknowledged the considerable upsides that come with having a former player involved with talent spotting, but he also suggested that experience in the game can in some cases “tarnish” a scout’s outlook.
“There are two sides to this,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Sometimes it’s good to have someone who comes in with a completely new set of ideas, someone who isn’t driven by the nuances of the game and who thinks about things from a more practical standpoint.
“It’s good for that. But on the other side, if you have been there and done it, you have that understanding of what managers are looking for in terms of recruitment. But I don’t think it’s essential.
“You need to know your client and what they want in terms of recruitment first and foremost. As long as you have a system and methodology to identify and talent spot, that is the end goal.
“So having a former player may help in some areas, but others may see it as a little bit of a hindrance. That is why some would prefer to get someone in who hasn’t been tarnished by the game.”
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