Gianfranco Zola’s signings dictated by owners

Picking up the Birmingham Mail this morning, I read with interest the words of Blues manager Gianfranco Zola. The Italian confirmed that the club are drawing up a list of potential targets to put to him. The club, not the manager.

Zola will be identifying the positions in need of strengthening, the club will be casting the net out to available players. That may partly explain the reason for Gary Rowett’s sacking.

Despite not having a bottomless pot of money to play with in transfer windows, Rowett still had total control over the players he wanted to bring in. He’d do all the leg work, find a player he wanted to sign then the board would negotiate the financial package. It was simple.

Now, with new owners pulling the strings, Zola  will have the final say from a list of targets compiled by his bosses. Has that system ever worked in football?

Do the owners possess a knowledge of the game? Are Blues’ new signings being chosen by people who have no real understanding of football? Being a successful businessman doesn’t make you a successful scout.

Seemingly, Rowett wasn’t trusted to spend the money in January. But this suggests that Zola isn’t trusted 100% either. If he was, they’d give him total control.

If the club decide to go down this route for the long haul, then perhaps bringing in a Head of Recruitment such as Frank McParland isn’t a bad idea after all. At least he knows a thing or two about football.