idle speculation from sacked scout strong

Plymouth Argyle top scorer Freddie Ladapo is being watched by Championship clubs and is worth a lot of money.

That is the view of Greg Strong, the talent spotter who was the Pilgrims’ chief scout until recently.

Ladapo, 25, signed for Argyle as a free agent in the summer after a short and unsuccessful spell at Southend United.

He has gone on to score 12 goals in all competitions for his new club, and was named the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month for October.

Strong left his role with the Pilgrims to become of head of scouting at ambitious National League club Salford City in his native north-west of England.

He made his comment about the interest in Ladapo in an exchange with an Argyle fan on social media site Twitter.

Strong initially tweeted: “So two weeks in and 14 games watched in my role @SalfordCityFC as Head of Scouting and it’s certainly been a busy start.

“I am looking forward to working alongside some really ambitious people on a very exciting project.”

That led to a post from Argyle fan PilgrimPetey, who said: “Any chance you can take some of the donkeys in defence you lumbered us with this season Greg?!”

Strong replied: “Play offs first season, automatic promotion second year, 7 place finish in League One third year, spending a grand total of £15k.

“No mention of that Pete?? Easy to criticise and harder to praise. I wish the club nothing but good luck.”

Pilgrim Petey responded with: I’m talking about the players this season Greg.

Strong came back with: “Negatives again Pete. A striker picked up on a free who is now being watched by Championship clubs and worth a lot of money?

“Ignore the positives and carry on with your negatives. Good luck.”

The exchange ended with Pilgrim Petey tweeting: “Greg I’m not disputing the success you’ve had in bringing players in the last three seasons.

“I think you’ve done great but this season the defenders that have come to the club have been awful. Injury prone and just not very good I’m afraid.”

Strong was a team-mate of Argyle manager Derek Adams at Motherwell during their playing days.

When Adams became the Pilgrims’ boss in June 2015, he appointed Strong as his chief scout.

Lapado, Lameiras, Carey all gone in January

"Strong replied: “Play offs first season, automatic promotion second year, 7 place finish in League One third year, spending a grand total of £15k."

Freathy wrote:

Lapado, Lameiras, Carey all gone in January

He's hardly going to say he told PAFC to sign a load of donkeys is he?

Ladapo may be being watched by a number of clubs, but that doesn't mean they're going to offer half a million for him.

Bottom six championship clubs may be watching Ladapo with a view to getting in a cheap CF who knows  League 1 if they get relegated.

Taylor was the star player last season, now he can't get a game.

It would be more telling if Strong was telling his new employers to sign some of the players he "discovered" for PAFC.

But the truth is that there isn't any quality players at Home Park


Edited to add. £15k ? If I was Strong I'd be denying that a fee was paid for any of the current squad.

Not that it means feck all but a mate up Berkshire way reckons Reading are sniffing around Ladapo.

Heh... Berks

The likes of struggling Reading probably are sniffing around Freddie, he is fair game given he is at a club with no long term planning or ambition, I hope he has an agent
that gives him a good deal with a club with a plan because
It certainly aint austerity Argo.

After a parting of the ways, there will always be this sort of talk. The acquisition of players is ultimately the responsibility of the "director of football", and he, in turn, relies on the budget he is given. I believe Adams sacked this guy to take the heat off himself, as clearly these defenders are appalling. How loyal is that ? Dog eat dog up at FES park. Funny how the hopeless Wootton has been "injured" for soooo long. Why can't all these people be at least somewhat honest.

It all makes sense now!

The talent spotter moves to a Club with strong links with a certain North West club. Said club has enjoyed many years of success with Scottish management but are struggling and just been given a tough European draw. So they need a Manager and also need to sign non Champions League Cup tied players.

Derrick to replace Jose

Ladapo to replace Sanchez and Sarevic to replace Progba, who will join PAFC as a makeweight and become "the new Frio"

You heard it here first!


You may laugh, but I can remember my mate laughing when I told him Argyle had a better CF than Stuart Pearson

There was something stupid on sky earlier re manure they have 65 scouts no wonder things are a mess up there, even more if they tap into the Salford project

Jethro wrote:

There was something stupid on sky earlier re manure they have 65 scouts no wonder things are a mess up there, even more if they tap into the Salford project

65 Scouts? They must make more on Bob-a-job week than the rest of the season!

I thought Strong might have left of his own accord. Salford are a club obviously going places. Argyle, by almost all measures, are heading in the wrong direction. As a scout, I would bet he's got a higher budget to work with there, and he's already got a decent knowledge of League 2 standard players.

Mock Cuncher wrote:

I thought Strong might have left of his own accord. Salford are a club obviously going places. Argyle, by almost all measures, are heading in the wrong direction. As a scout, I would bet he's got a higher budget to work with there, and he's already got a decent knowledge of League 2 standard players. ere the club record fee over the last seven Brentmare years is fifteen grand

Totaly agree with that Mocko, Strong, left little argo for the more ambitious non league Salford...... the Brentmare goes on.

So Strong confirms a total transfer fee spend of £15k during "Play Offs Promotion & a 7th place finish" plus 2 Cup ties against Liverpool.

Which leaves us bewildered fans asking the question again

WHERE's ALL THE MONEY GONE?

At a guess tucked away nicely in jimmys account in the Cayman Islands
Anyway let’s not be greedy now we did get a new fence & a sexy new water tank at Harper’s park for that 1.5million hahaha!!

We can't compete with the likes of Salford.... He wants to be nearer his family in Romford...lets get Luggy back in so can sign some wee gems.... Who cares If it wasn't for James Brent we wouldn't even have a club ...