Dyche admits McParland is "a loss"

Clarets boss Sean Dyche admits sporting director Frank McParland's move to Rangers is "a loss".
Frank McParlandFrank McParland
Frank McParland

But he wishes the former Liverpool academy director well, as he is reunited with Mark Warburton and David Weir, who he worked with at Brentford.

Dyche says a decision will be made in time as to how McParland will be replaced, and he explained: "I was chatting this morning and I was still thinking he might be with us, I had a good chat, but his decision was pretty much made.

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"We thank him for the work he's done, he's done very well for us, I like him personally and professionally, but there was almost something in the back of my mind, he had a really good relationship with Mark Warburton, as do I, and David Weir, and what put doubt in my mind was Warbo has got off to such a strong start, and that will allow him more belief from the people who own Rangers etc, the supporters, to start building, and I thought Frankie might be part of that at some point.

"There was always that worry. He is a loss, but there's no angle to it, we wish him well.

"And it's a very big club, he's getting older and wiser, maybe could get his teeth into a big club and try to make it even bigger.

"But there was no fall out, we have great respect for him and what he's done for us."

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McParland was heavily involved in recruitment, and Dyche said: "We'll probably be looking for another member (of the recruitment team), but whether it's that title, we'll decide in time.

"There's a team anyway, but he was an important factor within that team, as regards recruitment, and was beginning to share his opinion on other areas, the academy for example, the development squad, but mainly based on aligning players.

"The team is still there, but he was a good figurehead for it.

"Highlighting targets is all of our jobs, not just one person, the football staff and recruitment staff.

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"Players come in many different ways, to you, sometimes snippets of information, the network you've got, as well as scouting, watching game after game, seeing people's form, development, seeing if they are right for your club.

"He was someone else with an opinion, involved in aligning, conversations with agents, all the things you imagine, meeting people, watching games, gathering information, but a more in depth version of what we can do as a staff because we do what we do.

"He kept me informed on who's there, what's involved, and it would be down to me to decide which one we go with."

McParland helped take striker Andre Gray to Brentford from Luton last summer for £600,000, before making a £6m switch to Turf Moor this summer, but Dyche says the move wasn't entirely down to their previous link: "There's no guarantee with that. Players you work with sometimes come to you, sometimes they don't, often its timing, finance, whatever, Andre wanted to come."

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