Headline: Burton Albion’s Gary Bowyer Expresses Frustration Over Limited Transfer Involvement
Burton Albion head coach Gary Bowyer has voiced his concerns regarding his restricted influence on summer transfers, revealing he has had no direct communication with the club’s head of player recruitment and insight, Harrison Modeste.
The League One club has so far only brought in five new players during the transfer window, while 19 departed following their recent relegation escape last season. Bowyer lamented the difficulties of working with a squad of under 20 players, noting that only about “12 or 13” have been fit and available for training as they prepare for their League One season opener against Stevenage this Saturday.
In a bid to strengthen the squad before the weekend, the team successfully secured the signing of midfielder Will Collar on a season-long loan from MK Dons on Friday. Bowyer underscored the urgency for reinforcements, stating, “We need help, it’s easy to see that,” during an interview with BBC Radio Derby. He explained the need for more players clearly: “We are trying to get bodies in, it’s as simple as that.”
Bowyer recognized the commitment of the squad so far this training week, remarking, “The group we have got has been a pleasure working with. A couple of weeks ago they felt sorry for themselves a little bit because there were so few of them, but they have turned it around in terms of their attitude.”
Despite Bowyer’s efforts to improve the squad, he noted that this summer’s transfer decisions were not as flexible as in the past. He indicated that he communicates his needs and concerns to the club’s sporting director Richard Dorman but feels his influence in transfer negotiations has diminished significantly compared to the previous season.
“My link is going to Richard, that’s it,” Bowyer remarked. “I can only tell the truth and tell them my side of it and what we need.” He acknowledged the evolving nature of the game’s recruitment strategies, asserting that head coaches, who work closely with the players, feel the impact of these decisions more acutely than others.
Bowyer outlined that the club’s ownership, the Nordic Football Group, has returned to a data-driven model for recruitment, reminiscent of their initial strategy when they took over at Pirelli Stadium. This approach previously facilitated a major recruitment effort, which included 23 player signings in the summer of 2024 and ultimately led to Bowyer’s appointment to a relegation rescue mission.
“This summer they wanted to revert back to the data model,” Bowyer said, adding that while he acknowledges the value of data, it should be a guiding factor rather than a definitive one. He emphasized the importance of character in players, stating, “There is no data to measure character and character is so important to me.” Bowyer concluded by noting that the club’s decision to pursue this new recruitment process leaves him with little choice but to adapt.
Burton Albion head coach Gary Bowyer says he has had a limited say on summer transfers and has had no direct contact with the club’s head of player recruitment and insight, Harrison Modeste.
The League One side have signed just five players during the transfer window so far, when 19 left after their latest relegation escape last season.
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Bowyer bemoaned that with a squad of fewer than 20, he has had only “12 or 13” who have been fit and able to train ahead of Saturday’s League One season opener against Stevenage.
Bowyer hoped they could “pull something out of the bag” before the weekend and on Friday they managed to sign midfielder Will Collar on a season-long loan from MK Dons.
“We need help, it’s easy to see that,” Bowyer told BBC Radio Derby.
“We are trying to get bodies in, it’s as simple as that – we need bodies. We have trained with 12 or 13 this week.
“The group we have got has been a pleasure working with. A couple of weeks ago they felt sorry for themselves a little bit because there were so few of them, but they have turned it around in terms of their attitude and we have worked very tightly with them and they have become very tight as a group.”
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‘I’m no data dinosaur ‘
What Bowyer has been able to do to bolster the team, however, has been limited this summer when compared to what he could do in the past.
Bowyer said he has pleaded for transfers through Burton’s sporting director Richard Dorman.
“My link is going to Richard, that’s it,” Bowyer said. “I go to Richard and express my view and it’s fair to say my influence last season in the transfer window was greater than it is this season.
“But I can only tell the truth and tell them my side of it and what we need. And it’s the way the game is going in that sense.
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“But the people that really feel it is the mangers, the head coaches because we are involved with the group day-to-day, minute-to-minute – we live it, we are on the touchline.
“I understand the format and structure, but you will never convince me that nobody cares, or feels it more than that head coach and the coaches.”
The 55-year-old said the Nordic Football Group that owns the club have instead gone back to the data-driven model of recruitment that they initially set up when they took over at the Pirelli Stadium.
It was a model that triggered a British-record recruitment drive that saw 23 players arrive in the summer of 2024, and which, after a disastrous start to that season, eventually led to the arrival of Bowyer to lead a relegation rescue mission.
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“This summer they wanted to revert back to the data model,” Bowyer said. “I’m not a dinosaur to say that you should ignore the data, but the data is there to guide and not to decide totally because you are dealing with humans and you still have the human touch, that character as far as I’m aware.
“There is no data to measure character and character is so important to me. The club made a decision to go down a different process of recruiting and I have no choice, I either work with it or I don’t.”
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