Tam McManus tells Hearts fans to be careful what they wish for amid £10m Tony Bloom talks
Tam McManus has told Hearts fans to be careful what they wish for as Brighton owner Tony Bloom holds talks over a £10million investment.
It was revealed earlier this week that the Jambos were locked in discussions with the Seagulls chairman over a partnership that could see the Tynecastle club adopt Bloom's Starlizard sports analysis software. Brighton and Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise have successfully utilised the company to buy players before selling them on for mega profits and Bloom is keen to roll it out in Scottish football.
Kris Boyd yesterday claimed that Celtic and Rangers should be WORRIED by the potential investment that could revolutionise the Gorgie outfit's recruitment strategy and turn them into title contenders. But ex-Hibs striker McManus is sceptical and pointed to frictions between the Black Knight group and the Easter Road board after Bournemouth owner Bill Foley bought a £6m stake in the Hibees.
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He told the Daily Record: "The talk of a £10million investment in Hearts along with the use of Brighton's famous player database might have some Hibs supporters worried. But I'm not one of them. Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for.
"It all sounds too good to be true. The Jambos get a whack of money and the expertise of a guy like Tony Bloom and his swanky Starlizard data recruitment set-up. Listen, Bloom is obviously a smart guy. He's a professional gambler who made millions on the poker tables before turning his attentions to football.
"He might be a good guy to get a tip for a coupon, and this Starlizard model seems to have worked well for the likes of Brighton and Union Saint Gilloise in Belgium. I can understand why Hearts fans might be excited at the thought of him getting involved at Tynecastle. But there are still a lot more questions than answers.
"Hibs have their own Premier League investor link up with Bill Foley and the Black Knight group and we're still seeing how that all plays out. There's been friction with the rest of the club over certain issues, like the drama over the appointments of David Gray and Malky Mackay. It's not been plain sailing so far.
"Black Knight might want more say but the control remains at Easter Road. However, if Bloom was to invest big money into Hearts, you'd have to think that means he wants considerable input. Does that mean Hearts get dictated to over who they buy and who they sell?
"Does that extend to pressure being put on the manager to pick certain players? What if they do recruit a cracker and he does well, would Brighton just scoop him up for less than the market value?
There's a lot of what ifs. And a lot of the Starlizard play is pure data led. That seems to be the way the game is going right now, it's the Moneyball method and sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't though. I've heard Brighton got rid of Billy Gilmour based on his stats. I still think the best data you can get is with your own eyes."