New Signing

[Sparky]

Left back Dave Buchanan signs a 1 year deal

Not one to get the heart racing but nice we're signing someone with plenty of experience.

Played a lot of games with Bury and they wanted to keep him after 5 yrs but he left. Sounds like good competition for Zoom anyway.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Cool. Hope this doesn't mean Zoum plays LW though.

Also, signed from the same team as Akins...

 

[bigmart]

apparently can play left midfield as well

 

[Ian]

Well, it's a signing at least! Does this mean we don't need Raven now?

 

[bigmart]

i would think les will still try to sign raven as he can cover for centre half.

i see lucas has finally signed, well worth the wait im sure !!!

 

[WildRover]

so who is this championship player rumoured to be?

 

[bigmart]

ive heard mike grella from leeds

 

[SonkORLY?]

i would think les will still try to sign raven as he can cover for centre half.

i see lucas has finally signed, well worth the wait im sure !!!

Would seem quite indulgent. We have Goodi, Mark Mac, Taylor, Zoum, Buchanan, Kay now, plus the option of emergency loan deals and such.

 

[roverstillidie]

I'm embarrased by Akins' continued presence at Tranmere next season.

 

[Mal]

Mmmmmmm he's just scored. Maybe he needs to be in a team that provides chances. You can hardly expect one individual to score freely when the team is so defensive, as we were for most of last season. Im all fir a new season, clean slate and that goes for all the miserable fair-weather supporters I see on other tranmere's boards.

 

[Ian]

You know, after all my pre-season negativity, looking at the squad tonight against Shrewsbury, the team don't look too bad.

Fon Williams in goal.
Back line of Kay, Goodison, McChrystal and Bakayogo.

Midfield of Weir, Robinson and Welsh with Akins and McGurk on the wings.

Big man up front.

That's not a bad starting XI really.

I'm hoping Weir and McGurk really push on this season too.

 

[Boz]

Re Buchanan, seems a good signing as left-back is something of a specialist slot and the lad's not short of experience. I remain less than keen on signing Raven, though it seems inevitable, as Les seems fixated on recruiting him. What is the point of signing Danny Holmes to be third choice right-back and what hope of promising young defenders like Will Vaulks ever getting a look in (especially with the reduction to 5 subs)?

I've no objection to Akins as a squad player, but misgivings about him starting regularly unless he has improved from last season. It is a concern that we seem so thin up front, especially as Les has sent the Lithuanian striker back and appears to be pinning his hopes on Dantas coming good or this mystery championship player, who's been holding out for something better, deciding to give us a try. We are also short of pace in the side.

Good result at Shrewsbury with more or less our first XI.

 

[roverstillidie]

We still havn't signed a winger, is Les allergic to them or something? The only player who is capable of dribbling the ball past an opposing player consistently in the squad is Robinson. We're going to struggle to get behind defences this season unless it's a set piece as Robinson will probably play through the middle and we don't have a player like Creswell to whip balls in round the defence. I really struggle to understand why Les can't see this, surely it would make sense to sign a wide player rather than a 3rd right back?

 

[Boz]

Agree about winger, although it seems Adam McGurk is a decent crosser of the ball and a couple of our goals in pre-season set up by him.

 

[roverstillidie]

I'd prefer to see McGurk playing up front as a striker, I don't understand Parry's fetish for playing strikers as wingers. Strikers like to play through the middle not out wide!

 

[SonkORLY?]

Because we have Enoch and we play 4-5-1.

Parry has said he wants to sign a striker/winger as a priority. I don't think we need Raven but if he is available and within budget then I don't really see what your problem is. It's not as if we're signing him instead of a wide player. It's not as if he'll be our last signing.

We lost one winger in the summer so we'll probably sign one. Robbo can play out wide and Labadie can come into the middle if required. Akins can play out wide, though would rather he wasn't first choice. McGurk will be fine on the left. Zoum/Buchanan can do a job there if he's injured or whatever.

 

[roverstillidie]

We play 4-4-1, Akins doesn't count...

 

[SonkORLY?]

Haha, yeah he's not great. I can't see that we'd have much use for Raven but I'm just happy we're signing people because time is running out, our squad is looking thin and I'd rather have him than not.

 

[drwhoman]

Danny Holmes

Story going round that Liverpool are tracking Danny Holmes. All sounds a bit odd even if the Reds do have a penchant for making some strange signings from time to time! We desperately need another striker - Enoch is not going to make it through the season with the one at the front strategy, strong man though he is. They took him off at Shrewsbury because he was being kicked around - he can only take so much. Div One teams will be alert to the fact that if nullify Enoch then Plan B is a question mark!

 

[Sparky]

Yeah the (lack of) plan B has always been an issue.

We were lucky last year that Enoch never really got injured until the end of the season. McGurk played thru the middle and did well but you do worry if Enoch got a serious knock how we would cope.

No-one can be surprised Les hasnt signed a winger. When he got the job he said he saw them as a luxury type player. Thats why he signs players like Robbo/McGurk/Zoom etc who can all play there,but can do a job in other positions.

Shuker wasnt everyones cup of tea, especially after his injury, but Les just didnt like him in the 4-5-1 / 4-3-3, and will never want an out and out winger like him.

I don't think we need Raven. I was never that impressed with him when he was with us on loan. Plus at Carlisle and Shrews he was released and injury prone at the latter. Agree that we have enough now at the back and just need a bit more up top.

But as I think Ian said, our first eleven is good, on paper anyway - it is always the strength in depth that is a concern, as we all know Goodi/Joss will spend some of the season suspended plus Robbo/McGurk plus one or two others have a history of missing games thru injury.

Not long to go now until Saturday !