New Signing

[Ian]

Must have been a damn good pizza!

 

[SonkORLY?]

proper

top bloke btw

 

[roverstillidie]

Is Mahon a pizza delivery boy now?! Maybe he should get a job there for ITM as well...

Yeah he is. Apparently he gave back half is wages, it's a shame it didn't work out for him.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

So, Les says he has completed his squad, i.e. run out of budget. For once, we have everyone together before the first match. Even the latest signings have been training with us so the squad is already gelling. I have to say I'm pretty pleased with what we've ended up with. We've kept most of last season's squad - only Warner, Cresswell and Jennings have gone - and added some quality (Devaney) and some good squad players (Holmes, Buchanan, Raven). I'd have liked an extra forward, but I'm excited by Tiryaki. I just hope the fans are patient and give him a chance. We still have the loan option if needed.

Although we have a small budget compared with other clubs in our division, we have stability and continuity in our favour. I expect 9 of last year's team to play tomorrow. And Les has been in his job longer than 75% of the other managers.

Hope I don't live to regret these words!

 

[Mal]

I Think my forecast of 10th may be pessimistic seeing as how we appear now to have reasonable cove for injuries. I won't be disappointed if we can't beat chesterfield as I think promoted teams are that little bi more motivated in the early games and play above themselves. However, I feel confident we won't lose.

 

[SonkORLY?]

The squad that starts this season is (unquestionably?) weaker than the one that ended last season. Hopefully we'll stay up. 10th sounds pretty ambitious by all accounts.

 

[Mal]

"Unquestionably" is your subjective view. I disagree. I think the squad is stronger than ended last season. Time will tell which of us is right as far as end position is concerned. I just hope we don't have a fair-weather support and that drums beat when we are having a bad spell in a game.

 

[SonkORLY?]

lol, yes i know, that's why i put a question mark, because i'd be surprised that anyone would disagree, while remaining open to the fact that they might. we lost two great young players to ipswich/bayern munich respectively and replaced them with bury/barnsley rejects. signed a keeper (finally) and brought in a few squad players to replace the ones who've left.

 

[Boz]

If you include Robinson, Weir and Kay in "the squad that ended last season", then I tend towards the view the current squad is slightly weaker.

Keepers. Warner commanded his area, bags of experience, Collister has more experience than Coughlin WEAKER

Defence. Buchanan may be on a par defensively with Cresswell, but not creatively. On the other side, we've now got 3 right-backs. I'm not convinced about Raven in central defence, Blanchard or Wood better. SAME

Midfield. Little changed. Max Power given a chance will be more influential than Fraughan STRONGER

Attack. Teryaki can't be any worse than Sam Morrow. However doubt Devaney can show the sparks of genius we saw from Dale. WEAKER

 

[bigmart]

weve finally got our own keeper and our own right back instead of loans for the first time in a few seasons, in fact we havnt got a loan player at all as yet .

im happy with the squad we currently have and we can use loans if need be

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Last season we started with: Nielsen, Darville, Cresswell, Wood, Goodison, Cresswell, Labadie, McLaren/Fraughan, Welsh, Gornell, Showunmi, Thomas-Moore. Definitely tomorrow's team will be an improvement on this one. Mainly it's because we had horrendous injury problems for the first few weeks of 2010/11, so we should start a lot better this time.

Comparing our current squad with the one which ended last season, I agree we haven't properly replaced Warner, Cresswell and Jennings, but I think the depth is better. We now have about eighteen to twenty players who I'd be happy to see in the first team. I couldn't say that last year.

At risk of repeating myself, I think the players will gel together well and we can expect Les to be more savvy as a manager.

 

[Ian]

weve finally got our own keeper and our own right back instead of loans for the first time in a few seasons, in fact we havnt got a loan player at all as yet .

this is a big plus for the season, as we aren't patched together with loan signings, something les was strongly against this time around. im glad he stuck to his guns, but like people are saying, only time will tell if this is a better team than last season.

 

[lonerover]

I think this years squad is stronger for two reasons. First we have the nucleus of the side that finished last season, something we haven't had for at least the the last 2 or 3 years. So players who havent spent pre season getting to know each other.

Second and something I think alot of people are overlooking, is the fact John McMahon is back in the coaching set up. I think this could make a whole load of difference to the team and with Les.

I'm looking forward to this season more than the last few, mainly because its not a squad of brand new players plus Ian Goodison!! :-D

 

[Mal]

Well my view Is that the whole is stronger than the sum of the parts. And apart from Jennings , people as I recall dwelled on the other players' ( who have left) weaknesses last season.... I'm ready to be shot down but I think well see a more motivated team this season and wins against the lesser teams that th stronger squad last season was incapable of ;0)

 

[Mal]

:whistle:

 

[roverstillidie]

Ian Goodison!! :-D

Goodison is a squad himself!

 

[Boz]

I don't think loan signings are necessarily a bad thing. Take last season and Gulasci's saves coupled with Latif's effort and goals were significant factors in keeping us up. Kay and Weir did enough to earn contracts. Also, if you get them in early enough, there are advantages to a long term loanees, as opposed to permanent last minute signings, who may have fitness issues or take time to gel with team-mates.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I don't think loan signings are necessarily a bad thing. Take last season and Gulasci's saves coupled with Latif's effort and goals were significant factors in keeping us up. Kay and Weir did enough to earn contracts. Also, if you get them in early enough, there are advantages to a long term loanees, as opposed to permanent last minute signings, who may have fitness issues or take time to gel with team-mates.

I agree with Boz up to a point, but Les has shown he can get permanent signings who are good enough. With a small squad like ours, we will certainly need short-term loans for emergencies like injuries and suspensions. I hope Les also looks to bring in loanees like Labadie, Kay and Weir as potential permanent signings.

My main problem with the current policy is that most "permanent" contracts are just for one year, which is the same as the season-long loans we've had in the past. As it stands, nearly all of our current squad will be out of contact next summer. I hope Les is given the authority to extend many of these deals in the next few months.

 

[SonkORLY?]

My main problem with the current policy is that most "permanent" contracts are just for one year, which is the same as the season-long loans we've had in the past. As it stands, nearly all of our current squad will be out of contact next summer. I hope Les is given the authority to extend many of these deals in the next few months.

1 year contracts at this level are considered the norm really, as if things don't work out (Mahon, Mclaren) we have them stuck on our books. Then the better players won't want to be tied down to long contracts because they'll think that, after a good season, they can probably get a better gig somewhere else. And we won't be offering 2 years to unproven players like Tiryaki. So in most cases, 1 year contracts seem to suit everyone.

But I do agree with you to a degree. We handed out a bunch of 2 year contracts last summer (Welsh, Enoch, Zoum, Labadie, Taylor, Goodi) which has helped us keep a fairly settled squad for this season. As things stand, I think we only have McChrystal and Fon Williams contracted to beyond this summer, which is a worry.

 

[bigmart]

zoom signed new contract in the summer for 2 years mcgurk akins tiryaki all signed 1 year deals with the option of a second year