The Squad for 2018/19

[Cowshed Kid]

Jake Caprice, a right back, signs.
Bit of a head scratcher that one, unless MM genuinely sees Manny as cover for Rides.

 

[Ian]

Quite surprised we've got another defender although apparently plays a better game moving forward. Never heard of him to be honest.

 

[Boz]

He was at Orient last season and Woking the year before. Don’t think their fans rated him, but he invariably played well against us. Crucially, he is capable of playing the right wing-back role.

 

[Sparky]

Some back up for Buxton I guess unless Micky is thinking of 5-3-2 and playing Adam in a back 3 allowing CJ to play behind a front 2.

Mickey will be flexible though as we have good wingers if Tollit can get fit and Cole gets a run of games.

 

[Boz]

Sparky, Cole isn’t a natural winger though, just someone who’s been deployed out there and made a fair stab of things. Hence even if Tollitt is fit, we need another winger.

Orient fans don’t have much confidence Caprice can play as a wing-back either.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

In a sense this is no surprise as Mellon has always been a big fan of Caprice. When we played Woking two seasons ago he changed formation at half time to counter his runs forward and shook his hand at the end of ninety minutes. As Boz says, Caprice has always looked good playing against us but does not seem rated by the fans of clubs he played for.

Caprice is definitely better going forward than defending and I think he has been brought in to give us the option of playing 532.

 

[drwhoman]

You are probably right RLC and he may do better in a decent side with Big Mac or whoever to guide him. Would not have been expensive either.

 

[bigmart]

Playing 3 centre halves is more likely than not now as Caprice would be ideal for right wing back

 

[aldoes mustache]

caprice joins from orient 2 year contract good at left back . orient fans happy to be rid of him they think he is pants

 

[Mal]

caprice joins from orient 2 year contract good at left back . orient fans happy to be rid of him they think he is pants

difficult to judge when their team was pants last year...

 

[Ian]

difficult to judge when their team was pants last year...

Yeah. Take all that with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless they now have Alabi so the goals will be flowing.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

A strange signing this. Jake Caprice has only played 14 league games in his life, 8 for Dag & Red and 6 for St Mirren. Since then, he has played five seasons in the NL. He was in the middle of a two-year contract, but suddenly fell out of favour last March. Here is an extract from his Wikipedia entry.

"Caprice was a regular in Orient's side, starting all thirty-five league games he appeared in. However, towards the conclusion of the season, Caprice fell out of favour under manager, Justin Edinburgh and failed to feature again following their 1–1 draw with Ebbsfleet United on 10 March 2018.

On 11 May 2018, Caprice was transfer listed by the club[31] after failing to fit in with Justin Edinburgh's plans, with director of football, Martin Ling stating "he is not what Justin requires from a full-back" in a interview with the East London Advertiser."

Not the greatest of references, but Micky has seen what he can do and rates him. With Alabi going the other way, whose fans will have the last laugh?

 

[drwhoman]

Maybe neither BBTC! (LOL!).

 

[Ian]

I think we have to judge for ourselves instead of taking on board a few comments from Orient fans. MM rates him and he might be a useful squad player. What is quite clear though is that Alabi is pants!

 

[drwhoman]

I suppose this could have simply been a straight swap to get rid of Alabi!

 

[Ian]

Apparently the two deals were completely separate.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think we have to judge for ourselves instead of taking on board a few comments from Orient fans. MM rates him and he might be a useful squad player. What is quite clear though is that Alabi is pants!

He has always looked very dangerous in games against us (Caprice that is, not Alabi !).

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

In fairness, experience shows that many players blossom in the right formation with the right support and the right management. Alabi has not been successful at Rovers but he didn't do badly at Chester. Banks did well at Rovers but not at Oldham or Swindon. That's one reason why dealing in the transfer market can be so tricky.

 

[Sparky]

Agree BBTC. Certain players just fit in at certain clubs, even when they’ve been at the same level at other clubs but don’t do well. A lot is down to how they are individually managed and if they hit the ground running

 

[Sparky]

Some rumours we have had a bid rejected for Danny Rowe. He’s 29 I think so like cookie I guess a move to us could be his last chance of playing at a level he’s not been at before.

His goal record is fantastic of course but he’s totally different from Cook. He’s big framed but not a battering ram like cookie was. Whether he could cut it at league 2 remains to be seen but apparently the clubs are far apart in terms of the fee