Transfer window

[Sparky]

Margetts goes out on loan again but this time to a team in our league in Altrinham for a month.

Don't understand this. Clearly GB doesn't rate Johnny as we know, hence why he went to Stockport. But we've just lost mangan and GB doesn't like Cole who didn't work out at southport and has had plenty of chances with us.

That leaves us with Norwood as Tomlinson has gone back and GTF isn't a striker. Hopefully Norwood missing the barrow game was a one off.

I'm assuming we have a new striker in the pipeline.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Baffling, isn't it? The only sense I can make of it is that GB thinks Jonny has lost confidence (not surprising) and needs regular games to rediscover his form. It's only till the end of next month and presumably he can be recalled at any time. Having said that, we have just Norwood to play up front with Stockton on the bench. Surely we need at least two more strikers with at least one on a contract.

 

[Boz]

Our current striking options are;

Norwood, even if he stays fit,is the kind of player who's likely to get sent off at some point.
Stockton hasn't convinced and Brabin doesn't rate him.
Liam Davies or is he out on loan? Lose track with the youngsters.

Jake Kirby fancies himself as a striker and GTF and Mekki have been deployed in forward positions, but the options up front seem incredibly thin now. I don't understand the logic of this, Margetts has shown enough to deserve a place on the bench. If a central defender was farmed out, it might make more sense. we can only hope that some amazing new signing will be unveiled at Bromley...

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I am baffled but not entirely surprised by this decision. I agree with the comments above. As manager of a side that struggles to score goals, it makes no sense at all to limit your striking options in this way. Even if we accept there was no alternative but to let Mangan go (I don't), Margetts is better than Stockton and should be in the squad ahead of him. Brabin apparently decided months ago that Stockton was not good enough, and his loan spell at Southport was mediocre at best. Yet, we are now obliged to play him every game if we opt for a genuine front two.

As Boz suggests, if at least one more striker does not arrive this month, I think this is further evidence that Brabin does not have any real strategy.

 

[Ian]

Didnt we give Stockton a really long contract or was that Kirby?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Didnt we give Stockton a really long contract or was that Kirby?

I think it was both of them. I think they have about a year to go.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Yes, their deals were agreed in summer 2014 and run out in June 2017. Sadly, Max Power refused to sign a similar deal at the same time.

How times have changed. The only other TRFC players with deals until the end of next season are Sutton, Maynard, Norwood and McNulty. Everyone else is free to leave at the end of this season.

 

[Boz]

When Mark Palios addressed a Trust meeting last year, with Adams in charge, he said that the develop your own policy had been put on hold because of the relegation fight. Now he and Brabin seem to have adopted the strategy that it's players in their late twenties who'll get us promoted. Youth development seems to have been ditched by the manager.

Aside from those mentioned by BBTC, can't recall when Ridehalgh's deal runs out and Mekki has an option to extend at the end of the season. There are one or two, who we should be looking to extend before they expire, if the players are willing.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Aside from those mentioned by BBTC, can't recall when Ridehalgh's deal runs out and Mekki has an option to extend at the end of the season. There are one or two, who we should be looking to extend before they expire, if the players are willing.

Liam signed a two and a half year deal in January 2014. I agree it would be nice to tie the likes of Scott Davies to a longer deal asap, but it won't happen. The club policy is short-term deals and the wages should depend on which league we are in. OK, we are pretty certain of staying where we are, but we can't be seen to admit it at this stage. If and when we get back in the Football League, it might make sense to have longer deals.

 

[Boz]

It would show some sign of intent for next season if we were able to secure some of our better players like Davies and Harris signed up. Also Ihiekwe can't be on a high wage and now that Brabin is playing him in the correct central defensive slot and McNulty is signed up, worth offering him an extension.

 

[bigmart]

Ideally a winger, centre forward and a centre midfielder would be good if we could get them all, time will tell what happens

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Marcus Holness has now gone out on loan to Altrincham for a month, no doubt to build up his match fitness and save a little cash. We are still well provided with defenders but the total number of players currently available is just 19, which leaves GB with little room for manoeuvre. Surely one or two more players will arrive before the end of the week. If not, all I can think of is that the manager has been told to make do with what he's got until the end of the season.

 

[drwhoman]

I am tending to the latter view BBTC but we may be pleasantly surprised (he hopes!).

 

[Boz]

Although the transfer window closes soon, there is still the option of loans. I think Mangan going out has raised an expectation of someone else coming in and a reply I had from Nicola Palios suggested we were still in the market for players.

Hope the loan spell works out for Marcus Holness. Given Burton, now near the top of L1 offered him a new deal, he must regret ever signing for us.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Hope the loan spell works out for Marcus Holness. Given Burton, now near the top of L1 offered him a new deal, he must regret ever signing for us.

By the reverse logic, Robbie Weir and Adam McGurk must be glad they were given a free transfer and ended up at Burton. McGurk has since moved on, but it revitalised their careers.

 

[Boz]

Lucas Akins also at Burton now.

 

[Sparky]

Just when the frustration of Mangan scoring recently in league one has faded....along comes Margetts to score on his debut for Altricham a few minutes ago.

What is GB playing at? How can Margetts be behind Cole and GTF?!?!?

 

[Mal]

Just when the frustration of Mangan scoring recently in league one has faded....along comes Margetts to score on his debut for Altricham a few minutes ago.

What is GB playing at? How can Margetts be behind Cole and GTF?!?!?

Sound tactic, letting Altrincham have more chance of taking 3 points off our rivals, as was the case today.

 

[Ian]

Not sure we'll see anyone come in as GB has said he won't just sign anyone for the sake of it.

Good luck to Holness who I didn't think was that bad although not any better than what we have now.

 

[drwhoman]

Not a bad strategy from GB given the Adams debacle but he still needs a striker. He should not be too cute. We can still make the playoffs and if Norwood is injured....... Stockton? Gary is not an option these days.