The squad 20/21

[Ian]

I can well imagine at 50% off!

 

[aldoes mustache]

we are doing 13hr days just to keep up and tomorrow we have a huge open with over 170 playing all-day and a massive charity day on Thursday with over 130 having a BBQ. all good fun lol

 

[Sparky]

Still think we need another striker on the books capabale of scoring at L2 level.
Vaughan is not a given to score goals. He has had injuries in the past and is no spring chicken. Ferrier only got a handful last season albeit L1 but was also picking up injuries. Payne won’t get enough goals in my view.
I’m happy with the squad in other areas but think we’re light up front.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think Vaughan would score regularly if he stayed fit, but that is not a given. I agree that Payne and Ferrier have never been reliable scorers and we could probably do with another body up front for competition and cover. However, I doubt we could attract / afford anybody prolific at this stage.

 

[Boz]

We've also lost our most prolific goal-scorer from midfield with Connor Jennings' departure, although you could argue he was more of a forward, even when not deployed up front. Can't expect that many goals from midfield during this season. Even if not someone prolific, a target-man type player who could put himself about and hold the ball up would offer something different up front.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think Khan will score goals from midfield if he plays regularly.

 

[ADD]

I also think it will be difficult to bring anyone in now who is a proven goal scorer. Personally I think Payne is underrrated after last season and will do well if given a chance. He suffered last season in being a bit of a scapegoat for a team playing poorly which was providing little decent service to the front players and of course was then dropped when Vaughan and Cook arrived in January. Looked very sharp in his cameo against PNE and apparently had a "good" goal disallowed today. Jacko seemed to be I felt very positive about his attitude in his post PNE interview. Doesn't mean anything yet I appreciate but I also thought he looked leaner than last season and not just because he has lost weight with all that hair having been cut off.

 

[Sparky]

I also think it will be difficult to bring anyone in now who is a proven goal scorer. Personally I think Payne is underrrated after last season and will do well if given a chance. He suffered last season in being a bit of a scapegoat for a team playing poorly which was providing little decent service to the front players and of course was then dropped when Vaughan and Cook arrived in January. Looked very sharp in his cameo against PNE and apparently had a "good" goal disallowed today. Jacko seemed to be I felt very positive about his attitude in his post PNE interview. Doesn't mean anything yet I appreciate but I also thought he looked leaner than last season and not just because he has lost weight with all that hair having been cut off.

ha ha yes he looked like a new signing without the beard and hair lol! If he’s given decent service I think he’ll score. It’s whether we have enough goals between our strikers but a lot will Depend on their fitness

 

[Sparky]

Just mentioning Ferrier, has he featured in pre season yet? Still not sure we can rely on him regularly

 

[bigmart]

Just mentioning Ferrier, has he featured in pre season yet? Still not sure we can rely on him regularly

think he played the first 2 games.

 

[Sparky]

Only rumours but some suggesting Ferrier has had a medical at stockport. It wouldn’t be a massive shock if he left - Whilst he showed glimpses of talent, he had injuries and question marks around his attitude. I’d just be surprised if no league clubs wanted him, Altho Stockport clearly have money at the moment when u see who they have signed

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Only rumours but some suggesting Ferrier has had a medical at stockport. It wouldn’t be a massive shock if he left - Whilst he showed glimpses of talent, he had injuries and question marks around his attitude. I’d just be surprised if no league clubs wanted him, Altho Stockport clearly have money at the moment when u see who they have signed

They must have money and with no salary cap in the NL, unlike us they can spend as much of it as they like! He is still under contract, so if he goes, it will be with the club's blessing. As this would leave us very light up top, I would expect us to use the money saved to sign a proven goalscorer. Personally, I'd rather he stayed as I'd be surprised if we could afford better.

 

[Boz]

Ferrier leaving wouldn’t be a major surprise and while there is no salary cap in force in the NL, the sides with money there are well equipped to take advantage. When fit, he’s not totally convinced as a striker, though a lot of last season he played with an injury so haven’t seen at his best.

However, it would leave Rovers with an issue up front, only two forwards and one (Vaughan) distinctly injury prone. We’ve not kept on the triallist striker or given anyone else a trial. As BBTC says, any replacement is unlikely to be the same quality, as whereas Ferrier’s wages would be deemed to be L2 average but were almost certainly higher, any new recruit would have to fit in with a salary cap. So far there hasn’t been a lot of evidence of players dropping demands due to salary cap and the quality player remains unavailable to L2.

Just had a look at the Stockport forums, doesn't seem to have been mentioned there (yet)

 

[bigmart]

Ferrier too often flatters to deceive, if he does go I would hope we could get a better replacement.

 

[Ian]

Yeah, I don't think he'd make a huge difference to our ambitions this season, although like Boz says, if he went, we would need a replacement.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Ferrier too often flatters to deceive, if he does go I would hope we could get a better replacement.

Yes, I agree with this. I would expect we can bring in someone of at least equivalent ability, as Ferrier is hardly outstanding in Leagues One and Two.

I am not sure Boz is right to suggest there is no evidence of the salary cap causing players to look lower down the ladder to get games, as if that was the case I don't think Spearing would be here to give one example.

 

[Boz]

Yes, I agree with this. I would expect we can bring in someone of at least equivalent ability, as Ferrier is hardly outstanding in Leagues One and Two.

I am not sure Boz is right to suggest there is no evidence of the salary cap causing players to look lower down the ladder to get games, as if that was not the case I don't think Spearing would be here to give one example.

If Ferrier goes, we will need someone up front who is physically strong and with a fair turn of pace. Ideally, they'd be capable of functioning as a target man too, which isn't Morgan's forte. Throwing a new recruit into the team without any pre-season game time isn't ideal and even a quality player may not bed in straight from the off.

With regard to the salary cap, I'm unsure if it's proponents were fully aware how an uncapped National League would become significantly more attractive to out of contract players. While that's always been the case with moneybags sides like Salford and now Stockport, even fan-owned Wrexham have picked up a few FL players with reasonable pedigree over the break. I don't know about Spearing, but as he was brought in before the salary cap was applied, is probably one of our higher earners and personal/family reasons made Rovers a more attractive option for him.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It may have been convenient for Spearing to come here for personal reasons, but I am pretty sure we would have been outbid by local League One clubs in normal circumstances.

We would clearly need to make sure we have the right combination of strikers if Ferrier leaves, but he is not so outstanding that I would be unduly worried if he left. Vaughan is by far the most important of the forwards in my view, as he is the only one that is a proven goalscorer at a decent level.

 

[drwhoman]

It may have been convenient for Spearing to come here for personal reasons, but I am pretty sure we would have been outbid by local League One clubs in normal circumstances.

We would clearly need to make sure we have the right combination of strikers if Ferrier leaves, but he is not so outstanding that I would be unduly worried if he left. Vaughan is by far the most important of the forwards in my view, as he is the only one that is a proven goalscorer at a decent level.

Fair comment RLC. Would we have Cook back?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Fair comment RLC. Would we have Cook back?

I think he would score more goals than Ferrier given the right service, but I am not sure we could afford him.