The Squad 2022-23

[drwhoman]

We can debate Doohan’s performances but I think RLC gives a good summary earlier in the blog chain as to why we did not make the play offs. There were a number of reasons and just maybe, Doohan was one. If I was asked which was most crucial I would probably identify the late season injuries and suspensions. After all, we did not miss out by much. All history now of course. It will be interesting to see which keeper we do sign. Without wishing to be unkind, Jaros would not fit he bill.

 

[ADD]

We can debate Doohan’s performances but I think RLC gives a good summary earlier in the blog chain as to why we did not make the play offs. There were a number of reasons and just maybe, Doohan was one. If I was asked which was most crucial I would probably identify the late season injuries and suspensions. After all, we did not miss out by much. All history now of course. It will be interesting to see which keeper we do sign. Without wishing to be unkind, Jaros would not fit he bill.

It clearly wasn't down to one player and the other reasons that RLC gave are all valid.
Boz's point however is that unlike how MM treated Davies when he was first choice and had a spell out he brought him straight back. I remember a few of us saying at the time that it was unfair/ wrong that Doohan stayed in.
We will never know of course but I do feel a significant issue with our faltering form was that Doohan had much worse distribution and so we were constantly just belting it forward and conceding possession.
Either way I hope we are looking elsewhere!

 

[Ian]

Yes, I think overall he was OK, but I would certainly rather have Joe between the sticks. Any GK would have enjoyed playing for Rovers earlier on in the season as we had the best defensive record in the country! It just went a bit pear shaped as did most things as the season progressed. For me, the lack of goals was a huge issue. It will be interesting to see how we are defensively without PC in the side.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It’s all about fine margins though. Another 3 points would have got us into the play-offs. Before his concussion at Rochdale, Murphy had been earning MoMs for key saves that kept us ahead or earned us a point. Doohan did that less. I’m trying to think of games where he did make a difference with crucial saves and there weren’t that many. Harder to factor in is Murphy’s distribution being better, but on detailed analysis you’d expect that to make a difference too.

While you’re right that a number of factors were responsible for our slide down the table this year, last season suggested Murphy was the better keeper. The fact that MM stuck with Doohan for such a long period despite that impression is down to Micky. Ultimately our failure to make at least the play-offs falls on the manager’s shoulders.

Doohan was solid in his positioning and handling for several months and had a superb clean sheet record, as has been pointed out above. I don't recall him making countless worldies, but I also don't remember any clangers either with the possible exception of the Northampton game. However, in that match the performance of the back four was abysmal and we offered zero creativity until the last fifteen minutes. We would have lost whoever had been in goal.

So in answer to your point, I can't remember a single occasion where Doohan alone cost us the three points which would have got us into the play offs. If we are singling out individuals, perhaps we should (unfairly) focus on Clarke's errors at Walsall and Hartlepool ?

Murphy is the better keeper at the present time. However, his performance against Cheltenham the season before last was worse than any Doohan produced, if we are trading bloopers.

I personally don't think Doohan's presence or absence had any material impact on our promotion chances. If Murphy had played every game last season we still would not have gone up, due to the other deficiencies highlighted above.

 

[Boz]

RLC, we’ll have to agree to disagree (again). As for the Cheltenham game the previous season, the defence were incapable of dealing with Towzer’s long throws and collectively were at fault that day, including a suicidal back pass from Clarke, so I’m surprised you’re singling out Murphy.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

RLC, we’ll have to agree to disagree (again). As for the Cheltenham game the previous season, the defence were incapable of dealing with Towzer’s long throws and collectively were at fault that day, including a suicidal back pass from Clarke, so I’m surprised you’re singling out Murphy.

I am not singling out anyone. I am stating that all players will have off days and periods of poor form, even those as experienced and capable as Clarke and Murphy.

As poor as the defence was in that Cheltenham game, Murphy was awful.

 

[Boz]

I am not singling out anyone. I am stating that all players will have off days and periods of poor form, even those as experienced and capable as Clarke and Murphy.

As poor as the defence was in that Cheltenham game, Murphy was awful.

I’ve just re-read the Cheltenham match thread, which brought back painful memories. However you seemed to be out on a limb back then as mainly blaming Murphy on the playing side for the defensive frailty. At that time he’d only just got back into the first xi after Scottie’s injury, so was perhaps a bit rusty. I’ve only seen the highlights of the Northampton game, but Doohan seemed to be more directly responsible for the goals conceded and from a position of being the regular keeper.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I’ve just re-read the Cheltenham match thread, which brought back painful memories. However you seemed to be out on a limb back then as mainly blaming Murphy on the playing side for the defensive frailty. At that time he’d only just got back into the first xi after Scottie’s injury, so was perhaps a bit rusty. I’ve only seen the highlights of the Northampton game, but Doohan seemed to be more directly responsible for the goals conceded and from a position of being the regular keeper.

Doohan was no more responsible than others such as NKP.

Murphy has twenty years of experience to fall back on; Doohan does not have twenty months of experience.

I am defending a young player who had a short term dip in form. I am in favour of youth development, and showing patience to young players.

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

At the end of the day there was enough fans begging the club to get him on a perm deal in Jan if he comes in then great he did no harm in the team all players at this Level have stinkeres Its LG 2 for gods sake, can,t wait to see what the club are doing with the forward part of the team as we all know we need more goals more pace more flaire , god I love this site

 

[MancunianWhite]

Wouldn't surprise me if the club loaned someone like Billy Crelin from Everton, 21 years of age with league experience at Fleetwood and Bolton last season.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It still would not completely surprise me if we signed Doohan permanently. Mellon clearly rates him and we probably did not anticipate his release from Celtic.

However, he may not want to move south of the border on a permanent basis.

 

[Boz]

Wouldn't surprise me if the club loaned someone like Billy Crelin from Everton, 21 years of age with league experience at Fleetwood and Bolton last season.

The notlob fans didn’t rate him and their season improved when he was replaced resulting in promotion from L2. Don’t think he’s had first team action since. I don’t think having an inexperienced young keeper as first choice is a good idea.

It still would not completely surprise me if we signed Doohan permanently. Mellon clearly rates him and we probably did not anticipate his release from Celtic.

However, he may not want to move south of the border on a permanent basis.

I think that you’re right that Micky would like him here. Whether we can afford him and would he want to come are debatable. Think Ross has potential but some way from being the finished article, given Murphy is likely to feature less. He’ll have to work on certain areas of his game like distribution to hold down the no 1 spot.

 

[Sparky]

I agree with boz about not wanting an inexperienced keeper as back up or competition to Murphy. As with the outfield we need someone in their 24s perhaps in their prime or coming into it, albeit keepers improve with age. Doohan is 24 and like RLC it wouldn’t be a shock if he rejoined us but it depends how much he was disappointed being dropped late last season

 

[ADD]

Murphy's recent BBC NW interview clearly suggested he envisaged being far more involved in the coaching side and he didn't expect to be playing that much.
If that is genuinely the case we need a keeper who is ideally as good as Murphy and IMO Doohan isn't (even if one day he might get there) but as I said before I hope that MM/ Vaughan do not now go back for Doohan just because he is now available and because our first choice target has apparently gone elsewhere.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Murphy is probably Championship standard in terms of pure ability, so there won't be many (or any) keepers of that level who are in their prime and available to us in League Two.

I would be happy if Murphy and Doohan shared keeping duties again this season.

 

[Higgy]

GK Lee Burge (29 years old) released by Sunderland. Interestingly he was made no.1 keeper at Coventry when Joe Murphy was transferred. Tenuous connection, but you never know.

 

[Colin K]

I imagine Burge will have offers for first team L1 / bench warming in Championship. He's a very good keeper and made the Team of The Season in L1 a couple of seasons back for Sunderland, and at 29 he's still relatively young in GK terms.

A more realistic option might be someone like Will Jaaskelainen. He's just been released by Crewe and might want to stay up in the North West. He's got a decent amount of football league experience and is still fairly young so can further develop.

In terms of released Sunderland players with links to Coventry, I did see that they released Jordan Willis. He's been out for a year with injuries and will be keen to get back playing football. He's campaigned all his career in L1 (bar one season in L2) and might be willing to come back down to L2 level to get some football under his belt. He's still only 27 and worth a punt to sure up the defence.

Up the other end of the pitch, John Marquis seems like he's been around for donkeys years but is still only 30 and has an eye for goal and has recently been released. He might not fancy moving up north and will probably get offers from L1 teams but he's a strong and tall target man who is exactly the type of player we need to hold a ball up if we are going to continue to play Mickey's hoof ball tactics.

 

[Charlton1975]

I personally think Doohan is good enough to play as number 1 at this level, and with Murphy taking on a dual role I doubt we should be relying on him as first choice next season.

 

[bigmart]

Interesting that Halifax have announced Tom Bradbury had left to pursue opportunities elsewhere, we have been linked with him along with Cheltenham

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Interesting that Halifax have announced Tom Bradbury had left to pursue opportunities elsewhere, we have been linked with him along with Cheltenham

He might be a useful squad player and one we could develop, but he never seems to stay with one club for more than a year. He's only 22, yet has played for seven clubs already. Is that a sign of ambition? Is it poor judgement? Is it bad luck? Or is he not as good as he thinks he is?