The Squad 2024-25

[Ian]

Definitely!

 

[bigmart]

I read something about Bristow recently and wondered would anyone take him back? When fit Stockport seemed to prefer Touray and Minnesota are apparently keen to offload him. Not perfect but I’d take him as competition for Wood.

If we were to sign him he would be first choice but I can't see him coming back here.

 

[Sparky]

If we were to sign him he would be first choice but I can't see him coming back here.

Yes he may think it’s a step backwards

 

[Am on mobile]

Slow going this summer last year we had most of the new players in by now. Oh well the euros start soon more boring England

 

[bigmart]

Slow going this summer last year we had most of the new players in by now. Oh well the euros start soon more boring England

I would expect incomings to be announced shortly, we now have 17 players under contract so not in a bad position. Think pre season training starts in 3 weeks so most of the squad will be signed by then

 

[Ian]

And let’s be honest, we don’t want to sign players for the sake of it. Hopefully some more decent additions to come.

 

[Am on mobile]

True

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Yes he may think it’s a step backwards

Given our ambition for next season, and how he hardly set the world alight at a club that’s just achieved that ambition, it might be us who’d see it as a step backwards!

For the sake of his career I’d like to see him really get his head down and have another go at cracking Minnesota. Unless he’s unsettled overseas, homesick or whatever. Or unless the club makes the decision for him!

 

[Sparky]

Rovers linked with our previous loanee Jonny Smith. A bit part player at Wigan he’d be a decent replacement for Apter cutting in from the left hand side. Probably nonsense but I always thought he was decent

 

[bigmart]

Rovers linked with our previous loanee Jonny Smith. A bit part player at Wigan he’d be a decent replacement for Apter cutting in from the left hand side. Probably nonsense but I always thought he was decent

I would definitely have him back but would be surprised if it were to happen

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Rovers linked with our previous loanee Jonny Smith. A bit part player at Wigan he’d be a decent replacement for Apter cutting in from the left hand side. Probably nonsense but I always thought he was decent

He was ok last time but if we do sign him, I hope nobody compares him to Rob Apter.

BTW, is our development policy completely dead? Are we now just signing experienced players? I’d love to see us take a punt on a couple of youngsters - but O’Connors or Bristows rather than Hockenhulls. We did try out Ousmane Kane last season without success.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I would definitely have him back but would be surprised if it were to happen

He has had a good career since leaving us.

 

[ONIGP]

He has had a good career since leaving us.

His biggest issue was lasting the full 90. I'm sure that's well in the past now.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

BTW, is our development policy completely dead?

If you consider our recruitment in the last twelve months, and the players we have released this summer, I think the answer is 'yes'. Or at least, we have reverted to a more conventional approach, with a generally experienced squad and a sprinkling of youngsters.

A good thing in my view, as I think the policy was seriously flawed and did not result in progress on or off the pitch.

 

[Boz]

His biggest issue was lasting the full 90. I'm sure that's well in the past now.

Agreed. He lacked stamina during his loan spell with Rovers but seems to have kicked on since leaving.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Rovers linked with our previous loanee Jonny Smith. A bit part player at Wigan he’d be a decent replacement for Apter cutting in from the left hand side. Probably nonsense but I always thought he was decent

If the only source of that rumour was Revino on twitter I’d ignore it completely. He’s just a troll.

 

[Sparky]

If the only source of that rumour was Revino on twitter I’d ignore it completely. He’s just a troll.

No it wasn’t Revino but interesting to know. He had a decent league 1 spell at Burton and won’t be short of offers from clubs around our level or just above

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

BTW, is our development policy completely dead? Are we now just signing experienced players? I’d love to see us take a punt on a couple of youngsters - but O’Connors or Bristows rather than Hockenhulls. We did try out Ousmane Kane last season without success.

Palios admitted we “went too young” with all those kids a couple of summers ago but ditching that particular approach doesn’t necessarily mean ditching a development policy. Adkins still often goes on about establishing a culture of development and improvement at the club, but he’s acknowledged that a certain degree of know-how and experience is necessary to achieve that.

So, looking at the profile of our ‘two-thirds complete’ squad right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few younger lads came in before the season starts, as well as maybe a couple of young loanees later on, once the bigger clubs have named their squads. I’d be alright with that, but I do think we also need two or three more proven leaders to call on.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Thanks for the above answers about the development policy. I never thought we had the resources to take on a lot of young players, although it worked for Ethan Bristow. Personally, I think our most successful policy has been taking on loanees of any age for half a season, assessing them and then if they pass muster signing them permanently. It has worked for Ridehalgh, Morris, O’Connor, Hawkes and many others.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

The two driving forces behind the policy seem to be the aim of generating a decent transfer fee every so often, in order to help balance the books, while also getting the age profile of the typical matchday squad lower than what it used to be, in order to help play more on the front foot with more energy.

Seems to me that that’s still the idea, but to do it better (…and to do it WAY better than we did in 2022!).