The Squad for 2019-20

[bigmart]

That soon? Think cruciate ligament injuries usually take 9 months + to get over.

Thats what I was told but would think it will be longer

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

My guess is that for all his ability, clubs have question marks over his fitness. He’s never really played a full 40 games in a season I don’t think.

I still think it will be Buxton's weight rather than his injury record that puts people off. If he was more mobile I think he would still be here.

 

[bigmart]

How many more signings do people think we will make, I would like to see another centre mid, a wideman and striker at a push another fullback maybe a couple of those could be loans

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

How many more signings do people think we will make, I would like to see another centre mid, a wideman and striker at a push another fullback maybe a couple of those could be loans

I agree completely with that. I think we will sign a defensive midfielder, probably McCullough, a winger and another striker, hopefully a Maynard, Lang etc., although how likely that is I don't know. I would think if we were going to bring Pringle back he would have signed by now. We probably do need more cover at full back given Woods' injury record.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I expect Micky will continue his policy of brinkmanship to get the best players he can at the least cost. But I am not expecting many more permanent signings until we are into the pre-season friendlies, when we may see a few triallists. I don't think we've signed any triallists for many years, but this season may be different.

 

[Boz]

I think we need another defensive midfielder, as best case scenario McCullough won't be fit until about 3 months into the season, though if he is ultimately fit and joining us, maybe a loan would do there. We probably need another striker, given going by his lack of appearances last season, Micky doesn't appear to rate Paul Mullin and I don't have much confidence in Miller's fitness or Payne's mentality so leaving all the scoring responsibility at Connor Jennings' door.

On wide players and full-backs, it depends if the youngsters signing pro contracts are anywhere near getting a first team chance. Spellman can play across the back and we may well play 3 at the back and wing-backs anyway. Walker-Rice is a winger and Connor Jennings was mainly used out wide last season, throw in the wing-back option and this is probably the least pressing area for additions.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

We probably need another striker, given going by his lack of appearances last season, Micky doesn't appear to rate Paul Mullin and I don't have much confidence in Miller's fitness or Payne's mentality so leaving all the scoring responsibility at Connor Jennings' door.

I wonder if this is true. Last season we played mainly 4-5-1. Was it because Micky had no confidence in Mullin or because a five-man midfield worked better with Nors up front?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Micky doesn't appear to rate Paul Mullin and I don't have much confidence in Miller's fitness or Payne's mentality so leaving all the scoring responsibility at Connor Jennings' door.

I think that is a pretty negative interpretation. I would expect at least two of the strikers to have reasonable seasons. If we think only Connor Jennings is capable of scoring a goal, we might as well give up now.

I still think we need another body in the wide areas: Jennings can do a job there but is not a winger, and the youngster from Villa is very inexperienced.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I wonder if this is true. Last season we played mainly 4-5-1. Was it because Micky had no confidence in Mullin or because a five-man midfield worked better with Nors up front?

I am not convinced Mellon does not rate Mullin. The problem last season was that he could not form a partnership with Norwood, which meant he would inevitably be left out of the side.

You only have to look at what happened with Ellis and Harris last season to see that Mellon does not generally freeze players out.

 

[Boz]

I wonder if this is true. Last season we played mainly 4-5-1. Was it because Micky had no confidence in Mullin or because a five-man midfield worked better with Nors up front?

I am not convinced Mellon does not rate Mullin. The problem last season was that he could not form a partnership with Norwood, which meant he would inevitably be left out of the side.

You only have to look at what happened with Ellis and Harris last season to see that Mellon does not generally freeze players out.

I agree that Norwood was undroppable and he and Mullin were fairly similar in style of play, so Paul didn't get to play that much. His goal stats were reasonable amounting to around a goal every 4 games. I do feel that Micky ought to have made more of an effort to give him match time and there were consequences of that when Mullin came on in the league game against Forest Green and was too greedy. There are a good number of examples of Micky's inspirational handling of players improving them, but with Mullin I'm not sure he got it right.

I think that is a pretty negative interpretation. I would expect at least two of the strikers to have reasonable seasons. If we think only Connor Jennings is capable of scoring a goal, we might as well give up now.

If Mullin is a regular starter as a striker, I can see him easily making double figures.

In Ishmael Miller's best seasons, he managed 7 goals. Think he's played about 21 times in the last two seasons; the supposedly chronically unfit Adam Buxton managed 23 appearances last season. Realistically double figures in appearances and a handful of goals is the best we can hope for.

Payne can score goals at this level, as his record for Shrewsbury in 2017/18 shows. Last season he managed just 2 in 25 appearances for the Shrews and Bristol Rovers. Maybe he can deliver for us, but the antagonistic tweet he made on joining gives me doubts as to whether his head's in the right place.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

In Ishmael Miller's best seasons, he managed 7 goals. Think he's played about 21 times in the last two seasons; the supposedly chronically unfit Adam Buxton managed 23 appearances last season. Realistically double figures in appearances and a handful of goals is the best we can hope for.

Payne can score goals at this level, as his record for Shrewsbury in 2017/18 shows. Last season he managed just 2 in 25 appearances for the Shrews and Bristol Rovers. Maybe he can deliver for us, but the antagonistic tweet he made on joining gives me doubts as to whether his head's in the right place.

A lot of Miller's seasons were at Premier League and Championship level, so you can't simply extrapolate from his past performances and assume he will fail to score in League One.

Payne was a very good player at Dover and Shrewsbury. If we get that player rather than the one at the Memorial Ground, then he will be a good signing.

Alternatively, we could just bin them both off without giving them a fair chance and accept relegation.......

 

[rossb07]

Antagonistic how?

He just said a proper fan base which I believe some gas fans has misjudged as him saying we have more fans when in fact he just meant that we’d be more supportive.
The one difference between us and them is that we have a manager who’s proven if you’re not giving it 100% (as they’ve claimed he didn’t all he time) then you’ve got to force your way back into the team the hard way.

That said, I like others have pointed out take anything supporters from other clubs say with a pinch of salt.

 

[aldoes mustache]

so the team head to scotland for a week . now we hear the budget this and the budget that ,, we cant afford this player or that one . so how much is is costing putting the team up hotel and to hire the training ground . . would it not be better off staying at the Sola campus and getting to the beaches and doing it old school the Less parry way . just a thought .

 

[Ian]

I'm not sure running up and down those sand dunes had any real benefit at all. At least the new players get a bit of bonding time with the squad.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I'm not sure running up and down those sand dunes had any real benefit at all. At least the new players get a bit of bonding time with the squad.

Yes, I think the cost of going to Scotland for a few days is negligible compared to signing a player like Danny Mayor.

 

[Boz]

A lot of Miller's seasons were at Premier League and Championship level, so you can't simply extrapolate from his past performances and assume he will fail to score in League One.

Payne was a very good player at Dover and Shrewsbury. If we get that player rather than the one at the Memorial Ground, then he will be a good signing.

Alternatively, we could just bin them both off without giving them a fair chance and accept relegation.......

But those days from Miller were when he was younger and fitter. If (and it's a pretty big IF) he can stay fit then he's capable of doing a reasonable job of creating and scoring chances at L1 level.

Dover were a NL side. I mentioned Payne's one good season in the FL with Shrewsbury and if he's able to recreate that form, then great. A good starting point would be to erase Bristol Rovers from his thoughts entirely and concentrate on re-establishing his reputation with us.

On the subject of fair chances, hopefully Micky will give Mullin as much of an opportunity as the other two in pre-season.

I still feel we need another forward though.

 

[Ian]

Payne has a lot of ability and can be a very good player under the right guidance and leadership. I'm confident Micky can get him firing again.

 

[Boz]

Antagonistic how?

He just said a proper fan base which I believe some gas fans has misjudged as him saying we have more fans when in fact he just meant that we’d be more supportive.
The one difference between us and them is that we have a manager who’s proven if you’re not giving it 100% (as they’ve claimed he didn’t all he time) then you’ve got to force your way back into the team the hard way.

That said, I like others have pointed out take anything supporters from other clubs say with a pinch of salt.

So how would you have viewed it if say Stockton had made a similar remark on leaving us?

It read more like unfinished business from his failure at Bristol than anything particularly positive about joining us. I don't know the full story about his time with the Gasheads and whether he didn't try or was unfairly got at to the extent of sticking up two fingers to his team's supporters when they played Barnsley. However, if he's to deliver for Rovers,. he needs to put it behind him and move on.

 

[rossb07]

I was always in the backing Stockton camp. For me, he did the job that he was put on the pitch and that was never to be the main contributor for goals.

Like you, i don't know the ins and out whilst he was down there but that's my interpretation of his message.

We'll see how it pans out either way though as MM is the man at the helm and by right it's his way or the highway. Regardless, worth the punt in my opinion due to his experience of the level.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I think the jury is out on Miller and Payne - and will be for a few weeks into the season. Let's back them both and hope. Mullin is the nearest we have to a replacement for Nors and might grow in confidence and shine now that Nors is no longer our number one striker. I would not be surprised to see Micky sticking to 4-5-1 with Mullin up top and Payne and Miller used as impact subs.