• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

The Squad for 2019-20

Higgy

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Dave Higgins
Do we know names of any trialists? Dutch player Ezra Walian mooted to have been on trial. Has he been released already?
 
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aldo
mark palios has been talking to the echo . very interesting . with him saying we are looking at 2 good quality loans coming in the next few weeks have to wait and see
 

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
I listened to a good interview with Big Mac and matt Jones the other day.

It was obvious Steve would have liked to have stayed, possibly in a part time coaching capacity and they had talked about the possibility. However when the decision came the club couldn’t offer him anything.

Just shows how ruthless you need to be. Big Steve hoping to get into management when he retires
 
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5 Jul 2019
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Ian Goodison
Another attacking option and maybe a couple of quality loans ( Everton are rumoured to have offered some players) to supplement what we already have and i think we will have enough to compete.

We are in a far better place on and off the pitch as Bolton and Bury going into the new season.


99
 

ADD

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2 Jun 2018
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Norwood
good interview with MP - link here


One snippet worth noting Corey Blackett Taylor (CBT from now on!) turned down a contract extension at Villa to join us... that says something about our improved attractiveness as a club now back in L1.
Also that when in L2 MP was not interested in selling players - Norwood he said he could have sold in January but quite rightly would we then have got promoted??
Now however some players brought in with a view that we might make good money if they prosper. CBT and Nelson perhaps?
Going forward good to hear we still have loans being worked on - so tomorrow night Woodburn plays for Liverpool - sees what a great atmosphere/ facilities there are at PP and signs for us on Friday on loan?
Works for me
smiling smiley
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
We’ve loaned Jordan Ponticelli 20 year old Coventry striker for 6 months. Inexperienced and while he may surprise us, not a signing to set the pulse racing.
 

Higgy

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Dave Higgins
Mixed reviews on Twitter from their fans. Goal machine for U21s and defo double figures striker at L1 level mentioned a couple of times. Negative comment seemed less genuine and more for spite. Broke his foot 4 games into loan spell at Macc.
Probably rules Woodburn loan out? Maybe still one to come, but not a striker. I think the current strikers may not set pulse racing, but should be good enough, barring injuries, to avoid relegation.
 

ADD

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Norwood
Also not thrilled with this one - a L1 rival - appreciate they have more cash than us but if not even good enough to be a squad player for them I will be surprised if he does that much with us.
More importantly though I assume also that means Woodburn is not coming here which is very disappointing.
 

Ian

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Aldo
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Kingy
I think this is as good as it gets for the strikers showing how hard it is to get an experienced goal scorer at this level. Let's hope he surprises us in a positive way.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
I am concerned by the standard of the strikers we have brought in, and it does seem we are operating in the bargain basement for forwards. You could argue that our National League pairing of Cook and Norwood blows away our current strikeforce.

Hopefully Ponticelli will prove a decent player, but my general feeling is that Micky will have earned his stripes if he keeps us up this season.
 

bigmart

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Ian Muir
Also not thrilled with this one - a L1 rival - appreciate they have more cash than us but if not even good enough to be a squad player for them I will be surprised if he does that much with us.
More importantly though I assume also that means Woodburn is not coming here which is very disappointing.

I think its fair to say Woodburn wont be signing
 

Ian

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Aldo
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Kingy
I think we are all feeling a little underwhelmed by the new strikers but I'm hoping we've found a few gems and they knit together quickly. The first 10 games or so should put us in our place.
 
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aldo
its like making a choc souffle you put it in the oven see it rise take it out and it flops . lets hope this young man dose not . yes its underwhelming . but we have to get on wiyh it can see connor and mullin being paired up top . if im honest can see them having good seasons
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
While I was always doubtful we'd get Woodburn, or someone of his calibre in, the expectations from recent remarks from Mark was of reasonable quality loans. The recruitment of forwards since Micky joined us has been generally disappointing; Alabi, Waring, McDonagh, Stockton, although I don't know whether it's the manager or someone else doing the recruiting. Are the Norwoods and Cook's no longer out there to take a punt on?
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
While I was always doubtful we'd get Woodburn, or someone of his calibre in, the expectations from recent remarks from Mark was of reasonable quality loans. The recruitment of forwards since Micky joined us has been generally disappointing; Alabi, Waring, McDonagh, Stockton, although I don't know whether it's the manager or someone else doing the recruiting. Are the Norwoods and Cook's no longer out there to take a punt on?
In the interview posted by ADD, Palios says there are still more 'exciting, quality loan signings to come', presumably from PL / Championship clubs. So our transfer business is probably not done yet.

In fairness, we hardly 'took a punt' on Norwood or Cook. They were two of the best strikers in non-league football and we were the biggest club in non-league football, and therefore in a position to sign them. However, there was no guarantee that they would adapt to the Football League. It would be a risk to sign a player directly from that level now (although in a sense that is what we have done with Ponticelli) and the outstanding talents in that division like Bonne are targeted by bigger, wealthier clubs.
 
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aldo
there is loads of quality in the non lg loads of lg teams get them the posh are one of them they do a lot of it bring em in sell em off . apart from when we where in the non lg we only ever got players realy when kingy was in charge . some thing that realy needs looking at
 

drwhoman

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I think we are all getting a bit downhearted. We have a pretty decent team other than maybe another Norwood. No harm in giving a couple of young guys a punt - they will not be on big money. Ponticelli from Coventry? They have financial/ground issues so they will want as lean a squad as possible. Even if we get a loan striker from the Championship or PL they are most likely going to be a young guy looking to make his name. There is no guarantee that they will any better than the guys we have now. As we thought before last season funnily enough, I am sure we will all be happy with a midtable finish. As someone said earlier in the thread, we will know more after ten games.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
In the interview posted by ADD, Palios says there are still more 'exciting, quality loan signings to come', presumably from PL / Championship clubs. So our transfer business is probably not done yet.

In fairness, we hardly 'took a punt' on Norwood or Cook. They were two of the best strikers in non-league football and we were the biggest club in non-league football, and therefore in a position to sign them. However, there was no guarantee that they would adapt to the Football League. It would be a risk to sign a player directly from that level now (although in a sense that is what we have done with Ponticelli) and the outstanding talents in that division like Bonne are targeted by bigger, wealthier clubs.
Whatever his ability, Ponticelli does not fall into the exciting loan category and his quality is uncertain, so I don't see this signing matching the MP description. Like you, I'm hoping to see some of the suggested exciting quality loans Mark promised coming in.

I agree that we didn't take a punt on Cook or Norwood, although James more of a risk because he'd played a lot on the wing rather than as a striker. However, signing similar players as a bottom third L1 side rather than a NL team does become a punt on whether they can make the step up. Given what the two named have shown, arguably it is worthwhile doing, if there are strikers of similar calibre plying their trade in the NL today.

I'm not feeling anywhere as confident as drwhoman, our current likely starting xi would probably see us down the bottom end of the table. However until we know who else we're loaning, it's impossible to make a final assessment at this stage in pre-season.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
Cheer up, lads. We are all so defeatist just two months after promotion. The season hasn't started yet and more importantly the transfer window does not shut for several weeks. MP promised several loanees, so there is more to come - including maybe Woodburn.
 

Ian

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Aldo
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However until we know who else we're loaning, it's impossible to make a final assessment at this stage in pre-season.
It's impossible to make a final assessment until they actually start playing!
 
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