• 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.

Two more players!

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Alan King, Barry Dyson
We've signed Calaum Jahraldo-Martin (striker) and Will Aimson (defender) on loan from Hull City until 1 January. Yet another good move by Micky to improve the quality up front and provide cover for Josh Thompson who's out for several weeks. These two look quite promising. Another difficult name to spell, but who cares!

I think the transfer window will be a busy time for Micky and an interesting time for the fans.
 

frenchrover

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Both sound useful additions, well done Micky.....talk about decisiveness and contacts. Also 3 good goals from the Reserves/Youths in the FA Youth Cup last night. Things are beginning to move in the right direction, lets now hope for 3 points on Saturday.
 

Boz

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It's starting to get a bit reminiscent of the last couple of seasons; a revolving door of loan players. I can see the argument with Thompson out for up to 3 months in recruiting another defender, albeit one without much experience. Jahraldo-Martin looks the more promising of the pair, but with Madjo signing and both Stockton and Richards apparently fit for the weekend does this mean Johnson returns to Cardiff? Hopefully from January we can have more stability.
 

bigmart

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It's starting to get a bit reminiscent of the last couple of seasons; a revolving door of loan players. I can see the argument with Thompson out for up to 3 months in recruiting another defender, albeit one without much experience. Jahraldo-Martin looks the more promising of the pair, but with Madjo signing and both Stockton and Richards apparently fit for the weekend does this mean Johnson returns to Cardiff? Hopefully from January we can have more stability.


totally agree but feel this will continue to happen with loan players, the club hasn't learned anything from past mistakes
 

frenchrover

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Given that permanent recruitment cannot take place until 1st January, notwithstanding the short term signing of Madjo until January which in effect is the same as a loan, I think Micky has done the right and prudent thing in bringing in the 2 Hull lads. To leave the squad, given our current League position, without cover for 6 League games together with an FA Cup and a JPT game all to be played during this period would have been suicidal. Until the 1st Jan and we see what movement there is in the market, I think it is wrong to criticise the current management for the failings of the past. Micky's loan moves have been fairly astute to date particularly when compared to the dross who were given permanent deals under the previous manager.
 

Colin K

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Hmm I am a little bit more skeptical than others in terms of signing Calaum Jahraldo-Martin. I just hope he has improved at Hull enough to know where the net is, seeing as he only scored 2 goals in 20 appearances in the Isthmian League Div One. In addition, Will Aimson has scored more goals this season for the U21's than Martin (albeit only one!), with Martin yet to get off the mark. I don't think he is an out and out striker, and will probably be developed into an attacking winger of some sort.

I think once Stockton has had a run of games he will start finding the back of the net for us though, so I am not too worried as long as he can stay fit!
 

frenchrover

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Make two loans read three with the news that we have signed Shamir Fenelon, a striker, on loan from Brighton until 1st January. Not prolific but then again that's never going to be the case with a mid-term loan signing. Nevertheless, useful cover until the transfer window opens.
 

Boz

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Given that permanent recruitment cannot take place until 1st January, notwithstanding the short term signing of Madjo until January which in effect is the same as a loan, I think Micky has done the right and prudent thing in bringing in the 2 Hull lads. To leave the squad, given our current League position, without cover for 6 League games together with an FA Cup and a JPT game all to be played during this period would have been suicidal. Until the 1st Jan and we see what movement there is in the market, I think it is wrong to criticise the current management for the failings of the past. Micky's loan moves have been fairly astute to date particularly when compared to the dross who were given permanent deals under the previous manager.

I am going to explore this issue a little further. Striking options already at the club; Stockton, Richards, Odejayi, Donnelly( :)) Madjo, Baggie, Johnson [not mentioned on the official site if we're extending his loan after tomorrow, but I suspect if we asked Cardiff they'd let us] We've now added two more loans in Jahraldo-Martin and Fenelon, the latter recalled from Rochdale because he wasn't getting enough games. Fingers crossed he's not on a pay-if-he- doesn't-play-deal. So potentially 9 'strikers' to use the term loosely. Given we don't play more than 3 up front and it would be inadvisable to have a bench of 6 strikers and a keeper, is it really prudent to have so many on the books?

Compare and contrast with defensive midfielders. With Gill's departure, we have Steve Jennings. If Jenno were to get injured/banned/recalled (in descending order of probability), then short of trying Woodards there, we don't have a replacement, so isn't that an area that needs bolstering, even with a rookie youngster? Similarly we only have Baggie, who MA seems not to rate and Kirby who really isn't a winger, so wide players also in short supply.

If it's true, as suggested elsewhere, that Edwards only had ~£700,000 playing budget, then is it that much of a surprise he was only able to bring in 'dross'? To be fair Brezovan, Woodards, Hill, Donacien, Ihiekwe, Gill, Richards and even Laird aren't bad players at this level. RE also believed enough in Stockton to give him a confidence boost, while Baggie turned in some decent performances under Rob. Micky is undoubtedly experienced and Rovers are in a very difficult position. However, I would prefer to see him try and build on the positives from the previous regime, few that they are, rather than going through a succession of short-term loanees, given the failings that approach has previously caused.
 
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To begin with, there is no way Edwards had a £700,000 wage budget. In addition, he was given additional funds at the end of August to bolster the squad and brought in four more players (including wasting a precious transfer fee on George Donnelly). The fact many of his signings were 'dross' - a description I would agree with - reflects on his inexperience and lack of contacts as much as it does our wage budget.

Adams rates some of the players he inherited from Edwards - Ihiekwe, Holness, Donacien - and does not rate others - Richards. He has been in a similar position with struggling sides before and has pulled clubs to safety, and frankly, I don't care about the niceties of which players are in and out of favour so long as we stay up. Adams places far more emphasis on work rate without the ball and team organisation than Edwards ever did, so it is hardly surprising that a number of Edwards' players don't fit into his plans, even the ones who have some talent.

Mark Palios stated on Radio Merseyside that the loan signings are a blatantly short term move to earn us some points before Christmas and prevent us from being cut adrift. Adams will be given money in January to reshape the squad in his image, and I don't think there is any intention to rely on loans in the medium or long term.
 
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Boz, I don't think Micky is a fool. I take your point, but there's another way to look at it.

First of all, although he's our joint top scorer this season, I don't class Baggie as a striker. Stockton is injured. Odejayi and Donnelly have failed to make a great impression. That just leaves Richards as the only other striker under contract. We don't know if Johnson is staying. So Micky is covering his bets by signing Madjo, Jahraldo-Martin and Fenelon on short-term arrangements. I think he may be trying out a few forwards to see who can produce the goods before trying to sign them on contract or extending their loan until the end of the season. The number one problem is our inability to score goals - less than one per game all season and no better under Micky.

I've no serious issues about our defence. This season we have conceded just 1.35 goals per game on average in the league and only three in four cup games. If it can hold Luton to a single goal away from home, it's not a major worry. I too am worried about losing Jennings, but less so now that we seem to play three central defenders.
 
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We could have Messi and Ronaldo upfront and they'd struggle to score, the supply is non-existent. We need some genuine wingers, ever since Parry we've specialised in sticking strikers out wide - strikers are not wingers just because they're quick, it's so frustrating!
 

Ian

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Our quality on set pieces is awful. There's been times when they've got into a good position for a cross only to completely waste it either by hitting it straight out or crossing into an area where we have no players. That quality is sorely lacking.
 
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Our quality on set pieces is awful. There's been times when they've got into a good position for a cross only to completely waste it either by hitting it straight out or crossing into an area where we have no players. That quality is sorely lacking.

In fairness, on a number of occasions in recent games we have put quality deliveries into the box but nobody has attacked them: our midfielders and forwards don't seem to have the instinct to get into the box when the ball is in wide areas, and even when they do they tend to attack the same areas leaving the back post, or front post, empty. It is not simply that the set plays are sometimes poor, our movement on set plays is non-existent much of the time.
 

Ian

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Yeah, fair point. A mixture of both culminates in very little chances.
 
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Quote from Micky on the BBC website: "Since I've been at the club I've never doubted the commitment of the players. Whether we've been good enough is another matter."

This seems to confirm he is still assessing the squad and it's likely we'll see new players in January and quite a few loanees let go and even contracted players moving on. He must be close to deciding his squad, although he is yet to take a look at Woodards and Hill. Aimson and Thompson will not play again before their loan expires. There must be at least six players wondering if they have a future at the club.

While we have the momentum of that first league win, I hope he plays his best team against Oxford. It may be the cup, but it's a winnable game and could lead to a lucrative TV tie with a big club. On the other hand, I will expect a few changes against Walsall. While I'd like to see us at Wembley again, I'd rather he gave the fringe players an outing. It's his last chance to tinker with the team without precious points being at stake.
 
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