Recruitment Targets

You’ll do well to get a plumber! Try the checkaplayer website.

 

There’s plenty of players out there that would improve us. Doubt they’ll be signing for us though.

 

Experienced keeper and brand new defence a minimum, or more of the same nonsense..
Woeful recruitment and academy.. not only coming home to roost but nesting now.. definitely relegation next season without genuine capable replacements, behind the scenes and playing staff.

 

As I'm not on twitter and I don't recognise most of the pictures in your link, I can't comment on whether I'd like us to sign them or not. However, there's a few players I've thought would be good acquisitions. How realistic they are, I'm not sure. I did this last season, and barring one or two, they all signed for championship sides.

Malik Mothersille: 21 year old forward from Peterborough. Out of contract in the summer. He's versatile having been deployed as a centre forward, winger and more recently as a number 10 in the Posh side. He's quick, tall and likes to run at players. He's scored 11 goals this season and was probably Posh's best player against us at their place.

George Abbott: 19 year old Centre Mid from Tottenham (likely on loan). Has spent this season at Notts County, played primarily as a holding midfielder, though likes to get hold of the ball and drive the team forward. He's scored 4 and assisted 5 from deep. Despite his age, he's adapted to the physicality of league 2 well by all accounts. County's fans seem to think he'll join a championship side on loan, though I recall Donny fans saying the same about Matty Craig this time last year.

Jamie McDonnell: 21 year old Centre mid from Forest. This is probably an either or with the aforementioned Abbott, as both are holding midfielders. Though McDonnell is a more likely option as I believe he's out of contract at Forest this summer. He's spent the season out on loan at Colchester and has been instrumental to them going on a long unbeaten run, which ended whilst he was suspended. He's certainly more of a midfield anchor compared to Abbott who is more box to box, though he can also play at centre half if required.

Taylor Allen: 24 year old Centre Half from Walsall. Has a year left on his deal at Walsall so would command a fee. Has gone from strength to strength in his 3 years with the Saddlers by all accounts. He's a left footer, so likely only to be an option if either Earl or Shepherd are moved on. Good in both boxes, he's scored 10 goals this season and assisted a further 7. He could be the perfect foil for one of Robbo's long throw ins. It's looking increasingly likely that Walsall could bottle promotion, so he could have some suitors.

Denver Hume: 26 year old wingback from Grimsby. Bit of a left field one (excuse the pun), as Hume has had a couple of cracks at league 1 with Sunderland and Pompey, though injuries have plagued him previously. He's nailed down a place at Grimsby this season, and been a revelation in the left wing back role, though can also play as a full back if needed to switch to a back 4. Has 12 assists to his name and is out of contract in the summer. Likes to run at players, and can play with both feet, meaning he can also cut in side if needed. He leads the assist chart and chances created chart in league 2.

Nathan Lowe: 19 year old striker from Stoke. One I do recognise from the list you've posted, though arguably the least likely to happen is Nathan Lowe. Still the 4th top scorer in league 2 despite being back in the Championship for the last 3 months. 15 goals in half a season at Walsall, where he looked quick, direct and suited to playing in a high press. Likely to be on the list of half of league 1 next season as he's struggled to hit the same form at Stoke and is back in their 21s.

Jay Henderson: 23 year old forward from Ross County. Primarily plays on the right wing, or wide in a front 3. He's spent the season on loan at Ayr Utd in the Scottish Champ, scoring 7 and assisting a further 10 in what has been his breakthrough season. Unsure how long he has left on his deal at County though, though the Scottish Leagues are usually good for a decent deal on a player.

Harrison Male: 24 year old goalkeeper from York. Another left field one. I watch Bunch of Amateurs on YouTube and Male was the goalkeeper for Dorking during their relegation from the National League, though it was clear he'd kept them in so many games and they could have been down a lot sooner without him. 12 months on, and he's kept 15 clean sheets in 33 appearances for York. He's a good shot stopper and commands his box well from corners. Might be a big step up for him, but I do think he's a capable keeper.

Paudie O'Connor: 27 year old centre half from Lincoln. Another unlikely one, but the dependable centre half is out of contract at Lincoln and their chairman has confirmed he has interest from other League 1 sides. Given his age, it might be his last chance to play at a higher level, and has had another good season in League 1. He was linked with Plymouth in January, so that's likely to be his destination. No nonsense centre half.

Terry Taylor: 23 year old midfielder from Charlton. Despite his age, Taylor is experienced at this level with Burton, Charlton and most recently on loan at Northampton. Another holding midfielder, he's been a revelation at Northampton and played every minute since signing there. He's had bad luck with injuries over the years, but appears to have played regularly this season. Charlton fans on their forum don't understand why he was suddenly out of favour as he'd been performing for them. Good at set plays by all accounts too. We were linked with him last summer, and is often the case, might go back in now his contract has a year less on it, particularly if Charlton go up.

Murphy Cooper: 23 year old Goalkeeper from QPR. I believe he's out of contract this summer. Kept 16 cleansheets this season on loan at Stevenage and had a good season at Swindon before suffering a hamstring injury the year before.

 

Stop the data. Hourihane was star man so Barnsley signed him, same with Winnall, etc... Got to sort our squad out first and try to get rid of loads before we can do anything. Can't sign anyone until the playing style is chosen, 343, 442, 352 etc.... We have loads of CB's when loans return. Loads of RB"s too. No descent strikers. System then players then coach who is happy to be in charge of System and having a DoF incharge. Still not against Connor +2 coaches but not Stead and Devaney.

 

The two players you mentioned were 2 of our first signings under the data driven model. A data driven approach is here to stay, every club uses it, it's just an aspect of modern football. That's one of the reasons I reckon we're regressing, as when we were first using it, we were one of a few who were so reliant on it, so gained an advantage. Naturally, as its become the norm, we've reverted back to mid-table league 1.

 

You can replace Malden. When can you start?

 

@Tyketical Masterstroke does this so much better. Most of these aren't even funny.

 

Unless we sell whatever our assets are for decent money, we won’t be bringing that calibre of players in.
A couple of loans & freebies more realistic.

 

I don't know the answers as to xyz being good enough etc, but if we don't recruit some pace in our defense then we're on a hiding to nothing next season.
I don't know why Neerav has come out and set himself up by saying we want to play high press, attacking out of the seat football, because if we don't see that next season we'll just sack another head coach and the cycle repeats.
Personally think it's just a throw away statement (to sell ST's) because the amount of in/outs required to play that way is finacially out of our reach in one window, we will end up with some half hearted attempt.
Anyone who's played the game at a decent level understands good teams come together with lots of elements and often find their own style that's stumbled on more often by gelling but having all the ingredients, leadership being up there aswell.

Let's be smart and stop with the punts, if we sell DKD, Phillips replace them with quality rather than 3 punts.

 

The majority probably aren't that realistic, but a couple of them should be in our wheelhouse. The lad from Grimsby for sure.

 

I left out Johnny Genitals because he's got 3 years left on his deal.

 

Data!! 2 top players needed data to tell a club they are worth signing? Yes data will tell clubs DKD ain't bad Data, Shaw, Dallas etc.... scouting wins every day.

 

Ollie Pearce from York City. cf and only 12 months left on his contract. Banging em.in.

27 Goals in his first season for the Minstermen following 155 goals in 245 games for Worthing.

Should have had a punt on him in January instead of getting Clem Fandango.

 

But surely you can see that both together works even better? Why does it have to be data or scouting and not both.

 

I've thought about Pearce and whether he'd be too old to make the step up. But if you look at the top scorers in the bottom couple of leagues, a lot are older than him.

There's also talk of Macauley Langstaff leaving Millwall. Only scored once in the Championship this season, but scored 28 in league 2 last year and 42 the year before in the National League.

 

Data is OK if your buying for the same level but a non league or foreign club player, it means nothing. So player A runs the furthest, most completed passes, most shots on target.... plays for Solihull. Player B, excellent stats for Brechin. Glavin, Celtic and one cap, looks good, signed. Redfearn, good player good pro, signed. Keepers, why keep going for young loans because data says they are good? They aren't, and ex red played 2 seasons on loan at Dundee from Luton getting great reviews. Data like Var, no thanks

 

We're going to have to agree to disagree. Not a single club relies solely on scouting, there's an obvious reason for that.

I understand the example you've given, but surely that's the same for scouting too. A player from Solihull can look good when playing for Solihull, but you don't know how he'll be when he plays in league 1. At least by using data, you can determine whether he's sustained certain attributes over a long period of time, or whether it's likely they're just in a good vein of form.

I honestly don't understand your point regarding Redfearn and Glavin though. Both were signed at a time when data wasn't being used in football. It's easy to say we shouldn't use data because the best two players we've ever had weren't signed using data. Traditional methods also brought us Deon Burton and Dave Regis. It's swings and roundabouts.