Transfer rumours, targets & new signings

[Burslem Academicals]

11 minutes ago, werstayinup said:

2 more CB's really??

Don't see Legge (36) being a regular and even signing a right back it looks like Gibbons might have fitness issues next season which might mean Smith covering at right back at times.....if it is to be 3/5/2 then essentially if a squad needs two players for each position then Smith/Legge/Martin will need at least two centre backs as cover.

[Guppys left peg]

56 minutes ago, Burslem Academicals said:

Don't see Legge (36) being a regular and even signing a right back it looks like Gibbons might have fitness issues next season which might mean Smith covering at right back at times.....if it is to be 3/5/2 then essentially if a squad needs two players for each position then Smith/Legge/Martin will need at least two centre backs as cover.

Walker can play centre back and Dan Jones has done it too if need be. Maybe one more but it’s not really a priority now I’d say as we have some flexibility already.

Also to a point made further up I very much doubt Mitch Clark will be ever coming back here again. Think that ship has sailed.

[LancyTony]

13 hours ago, saintvaliant said:

I’m sure Rudgie used to talk about aiming for 20 clean sheets or more and it is noteworthy that the winners of the PL, Championship, L1 and L2 last year all had either the best goals against in their leagues or were in the top 3 sides in the division. In L2 two of the three highest scoring sides didn’t even make the playoffs (and Oldham managed to finish 18th!)

For me, that makes the recruitment of a quality centre half and keeper more pressing than up front (particularly with Rodders and Wilson already there and the potential of goals from Conlon, Worrall, Taylor etc).

 

Agree! I've been saying for a couple of seasons - if we can cut out the stupid GK and defence errors we wouldn't need to score so many goals. Having a 20-goals / season player can limit your attacking options...goals from anywhere gives the opposition a headache!

[Burslem Academicals]

Sorry if it is 3/5/2 with three centre backs with Smith and Martin as starters then the squad needs two more centre backs with Legge as fifth choice......if Walker is first choice holding defensive midfield and Jones is first choice left back the manager doesn't want to be moving key players about because of a failure to sign cover.....with only one centre back signed then the only specialist centre back cover is Legge and one injury means playing Legge week in week out so not ideal without any other out and out centre back cover going forward into a long season.

[LancyTony]

9 hours ago, MBE said:

OMG I'm having withdrawal symptoms not having a signing announcement this week after getting addicted to a signing a day last week.

Symptoms include checkin this forum every half hour to look for updates, twitter,BBC and google alerts.

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

There is no hope, now...this is your fate!

[valiant_593]

We don’t need another 2 centre backs.  Already have 3 another 1 is definitely enough. I’m not convinced we will play 352 anyway but if we did I would expect someone like Jones to possibly be in the back 3 

[Boslem's Brazil]

14 minutes ago, Burslem Academicals said:

Sorry if it is 3/5/2 with three centre backs with Smith and Martin as starters then the squad needs two more centre backs with Legge as fifth choice......if Walker is first choice holding defensive midfield and Jones is first choice left back the manager doesn't want to be moving key players about because of a failure to sign cover.....with only one centre back signed then the only specialist centre back cover is Legge and one injury means playing Legge week in week out so not ideal without any other out and out centre back cover going forward into a long season.

If we play 3 at the back, I would probably expect Legge to start in the centre. He was colossal back end of the season and won absolutely everything, so not sure why you are writing him off. As other posters have stated, I don’t think we will start with a back 3 anyway. 

[LancyTony]

3 hours ago, Burslem Academicals said:

Sorry got no inside information on the managers plans but both have been mentioned on "One Vale Fan"....they both have been released and being out of contract are free agents...both are at the target age with league experience and seem to fit the profile for signings.

Ryan Sweeney (24) 6'4" 150 plus league games U19 & U21 caps for Ireland.

Fiacre Kelleher (25) 6'3" 150 plus league games U19 caps for Ireland.

 

They have to meet DC / DFs profiles...not yours?

[LancyTony]

25 minutes ago, Boslem's Brazil said:

If we play 3 at the back, I would probably expect Legge to start in the centre. He was colossal back end of the season and won absolutely everything, so not sure why you are writing him off. As other posters have stated, I don’t think we will start with a back 3 anyway. 

I would expect Legge to start around 20 games+, depending on how well he does, and how the others fit in and play? Once he got back into the team, last season, he was certainly yoo good to leave out"

[nodge]

8 hours ago, LancyTony said:

Agree! I've been saying for a couple of seasons - if we can cut out the stupid GK and defence errors we wouldn't need to score so many goals. Having a 20-goals / season player can limit your attacking options...goals from anywhere gives the opposition a headache!

That was what we did well under Rudge, and to some degree Horton.

Look at 2004/2005 as an example which was enjoyable as a spectator, you'd be getting goals from Brooker, McPhee, Paynter, Cummins, Littlejohn and even Sam Collins weighed in with his fair share.

Goals from all over the pitch is the way forward but that's what everyone wants, so it's hard to sign a group that will give you that consisently without paying serious money.

[Joe B]

I think tactical flexibility will be a key feature. Clarke will want to have the option of changing his approach game by game, and then within games if things need to be altered.

Signings like Walker and Jones provide that; both have played at centre half and will provide the in-game flexbility to change from a back three to a back four.

I think this lad from Hartlepool will round off the core quartet of centre halves; Legge, Martin, Smith, Johnson, with Walker and Jones as 5th/6th choice but also able to adapt within games.

[Joe B]

I imagine first choice will be Martin + Smith, with Legge to step in when we got 3 at the back, and then Johnson as the understudy to Legge and overall backup.

[Clayts]

28 minutes ago, Joe B said:

I imagine first choice will be Martin + Smith, with Legge to step in when we got 3 at the back, and then Johnson as the understudy to Legge and overall backup.

I'm not sure about that, as I think DC will want someone genuinely left-sided on the left of the 3, as he did with Crookes (ahead of Briz) when he was fit. That would mean Johnson (if he does sign) or Jones on the left, with Martin or Legge in the middle and Smith on the right. Either way we're in good shape, and I agree about the flexibility to switch between back 3 and 4, think we'll be a lot more agile (in all senses of the word) this season.

[darren1810]

People seem quite bullish about Johnson. 

He's going have a decision to make if Hartlepool get promotion. Yes Vale are hopefully a better proposition but he's captain and relocation etc 

Might just decide to extend his stay in the North East if they do come up ? 

[Burslem Academicals]

Johnson (24) fits the profile of the clubs signings....good age and has accumulated a good number of games and experience and is also 6'2" ......versatile also being a LCB/LB.

Anyone remember the manager having a right moan about only having one defensive holding midfielder in the squad (Joyce) then having signed Walker as the only defensive holding midfielder in the squad is there not then another defensive holding midfielder on the cards.