Transfer rumours, targets & new signings

[JRC]

2 hours ago, KEV.WILLIE said:

Why would we release a load of mid table players, to replace them with mid table players?, surely the idea would be to replace them with better players imo 

To be fair to Clarke his budget will be largely unchanged so he isn't going shopping at Harrods. He's trying to bring in better players on the same money. 

The question should be is he the wheeling dealing genius he claims to be. He signed a whole new squad at Bristol Rovers BUT they would have had a massive budget compared to many teams when they dropped out of the league. He failed to do it at Walsall where his budget would have been ok for this league. 

Similarly he did get an improvement from our current squad. How much of that was down to being able to get our best 11 out for 7 or 8 games and how much was due to his managerial genius is a bit less clear. For 3 years we've looked a good side when Oyeleke, Conlon and Joyce particularly have been fit at the same time. He's made it clear he wants players like Gibbo, Smith and Conlon BUT again do a straw poll of which players from our team all managers in this league would take and those 3 and Rodney would be the ones most managers would choose. We'll have a clearer idea come Christmas. There have been plenty of positive signs but the guy is also a bit of a self publicist. Let's see where we are come late October and early November when it's his squad and there are no mitigating factors. Until then I think he deserves the benefit of any doubts we have. I think we also need some realism; the best dozen players in this league from clubs not promoted will all get picked up by league 1 clubs. The best 4 squads will all be in league 1 next year. 

Trawl back through OVF and there were lots of people saying not getting Maynard was a disaster.  Hindsight says the disaster was trying to get Maynard who scored 6 in 40 in all competitions meaning we had to sign Robinson (6 in 37). If we'd gone for our second choice, who was probably Jamille Matt, we'd have signed someone who scored 16 goals. Put 10 more goals in the current squad and we would have been in or around the play-offs. Matt came off the back of a poor season at Newport and only ever got double figure twice in 11 seasons of league football and got nowhere near in the other 9. So how inspired would we have been if Matt had rocked up in late July?

[vale victory]

That’s the point. People need to calm down for a couple of weeks, drink beer and watch some cricket. 

Can’t I watch the euros instead of cricket?

[KEV.WILLIE]

1 hour ago, JRC said:

To be fair to Clarke his budget will be largely unchanged so he isn't going shopping at Harrods. He's trying to bring in better players on the same money. 

The question should be is he the wheeling dealing genius he claims to be. He signed a whole new squad at Bristol Rovers BUT they would have had a massive budget compared to many teams when they dropped out of the league. He failed to do it at Walsall where his budget would have been ok for this league. 

Similarly he did get an improvement from our current squad. How much of that was down to being able to get our best 11 out for 7 or 8 games and how much was due to his managerial genius is a bit less clear. For 3 years we've looked a good side when Oyeleke, Conlon and Joyce particularly have been fit at the same time. He's made it clear he wants players like Gibbo, Smith and Conlon BUT again do a straw poll of which players from our team all managers in this league would take and those 3 and Rodney would be the ones most managers would choose. We'll have a clearer idea come Christmas. There have been plenty of positive signs but the guy is also a bit of a self publicist. Let's see where we are come late October and early November when it's his squad and there are no mitigating factors. Until then I think he deserves the benefit of any doubts we have. I think we also need some realism; the best dozen players in this league from clubs not promoted will all get picked up by league 1 clubs. The best 4 squads will all be in league 1 next year. 

Trawl back through OVF and there were lots of people saying not getting Maynard was a disaster.  Hindsight says the disaster was trying to get Maynard who scored 6 in 40 in all competitions meaning we had to sign Robinson (6 in 37). If we'd gone for our second choice, who was probably Jamille Matt, we'd have signed someone who scored 16 goals. Put 10 more goals in the current squad and we would have been in or around the play-offs. Matt came off the back of a poor season at Newport and only ever got double figure twice in 11 seasons of league football and got nowhere near in the other 9. So how inspired would we have been if Matt had rocked up in late July?

Good post, and I totally agree, 

DC did say that we had a good budget last season,  I therefore would believe it would be similar this season,  it suggests to me that we actually pay pay money, if we are for day 5/6 players less, then I would expect us to sign some better players 😉

As you rightly say,  I will judge DC on his squad come Christmas time 

 

[valeparklife]

To be fair to Clarke his budget will be largely unchanged so he isn't going shopping at Harrods. He's trying to bring in better players on the same money. 
The question should be is he the wheeling dealing genius he claims to be. He signed a whole new squad at Bristol Rovers BUT they would have had a massive budget compared to many teams when they dropped out of the league. He failed to do it at Walsall where his budget would have been ok for this league. 
Similarly he did get an improvement from our current squad. How much of that was down to being able to get our best 11 out for 7 or 8 games and how much was due to his managerial genius is a bit less clear. For 3 years we've looked a good side when Oyeleke, Conlon and Joyce particularly have been fit at the same time. He's made it clear he wants players like Gibbo, Smith and Conlon BUT again do a straw poll of which players from our team all managers in this league would take and those 3 and Rodney would be the ones most managers would choose. We'll have a clearer idea come Christmas. There have been plenty of positive signs but the guy is also a bit of a self publicist. Let's see where we are come late October and early November when it's his squad and there are no mitigating factors. Until then I think he deserves the benefit of any doubts we have. I think we also need some realism; the best dozen players in this league from clubs not promoted will all get picked up by league 1 clubs. The best 4 squads will all be in league 1 next year. 
Trawl back through OVF and there were lots of people saying not getting Maynard was a disaster.  Hindsight says the disaster was trying to get Maynard who scored 6 in 40 in all competitions meaning we had to sign Robinson (6 in 37). If we'd gone for our second choice, who was probably Jamille Matt, we'd have signed someone who scored 16 goals. Put 10 more goals in the current squad and we would have been in or around the play-offs. Matt came off the back of a poor season at Newport and only ever got double figure twice in 11 seasons of league football and got nowhere near in the other 9. So how inspired would we have been if Matt had rocked up in late July?

Walsall aren't in the best financial shape. Forced to sign on the cheap and promote youth to keep costs down.

[JRC]

50 minutes ago, valeparklife said:

3 hours ago, JRC said:

To be fair to Clarke his budget will be largely unchanged so he isn't going shopping at Harrods. He's trying to bring in better players on the same money. 
The question should be is he the wheeling dealing genius he claims to be. He signed a whole new squad at Bristol Rovers BUT they would have had a massive budget compared to many teams when they dropped out of the league. He failed to do it at Walsall where his budget would have been ok for this league. 
Similarly he did get an improvement from our current squad. How much of that was down to being able to get our best 11 out for 7 or 8 games and how much was due to his managerial genius is a bit less clear. For 3 years we've looked a good side when Oyeleke, Conlon and Joyce particularly have been fit at the same time. He's made it clear he wants players like Gibbo, Smith and Conlon BUT again do a straw poll of which players from our team all managers in this league would take and those 3 and Rodney would be the ones most managers would choose. We'll have a clearer idea come Christmas. There have been plenty of positive signs but the guy is also a bit of a self publicist. Let's see where we are come late October and early November when it's his squad and there are no mitigating factors. Until then I think he deserves the benefit of any doubts we have. I think we also need some realism; the best dozen players in this league from clubs not promoted will all get picked up by league 1 clubs. The best 4 squads will all be in league 1 next year. 
Trawl back through OVF and there were lots of people saying not getting Maynard was a disaster.  Hindsight says the disaster was trying to get Maynard who scored 6 in 40 in all competitions meaning we had to sign Robinson (6 in 37). If we'd gone for our second choice, who was probably Jamille Matt, we'd have signed someone who scored 16 goals. Put 10 more goals in the current squad and we would have been in or around the play-offs. Matt came off the back of a poor season at Newport and only ever got double figure twice in 11 seasons of league football and got nowhere near in the other 9. So how inspired would we have been if Matt had rocked up in late July?

Walsall aren't in the best financial shape. Forced to sign on the cheap and promote youth to keep costs down.

True this season. When he did his rebuild at the start of 2019/20 he got backed. He signed 16 players, several on over 2 grand a week (eg James Clarke). Walsall fans were less happy with his initial signings, who underperformed for 2 seasons in their eyes. They have only offered a contract to one of his signings and would like to get rid of a number on longterm contracts. He will probably have a similar budget to his first season at Walsall. Hopefully having been in place for 4 months he is in a better position to invest it more wisely. It is difficult joining a club in the summer and embarking on a complete rebuild. That will be what most fans will judge him on I suspect.

Put simply he has to bring in better players than Montano, Brisley, Joyce, Brown and Pope in their positions. Some latitude over Oyeleke as he was always injured. 

[philmpv]

Don't forget that this time he will have the assistance of DF and, most likely, will need DF to sign off on any new players

True this season. When he did his rebuild at the start of 2019/20 he got backed. He signed 16 players, several on over 2 grand a week (eg James Clarke). Walsall fans were less happy with his initial signings, who underperformed for 2 seasons in their eyes. They have only offered a contract to one of his signings and would like to get rid of a number on longterm contracts. He will probably have a similar budget to his first season at Walsall. Hopefully having been in place for 4 months he is in a better position to invest it more wisely. It is difficult joining a club in the summer and embarking on a complete rebuild. That will be what most fans will judge him on I suspect.

[werstayinup]

31 minutes ago, philmpv said:

Don't forget that this time he will have the assistance of DF and, most likely, will need DF to sign off on any new players

Totally correct,our recruitment process will be far better even if players do come in from Walsall or Mansfield,i for one have every faith in them and wont be going over the top when we are linked with those players,i have said many times now that the majority of managers will sign a fair few players that they have managed before and who they trust.

 

[SFBT]

2 hours ago, KEV.WILLIE said:

Good post, and I totally agree, 

DC did say that we had a good budget last season,  I therefore would believe it would be similar this season,  it suggests to me that we actually pay pay money, if we are for day 5/6 players less, then I would expect us to sign some better players 😉

As you rightly say,  I will judge DC on his squad come Christmas time 

 

Some of our higher paid players were at the end of 3 year tenures, generally older, and coming to the end of their careers.

The available funds should translate into younger players, perhaps at the top of their game, rather than on the wane.

[Joe B]

Clarke's first signing is, obviously, the one easiest and quickest to achieve.

'Clarke is signing a load of mid-table players! Nothing's changed'.

The classic knee-jerk.

[Clayts]

7 hours ago, KEV.WILLIE said:

Why would we release a load of mid table players, to replace them with mid table players?, surely the idea would be to replace them with better players imo 

Players from mid-table L2 teams aren't necessarily mid-table L2 players. We're mid-table L2, but Smith, Gibbo, Conlon, Woz and Rodney are top-end for L2 (and could do a job in L1).

The trick is bringing in those kind of players from other mid-table L2 sides (Benning, Clarke, the 19/20 version of Gordon and a few others mentioned here would fit that bill), alongside a few others (L1 releases, a couple of young chancers) to replace those we released, who genuinely were mid-table L2 (or worse in several cases).

[Brian]

David Davis is an interesting one. Can’t decide from his Wiki entry if he is a younger Joyce, or a fitter Oyeleke

[For Us All]

14 hours ago, valiant_593 said:

Van veen released by scunny. I’d take him 

Good shout.

[Doha]

Since August 2018 Van Veen has scored 12 league goals.

3 league appearances last year. He's crocked. Scunthrope turning down £4m for him from some puddled Chinese club in 2016 is the worst bit of transfer business they will ever do. 

[Joe B]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

David Davis is an interesting one. Can’t decide from his Wiki entry if he is a younger Joyce, or a fitter Oyeleke

Younger Joyce I think. More physical and covers more ground, with good leadership qualities. Would be a good signing.

[Joe B]

I too have often been impressed with Van Veen but he's had one good season in England and, as Doha says, is injury-ridden. The antithesis to the lean, athletic, consistent unit Dazzler x Flitters are assembling.