9 hours ago, Valiiant said:

 

Nonsense. Chislett, Garrity and Ojo are League One quality. Clark is a good League Two player when fit. Same with Smith. Dipepa will be much better from having experienced some football this season. Ripley would be one of the best goalies in League Two...

I think some people are forgetting just how poor many League Two sides are. We won't be facing anything like the same quality as the top half of League One. Look how poor we made Mansfield look in the Cup last season and the only real difference in that side were the two loanees.

Mansfield were outplayed because we controlled the midfield with Ollie and Alfie.

I think you're over rating all the players mentioned.

 

58 minutes ago, Jacko51 said:

His time in Turkey lasted 15 months. He never started a game, played 14 as sub and never scored. 

He's the only bloke who ever came back from Turkey with a hairline that was worse than when he went.

Season	Teams relegated from League 1	Promoted the next season
2009-10	Northampton Town, Crewe Alexandra, Cheltenham Town, Hereford United	None
2010-11	Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town	Swindon Town
2011-12	Exeter City, Rochdale, Wycombe Wanderers, Chesterfield	None
2012-13	Bury, Hartlepool United, Portsmouth, Scunthorpe United	None
2013-14	Stevenage, Shrewsbury Town, Notts County, Carlisle United	None
2014-15	Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient, Yeovil Town	None
2015-16	Colchester United, Crewe Alexandra, Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers	Doncaster Rovers
2016-17	Coventry City, Swindon Town, Port Vale, Chesterfield	None
2017-18	Rochdale, Oldham Athletic, Northampton Town, Milton Keynes Dons	None
2018-19	Plymouth Argyle, Scunthorpe United, Walsall, Bradford City	None
2019-20	Tranmere Rovers, Southend United, Bolton Wanderers, Stevenage	None
2020-21	Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town, Rochdale, Northampton Town	None
2021-22	Gillingham, Doncaster, Wimbledon, Crewe Alexandra	None
2022-23	MK Dons, Morecambe, Accrington Stanley, Forest Green Rovers	Only MK in mix
	3 out of 56 if MK Dons get promoted
	1.7% bounce back success
	Big challenge ahead

My priority signing would be Gibbo. Make him captain and get some full blooded commitment and nastiness in our team to start the culture change.

Also I'd be looking at winger Jack Nolan only 22. The goal involvement king (17 goals 8 assists) of L2 last season and is out of contract.

Both with a view to playing predominantly 4231/442/343 next season.

 

 

1 hour ago, 1 said:

Season	Teams relegated from League 1	Promoted the next season
2009-10	Northampton Town, Crewe Alexandra, Cheltenham Town, Hereford United	None
2010-11	Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town	Swindon Town
2011-12	Exeter City, Rochdale, Wycombe Wanderers, Chesterfield	None
2012-13	Bury, Hartlepool United, Portsmouth, Scunthorpe United	None
2013-14	Stevenage, Shrewsbury Town, Notts County, Carlisle United	None
2014-15	Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient, Yeovil Town	None
2015-16	Colchester United, Crewe Alexandra, Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers	Doncaster Rovers
2016-17	Coventry City, Swindon Town, Port Vale, Chesterfield	None
2017-18	Rochdale, Oldham Athletic, Northampton Town, Milton Keynes Dons	None
2018-19	Plymouth Argyle, Scunthorpe United, Walsall, Bradford City	None
2019-20	Tranmere Rovers, Southend United, Bolton Wanderers, Stevenage	None
2020-21	Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town, Rochdale, Northampton Town	None
2021-22	Gillingham, Doncaster, Wimbledon, Crewe Alexandra	None
2022-23	MK Dons, Morecambe, Accrington Stanley, Forest Green Rovers	Only MK in mix
	3 out of 56 if MK Dons get promoted
	1.7% bounce back success
	Big challenge ahead

Grim reading.

Even worse a quick glance through the teams since 2016  AND 6 teams  (Chesterfield, Rochdale, Oldham, Scunthorpe, Southend, FGR) then went on to be relegated to National League in subsequent seasons . Would have been 7 but Stevenage were saved by covid. 

if that doesn't scream a change in culture is needed with a turnaround of the playing squad I don't know what would.

L2 is going to be a lot of tougher than a lot of fans think.

 

Edited May 1, 20242 yr by MBE

6 minutes ago, MBE said:

Grim reading.

Even worse a quick glance through the teams since 2016  AND 6 teams  (Chesterfield, Rochdale, Oldham, Scunthorpe, Southend, FGR) then went on to be relegated to National League in subsequent seasons . Would have been 7 but Stevenage were saved by covid. 

if that doesn't scream a change in culture is needed at and a turnaround of the playing squad I don't know what would.

L2 is going to be a lot of tougher than a lot of fans think.

 

Anyone else settle for half way?

1 hour ago, Brian Johnson said:

@Rampant Zebra @TJHValiant do not let the facts get in the way of a discussion 😁

That’s still far more top tier  games than the non league names we are being linked to. 
 

I won’t argue about Uche being poor but the guy was linked with Charlton and a return to Wycombe in Jan.

Added to that, I hear little of us signing anyone better, aside from non league and 4th tier “legends” 

31 minutes ago, grand prix pants said:

Anyone else settle for half way?

I sort of would. It’s tough to accept that because I feel with the expense of the manager and a squad that will basically be our league 1 squad it should be going for auto promotion. 
 

The stability of the team might help. Especially if the few additions are of quality. We still have the likes of Nathan Smith who is a League 2 promotion winner who knows what to do in this league. 
 

When we struggled in league 2 we had turmoil. Smurfwaite turmoil. Despite all the aggro this year, we end the season with a workable football club and an experienced, if dubious manager. 
 

I think we will be fine if we keep the best of what we have. My suspicion is, some of the rubbish is expensive and contracted meaning the best may need selling. 

11 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

Barrow have Dom Telford and Cole Stockton. 

We have Ryan Loft and Uche Ikpeazu.

Barrow have missed out on the league two playoffs.

Stockton got 7 in 12. Telford only 4. 
But two seasons ago, Telford got 25 in league 2 at the age of 28. Stockton got 23 in league 1 at the age of 28.

Uche will be 30 in February and hasn’t hit a barn door in his career. 
It won’t start now. 
It won’t start in August. 
It won’t start in August 2025. 
He’s garbage. 

I don’t want my strikers to do a “job”. I want them to score or contribute to goals. 
He can’t do either. 
It’s as simple as that. 
 

 

 

Yes Uche has never been prolific but he's played most of his career in League 1 or the Championship so plenty of qualified people in the game have seen fit to employ him. It would be interesting to know how many goals his strike partners & attacking midfielders have scored when playing alongside him. Don't get me wrong I would expect us to sign at least 2 strikers who know where the back of the net is but I think there is room for Uche in a squad of 4/5 strikers. There will be games/opposition that will suit his style. It would depend for me on whether we would be able to offload Loft as there probably isn't room for both of them. 

38 minutes ago, grand prix pants said:

Anyone else settle for half way?

I would have been OK with mid table given the mess we are left with in terms of the squad BUT

the fact Carol has spent money on a big name manager and employed his bloated backroom staff with little improvement in L1, for me playoffs MUST be the minimum achievement.

Darren Moore has a huge amount of work to do and is going have to have a decent start to the season otherwise its going to be very very difficult to turn the club culture around.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Stockleys_socks said:

Yes Uche has never been prolific but he's played most of his career in League 1 or the Championship so plenty of qualified people in the game have seen fit to employ him. It would be interesting to know how many goals his strike partners & attacking midfielders have scored when playing alongside him. Don't get me wrong I would expect us to sign at least 2 strikers who know where the back of the net is but I think there is room for Uche in a squad of 4/5 strikers. There will be games/opposition that will suit his style. It would depend for me on whether we would be able to offload Loft as there probably isn't room for both of them. 

You make a valid point and would highlight Tom Pope( albeit much better player) as similar.

Ask Adam Le Fondre and James Vaughan who the best strike partner they had to occupy defenders and create space for them. Only when Pope was the main man the rest is glorious history. Uche is obviously not good enough to be the main man.

My issue with Uche is value for money in wages. I don't feel it's worth it for a non scoring player.

Anyone else settle for half way?

I would snap your hand off right now for Half Way.
There's no way on Earth we are going to find the goals needed for a promotion push in between now and August, not to mention a defence that can concede just over a goal a game average.

1 hour ago, MBE said:

My priority signing would be Gibbo. Make him captain and get some full blooded commitment and nastiness in our team to start the culture change.

Also I'd be looking at winger Jack Nolan only 22. The goal involvement king (17 goals 8 assists) of L2 last season and is out of contract.

Both with a view to playing predominantly 4231/442/343 next season.

 

 

As good a player as Gibbo is if you judge it on amount of games I think the decision not to resign him was correct. Last few seasons:

23/24: 26 appearances across Rovers and Cambridge (although possibly not low for fitness reasons as not 1st choice at rovers

22/23: 32 appearances Rovers

21/22: 28 vale

20/21: 12 vale

19/20: 35 vale

18/19: 19 vale

So basically missing somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 games each season.

If we didn't have that emotional connection to him and he was a random player, we'd all think it was a gamble if we signed him again. Completely get the point of signing players with the same mentality though.

1 hour ago, MBE said:

My priority signing would be Gibbo. Make him captain and get some full blooded commitment and nastiness in our team to start the culture change.

Also I'd be looking at winger Jack Nolan only 22. The goal involvement king (17 goals 8 assists) of L2 last season and is out of contract.

Both with a view to playing predominantly 4231/442/343 next season.

 

 

As good a player as Gibbo is if you judge it on amount of games I think the decision not to resign him was correct. Last few seasons:

23/24: 26 appearances across Rovers and Cambridge (although possibly not low for fitness reasons as not 1st choice at rovers

22/23: 32 appearances Rovers

21/22: 28 vale

20/21: 12 vale

19/20: 35 vale

18/19: 19 vale

So basically missing somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 games each season.

If we didn't have that emotional connection to him and he was a random player, we'd all think it was a gamble if we signed him again. Completely get the point of signing players with the same mentality though.

1 hour ago, MBE said:

My priority signing would be Gibbo. Make him captain and get some full blooded commitment and nastiness in our team to start the culture change.

Also I'd be looking at winger Jack Nolan only 22. The goal involvement king (17 goals 8 assists) of L2 last season and is out of contract.

Both with a view to playing predominantly 4231/442/343 next season.

 

 

Agree with all these. Also just seen that John Marquis has been released by Bristol too. I don’t think there’s any denying that all would improve our squad.