30 minutes ago, bennymole said:

Thats a very sweeping statement, care to tell us why?

Think he has been brilliant this season and my favourite player. His stamina and sniffing out danger is phenomenal. However, the step up to League 1 is massive. Similar to Pett he has not got the outright pace to compete and to be able to do what he is best at at the next level. I think it shows in his career. Not a slight on him - but every player has a level and pace is often the key.

3 hours ago, Hoppers said:

Thats frightening - Going against the OVF popular opinion, I never thought he downed tools last season, he was just on the same level of crapness as the rest of em 😁😁

He's clearly a jinx - we don't need any extra challenges...

1 hour ago, werstayinup said:

We signed 2 players from Academies and one John has been a real find,the other Edwards as you say hasn't worked so yes signing players released from an Academy is worth a punt in the hope we uncover another John

Edwards is back at Vale. No idea if he was sent back or recalled as a result of the Kyle John injury. I've not seen any reviews of either his loans, whereas Lomax and Plant have received plenty of praise by the clubs where they've been. Edwards was always more of a gamble as John is 24. He was very close to the Everton first team; which was why he didn't get any loan moves. 

Might be a bit premature 🤔, but signings to strengthen the team for next season. I might be engulfed in an inferno of flames, but here goes. 
1. Alfie May - proven 31 year old in the lower divisions, will Birmingham want to release after promotion. 
2. Tyrese Campbell 25 years old, will Sheffield united want to release after promotion? I thinks he wants to prove a point in the local area and the best platform would be playing for your noisy neighbours. 

Imray would be on my list 

Probably talking 25-30k a week in wages just for the above three players. Palace also rejected a bid of over 700k from Wycombe for Imray.

Has Carol won the Euromillions a few times?

Already a premature thread started on this

 

7 hours ago, Mellor! said:

Probably talking 25-30k a week in wages just for the above three players. Palace also rejected a bid of over 700k from Wycombe for Imray.

Has Carol won the Euromillions a few times?

Alfie May got a massive pay rise when Birmingham signed him, on top of a big one when he moved to Charlton.  There needs to be at least a remote sense of realism.  In the 70s and 80s the club at least made small profits in promotion seasons. Last promotion Carol and Kevin had to put in over a million to cover losses. I suspect this season will be more. I'm pretty sure that the current wage bill is over 3.5m. I have no idea what the plans would be for next year if we go up but I'd be surprised if there isn't an uplift. However,  we aren't going to be in the market for players who are earning a million plus. 

People will point to pulling off the George Byers signing. The reality is he has played the majority of his football at league 1 level (top end). He has an horrific injury record and to get him we took an enormous gamble on a 3 year contract. Carlisle took a gamble at Christmas on Kadeem Harris, who has played nearly all his football at Championship level. Based on one game only I'd take Harris over Byers. Their gamble was more linked to him playing overseas for three and a half years. We may be able to pull off a relatively big name signing but it would be with an element of risk, which would also lower the wage for the player.

Whichever league we end up in we'll end up looking at free transfers from that league, players from the 2 leagues below we think can make the jump and released academy players for the bulk of our signings. Our best signings last summer were:

Croasdale - the poor relation of the 2 Stockport midfield players released 

John - hands up who'd heard of him. Anyone with their hands up would probably also have rated Lewis Warrington and MacKenzie Hunt as better prospects!

Tolaj - National League

Stockley - not that much of a gamble but playing for a club in the same league

Headley was by far our best January signing and was very much unwanted by a team mid table in the league above.

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by JRC

Need a doctor please, just hurt my back after falling on the floor laughing at the Tyrese Campbell suggestion. 

Why on earth would the top scorer for the team who came 3rd in the Championship drop to play for us ?

Unbelievable Jeff. 

8 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

Need a doctor please, just hurt my back after falling on the floor laughing at the Tyrese Campbell suggestion. 

Why on earth would the top scorer for the team who came 3rd in the Championship drop to play for us ?

Unbelievable Jeff. 

He’s also on a five figure per week wage 

6 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

He’s also on a five figure per week wage 

And as for proving a point to Stoke, scoring against them earlier in the season and being Sheffield United top scorer keeping an 11 million pound striker out of the team ought to be enough 🙄.  

Wonder where Jamie Vardy will end up... Wrexham maybe?

42 minutes ago, valefan16 said:

Wonder where Jamie Vardy will end up... Wrexham maybe?

USA the actual place not Wrexham 

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by Brian Johnson

1 hour ago, valefan16 said:

Wonder where Jamie Vardy will end up... Wrexham maybe?

Or stoke?

15 hours ago, valiant_593 said:

Imray would be on my list 

I am hoping DM was impressed when he has seen him play us,caused us problems in both games(despite our 5-0 win at home,he was their stand out player i thought)