Ash Taylor

Corrected that for you given the news about Tiffin expanding their match day offering.

 

I can’t begin to imagine the meltdown if he hadn’t!

On second thoughts…..lol

 

The biggest warning from fans from other clubs (Port Vale)about former player was on Theo Robinson

 

So many will complain irrespective of signings. We are a 4th division team, so expectations should mirror our "lofty" position.

I know nothing of our first new team recruits but amongst my wants this summer was a greater presence of pace and height. So far tick.

Looking back to last season we scored the same as Stevenage and Leyton Orient. That defensive side of the 22/23 team needs to improve first and foremost

 

Remember our glowing appraisal of Jordan Gibson, Omari Patrick.

 

Walker was pretty shite last season. Ok shite.

 

Problem is though that you trot out the same rhetoric every single year while we're all underwhelmed with the signings and every single year, we fall short, usually by a long, long way.

What you won't admit it's that it's ok to be underwhelmed and usually it means we're lining up to fail.

 

Agree Fordy, It seemed to me he was carrying a injury or was still unfit ? He didn't look right.

 

What's surprising about social media is all the mockery from Walsall fans.

He played a handful of games for them, and was there half a season (hit by Covid). He then left and the manager had to come out and say nothing untoward happened.

I don't think I can take their fans opinion on Taylor seriously, to be honest. Kilmarnock fans who have just watched for 2 years? Yes, I'll take theirs on board.

Reading a lot of 'slow to turn' comments. He's a 31 year old 6'4 centre back. If we're asking him to turn and chase back, we're getting it wrong somewhere else in the team. I'd be slightly concerned, though, if our defensive triangle was Taylor/Stubbs and Smallwood just ahead, because Stubbs and Smallwood are also verifiably slow.

 

I wouldn't say shite but certainly looking for more next season. Quite a lot more.

Walker COULD be a real difference in the forthcoming season but aptitude and keeping clear of injury are imperative

 

The comments from other Northampton and Walsall fans isn’t great but I can’t see him coming in as a starter. I take it that’s the end of Critchlow then?

 

I thought his best game for us was season before when we had a player sent off and he moved into midfield,he was magnificent that day.

 

I think Hughes' style of squad rotation last year spoke volumes.

Players didn't seem to get into the side unless there was a fitness or suspension issue.

Crichlow had to sit out quite a while with Platt ahead of him, then Platt got sent off for a second time, and that was pretty much his season done as Crich came back in and Platt had to sit back and watch.

Whether Taylor or Platt start, it's likely that the other one will have to bide their time before getting in - and then take their chance. Just like it should be.

In other words: deciding now whether Taylor starts or not is probably an impossible task.

 

Sustainability!

Let’s go nowhere!

 

Yeah, this has definitely happened season after season (not knocking @banbrotam as there are a few that get excited in the close season). So far we've seen Oduor and Taylor. I'm not surprised nobody is mightily impressed, both are shrug-of-the-shoulders signings based on everything we can glean from the internet. Both also seem to make sense, as we were crap at set pieces (offensively and defensively), and we had too few players willing to use pace and skill to take people on.

I can see why, stylistically, Hughes has signed both.

But we're a million miles from a marquee signing having just missed on one.

There's nothing to get too excited about yet - but also no reason to get upset about anything either.

I think it's folly to go too far one way or another, and I think you're usually in the 'open minded' group most preseasons if I remember rightly - which often gets branded as negative, when it's not. We don't have to believe that we're going to be great when the players are bang average. I think most of us could see that ahead of the Derek Adams season, but some insisted that Adams was going to replicate his success at Morecambe simply because he was signing cheap. Doesn't work like that.

 

Was that Tranmere game when Watt was sent off...

 

I can’t say whether I’m overwhelmed or underwhelmed I’ve never heard of the guy! However the guy has played approaching 450 professional games so he’s obviously no mug otherwise he’d have slipped out of the game. His experience could be invaluable and I’ll judge him with my own eyes.

 

Good post.

 

But if we threw money at our aims, would that guarantee us?

See Reading and Wigan as very recent examples