2024 Released Players & City transfer rumours

Harrogate need a replacement for Armstrong don't they? and have the money. It'll them I guess.

 

Both crap. Easy mistake ! BTW, the Draught Bass in Wigan was excellent !

 

Would fans be glad if Lee Evans returned to the club?

 

From our own division, if Pattison is anything to go by, we might swoop in for a couple of players who aren’t released but who haven’t yet signed a new contract.

How about Joe Pritchard from Accy? 27, 6 goals and 4 assists from centre mid, but can play right or left? Plenty of League One experience. Been a leader in a very young Accrington squad over the years.

So as far as the league below goes, from what I can tell Marcus Dinanga of Gateshead is out of contract. 26 year old striker who scored 21 goals last season and got 6 assists. Assuming we don’t lose Andy Cook, but Vadaine goes, I’d like us to have a proper number 9 in reserve.

22 year old Connor Barrett of AFC Fylde has 11 assists from right wing back. I know, I know, we have Brad Halliday, but what about a lad like that instead of Oyegoke? He’s out of contract but in negotiations with Fylde.

22 yeard old Eddy Jones of Altrincham is a left back with 7 assists. That’s more than most wingers at that level. He’s under contract so would be a fee.

 

We have enough comedians on here !

 

Too many injuries. A crock.

100% fit Lee Evans, sure.

 

With 1 leg and 1 eye he's head and shoulders above anyone in this league, big problem would be wages and would he drop down to this god awful league

 

Gent owns this bad signing, but let's remember plenty on these boards were moaning last season that we didn't have enough height in the team and we should be doing better. That despite the fact we'd conceded less than a goal per game. Hughes clearly agreed though - because he talked about wanting a tall striker. And then got the first one available (showing why early season signings are often not a good idea)

Gent's success rate is probably as good as anybody's. I'm not sure what your expectation is, but if a scout is having a 60% success ratio - then they are doing their job.

Let's remember, despite the rubbish we've served up in the last two seasons - we've ended up in better postions than the previous two seasons. So recruitment can not have been the 'meh' some see it is.

Half a dozen players not working out, isn't a big problem if we've had half a dozen that have been in the 'very good' category.

The summer window could be critically ranked as moderate (Pattinson very good, Taylor very poor) but the January window was largely impeccable, two out of two genuinely great (at this stage) signings. Lewis going for money. Christ! Even Osadebe went for fee. And of course the interest in Jake Young (the fact he hasn't done anything for us isn't Gent's fault). Nor is the fact he's bought players largely for Hughes and the they've had to be used by two other managers with vastly different ideas of how the game is played.

I think the problem is, it's all subjective - some will see Kelly as a failure. I don't as he's improving game by game and so he's an 'OK' signing, i.e. not bad. Oyegoke, got written off after his debut - but in the end showed why Brentford rate him (did he ever give the ball away? and his crossing was way above L2 level)

I remember Greg Abbott getting oceans of abuse on here and it's the same with other clubs. Frankly, some have way too high expectations of what a scout can achieve. Look how badly Dan Ashworth dropped the ball with a lack of due diligence on Tonali.

 

You think we have a 60% success rate? Of course look who's talking. 60% success with the amount of players Gent has brought in would mean we are getting automatically promoted from this league, ending 9th means a majority of the signings have failed, no ifs, buts or maybe's about it.

My expectations are to get promoted out of the basement of the football league, we've failed and bringing crap like Ash Taylor in year in and year out is part of the problem. So don't come at me with that nonsense about questioning what I expect, I expect better than your gutter expectations that's what.

 

It's not as simple as saying we ended up 9th this season and we failed - means that the scouts have failed.

You forget that he's bought most of these players for one manager. Another manager takes over and thinks differently about the players. And then another is taken on and thinks differently to both.

Wilson, is a classic example. He's not a failed signing, as he's shown plenty of ability and had a very low percentage of poor game segments (Wimbledon away was one of those). However, he simply will never fit into a 3-4-3 system or its variants. Remember, he was signed because Hughes had abandoned three at the back and decided he needed wingers.

Also, when you sign younger players - like we have it often takes a season or even two for them to show their true potential. Who said this? None other than Nigel Clough - when talking about Will Swan.

Yes of course there's been some poor signings. Derbyshire and Taylor are classic examples. But Gent seems to be judged, by some, just on those that haven't worked out.

 

There are plenty of reasons why signings don't always work out.
Gent will put a name forward but then it's down to group of people to have their say before any approach takes place for said player.
The players family might struggle to settle in the area, injuries sustained while playing,tactical changes and not been able to show the form they are renowned for elsewhere are just a sample of what can go wrong.
None of these can be guaranteed not to happen so in my view it's not down to any particular person during the signing process.

 

Exactly the team that Hughes had at the start of last season performed much better under Alexander. Bringing in players on a budget is difficult Gent has done OK

 

You mentioned success rate. You can not put him as a success because he hasn't played much. So now it is no longer a 60% success rate, but a percentage that hasn't either failed or had chance to? Be careful how you word things, as it can be confusing as to what you mean, a bit like a politician.

 

Now I'm confused. I've said that a 60% success ratio for a scout is good.

I think Gent is around that, but yes there are plenty of players who cant be judged as to whether they are a success or failure - in terms of him doing what he should be doing, getting players to the club that fit in with what the manager wants.

So it's impossible to rate Gents scouting of Wilson. Because he doesn't fit in with what the current manager wants, i.e. Gent cannot necessarily be pilloried for another manager signings if the new manager doesn't fancy them - unless of course we've seen that they are poor, i.e. Taylor.

Scouting's a difficult science. Compared to the terrible transfer windows of 2018 through to 2021 (although January 2021 wasn't bad - mind you it had to be, otherwise we were relegated!!) the recent ones, as a whole have been better. However. January this year showed what happens if there is a clear dialogue between a good manager and a good scout and so I expect them to be of that improved quality in the future.

 

I'd usually agree that players owe us nothing, but we started his career and we took the gamble on a goalkeeper that hadn't played in 4 years. We're entitled to feel that actually he did owe something to the club that gave him his first break. He said himself he'd started considering other careers

 

Coincidentally Sparks & Gent do remind me of politicians. Surface when they are either forced to, or they want to give themselves a pat on the back, but refuse to answer real questions with truthful responses

 

Give over. Gent has done far from ok

I judge people by their actions. The guy is an absolute car crash and we could (and should) have better. Hopefully Sharpe will flush out the dead wood within the first 3 or 4 months. We cannot be hanging around in this godforsaken league any longer. No more excuses!

 

23/24 - 9
22/23 - 29
21/22 - 27

Thats his appearances the last 3 seasons. His knee is f**ked.

 

To be fair, there seems to be a hell of a load of deep CMs for free so far this summer. It's not like the CB market which seems pretty thread-bare for quality so far. I think a lot of teams will look past Evans this summer with the state of his dependability.