2024 Released Players & City transfer rumours

Crowley always has two forwards and a midfielder within 15 yards of him when he gets the ball in a creative space because of the way they play. Our attacking mids when they get the ball see Cook a good 30 yards away and marked by 2 defenders, because of the counter attacking long ball we play. Crowley is an immense talent, but we'd "Bradford-ise" him in no time with our setup.

 

Did county play half their best 11, asking for a mate.

 

My Barnsley friend seems to think this may be a young Arsenal forward on loan. We’ll see.

 

Really ? I appreciate what he's won and who he's played for, but absolutely nowhere in the press or media do I seem him being given stature and respect in the same way the likes of Saunders, Bruce, Sounness, Hansen, Keane and other players of that generation and slightly later get.

I would say in terms of what the general media think of him, he' actually a forgotten man and i suspect (having read biographies and autobiographies on him) that the issue is he has an ego the size of the white cliffs of Dover and is not at all well liked in the media.

Just my opinion of course, but I reckon the media would concur

 

I agree, you have to recruit players to fit your system and we don't play the way County or MK do, and to be fair most teams in league 2 don't. I thought Alexander had hit upon a system that worked at the end of last season but not sure yet the recruitment this season has improved us. The balance in midfield so far feels wrong, it may be that Adams, if he does indeed sign, might be that missing link. Need to start shipping out the players that GA doesn't want now, i think the club will start to put pressure on fringe players to look elsewhere rather than just hang around the club.

 

Is JY reaping what he sowed himself ?

 

The basis is the story in the Wigan newspaper , so not sure why he’s being called out as a WuM .

He’s probably more polite than me. Can you indicate what’s wrong with repeating an article publicised by the club involved? ( Just as Parker “ publishes” City “ news” )

 

If the club are entertaining offers then it's obviously going to affect his mindset. One minute he thinks he's off to league one and the next he's staying here. Not easy for a young inexperienced lad who's already been treated like a pariah by the club. If he's here beyond the window I’d expect to see him knuckle down and fight for his place.

 

Exactly. The problem for managers like GA is, long ball is fading away, even at this level. The passing stats for the last few years all trend one way. I think it was 16 teams last season ended up with a pass completion over 60 something percent and short passes were at an all time high for the level year on year. We played the most long balls in the league last season, which shows how direct we were given GA had two thirds of the season, and even our amount of long balls wouldn't even put us in the top 10 amount of direct passes in the league when Bolton went up a few years back. There are only a handful like you say with Notts and MK that pass to that extent, but it is rising.

It's a big problem for teams that have managers of the GA mould. It now makes it harder and harder to recruit for your style at this level. I mean look at Carlisle or MK, these teams that every year get PL loanees to improve their squad because their academies want them playing a certain way to progress. Unfortunately for us, the youth talent we look at to fill out the squad is going to be limited to fringe players in L1 dropping down or guys like Costelloe, Nevers, Afoka who they know aren't going to make it, because PL teams wont want hoof ball anywhere near their youth with hopes.

 

Wigan did not say the “cooling off” was as a result that he couldn’t command a place in the team which has played twice. Plus players who are of interest to other clubs often get stood down either to avoid injury and or distraction due to interest. But hey don’t let the truth get in the way of the unsubstantiated rumours.

 

Gotta feel for Jake, not been an easy ride for him since he joined us. Personally i didn't rate his first spell with us and thought him being loaned out was best for both parties. But watched that spell at Swindon closely and the move seemed to rejuvenate him, his link up with the likes of Dan Kemp showed there is a talent to work on. Easy to look in hindsight but really shouldn't have come back, although we had the final say on that. As long as we bring better players in that fit there isn't anyone at the club who is indispensable

 

Correct, in reality, why would any potential purchaser be the slightest bit bothered that he hasn't played in our two league games, just the opposite, if they rated a player (any player) they would be happier that he wasn't involved and therefore at less risk of a knock.

91 football clubs in this country make normal rationale decisions on transfers (maybe 90 as Manure seem to be the model we follow of buying shite) having watched a player over a long period of time, often at multiple clubs, and assess how they would fit into the jigsaw of a squad, rather than the fact that they once had a good 45 minutes against us.

Our transfer policy is a joke - played for Middlesbrough (tick), lived in the north east (tick), related by marriage to Stephen Gent (tick), had some connection with David Sharpe (tick), played well against us in a home defeat at VP (double tick), been talked up by a no-mark on twitter (treble tick).

Phil Parkinson was the last manager we had to apply any logic on transfers, and that was because he firstly told Lawn that if Archie Christie didn't go, he would, and was then left alone to recruit with no boardroom involvement. Scouts may have recommended players, but if Parky said he didn't want them they didn't come.

The only time the boardroom stuck its nose in (McLean), Parky had him out inside 10 months, three of which were close season.

And there you have it, my considered contribution to the growing "bag of bitterness".

 

I do feel for him, young footballers are not robots and many are not emotional mature, hence the bust up with Hughes, who I do feel botched the whole scenario up. I was pleased for him when he went to Swindon and he has no doubt learned loads from that experience.

I did rate him in the short spell he played for us. At time during that spell though he looked like a fish out of water, but I knew there was a good footballer inside him that needed a managers TLC to nurture it a long.

However, I am getting to the stage of he needs to go not for the benefit of the club but the players well being.

 

To be fair it isn't really long ball we play, apart from the diagonal balls to the wing backs. Alexander is looking to play more of the "high press" but for that you need the right players on the pitch, it certainly doesn't suit Kavanagh.
I wouldn't want us playing the Milton Keynes system, certainly not in League 2, they had a several games last season where they bossed possession but got picked off and turned over. The playoffs and the game down at Valley Parade being examples.

 

His band wouldn't move North.

 

Firstly the post was made in the Bromley match thread. Secondly, the link he posted makes no mention of "his failure to earn a place in the team has cost Young a move". Can you indicate where it does?

 

Jordan Davies (On loan from Wrexham at Grimsby) was one i was surprised we didn't go for since we needed midfield additions. Watched him last night for all of 6 minutes before he got injured and he looked really lively. A lad with a point to proove. Hope he gets back soon.

Also Crowley and Jones for Notts County were different gravy. Same with the huge target man Jatta.

 

Like Harry Lewis .... misses a move and then is a waste of a wage as performance dips. Get rid.

 

Agreed, we need shut, it's rumbled on for far too long. It's a shame as I think there is a player in there, but we're not the club to get it out of him.

 

Spot on, I can't disagree with any of that. I also like Alexander, apart from his football, his tactics, and his team selections.
He seems to get the club, speaks well, and seems a good character. But on the football side it's generally a dreadful watch, the only saving grace being if we win the game, and his take on our performance at Grimsby, what was he watching? It's got to be difficult for players to fully buy in to his methods, and belief is a big thing.
Hopefully we can get enough points to keep us in the mix then over the line, as much as I don't like Alexander's football the chopping and changing managers has to stop.