Bloated Squad-New signings

If you look at recruitment as a whole from the Adams era to this point, the only decent/half decent successes I can think of are -
Cook, Halliday, Ridealgh, Platt, Lewis, Walker, Chapman, Stubbs, Smallwood, Pattison (so far), Banks, Crichlow, Wright (half season). Add Gilliead to that list from before and that's it. 14 players over 6 transfer windows who hit the bare minimum of consistency required to get 3 appearances in a row. Now consider how many players we've signed including loans and its pretty obvious and damning where the problem lies. You can invest in all the coaches that you want, but if the basic attitude and skill set isn't there, you're wasting a lot of time and resource. Not every transfer is going to work but as a key contributor to the success or failure of the club, recruitment has to be up there as needing investment to make sure you get the best you can afford. Otherwise you're wasting a hell of a lot money time and time again

 

I'd struggle to add Walker & Chapman to that list, both flatter to deceive and haven't really done much. Ridehalgh ? So that leaves six permanent signings. One per window.

 

Walker has flattered to deceive at times, but he’s definitely one of the first on the team sheet. Chapman was coming good before the injuries and in the right position is the best we have. Ridealgh is steady as a defender but lacks the attacking attributes. I still think he’s been steady away and was part of a very decent defensive unit last year.

 

I personally think Walker is one of the very few in our squad who would be comfortable in league 1.

I like Chapman, and just when he started playing wider last season he looked really good until of course the unfortunate injury

Unfortunately I think it is a season too far for Ridehalgh here.

 

That’s fair.

 

You know what, you might have just hit the walker problem on the head in that L2 is a drop too far, and the reason he drifts in and out.

 

Indeed, it's ever the problem of having players on the fringes of squads that people just assume will pick up their bag and leave or want to go out on loan to some random team. They won't! Just like the rest of us, players have families and mortgages to pay, and at the fourth division, the wages and bonuses of players aren't high so when they have the choice between staying where they are and being more financially secure or moving and playing but not at the same financial level or it impacting their personal lives then some/many will take the financial option.

We forget every player has a family situation they are living in. We have to move past this blame culture of saying 'why doesn't x leave and play first team footy elsewhere, they're rubbish' and instead blame the recruitment team and football hierarchy that recruited poorly and left us with players that don't fit/aren't producing on long term contracts.

 

I agree. But the effect of the crazy contracts probably means we won't get promotion either this season or next. Some people have an awful lot to answer for.

 

In no particular order (I absolve Rupp as he has no interest or say in who we sign)

Hughes
Hodges
Gent
Sparks

 

I don't think that the length of contracts is the crazy problem with our recruitment. With the exception of Oliver, Cook and Pattison the rest of our 3 year deals have gone to early/mid 20's players who haven't really played a lot of football where we're taking a bit of a punt because they have potential and we can develop them in to real assets for the club.

Personally I can get behind that approach. However, what I think is crazy is handing out 3 year deals and then not giving players the chance to prove themselves or signing a load of extra competition so their path to the 1st team is blocked.

 

Not many on that least worth keeping