Out of contract players

It’s kind of my point though, everyone said the same with Smallwood. Stockport are no doubt getting rid as they’re well passed their prime, every player has a final good season and how often does that season tend to be the one before joining us?! I’m not advocating bringing in a bunch of kids, just getting away from the same tired old journey man list.

 

Wrexham signed James McLean and Steven Fletcher. Mansfield signed Aiden Flint. All well past their prime.

 

And non released by recent league 2 clubs. Of course older signings can work, but the point is we have experience we need mobility and pace that we’re lacking.

 

It is all about balance; a team of young players would be very difficult for them. Exactly the same for older players but for different reasons.

 

There's a reason Peterborough often start failing around late March early April in the league, they try do it with squads under 25 and they need big match experience.

Average age to get a promotion in the EFL is 29 for a reason. You need your young pace out wide and experienced heads in the spine. You need a mix, but the right mix on both sides of the coin and it doesn't feel like at the minute we have the right mobile lads out wide or the right older heads down the middle.

 

Is it? I’ve found the average ages for league one and the championship this season and not one club even has an average age of 29.

https://the72.co.uk/2023/09/20/the-average-age-of-every-championship-side-in-the-2023-24-season/amp/

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This.
It’s pointless having older heads however, if they are as mobile as an oil tanker?

 

Promoted L2 clubs. Clubs that are moving up the ladder so by default will want to improve their squad for L1. It doesn't mean the players released are not good enough for L2 anymore. These are top end players who have just gained promotion. If we were talking about FGR or Sutton releasing 30 somethings then I can concede.

Like Jordan pointed out.........Madden has 17 goals and 4 assist, Srcevic has 7 goals and 7 assists. Both have played their part this season and I wouldnt be against either plumping up our squad - as long as there is a mix of pace, mobility and youth in our recruitment.

 

We’ll have to agree to disagree, but we have Cook and Walker and to me they would be a replacement for them too and I’m happy with our two tbh.

 

Watching with envy the clips of Stockport, Wrexham, Mansfield celebrating promotion. Well run clubs, with ambition beyond not going bust, and then waking up to headlines in the T&A that we're hoping to keep the likes of Ogeyoke and Wright.

Our recruitment will be a shambles again, and next season will be more of the same guff - only cheaper and with sprinkling of a DoF being in place to give the illusion of change. And whilst its a case of each ti their own, if and when next season proves to be more of the same, anyone who's bought an ST will have lost any right to moan about how the club is being run.

 

Cook and Walker are completely different players to Madden and Sarcevic. You are purely basing their similarities on age.

 

Im ok with Wright but Oyegoke is an odd one.

 

“ Well run clubs” ?

Is the criteria for having a well run club, governed solely by playing budgets and owner investment or League position? I’m curious….. Two of the clubs you mentioned as being “ well run” have had far and away more unlimited player investment than we have for the last three seasons. Remember two of them could spend what they wanted without any regulation from the EFL for a number of seasons.
I am NOT knocking their success I’m curious as to how you define “well run” and what criteria you use……..Having owners who throw investment at clubs is not an indication of being “ well run”.

 

Walker and Sarcevic both play in a number 10 or can drop into midfield, both have similar contributions as well discounting injuries. Madden and Cook are both forwards. Sorry it’s nothing to do with age, would you want them 4 all in the starting 11? It would be an aging immobile midfield and attack. We need more experience at centre back, but have plenty up front and in midfield. Where would this pace and mobility come from playing 3 at the back with them and then Halliday at RWB? More of the same issues.

Anyway thankfully they won’t be coming, if they do it’s just more of the same shite recruitment.

 

Football is a squad game and Madden and Cook are absolutely nothing alike - a very lazy comparison. Madden is mobile btw - you must have missed the Stockport game this season.

Sarcevic and Walker may be both number 10s but not sure if you noticed Walkers injury record or how shite Oduor is.

 

Yes I watched it and he’s nowhere near as mobile as he once was, both are poachers just because Cook is big doesn’t make him a hold up man.

Yes squad game, hence I’d want a younger number 10 to challenge Walker, not someone with a similar amount of starts this season himself and who is a couple of years older and will cost a fair whack to spend a portion of the season sat on the bench.

 

Odour ain't too bad when he is on his game ......

 

But it worked. If they weren’t “well run”, those expensive players wouldn’t have got them promoted. I suspect they’ve also thrown money at the playing surface, recruitment team, coaching team, medical team, analysts, marketing team, PR team, club shop, catering, AND turned the hot water on.

 

Just about sums up our recruitment overall does that. A squad full of players who aren't too bad when they are (occasionally) on their game.

 

Just you wait until those solar panels are up and running. There'll be more hot water than people know what to do with.