Most liked posts in thread: Richard Smallwood

I am not worried one bit. Young, fast and bags of potential. I would not count Cook out yet, more mobile player around him.
He just needs to knock the ball down for them or get on the end of things in the six yard box, just like Bobby did.

 

Excellent signing. I've just listened to his first interview on I Follow, without a doubt he's the new City captain.

 

Thought the Walker signing was a massive show of intent.Think this one moves us to a different level.

 

Hang on a minute, you sure about this Park? I thought you said it was a wind up?

 

Great signing, probably what we have needed since our initial slide to the doldrums of our current position. Hopefully this is the start of the climb! Let’s goooo!!

 

With 3 promotions on his cv

 

Looks like a fantastic signing. Great work by all involved.

 

Had Hughes been in from the start from last season then no way would we have finished 14th we would have been finishing at the very least in the top 10 ............. now with a far stronger squad with a manager who will go after teams then it’s stands to reason that we will finish a hell of a lot higher

 

I think our change in tactics will put a lot less pressure on that defence something that Adams failed to understand ............ and tbh the lads we have brought in could be a lot stronger than the lads who have gone

 

But what you are forgetting is Sparky wasn't there all of last season. If the latter end of the season is anything to go by we would have finished much higher no issue had he been there longer.

Also, is Smallwood just 'one decent signing'? I think Walker and Chapman are extremely decent for his level. Based on the glowing references from Port Vale, Swindon, Barrow and Forest Green fans have had to say - we have also signed another 4 that will help us improve on the shite at Sparkys disposal from last season.

 

Now to move one or two on and thank them for their services to the club.

 

Yeh like for like different players. Just thinking Watt wont have been offered peanuts to stay and we will be looking at receiving a bit of compo I suppose. All helps the coffers when we are signing players from the Championship I suppose.

Seems like East is the like for like replacement if anything. But with Gilli and Sutton as options too I'm pretty content. I liekd Gill at CM under Sparky.

 

Exactly the reply I expected. Boring

 

Id love to see a general forum where all the negative nellys from each club congregate and argue with each other about whose going to do the worst this coming season.

'Christ, weve signed some right shite this year. Wont even finish 15th'

'Dont think so pal, our players are far worse than yours. We will finish below you no problem'

'Beg to differ, we only had 8 turn up for pre season. We are going down and somebody is going to stop us'

Be nice to pop on from time to time for a giggle.

 

Fair play. Onwards and upwards.

 

It is Fordy but at the moment, I am more optimistic than pessimistic.. Had we had Mark all season with the same players, I feel sure we would have had 50% of the 19 required. On top of that, there won't be many better players in the division than Smallwood and Walker and they and Chapman will not have come cheap. They would also not have come without the assurance of support good enough for a promotion challenge. Mark has clearly identified what he wants and who he feels can complete the task, hence he has moved quickly and decisively. Because we don't know most of the players he has signed, it doesn't mean that they are shite so for now let us at least trust his judgement. Come September we will have a better idea of how the close season has gone.

 

We finished 7th in 12/13.

If you give your manager, even a really good one, absolutely nothing to build on, then that's probably your limit.

Anyone thinking this season is all on Hughes is deluded.

It's like getting a fast car that can go 0-60 in 3 seconds, but you're still playing catch up on those already flying.

Perspective needed. We are battling against previous poor performance.

 

There were a few of us not happy with Adams appointment but the majority were in favour. Time proved the minority were right to.question the appointment, especially when Lee Turnbull was shown the door.

 

Honest as always I was fine with Adams being brought in. I guess from the clubs perspective, he was brought in on the belief he could replicate his time at Morecambe by getting us promoted on a shoestring. I don’t know where Turnbull came into the equation, however I guess that he was also put there to identify “ cheap” , low wage recruits. As it turned out we ended up with a disjointed and perhaps toxic mix of a squad….. Hindsight is a wonderful tool!
Sparks and of course Rupp decided the error could not be repeated and it was impossible to do it on the cheap. It’s the only way Rupp could look to sell his asset by having a winning team? I think the surprising application of MH for manager role has been the undoubted catalyst. The professional transformation of the club from top to bottom is the result. There are no guarantees of course but we certainly look to have a far more workmanlike and capable squad . It’s the Managers , back room staff and squad to put this into action. As someone said earlier of this doesn’t work, and I’m optimistic it will, where do we go next?

 

Funny how who signs a player had a bearing on what some think of that player. I guarantee you Kev if it was us that had signed Telford there wouldn't have been a negative word said about the transfer.