Summer 2021 Transfers

Thank you.

 

Memorial Trophy , highly likely to be an old City or Avenue supporter or benefactor.

 

Can't find owt on Wiki apart from Tommy Banks who played for Bolton so I doubt it is him. I did find the Dallas Cup though that BPA play v Barrow in honour of the fact that the owners of both clubs live in Dallas (not sure if they live together or in different streets)

On the basis that they seem to like tenuous links to bits of silver, I assume Tom was someone who used to cycle to the local bank when the club needed loose change at the turnstiles.

 

Does sound like we have tried to sign a few strikers but keeps falling over. We tried to sign a 'proven' L2 striker who i think was bowman who went to shrewsbury. Then we tried to sign a millwall forward which then fell over as we couldn't agree terms with him. I am hopeful we do actually manage to sign a striker by the end of the transfer window.

 

Wonder if Kyle Wooton would be worth a punt at Notts County

 

Not sure how we could consider a CC player on their wages dropping down to L2 wages. Unless they had been released why would they even contemplate such a move financially ?

 

Strikers with decent records are difficult to find and recruit they are few and far between. We have one in Cook

 

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/league-two/transfers/wettbewerb/GB4

Interesting to look at which teams have strengthened this transfer window.

I'd say we're about on par with most other teams; neither much stronger nor much weaker.

Some eye catching signings for Leyton Orient, Colchester United and Tranmere Rovers in my opinion.

Salford City looked to have made some decent signings, but a fair few 'names' have departed. Port Vale look like they've completely reset, and Northampton Town look to have really strengthened based on incoming/outgoing.

Newport County, too, look to have had an interesting window so far.

I'm convinced Mansfield Town have absolutely no idea what they're doing. They're like us under Rahic.

Oldham seem to have weakened.

While obviously it's impossible to know what will work out and what won't, my gut feeling is we have a midtable squad at present.

 

Morecambe were odds on for relegation this time last year. Our defence doesn’t look any stronger than last year but defensive and attacking midfield looks considerably stronger and one more decent striker needed to say we have strengthen there. But mainly we have brought in a manager who seems to get the best out of what he has got

 

I think (@Park bantam ) that by now having recruited what appears to be some defensive midfield substance, it will by default improve our defence. I hope so anyway.

 

My Dad used to know his son Roger and Tom was big BPA supporter

 

I agree with that, we've definitely improved on last year, and hopefully we'll stop conceding the same basic goals week in, week out with the newly acquired height, midfield generals and more solid-feeling team. But let's not forget we weren't exactly on the cusp of success last year, we were nearly as bad as we were under Jacko.

There's reason for optimism, I just think we've addressed the basics pretty well, which quite a few other teams appear to have in place as well; not much to separate us from some of these squads ON PAPER (which is the key).

This will be Derek Adams' biggest test of his career for sure. Zero expectations at Morecambe last year, that job was a free hit - and he did remarkably well. This season it's not a free hit, and this fanbase will be expecting results long before the season starts. Remember how whack some people are about pre-season friendlies, for example.

But we'll see! I think our back line is less impressive than it was last season, and I think up front we've improved on what we started the season with, but it's weaker than what we ended the season with. Should have kept Novak.

Overall, like I say, we look distinctly mid-table, anywhere between 10-13 maybe, and we're all looking for an incredible amount from the indeterminable 'X' factor which is Adams.

 

Very interesting to see how Colchester do. I fear they have signed a lot of guys on their last deal, who probably should have been out the league a year or more ago. Big gamble with their financial situation too.

Their head recruitment guy seems to have raided a lot of players from Ipswich from Jan last year and even more now. But guys like Judge and Sears seem good on paper but both have struggled off the field with personal issues and are never fit for long enough to cause major problems. Chambers at 35 could be a good signing but another with injury troubles, similar story with Cole Skuse at 35, another Ipswich release. They have another Ipswich release in talks in Emyr Huws, yet another talent who just has never been able to stay fit but he's waiting out on a trial at Donny.

 

Colchester my ex nearest FL club.

Seeing who they are recruiting says if they finish above us using ex Ipswich squad fillers and retirees I am a banana. Ipswich were themselves dire and have been for the last three seasons. If they are our benchmark, someone has very very low expectations.

 

Looking at that id say along with us, Northampton, Salford, Bristol Rovers and Port Vale have made some very decent signings between them.

Swindon could be in big trouble unless they sort out their board room problems and I cant see Sutton, Harrogate or Hartlepool being up to much although I do like Dave Challinor.

 

I'm not sure Luke Chambers has significant injury problems, he's played 40+ games in 7 of 9 seasons at Ipswich, and has never played in fewer than 32 games for them. Seems incredibly consistent, that. No escaping the fact he's knocking on, though, and they're raiding a failing Ipswich Town side (by their standards).

Alan Judge made 38 appearances last year, Cole Skuse barely played, but I think he's a great signing for this level, while Freddie Sears is back after his sojourn at Ipswich.

They seem to have quite an old team, so whether they're anything more than 'solid' remains to be seen; it will be very interesting to see how they do, they've gone for a very set transfer policy this year and put all their eggs in one basket. They could be fielding a Dad's Army XI if they're not careful!!

 

They're old, but those Ipswich players got a LOT of game time last season.

This seems crazily negative and very dismissive. Not sure what you're basing that on other than raiding a side that have underachieved by their high standards. We're in League Two where a lad like Songo'o can go from boot cleaner at Scunthorpe to club legend at Morecambe in just 12 months!

 

Why do you think our backline is less impressive than last year? We've released two defenders, in AOC and Wood, who've been part of failing teams for the last three seasons, and replaced them with what seem like solid defenders in Threlkeld and Ridehalgh, plus a bit of an unknown big lump in Kelleher. With the added protection of Songo'o in front I'd expect our defence to be more solid than last season, not less.
I think we certainly need another decent striker. But the additions of Eisa and Gilliead mean we have lots of options at wide midfield/winger/wide striker to play the kind of tactics that Adams seems to favour.
With Adams proven ability to mould groups of non-stars into promotion squads, I would expect this bunch to be very well organised, hard to break down and dangerous on the counter. I'm quietly optimistic.

 

In my opinion you’re more likely to unearth a gem or one season wonder at this level than a proven striker, they’re usually higher up. Doyle and Vaughan probably could have got league 1 clubs but probably had stupid money chucked at them which league 1 clubs felt they could get better for the same money.

Looking at our track record at this level specifically I’d say Bobby Campbell and Nahki Wells are the best two we’ve had at this level, look at their histories before they joined certainly neither would get a glowing reference from their previous clubs.

There’s probably as much chance of Angol coming good as us getting a proven striker who will guarantee us 15+, if Mullen could do it last year then why not. I’d rather us try get someone on the rise from non league who we feel are ready to make the step up, than another journey man over paid and under delivering.

 

Would people be happy with Novak back as backup striker?
I would being honest