Summer 2023 Transfer Rumours

We struggled with a right back who did not / could not get back to defend as he should and a centre back who lacked height and looked good taking the ball out of defence but got bullied and was weak in the air from set pieces, Foulds helped with his extra height and ability to play both full back and cover as an extra centre half from set pieces and cover when other defenders went missing, He was a proper defender who did not have an attacking element as he saw his role as stopping attacks and not conceding, The defence was poorer for his leaving

 

If the new lad comes in, then we’re overloaded with centre backs. Some of which won’t be happy sitting on the bench. Who knows, Platt might have taken the same decision as Foulds and decided not stay and fight for his place, so the club have decided to cash in. Nobody knows for sure, but if it all goes through, we’ve probably signed a player who’s happy to bide his time on the bench, whereas Platt would be looking to start.

 

A cast off defender who lacks height, why bother?

 

Not sure getting rid of a decent league 2 CB to a promotion rival and replacing them with a lad who has no league 2 experience at all but will be happy to just sit on the bench is the best recruitment policy.

 

It’s Ryan sparks leaner and meaner mantra….

 

He's just over 6ft...... hardly tiny is he? Central defending in L2 isn't the same as it was even a decade back, these lads need to be better with the feet and quicker as teams no longer employ the 442 target man tactic in this division, so the days of two slower lads who are 6'2,6'3ft+ in your central defence has gone.

For my money we are playing 5 at the back, of the 3 CBs one likely Taylor will be trusted to do the bigger lad work, whilst Stubbs and this lad, Kelly or Odusina play as wider CBs, balls out from the back and the quicker one will play more as a covering type.

Worked last season for every promoted team. Northampton had Guthrie doing the old fashioned work with 2 of Magloire, Sheering or Odimayo playing either side, all no taller than 6ft. Orient had Beckles as the big lad and rotated a lot between but Sweeney and James tended to play with him, both under 6ft. Stevenage had Vancooten and Piergianni both bang on 6ft and Sweeney as the big lad.

 

A bit like Critchlow at Huddersfield then

 

Cook maybe on slightly more but not sure loads more with it been a 3 year deal. There’s no way oduor or Taylor are gunna be on any sort of big money, Pattison maybe on 2k a week sure he wont have been on big money at Harrogate. Look we’re overloaded with centre halfs so if money is spent better on high quality wingers I can understand. We ll see but just to me I ain’t seeing the leaner and meaner mantra

 

If (and I don’t know), Platt has said he doesn’t want to stay, what is the benefit of keeping an unhappy player in the dressing room? At this stage of his career and to harbour any hopes of progressing up the leagues, he has to be playing week in, week out. I personally think he’s at his level, so taking a guy with more potential, whilst having plenty of decent players in the building, is a good recruitment policy in my opinion.

 

If Platt is surplus and we can command a fee then no issues from me.

He is a 'steady eddy' but nothing more in my opinion. Ok if he stays, ok if he goes. With this new kid coming in we now have 6 centre backs so someone has to go. Its him or Odusina leaving.

 

To play devil's advocate, say we sign Gordon. Out of the then four incoming transfers, only one of them is proven quality, two are unknown and one is a very poor signing on paper.

 

Gordon would be the 5th .

 

That’s why we have a scouting system for to find unknowns to us. By the way we have two with proven quality Pattison and McDonald

 

My bad, forgot about McDonald.

 

How on earth is Pattison 'unknown'? Hes an accomplished L2 centre midfielder.

 

That's 5 signings now. That's our business pretty much concluded based on your theory the other week!!!!

 

I'm not going to get into whether Platt has said he wants to leave or not because that's a complete unknown, and I'm not convinced Gordon is a player with potential. Yes, Man U were apparently sniffing round a couple of years ago but Arsenal were apparently sniffing round Staunton a few years ago and look where he is now. Gordon has no league 2 experience whatsoever and during his 7 months at Boreham Wood last season, featured just 3 times for them which for all I know, could have been 3 last minute subs. If Boreham Wood didn't see enough in him to use him more than 3 times, I'm not entirely sold that this lad is what we need. Hope he proves me wrong but this could end up another 3 year deal for a player who features little if at all for us and ends up being told to find another club next summer.