Summer 2023 Transfer Rumours

And is Pattison’s 16 in a poor team not worth counting?

I’m laying it on a plate for you and yet you still persist in “ Ah but”

Ah he’s just scored my oh my

 

He got 9 goals and 5 assists last year not disputing his talent and what he will bring to the team. Shame the rest of the recruitment wasn’t In the same vein.
Side stepped the Walker observation I see….

 

LOL!! I love fans who complain about a lack of quality signings, when we've made at least three quality signings.

 

Exactly. This obsession with pace that some have, just doesn't stack up when you look at how all the teams that got promoted, last season, actually played.

I'd argue that only Mansfield played with pace as a weapon. And ended up 8th.

It's 'kick em up in the air', midfield dominance with an 'over my dead body' defence that got them up - as is always the case in L2 these days. We had the latter - but not the former. Hence, why the great improvement in midfield quality is welcomed. Plus, we do now have some pace up front. Let's also remember that if you average five shots on target per game in this league, you're topping the chart. It's an attritional league, which is why I wish Stockport good luck in getting Nick 'Porcelain' Powell, to start more than 20 matches.

And it's a certainty that Hughes will bring in a couple of pacy loanees - mainly as back up.

 

I replied !

 

Comprehensive pre season victory.
Some descent football played in the right manner by both sides.
Enjoyable afternoon.

 

Unless I'm mistaken we're still missing a dead ball specialist. If we're relying on Smallwood then it'll be a waste having several 6 footers in the side, unless they're going to stand on each others shoulders. Even when we had Banks last season, I can only recall him scoring one free kick outside the box. Someone with the calibre of Moxon for Carlisle is what's needed.

 

Crichlow and Banks are a miss but the rest were absolute shite.

Our squad is stronger than last term already.

 

Im not not sure Crichlow is the “ miss” we think he is. His weakness was strength and height against the bigger dynamic forwards. Hawkins for example?
Banks yes there’s room!

 

Id have taken Crichlow back but remains to be seen whether Taylor is as good - one thing he does improve on his height and physicality. The kid from Brentford played CB so maybe he can replace.

Look at the shite that have left us this summer. Especially all those wingers we never used bar Banks. How anyone can say we are weaker is beyond me.

Whether we go one better than last season, Im not so sure but on paper we certainly arent weaker and Hughes has already said we are after 1 maybe 2 more.

 

Personally I think we’re stronger than last season, simply for the fact we strengthened our main weakness. It’s unlikely we will see a midfield two of Smallwood and Gilliead in a game that matters and that automatically makes us stronger. For the lack of wingers, it’s become clear we won’t play with any and also even if we did switch to a 4231 many teams who use that formation don’t use out and out wingers but midfielders who can retain possession. It does stop any chance of 442 though which is why some are probably crying about it on here, despite no successful team in recent years using it some on here think there’s only one way to play.

My main concern is wing backs, I’m Hallidays biggest defender on here but he’s a full back not a wing back imo and we will have to see much better from the left side as well than yesterday. It’s a vital position in this system and one I’m not sure we’ve properly recruited for, but we will see. Maybe that’s where the loans will come in.

 

Maybe it could be the return off that former play who got mentioned the other week, it cant be too long now.

 

Hope so. But if we are talking loans, remember it was n't until the 1st of September last year we got our Mr Wright.

 

As @Bronco stated yesterday; we lacked height in defence last season. That's been addressed. Even the commentators at yesterday's game made reference to the height advantage.
Another issue was our lack of options in terms of formations last season. It made us predictable and hampered our ability to change things in-game. Again, this is something that was identified and we've made no secret of the fact that players have been signed who can 'multi-task'.
The other area we needed to address was the lack of goals across the team. Particularly at the back. Cookie carried it pretty much on his shoulders. I still think he'll get a hatful but I also hope the flexibility of formation plus the added height in defence will see more goals especially from set peices.

 

Woah, woah, woah.

Last season you confidently stated that we had "the best midfield 3 in the division".

I mean, it must be hard to greatly improve on that mustn't it?

 

You can write off the Kaylon Gordon rumour he's in talks with Newport.

 

I agree Wilsden. We've yet to see the lad from Brentford play that position but I'm not convinced any of those on show yesterday will give us that balance of attacking threat with the pace and energy to cover defensively when we've turned over possession higher up.

 

We wrote it off ages ago when it became clear insiderbantamHQ had been fed a red herring.

 

Thanks , I missed that one .

 

I can see the pro’s and cons to our summer recruitment.

We’ve strengthened the midfield, our weakest area last season, with two good additions in McDonald and Pattison and have brought in a pacy striker who has a good track record and can ease the burden off Cook if and when required. We have however weakened in other areas.

We finished last season with Critchlow, Stubbs and Platt, 3 first team ready Centre Half’s, vying it out for 2 positions. We now, despite wanting to play with the additional CB, only have two and then Taylor who has failed at his last 3 English clubs, Kelly who is unproven and Odusina who struggled to make an impact last season. In addition to this, we have neglected the Wingback positions despite it being an integral part of the 3-5-2 system, haven’t replaced Wright or Banks who were pivotal to our success last season and don’t really have the means to change to plan B or C due to a lack of widemen.

I’ve no doubt that if you add McDonald, Pattison and Smith to last season’s squad then we go up automatically, but due to looking weak in other key positions the jury on our summer recruitment is still out for me.