Summer 2023 Transfer Rumours

I had a look at Carlisle's retained list, last night. Two genuine youth academy products in their squad, playing regularly.
We're just so far away from that. They're selling players on too.
They'll coin it in when Henderson leaves Man U and they sold a young lad to Ipswich in January for big bucks.

Maybe it's the catchment area?

 

Of course, totally depends on the package. I imagine at a Burton he will probably start every game, but is that really an upgrade? Struggling in L1 to promotion chargers in L2? I think someone like Agyei will only join if theres some promise around a change of system. With Cook signing his deal after scoring so many, if we stick with 1 up top and already have Oliver and Derbyshire in the building, that will put off a lot of lads who have similar offers.

Burton also rumoured to be back in for Josh Umerah from Hartlepool. Surprised there isn't more speculated interest in him as of yet, scored 12 in 38 starts for a terrible Hartlepool team.

 

Vernam has tried League 1 twice, Burton & Lincoln and ended up hardly playing.
He'll probably look back and think he could have started 40 games for us last season.

 

And with his 10-15 goals (from a full season) we could be all in L1 together.

 

We got the chance to bring him to Valley Parade whilst Dave Baldwin was at Burnley but we turned it down, maybe Rahic got involved, @Jordan said Chris Long was also offered to us at the time.

 

He's on his way back to Grimsby by all accounts.

I think for someone like Agyei, finding consistency in L2 is better for him. Good thing for him, he rarely gets injured and plays 90 minutes every game. Bad thing for him, he just never stays consistent. Like this season he started every single game and was only subbed off 5 times... but started with 2 in 2, then didn't score in 9, followed by 3 in 7 games, then another 9 games scoreless streak, then got 6 goals in his next 7 games, then scored in just 2 of Crewes last 12 games.

A guy who runs so hot and cold might not get the L1 interest or serious upgrade on money that his agent will no doubt be telling him is coming his way. Top end L2 clubs will offer similar money for better minutes.

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/ryan-sparks-says-bradford-city-will-be-leaner-and-more-flexible-to-go-one-step-further-next-season-4163510

Leaner more flexible squad. Cheaper squad by any chance.

 

We were probably trying to develop Gibson & Patrick at the time.

 

Sure did. Old manager of mine was part of some Burnley fan board thing at the time and met Baldwin a handful of times over the season. Thinking back, I think it was the summer after the Wembley defeat and Agyei went on loan to a few different L1 clubs, never really worked out for him. Chris Long was a similar story, Burnley wanting loans but we were interested.

Looking at our window that summer, we didn't really take in other peoples youths. We got Gilly on loan again and Callum Guy but our other loans were Adam Thomson who fell down the pack at Bury, Stephen Warnock and Matty Lund. We tried Patrick, Gibson and Robinson instead and signed guys like Poleon to play up top.

 

I like the sound of this. We need flexibility to change the system to suit the teans we come across. We didn’t have that this season. As I have already said we need six quality signings and if we can unload a few or send out in loan that would help the budget.

 

Quite the opposite I'd guess. Smaller squad but better quality. We've all (mostly) been crying out for it last season. Interesting comment around ability to change formation. Sounds good to me.

 

I do wonder if we would have been better going with the Wing Backs when we lost Chapman and the left wing options didn't work. I can also see that MH didn't want to go with something new at that stage of the season.

 

Ive always appreciated Ben Stevenson. Key player for Colchester and again FGR in their title win.

Very good at L2 level. Holding midfielder so wont bring the goals or assist but can certainly do the dirty work required.

He is on a freebie. Good age at 26 and an upgrade on Clayton.

 

Spot on, but money and head in the clouds talks.

 

I would be a bit happier if MH was saying this himself (probably on his hols), I hope it reflects reality and conversations between them both.

To be honest I thought a more positive, flexible and fluid formation approach was on the cards 10 months ago.

My main fear is that no learning has occurred and we will get the same tactics and lack of fluidity, only briefly changing after several games of failure, and then quickly reverting back to type. More than happy with Cook staying, but the type of player leaving and joining over the next few weeks will give us better indications of where we are going and what has been learnt.

 

Are you a QAnon theorist. Why couldn’t it be bigger budget , smaller squad, higher wages for better quality players by any chance?

 

Great Sparks has recognised quality over quantity. Previous managers obsession with big squads, full of dross have really harmed us. I still laugh at the crap we had last season in Elliott, Lavery, Delfuneso and Robinson as forward options....we also had Cook and Angol.

 

I think we overreacted to the Adams season where we had no strength in depth and were relying on the same 14 every week. One extreme to the other.
Although it is easy to say let's go with a lighter squad until you get the injuries/suspensions/loss of form. Hindsight.

 

The three seasons before the last one we suffered loads of soft tissue injuries which I think in various managers eyes the need for big Squads. The sports science seems to have improved and the avoidable injury situation is much better I would imagine that has lead the thinking

 

22 solid pros is adequate imo. Then you turn to our successful acadrmy to plug gaps on the bench.

We had nearly 30 on the books last season.