2024 Released Players & City transfer rumours

The vitriol towards Ridehalgh is still tiring. The guy has played something like 500 games in his career and you don’t sustain a career like that if you’re “rubbish”. Yes his age is catching up with him but why people can’t just wish him all the best I don’t know.

 

Can’t help but feel frustrated at our summer recuitment because we’re not far off at all. This is not a squad that requires a complete overhaul, just 1, possibly 2 quality CB’s would imo make us a force to be reckoned with but until we bring them in we’re probably looking at another mid-table finish.

 

We have signed three centre Half's of some description already this some summer, so I can't see for the life of me how/why we would go buy two more now.

Yes there are questions marks over all three but with Stubbs, Kelly and Richards all in situ already I don't see us starting the season with 8 potential CBs.

Whether these need upgrading in January will be different story but to do it now would be just daft

 

I recon the other loan is competition for Smallwood so unless players leave I don’t see where we bring anyone else in at the moment , I’d like a back up keeper and a proper left wing back but that don’t look likely

 

It’s nailed on then

 

We signed all our main targets for our defence so the club will be happy with the defence. Time will tell who was right the club or a few on social media.

 

My gut feeling is the same. However frustrating it may be, I just feel Young is destined not to be a success at city. Regardless of what’s reported, he seems further down the pecking order we all expected him to be. Partnership with Cook is virtually untested and doesn’t look to change anytime soon.

However different I wish it were, I just don’t see it working and therefore think we leverage as much as we can now, before it’s too late.

 

I still think we needed to improve the front line. Obviously you have to replace the 2 slots open in the CB line and find a LWB, but we haven't addressed the other end of the pitch. Looking at the table, we were 15/20 goals short last season of challenging the big boys, probably 10 or so away from the PO momentum teams that were always around the top end all season. Defensively, we were only maybe 5 too many? Defence has had a facelift but other than Sarcevic, everyone else is a defensive minded signing so far.

We again are in hope. We hope Walker and Pattison can stay fit, or at least have another 10 games in them than the season before and can chip in. We hope Kav progresses, we hope Pointon progresses. We hope Young finds his Swindon form although that boat might be sailing. It's a lot of the same faces in the building that didn't cause enough of a goal threat last season. I just pray we aren't depending on Cook again.

We were 13th last season in average shots on target per match, we were 8th for big chances per match, we were 5th for touches in the opposition box.... but we were 18th in the goals column. We still have those same guys who couldn't find the net last season here to try again and we NEED a marked improvement.

 

Oh no, that means next season is NL then!!

 

I've been saying the same thing all summer Jordan. We can't keep relying on Cook and hope that the other strikers improve their goal rate.
For me we are in need of another decent striker too.

 

Still think we're a couple short of being a real force this season. A quality keeper to push Walker, a true LWB (of the Nicky Cadden standard) to give us a real balance, and cover for Smallwood. If Young leaves, another striker to replace him is a must. I don't think the squad needs much more, yet im not totally convinced that Wright gives us the balance that we'll need

 

You read into it what you wish.

 

They have haven’t they?

 

He was garbage last season. Was never worth the extra year and that was evident against Carlisle in the play offs. I wish him well but like I said, pretty telling he hasnt found a club.

PS - he is 33, same age as Sarcevic, Smallwood, Cook.

 

How do you feel about Matt Derbyshire and Ash Taylor? They have both played 500 games as well.

 

Although we didn't make the play offs I'd have hoped it gives the players still at the club positive vibes, it certainly had a positive effect on Stockport and Wrexham although they also improved their squad that achieved promotion but in both cases the majority were the players who brought them success in the National League, momentum can help IMO.

 

Do we know it was the club's intention to sell Jake, the kid did some extra pre season training at St George's were told, I would think he paid for that himself although happy to be corrected, so I'd suggest the effort has gone in from the lad, he knew what Alexander expects from his players, would he have gone through that if as some are suggesting he has a bad attitude with regards training.
I've posted previously I would have liked to see him get a run along side Cook but do believe Kavanngh is the better option from what we saw to the end of last season.

 

I think the club would have paid for his rehab Dave, but if not, why would the player shell out for expensive “ treatment” and then not bust a gut in training if those allegations are true? It wouldn’t make sense to me.

 

He mentioned the word "quality" though. That's where you've misunderstood him.

 

Yes thinking about it it would be classed as rehabilitation, you'd have hoped he would have had guidance from the club ie some fitness coach with him then he did not over do it (with good intentions) to get back super fit, with all the speculation about interest in him you would hope we have irons in the fire with regards a replacement.