January 2025 Transfer Window

I don't think many teams will shape their style of play around a 21 year old whos only had a handful of good games in his career to date. At his stage in his career, he needs to learn to adapt and increase his worth to a team. You only play around a man if you know he's a gamechanger with something on his CV to prove it. The lad is still a work in progress.

 

Lads had a stinking start to the season, due to a number of factors including poor form and a manager playing him in a position that he isn't suited for. Certainly isn't through lack of effort.

 

Since the 16/17 season, Cook and his partners (all comps):
Tranmere 16/17 (NL)
Andy Cook - 23 goals & 4 assists, a goal every 127 minutes
James Norwood - 16 goals & 7 assists, a goal every 202 minutes

Tranmere 17/18 (NL)
Andy Cook - 28 goals & 10 assists, a goal every 126 minutes
James Norwood - 23 goals & 11 assists, a goal every 171 minutes

Walsall 18/19 (L1) time split with 2 partners
Andy Cook - 18 goals & 3 assists, a goal every 204 minutes
Josh Gordon - 9 goals & 6 assists, a goal every 344 minutes
Morgan Ferrier - 6 goals & 1 assist, a goal every 446 minutes

Mansfield Aug 2019-Jan 2020 (L2)
Andy Cook - 7 goals & 2 assists, a goal every 278 minutes. He had 13 starts from 28 games
Nicky Maynard - 13 goals & 1 assist, a goal every 164 minutes.
Tranmere loan on deadline day January 2020, handful of games before covid ended the season. He played 417 goal-less minutes in L1.
Mansfield Sept 2020-Jan 2020
Andy Cook - 3 goals at a goal every 394 minutes. He had 12 starts, 8 in the league.


If he starts, he scores, and scores at a daft rate. If he's an in and out player or used in rotation, you get limited returns. He rarely gets injured, odd weeks out a season each year, standard for a striker.

 

Great work, very enlightening for sure. Thank you.

 

His stats regarding injuries are crazy, lad just ploughs through season after season. I never rated him while at Walsall and Mansfield, came across as a player with a limited skillset, but i think what we see now at the latter end of his career is a player in his prime. Certainly worked on his allround game, and while he'll never be technically gifted we have arguably the best striker in league 2. And thats in a lineup and system that doesn't really create much for him.

 

I don't think Cook gets enough credit for his all-round game to be honest. He's chalked up over 100 goal involvements for City, overtaking Windass a couple of games ago. But Cook has largely played on his own up front for City, only since GA came in has he really had a partner. which often alternates and he hasn't built a relationship with any. Even so, he has 22 assists to his name at City with an assist every 628 mins.

Even if he isn't laying it off for someone, there's often 2 marking him in general play if we face a back 5, or he pulls his marker and either a DM or full back closer to him to create space for others to run into (which we never do). Replacing Cook is going to be a nightmare. Even comparing him to Hanson in terms of assists, Hansons 35 assists for City came at an average of 1 every 753 minutes and he pretty much always had a partner with him. I think Cook can very easily be labelled as a slow physical striker who needs people to play around him by outsiders, but as we saw under depressing Adams tactics, slow possession tactics under Hughes and GAs counter play or long play, Andy Cook can score goals in every single setup which is incredibly rare for a lower tier striker.

Goal involvement stats between Cook and our other recent goal scorers.
Cook - 103 G+As at 1 every 134 mins
Wells - 64 G+As at 1 every 109 mins
Wyke - 36 G+As at 1 every 150 mins
Windass - 100 G+As at 1 every 198 mins
Hanson - 126 G+As at 1 every 209 mins

 

And against centre halfs and managers who are all trying to stop him fair and foul means. Great player

 

Wonder if we were in for Declan John? Left wing back, he was on trial at Cheltenham and decided to cut it short after a trial offer from a "promotion chasing L2 club closer to home" say the Cheltenham side nearly 2 weeks back and given he's played in the Greater Manchester area for the last 4 years I'd guess he's based there.

But then St Mirren signed him on a short term deal last week. Wonder if when Wright went down injured, we made contact for a trial but the SPL offer was something concrete and probably for more money over a short deal?

 

Add to that his contributions when defending set pieces and corners and it makes a complete mockery of those who continue to moan and berate him for not doing enough.

 

The more you scratch under the surface and see how much he actually does for the team, I really don't blame him for having a pop at his fellow City players during matches when there's a crap ball in or someone doesn't make the move.

He's one yellow away from a ban too, almost Vadaine time in the league!!

 

Doesn't sound like Sharpe has comms with Rupp, it goes via Ryan Sparks. Not sure how to take that.

 

It's called the chain of command. Rupp owns the club but Sparks runs the club. I dont see any reason why Rupp would need to speak to Sharpe.

 

Why , it’s the club heirachy, like any other business generally operates.
No doubt he is brought in during the time his input/ output is necessary.

Sparks to Rupp
Can I add £1 m to the playing budget from your wallet ?

Sparks to Sharp
We can invest £1m into the playing staff budget in Jan.

Sharp to Gent/ Alexander
We are allocating an extra £1m to the budget, go recruit players on that basis.

 

You missed one off -
Sparks to Sharpe
Even though you've been brought in as head of football operations, I will continue to stick my nose in where it's not wanted or needed.

 

You've accidently included random 'm's after the £1s Kev.

 

I know, I’m having a tease Dave.

 

Would think the meetings would involve anyone who is involved in football operations when it comes to budget.

Not sure where you've all worked but where I work operation meetings tend to have people at different levels or heads of department.

If it goes 1-1-1-1 then that's individuals and plenty of room for chinese whispers and information manipulation.

If i were Sharpe I'd want to be in any meetings where the budget is confirmed. I understand not every meeting, but some.

 

That’s what CeO’s do in business , like it or not Pet.

 

Good CEO's delegate. Poor CEO's micromanage.