Recruitment and Starting Line-up’s

[Si Robin]

We made the mistake of being too sentimental when we got promoted. By January we were bringing in players left, right and centre. Now we have only one player left of our promotion winning squad and he was the third choice keeper at the time.

 

[Agombar stool]

You have Brophy as an AMC and not a LB?

 

[Agombar stool]

We haven’t lost anyone of note in the summer, though that’s probably a terrible turn of phrase considering the current mysterious/worrying plight of Justin Edinburgh.

GK: Dean Brill
RWB: Sam Ling
LWB: Joe Widdowson
CB: Marvin Ekpiteta
CB: Josh Coulson
CB: Dan Happe
CM: Craig Clay
CM: Jobi McAnuff (c)
AMC: James Brophy
FC: Josh Koroma
S: Macaulay Bonne

Subs:
GK: Sam Sargeant
GK: Artur Janata (scholar)
RWB: Myles Judd
LWB: Jayden Sweeney (scholar)
CB: Shadrach Ogie
CB: Jamie Turley (unsigned)
CM: Dale Gorman
CM: Brendon Shabani (scholar)
CM: Hector Kyprianou (scholar)
RW: James Dayton
AMC: Jordan Maguire-Drew
S: Matt Harrold
S: James Alabi (transfer listed)
S: Ruel Sotiriou

We might look like we’re well-set, but I have grave concerns about how a number of players (including in the 1st XI) are going to transition to league football. There is next to no experience amongst the subs, aside from Matt Harrold who can only manage 15 minute sub appearances and James Dayton who is permanently injured. We could do with strengthening all over the park, and that’s if we manage to keep hold of our best players over the summer. Gawd help us if Ekpiteta, Koroma or Bonne head to pastures new.

You play Brophy as an AMC?

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

We made the mistake of being too sentimental when we got promoted. By January we were bringing in players left, right and centre. Now we have only one player left of our promotion winning squad and he was the third choice keeper at the time.

We effectively went the other way, releasing those we 'sentimentally' thought we should have kept and it didn't work for us...

 

[E10rifle]

You play Brophy as an AMC?

Yep. His pace on the counter attack from that position can be devastating. Plus it stops him from getting out wide, which is good because he can’t cross. He usually ends up in one of the wing back positions in the second half.

Certainly don’t use him at LB. His defending is dreadful. He plays wide left if we’re starting him in a 442.

 

[Si Robin]

We effectively went the other way, releasing those we 'sentimentally' thought we should have kept and it didn't work for us...

It's a very fine line - there was a reason some players hadn't played in the Football League before, or had and were scrambling for a club in the Conference.

By the same token, certain players just did not get any luck. Kyle Storer was plenty good enough for the Football League, but he had an 8 game ban to start the season (fully deserved btw) and then about 3 games in he was very harshly sent off and had another 3 game ban. He just couldn't find his feet after that.

Dan Holman was another one who picked up an injury in our last psf and he never got over it. His confidence was then shot and he's now practically retired.

 

[Agombar stool]

Yep. His pace on the counter attack from that position can be devastating. Plus it stops him from getting out wide, which is good because he can’t cross. He usually ends up in one of the wing back positions in the second half.

Certainly don’t use him at LB. His defending is dreadful. He plays wide left if we’re starting him in a 442.

Interesting. I always liked Brophy but we used him as LB despite him not being able to 1. Defend or 2. Cross the ball very well.

I always thought he would make a better winger, if he could be coached into crossing better.

 

[shoddycollins]

We started the summer quickly, signing three players before the playoff final, all defenders though and we've lost more defenders than we've replaced. In fact of the seven first-team defenders we had last season, we released four, one retired, one rejected a new contract and one asked to leave 'for a new challenge'.

Nothing since though and we've already lost one of the players we offered new contracts to and are resigned to losing the other three; to the point that I've not included them in this list, so apart from the keepers we're some way short of having a squad. Hallam Hope is a question mark too as his agent says he wants to play at a higher level.

GK Adam Collin 34

LB Jack Iredale* 23
CB Jon Mellish* 23
CB ---
RB Christie Elliot* 28

CM Kelvin Etuhu 31
CM ---

AM/W Liam McCarron 18
AM/W ---

S ---
S Hallam Hope? 25

Reserves
Louis Gray (GK) 23
Jarrad Branthwaite (CB) 16
Keighran Kerr (CM) 18
Josh Dixon (S) 18

A lot of these players are really young too. Hopefully next season could see McCarron's breakthrough at 18, so I've listed him in our first team. The other first year pros haven't played much. Collin, new signing Elliot, Etuhu and the tentatively included Hallam Hope are the only players over the age of 23 we currently have.

We need an experienced CB to go into our first team. We'll be needing a third CB too as well as someone who can fill in at full-back even if it's not their main position (especially left back) so I'd veer on the size of experience with those signings too.

We need at least three new midfielders, two of which will be first-team signings, two will be centre midfielders, preferable one attacking and I think two of which need to be experienced a fourth midfielder might also be the player who can play left-back.

We need two forwards, three if Hope leaves.

I thought for a second that I was expecting too much with that list of positions we need to fill, then realised that it only meant four or five senior outfield subs, which leaves room for one or two of the first-year pros on the bench. Might still be too much to ask. I imagine there could be one or two opportunistic signings too as there always is.

 

[Big Bird]

Interesting. I always liked Brophy but we used him as LB despite him not being able to 1. Defend or 2. Cross the ball very well.

I always thought he would make a better winger, if he could be coached into crossing better.

Always looked like he had some talent but at the same time like he was a nephew invited to have a kick about with his uncles. Glad he seems to be doing okay though.

 

[SVH]

I'm basing this on who i think he good enough for our starting XI next season.
Still a bit of recruitment work to be done!

GK: Dimi Mitov

RB: Kyle Knoyle
CB: Greg Taylor
CB: George Taft
LB:

RW:
CM:
CM:
LW: Luke Hannant

CAM: Jevani Brown
ST:

Subs:

GK:
CB: Louie John
CB: Harry Darling (Scholar)
RB: Leon Davies (Scholar)
LB/LM: Harrison Dunk
CM: Paul Lewis
CM: Liam O'Neil
RM/LM: Reggie Lambe
RM: Tom Knowles (Scholar)
ST: Jabo Iberhe
ST: Harvey Knibbs

 

[Stringy]

Hard to say as I dont know what formation Dempster will favour. If its a 352 as is the norm these days then I'd say..

GK Olejnik
RWB White
CB Preston
CB Pearce
CB Sweeney
LWB Benning
CM Bishop
CM
CAM Mellis
ST
ST

Looks a little top heavy. I would probably drop one of those strikers into the backline and go 6-3-1. Or maybe 7-3-0 if we don't get any strikers.

 

[F!RTHY]

Our defense is shaping up nicely, with the addition of Jackson Longridge at LB. There’s just the right-sided CB missing, which Anthony O’Connor currently occupies. Paudie O’Connor is widely tipped to be his replacement. Anything O’Connor will either leave or be utilised more in a defensive midfield position, where he has done quite well at with Aberdeen and Burton in the past.

Update:

GK: Richard O’Donnell

RB: Kelvin Mellor
CB: Paudie O’Connor
CB: Ben Richards-Everton
LB: Jackson Longridge

DCM: Hope Akpan

RW: Sean Scannell
CM: Jermaine Anderson
CM: Jake Reeves
LW: Zeli Ismail

CF: Eoin Doyle

That’s how it stands currently, but there’s still a lot of in’s and out’s to come. It’ll be an interesting few weeks.

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

As SoC pointed out, Jolley seems to seriously favour 352 but we are nowhere near having the players required for it. It's obviously early days but as it stands I think we already have an okay side for some variant of 433:

GK: James McKeown
LB: Sebastian Ring
CB: Ludvig Ohman
CB: Harry Davis
RB: Luke Hendrie
CM: Harry Clifton
CM: Jake Hessenthaler
CAM: Elliott Whitehouse
LW: Charles Vernam
RW: Max Wright
ST: Matt Green

Bench: S.Russell, M.Pollock, J.Curran, J.Cook, H.Cardwell, A.Rose, B.Buckley

I think this side should keep us up relatively comfortably but it doesn't fix the issue we had last season which is a major lack of goals. Those winger positions need seriously improving on as Vernam isn't a traditional winger and Wright is young and inexperienced at this level. A lot also depends on Whitehouse and how he's recovered from his injury. Overall I think we've got a pretty good squad of players to build upon. We need signings in pretty much every position though, for either cover or improvement.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Our defense is shaping up nicely, with the addition of Jackson Longridge at LB. There’s just the right-sided CB missing, which Anthony O’Connor currently occupies. Paudie O’Connor is widely tipped to be his replacement. Anything O’Connor will either leave or be utilised more in a defensive midfield position, where he has done quite well at with Aberdeen and Burton in the past.

Update:

GK: Richard O’Donnell

RB: Kelvin Mellor
CB: Paudie O’Connor
CB: Ben Richards-Everton
LB: Jackson Longridge

DCM: Hope Akpan

RW: Sean Scannell
CM: Jermaine Anderson
CM: Jake Reeves
LW: Zeli Ismail

CF: Eoin Doyle

That’s how it stands currently, but there’s still a lot of in’s and out’s to come. It’ll be an interesting few weeks.

Good side that.

 

[Trapdoor]

Would be nice to have a keeper or two.

Or maybe we can just play rush goalies.

 

[F!RTHY]

*goalie when......

 

[SF_]

It must be fun being a League Two manager, just get to sign up a brand new team every summer.

 

[Agombar stool]

Update based on the 4 new signings

GK McCormick
RB - Reid
CB - Broadbent
CB - Baudry
LB - Fryers
M - Doughty
M - Diagouraga
M - May
M -
S - Woolery
S - Anderson

We can almost put out a half decent first XI now!

 

[F!RTHY]

Squad as is stands:

GK:
Richard O’donnell
Same Hornby

DF:
Paudie O’Connor
Ben Richard-Everton
Adam Henley
Kelvin Mellor
Jackson Longridge
Joe Riley
Anthony O’connor
Connor Wood

MF:
Sean Scannell
Zeli Ismail
Jake Reeves
Tyrel Robinson
Jermaine Anderson
Hope Akpan
Jordan Gibson
Danny Devine

CF:
Eoin Doyle
Clayton Donaldson
James Vaughan (all but signed)
Shay McCartan
Omari Patrick


Very pleased we’ve strengthened
greatly in defence.

Players who could leave:

Hope Akpan
Anthony O’connor
Eoin Doyle


We still need a another winger, 2 CM’s and a NO 10 IMO.

 

[SVH]

Bradford should announce promotion now.

 

[Buxton Vale]

Bradford should announce promotion now.

Notts probably thought the same last season

 

[LS Bantam]

Can’t complain so far, we’re short in midfield though and there’s no real pace in the side (early days though still). Only Josh Wright of last season’s deadwood has gone, hopefully Anthony O’Connor is next.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Would love Anthony O'Connor and Eoin Doyle down here. Anthony had a successful loan spell with us a few years ago.

 

[LS Bantam]

Would love Anthony O'Connor and Eoin Doyle down here. Anthony had a successful loan spell with us a few years ago.

Awful player, awful attitude. Signed for us after Aberdeen fans practically drove him out with their pitchforks and he’ll leave us 12 months on (hopefully) with similar sentiments.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Awful player, awful attitude. Signed for us after Aberdeen fans practically drove him out with their pitchforks and he’ll leave us 12 months on (hopefully) with similar sentiments.

I particularly liked it when he threw the captains armband in the net in front of our fans when we were getting hammered 300 mile from home! Plymouth are more than welcome too him, another bad apple, I could almost put up with that if he was competent.

 

[Brooky]

I particularly liked it when he threw the captains armband in the net in front of our fans when we were getting hammered 300 mile from home! Plymouth are more than welcome too him, another bad apple, I could almost put up with that if he was competent.

Share both yours and LS Bantams thoughts, absolute waster.

 

[Agombar stool]

Yates signs on a season long loan which means we can put out a starting XI now.

GK McCormick
RB - Reid
CB - Broadbent
CB - Baudry
LB - Fryers
M - Doughty
M - Rose
M - May
S - Woolery
S - Yates
S - Anderson

 

[Indian Dan]

Long John and Wine Lodge seems an upgrade on last season - time will tell.

Still need a lump up top, I reckon.

 

[Agombar stool]

Long John and Wine Lodge seems an upgrade on last season - time will tell.

Still need a lump up top, I reckon.

Yes I agree, Doyle from Bradford mentioned of course but I would expect his wages will price us out. I'm sure Wellens has plenty of lumps on his radar.

If we do get one, you wonder how we can accomodate both Anderson and Woolery? Both will be handy off the bench, but you wouldn't have thoughts they would be happy warming the subs bench would you?

 

[Indian Dan]

Yes I agree, Doyle from Bradford mentioned of course but I would expect his wages will price us out. I'm sure Wellens has plenty of lumps on his radar.

If we do get one, you wonder how we can accomodate both Anderson and Woolery? Both will be handy off the bench, but you wouldn't have thoughts they would be happy warming the subs bench would you?

Exactly my thoughts. I like them both but have flattered to deceive for @ while now - maybe time to let 1 go.

Makings of a decent squad, I think.