Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2023/24

[Judge Dredd]

I'm leaning towards it no happening currently. He's not in the starting eleven against Borehamwood today however he could be on the bench. He could also not yet be fit. It all seems to have gone a bit quiet.

It's a shame as, although I thought we were set, I do now think we could do with another midfielder. McCormack, Pelly, D'Ath and Shinnie is a quality midfield, however Im lest confident about Bakinson, Lee, Gambin, Cook as back up. I suppose Rea might play CM a bit more now Cuthbert, Sheehan, and Mullins are all available, plus Famewo and Musonda back in the fold. Reckon we could do with one more quality signing though.

**Edit**

No Sibbald on the bench, so either still not fit or not happening.

Also no Sheehan, Rea, JJ or Elliot Lee in today's squad. Or Hylton, obviously. McQuoid weirdly is...

To be fair I think the idea that Sibbald might play today came entirely from a Falkirk journalist speculating, always seemed unlikely to me that he would train in Falkirk this week then come straight down and play for us. Also presumably he's not in full training anyway if he picked up a knock. I think there will be more to come on this one yet but it does seem an odd way to conduct a deal for a player that would cost us comparable numbers to Collins if we decide to do it, you have to be sure with that kind of outlay surely?

If he doesn't sign I imagine we'd probably see 3-5-2 a bit more often, that would allow us to play Rea and McCormack in the same team, also I assume Musonda/Famewo are a bit ahead of Bakinson in the pecking order still. In the diamond as you say Rea can play at the base of it, which would still leave us with three established central defenders and the two youngsters.

Would like to see us sign Sibbald though, it's worth £200k or whatever the fee is going to be just to push Cook down the pecking order...


EDIT - I assume McQuoid being in the squad is purely because of injuries, Hylton is out as we know and have to assume E. Lee has picked up a knock at Hitchin or in training too. Don't think any of the youth forwards are that close to breaking through so we are temporarily a little short of numbers up top.

 

[E10rifle]

Good player. Got a terrible injury but looked decent before that. Very good for that level I'd have thought. Glad he's sorted himself a decent club.

Yeah, decent enough at Conf level for sure if he's over his injury. Good on the ball, not much in the way of pace, can pass it well enough. A brick shit house defender he is not, though. Hope he does well.

Cheers lads. He's turning out for us at Greenwich Borough today, so it appears the deal is still on. A 'comfortable on the ball' type defender is exactly what we need having signed a brick shithouse in Elokobi.

 

[Indian Dan]

Just going to give you all a little more of an insight into Bostwick.

First of all to the Swindon fan who said he was rubbish against them and ended up on loan at Northampton, I think you're getting confused. Bostwick never went on loan anywhere. The only player I can think you may be thinking about is Beautyman who we sold to Northampton last summer.

Bossie can play Centre Back on Central Midfield. His best position is probably Centre Mid. He works very hard and always gave 100%, so the fans think highly of him. However, he is incredibly slow and has the turning circle of the titanic. I remember the first 12 months he was here, the majority of fans thought it was the worst money we had ever spent but eventually he came good and has been very consistent over the past 2 years.

He was transfer listed due to the club policy of putting anyone who is entering the last year of their contract on the list.

He was our player of the season last year but he isn't in the managers plans next year as we have brought Doughty from QPR wh will play alongside Chris Forrester in Midfield. Bostwick is also behind Baldwin and Taffazoli in terms of Centre Backs so it made sense.

Will we miss him? Yes, I think we will.
Does he make Lincoln into a title winning team? Absolutely not. Yes, he's a solid player but he's not a world beater.
Have they got a decent player? Yes.

You're right. Mixing up with Beautyman. Apologies all round.

 

[Aber gas]

Sounds like he just needs to score then we'll see the real player he is! He'll probably score against you lot in pre season

 

[RavenBish]

We are making a signing tomorrow. Just thought you'd all like to know.

Large Alan is doing that thing where he talks it up on Twitter as well which is always fun.

 

[Like a Glove]

We're set to offer contracts to Jermaine Easter and Alefe Santos after trials.

 

[Luke Imp]

Lincoln signing a fair few wingers it seems.....will Nathan Arnold be ousted due to this?

Got to feel sorry for him, he's reliable and always seems to do a job for a team to get them promoted back into the League (Cambridge, Grimsby and Lincoln) but then immediately gets let go and finds himself back at another Conference club vying for promotion again.

4 now, and that'll be it. It's probably the area the Cowleys rotate around the most.

Richard Money didn't rate Arnold so he shipped him out, and I fully believe he was right to do so. I know it's exciting seeing a player running down the line but not when he puts his head down and doesn't even see where his team mates are.

I know he had better luck up at Grimsby, and even more so at Lincoln, but unless he's improved a lot then I don't reckon he's a league player, except perhaps with a bottom 4 club. IOW, he's certainly not good enough for an ambitious side like Lincoln even though that may sound harsh and by all accounts Arnold's a good egg. Having said that, I acknowledge that some players do improve beyond recognition so it's still possible for Nathan to do likewise.

Ps - I like this bit on his wiki page, on his time with us - ''It was a compliment to the squad overall that the likes of Arnold and Delano Sam Yorke amongst others found themselves on the sub's bench on many occasions."

We never got that Arnold. He didn't go down the line and beat a man too often and instead drifted inside, hence his goals, or waiting for a full back to overlap.

I'd be amazed if he didn't see the season out here. I *think* he's doing work with our youth teams for his badges and it's obvious he's a really good egg to have around even if he turns out to be not quite up to scratch.

Any Accrington fans reckon that Rommy Boco still has it in him, seeing as we've just signed him?!

Some good signings in this window for Lincoln - even Ollie Palmer has his uses as an impact player, just don't expect 20 goals!

Yeah, I've seen him twice now and he's coming across as someone who's ideal to come on as a sub when looking to close a game out. He'll not score many, but will work hard and run the channels all day long so you've always got an out ball.

One of footballs mysteries is watching guys who are 6'3"/6'5" and can't seem to head a ball.

I would think it is pretty obvious what a league player is. Any player who is comfortable enough playing league footy and doesn't look out of place. We kept faith with the squad that got us promoted, and after a couple of months all of us could see that at least 3 or 4 of them were nowhere near league standard. For instance, if that RB (who was decent enough down in the connie) is now being continually torn apart by L2 wingers then it's clear he's not league standard, and therefore not a league player.

Now I don't know how many players from last season's title winning squad will feature in Lincoln's upcoming L2 campaign, but I'm sure that the Lincoln fans and the Cowleys will easily spot any players who appear to be struggling against much stronger opponents. In Lincoln's case, I would expect any not-good-enough players to lose their place during January's transfer window.

It'll end up about 50/50 between players from last season and new players.

Does MacAnthony get any stick from Posh fans? I think he's got good principles and there are certain things to admire about him but he also makes himself look like a div, talks a lot about promotion but seem to be going backwards.

I think he does.

It'd be interesting to see any 'hit' and 'miss' lists of their signings because he and Fry do crow on about the success stories, but I bet there are tonnes who were bought and never seen again.

 

[Luke Imp]

DC says Raggett is now 'seriously considering' our contract offer.

Also that we're closest to signing another CB to enable a current one to go out on loan, which will be Howe. If they don't rate Howe as a third CB, it makes you wonder whether they've offered a token contract to him (like Power, Muldoon, Marriot, Hawkridge) and didn't expect him to accept but he did. He's not actually that bad a defender, he's been unlucky with who he's been trying to displace, although I'd agree that he probably isn't strong enough to be a third CB but one who needs to go out and get games under his belt like he did last season at Southport.

 

[GodsGift]

We also had left back Matthew Briggs on trial today. If we do sign him he'll be back up for Habergham who is recovering from an op.

Any thoughts Colchester fans?

 

[Crewelad87]

Got a New Zealand international Moses Dyer on trial, seems quite decent from those who've seen him play. Box to box midfielder.

 

[lordofthepies]

Got a New Zealand international Moses Dyer on trial, seems quite decent from those who've seen him play. Box to box midfielder.

He did ok at Alsager. Got kicked to shit and stood up to it quite well.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

First good look at Jordan Simpson today and liked what I saw, great range of passes finding their target.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Does MacAnthony get any stick from Posh fans? I think he's got good principles and there are certain things to admire about him but he also makes himself look like a div, talks a lot about promotion but seem to be going backwards.

Have the words MacAnthony and good principles ever appeared in the same sentence before?

 

[Youpies]

Gary Roberts inbound to a league two club

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Gary Roberts inbound to a league two club

Would be on very big wages at Pompey so can rule out about 20 teams in this league...

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Gary Roberts inbound to a league two club

Not going to follow Cook to Wigan? We need another winger but I reckon it'll be Luton, Mansfield or Chesterfield

 

[Never Mind The Paul Cox]

Evans has said in an interview before that he'd love to be able to sign Roberts but we couldn't afford his wages. I'd assume he's got to lower his expectations now that Pompey don't want him....plus he's not worth the high wage that he's on anymore.

He's certainly nowhere near the player he was when he was the League 2 player of the year with Chesterfield, so I really hope we aren't in for him, he'd be an overpriced mistake. He's not popular at all amongst the majority of our fans either, because he's a bellend.
Hopefully Chesterfield will be in for him. They pushed the boat out for O'Grady, so I wonder what's left in the coffers for another higher wage signing?
With all the constant scandals coming out of the Prozac, and the fact that the regime aren't popular, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to bring him back thinking it'd be some way of trying to get their detractors back onside.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Which Gary Roberts?

 

[Hatter86]

Which Gary Roberts?

Pompey winger.

Fairly sure it's not us. Jones feels we are done in regards to transfers unless something exception comes up. Gary Roberts may have been a few years back but now? We are however looking at a midfielder in Sibbald so who knows.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Pompey winger.

Fairly sure it's not us. Jones feels we are done in regards to transfers unless something exception comes up. Gary Roberts may have been a few years back but now? We are however looking at a midfielder in Sibbald so who knows.

I'd very much discount us too. I don't know how he'd fit in.
I'm going to make a bold prediction and say its Crawley.

 

[Casey]

Re Posh Hammer and Michael Bostwick.

The one thing that was left out from Posh Hammer's description is that Bostwick has a hammer in his boot. He doesn't use it nearly often enough but two or three times a season he will smack a vicious shot goalbound.

I've heard take that Alex Davey is on trial at Coventry. A player with all the attributes to make it as a decent centre half.....except that when he plays the team leaks goals.

Casey

 

[Trapdoor]

Congratulations to this thread on reaching 420 pages.

 

[Casey]

I'd very much discount us too. I don't know how he'd fit in.
I'm going to make a bold prediction and say its Crawley.

Although we are odds on for relegation this season (because we ain't good) the one position we don't need to strengthen is wide midfield. We have Boldewijn, Cox, Roberts, and Sanoh on contract and Dennon Lewis on a season long loan. We also have Evina and Blackman who can play as wide midfielders.

Now offer us some decent central defenders and someone who can score a goal...

Casey

 

[hellogregory]

Gary Roberts would still walk into any team in this league.

 

[dedwardp]

We also had left back Matthew Briggs on trial today. If we do sign him he'll be back up for Habergham who is recovering from an op.

Any thoughts Colchester fans?

Can't defend to save his life, a complete liability at the back. A little bit better going forward though but wasn't disappointed to see him leave this summer.

 

[william death]

Fairly sure it's probably Mansfield. Do they need him (Roberts) tho, especially on the money he would be on? Got about 4 players who can play wide already? Smacks of a statement/vanity signing

 

[Kenneth E End]

Fairly sure it's probably Mansfield. Do they need him (Roberts) tho, especially on the money he would be on? Got about 4 players who can play wide already? Smacks of a statement/vanity signing

That's what Evans is all about though.
When he won the Conference with Crawley, he was signing players just so that we or others couldn't. James Dance a perfect example.
I remember him signing Ben Wright after scoring 5 in his first 3 games, but never used him.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Can't defend to save his life, a complete liability at the back. A little bit better going forward though but wasn't disappointed to see him leave this summer.

How come he has played for several of the England Under 21s and below and had numerous big,clubs looking at him before IF he cannot defend? I know he got a really bad injury and didn't play much until the latter part of last season so maybe his confidence has taken a jolt?

 

[dedwardp]

How come he has played for several of the England Under 21s and below and had numerous big,clubs looking at him before IF he cannot defend? I know he got a really bad injury and didn't play much until the latter part of last season so maybe his confidence has taken a jolt?

Physique, perhaps? He's tall and athletic, which does seem to stand you in good stead in the younger age groups and might explain why his career seems to have been gradually declining.

I always thought he would be far better suited to being a more attack-minded winger where he doesn't have to worry about defending. He's never seemed to be someone who really has any interest in defending either - always half arsed attempts at tracking back when caught out upfield and so on and the amount of goals we would give away from his area of the pitch was criminal.

 

[Luke Imp]

To be fair Branston, he didn't look as though he could defend in the first half yesterday. Bit weak in the tackle and as above, wasn't someone who sprinted back when he got beat, although I put that down to his fitness not being great and he'd basically turned up and played.

Improved second half along with the team and looked a bit more assured defensively. Probably worth another look but if we're going to have a back-up LB, I'd rather it was someone who was solid defensively and offered nothing going forward. Just a nice, steady back-up player, which he didn't really come across as.