Signings - how ready are you for the season 2017-18?

[Big Bird]

Currently...

GK. Lawrence Vigouroux

RB: Ben Purkiss
CB: Chris Robertson
CB: Dion Conroy
LB: Chris Hussey

RM: ?
CM: Amine Linganzi
CM: James Dunne
LM: James Brophy

ST: Luke Norris
ST: Paul Mullin

Where to improve:

Back up LB and RB
Two wingers
Two strikers
Creative CAM

Think we still need 6 at least. Norris and Mullin screams 'Swindon nil'. Brophy still unproven so at least two wingers needed.

Goddard probably our soul creative central midfielder so will need another one there especially with Iandolo injured.

Back up full backs required unless we want to risk Purkiss and Hussey playing every game.

Try to do my old FM tactic of two players for every position which gives a base of 22 plus youth teamers.

Core of the squad looks okay but still plenty to do.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Think Chesterfield are going to struggle with a 3 foot tall goalkeeper this season

Does look tiny on this tbf hahah!

 

[Agombar stool]

Currently...

GK. Lawrence Vigouroux

RB: Ben Purkiss
CB: Chris Robertson
CB: Dion Conroy
LB: Chris Hussey

RM: ?
CM: Amine Linganzi
CM: James Dunne
LM: James Brophy

ST: Luke Norris
ST: Paul Mullin

Where to improve:

Back up LB and RB
Two wingers
Two strikers
Creative CAM

Think we still need 6 at least. Norris and Mullin screams 'Swindon nil'. Brophy still unproven so at least two wingers needed.

Goddard probably our soul creative central midfielder so will need another one there especially with Iandolo injured.

Back up full backs required unless we want to risk Purkiss and Hussey playing every game.

Try to do my old FM tactic of two players for every position which gives a base of 22 plus youth teamers.

Core of the squad looks okay but still plenty to do.

I like what DF is doing. Bulking up the team with experienced no nonsense players at this level. Our defenders are here to defend and I can't see Vigs having to orchestrate much from the back. I can see plenty going long to Norris and Dunne and Lingazi cleaning up in midfield.

Unfortunately there isn't a lot of creativity in that side, I suspect we will try and get wingers and attacking players on loan from premiership/championship sides. Brophy on the left wing and McDermott on the right sounds potentially potent. We are getting there solidly and unspectacularly.

In all honesty I have no idea what we should be aiming for this season. I'd like to think we will be towards the top half of the season at least. Will see what other players come in before the season starts before making any bold predictions. None of the other teams have signed anyone that has really made me sit up and think they are going to run away with the league, but that's because I haven't heard of many of these players at this level to be brutally honest!

 

[Indian Dan]

Tbf, I haven't heard of any of the players we've signed before now. Just have to trust Flitcroft knows what's needed at this level

 

[Agombar stool]

Tbf, I haven't heard of any of the players we've signed before now. Just have to trust Flitcroft knows what's needed at this level

That's a good point ID!

 

[shoddycollins]

in other news, we still seem fairly content to sit this transfer window out.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Not sure if ours has been posted yet or not.

GK - Conrad Logan
GK - Bobby Olejnik

RB - Haydn White
RB/CB - Rhys Bennett
CB - David Murfin
CB - Krystian Pearce
CB - Zander Diamond
CB - George Taft
LB - Mal Benning
LB - Johnny Hunt

RM - Paul Anderson
RM/LM - Alex MacDonald.
CM - Paul Digby
CM - Will Atkinson
CM - Jacob Mellis
CM - Joel Byron
CM - Jack Thomas
CM/LM - Alfie Potter
LM - CJ Hamilton

MF/STR - Omari Sterling-James

STR - Lee Angol
STR - Danny Rose
STR - Jimmy Spencer

 

[jacobncfc]

Been writing a piece for our fanzine today and noticed that we've got a ridiculous number of League Two promotion winners. If our opening day line up is as expected, we'll have seven in the starting line up and another two on the bench, plus the injured O'Connor. Maybe our squad isn't as bad as everyone fears.

 

[CFC91]

Christ Mansfield have signed some absolute dross haven't they.

 

[Judge Dredd]

If Craig Sibbald signs, which I think is likely now that he is on tour with us, I reckon that will be our "Plan A". The squad seems to have been built to have exactly two players for each position in the diamond set-up.

The more I read about Sibbald, the more I suspect Jones is planning a slight tweak to his diamond system of last year. With Collins in it's logical that we will need to get more crosses into the box to play to his strengths. Bringing in Sibbald - a natural left footed player, who prefers central midfield but has spent large chunks of his career as a left winger - implies to me that we'll be playing the diamond a little wider than last year, with a natural leftie on one side and a natural right footer on the other looking to play a dual role as central players when defending but to help stretch the play and provide width when attacking. Last season it was all very predictable, pass it side to side, wait for a full back to get up in support, give them the ball... only for them to not cross it, pass it back inside and repeat until we lost the ball. Hopefully with Collins and Hylton in the box we'll be happier to get the ball in the box quicker.

Both our first XI and second XI look strong when laid out like that I think. Collins should give us different options and guaranteed goals. McCormack brings experience, leadership and a lot more steel than we had in there last season. Shinnie and Sibbald are a much higher class of creative player than we had last season too. I don't think any other team in the division can get close to our striking options, Hylton and Collins probably two of the top 3, certainly top 5 strikers left in the division, and Vassell and Lee both offering different options and good quality.

BUT there are still a couple of glaring potential concerns in there. First and foremost, there's still the likelihood of us being a very lightweight midfield again. McCormack is a better midfield general than any we had last season by some distance, but he'll still be in there with 3 almost exclusively attacking players and little to no support defensively. I do think Sibbald (if he signs) and Shinnie should help us maintain possession better than we managed last season which should help, as they are actually good on the ball unlike the assortment of attacking midfielders we tried to shoehorn in last season (Cook is poor and nowhere near influential enough which is why he has never nailed down a central position in his career at any other club, Gambin was inconsistent and in and out of the team, Gray and even McGeehan were not playmakers by any stretch of the imagination and at best average in possession, and McGeehan in particular never actually looked for possession as he was constantly breaking for the box whenever we had the ball). But it remains a worry that we could be a soft touch in there, especially if McCormack gets injured - which his recent record and age suggests is an inevitability.

The other concern is a lack of height at central defence. We had the second best defence in the league last season, but seemed to struggle every game with set pieces, to the point that it frequently seemed more luck than judgement that our defensive record was as solid as it ended up being. Hopefully having a regular, settled keeper for a whole season - and a very good one by all accounts - will help with that, but I can see us conceding a few from corners again.

Hopefully the Sibbald signing is the beginning of the end for Jordan fucking Cook, even if Shinnie isn't available for some reason surely Gambin or Sibbald (with D'Ath coming in to central midfield) are better options as the #10 than him. I suppose the third concern would be a repeat of Nathan Jones's blatant favouritism for certain players last season even when horrifically out of form, if we end up with Cook and Olly Lee playing regularly again with the squad we've now got I'll tear my fucking hair out.

 

[cufc17]

I don't think we're far off now, maybe 3 more signings - a goalkeeper, full back, and striker. We've had trialists for these positions this week so Curle has thankfully spotted the glaring lack of depth in those areas.

Our season depends on who we bring in up front. Somebody like Bennett and I'd be much more optimistic. I do like Shaun Miller, he makes some superb runs and generally contributes a lot to the team, but he's a bit wasteful in front of goal. Hope is a bit similar.

I think Curle will put out something like this against Swindon on the opening day:

Bonham
Miller Liddle Parkes Grainger
Kennedy Jones Etuhu Adams
Hope ???

Defence is pretty simple unless we bring anyone else in, Brisley possibly ahead of Liddle.

Midfield could really be anything, Lambe, Devitt, O'Sullivan and Joyce are all in with a shot.

Hopefully a big forward to come in and partner either of the others.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Our current 'first choice XI' probably looks something like this

GK: Lee Burge
RB: Jack Grimmer
CB: Jordan Willis
CB: Rod McDonald
LB: Chris Stokes
CM: Liam Kelly
CM: Michael Doyle
RM: Peter Vincenti
CAM: Marc McNulty
LM: Jodi Jones
ST: Stuart Beavon

GK: Liam O'Brien
RB: Dion Kelly-Evans
CB: Dominic Hyam
LB: Ryan Haynes
CM: Ben Stevenson
ST: Maxime Biamou
ST: Kwame Thomas

Looking relatively strong at the moment, but definitely need more strength in depth as our bench isn't looking too great at the moment. Feeling positive though definitely.

 

[spireite]

Our current 'first choice XI' probably looks something like this

GK: Lee Burge
RB: Jack Grimmer
CB: Jordan Willis
CB: Rod McDonald
LB: Chris Stokes
CM: Liam Kelly
CM: Michael Doyle
RM: Peter Vincenti
CAM: Marc McNulty
LM: Jodi Jones
ST: Stuart Beavon

GK: Liam O'Brien
RB: Dion Kelly-Evans
CB: Dominic Hyam
LB: Ryan Haynes
CM: Ben Stevenson
ST: Maxime Biamou
ST: Kwame Thomas

Looking relatively strong at the moment, but definitely need more strength in depth as our bench isn't looking too great at the moment. Feeling positive though definitely.

Looking decent that squad mate, really rate Vincenti and McNulty

 

[william death]

Still need a first choice CB and CM for me, plus decent back-up striker.

Starting line up as it stands is probably:

Collin
Tootle, Hollis, Duffy, Jones
Allesandra, Hewitt, Milsom, Hawkridge
Stead, Ameobi

 

[spireite]

Seeing Stead and Ameobi up front honestly makes me feel like I've time warped 12 years in the past

 

[shoddycollins]

OK, so our squad so far.

Goalkeepers
Jack Bonham (6 month loan)
Morgan Bacon (development contract)

Centre Backs
Mark Ellis
Tom Parkes
Shaun Brisley

Wing Backs
Danny Grainger
Tom Miller
Gary Liddle

Midfielders
Luke Joyce
Mike Jones
Samir Nabi
Kelvin Etuhu
Jason Kennedy
Jordan Holt (development contract)

Wingers
Reggie Lambe
Nicky Adams
Jamie Devitt
John O'Sullivan
Jack Egan (development contract)

Strikers
Shaun Miller
Hallam Hope
Cameron Salkeld (development contract)

Compared to our squad at the beginning of last season, we have fewer senior players (the four players on development contracts are first year pros on special contracts for them, don't know if all clubs do this).

In particular we look short up front with only three players, none of whom are established goalscorers. We currently have a lad from Huddersfield on trial, Ronan Coughlan, but if we sign him could probably do with also adding someone with more experience and a proven goalscoring record *cough-Grant-Holt-cough*, or else we won't be able to come anywhere near our goalscoring exploits of the last couple of seasons where we had Jabo and Wyke.

I'd say we have no problems in midfield and on the wings, compared to last season we released a couple but kept everyone we wanted to keep (apart from Bailey who wasn't here a year ago anyway) and have added to that with more experienced midfield engines like Etuhu and Liddle (though the latter is more likely to be used in defence). I would say all our senior players in the middle are more than capable of being part of a promotion chasing squad.

The only change in defence is the addition of Parkes and the departure of Raynes. Raynes did an important job, not just as no-nonsense centre half but also as a leader and I'm not sure Parkes has that about him from seeing him in the friendly at the weekend. We were pretty poor defensively last season and are arguably going into this season either the same or weaker. We have two right backs in Liddle and Miller and currently also have a left back on trial. I'd say we need a centre back though, Ellis may be resurgent after his time at FGR and as things stand I'd have him and Parkes as a back two, we could really do with another though.

In goal, we released Crocombe and lost Gillespie, and while Bacon has stepped up to a senior role we shouldn't expect too much of him. It does worry me that the only senior goalie we have is on loan and that we've only been linked with looking at others on loan, but perhaps that's it, perhaps there are no decent goalies out there. Either Bonham will do well and Brentford will recall him / send him to a higher division at Christmas or he won't. I'd much rather we had a goalie who won't be recalled if he turns out to be decent.

So I would sign an experienced striker (possibly in addition to Coughlan), a left back (and the one we had on trial looks pretty decent), a goalkeeper and a centre back, at least we need those and it needs to be a good striker before I'd be prepared to say we've matched or bettered our squad from last season.

 

[Indian Dan]

If there's an available bet for the team who scores most headers over the season, I'd lump on ourselves. We've gone from being a team of lightweight midgets to the Harlem Globetrotters.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

It shouldn't be too difficult but think we'll do better this season than last. Flynny has kept most of the squad that finished last season like a train. Plus strengthened in 1 or 2 other positions, other than up front where we are thin compared to others.

Day
O'Brien Demetriou Bennett/Turley
Pipe/Bobb Labadie Tozer Dolan Butler/Willmott
Rigg
Nouble/Williams/Jackson/Reynolds

Plus a couple of loans from Cardiff / Swansea like last season - of Healy, Sheehan and Samuel quality.

How's your pitch, that struck me as both your biggest problem and your biggest advantage at the same time?

 

[jacobncfc]

Still need a first choice CB and CM for me, plus decent back-up striker.

Starting line up as it stands is probably:

Collin
Tootle, Hollis, Duffy, Jones
Allesandra, Hewitt, Milsom, Hawkridge
Stead, Ameobi

Agreed. Still don't get the blind panic from some people, though - we're relatively well set I think and I'd rather we took our time to get the last three right.

Think the striker will be more than a back up, too - I would expect it to be more like Stead or Ameobi starting than both this season.

Reckon we're going to do quite well this season but will probably also be very dull and functional.

 

[Impish]

GK. Paul Farman

RB. Sean Long
CB. Luke Waterfall (c)
CB. Sean Raggett
LB. Sam Habergham

RM. Jordan Maguire-Drew
CM. Alex Woodyard
CM. Elliott Whitehouse/ Billy Knott
LM. Nathan Arnold

CF. Matt Green
CF. Matt Rhead

About 5 more to sign as well so should be very strong come season opener.

 

[Confuddled]

How's your pitch, that struck me as both your biggest problem and your biggest advantage at the same time?

We are getting a Desso Hybrid pitch installed over the summer and the drainage is being repaired. So hopefully the pitch will be in a vastly superior condition than the past few season.

However, there will still be 3 teams playing on it. So having a really wet winter or groundstaff that don't know how to maintain such a pitch could still be a problem. But I'm hopeful that shitty pitches are a thing of the past for us.

 

[OneDecentLester]

GK. Paul Farman

RB. Sean Long
CB. Luke Waterfall (c)
CB. Sean Raggett
LB. Sam Habergham

RM. Jordan Maguire-Drew
CM. Alex Woodyard
CM. Elliott Whitehouse/ Billy Knott
LM. Nathan Arnold

CF. Matt Green
CF. Matt Rhead

About 5 more to sign as well so should be very strong come season opener.

HOW is Matt Rhead back playing league football ffs

 

[OneDecentLester]

Anyway for us... I think we're about there in terms of recruitment. I know we've still got an offer on the table for Semedo but him joining is yet to be seen, we're all hopeful! However, if he doesn't sign I expect us to line up like this come the start of the season...

Anyon / Lee
Wiseman - Evatt(c) - Hird
Barry - Reed - Rowley - McCourt - JBW
O'Grady - Dennis/Ugwu
​

The squad has the right balance and looks equip to challenge for top 7 at the least so definately looking forward to it!

 

[spireite]

JBW looks the real deal. Posh must have some killer left backs if they let him go for nowt.

 

[Luke Imp]

We still need a first choice RB and CM to partner Woodyard as a minimum for a starting XI, and that's before you take Raggett's situation into account.

Still 5 or 6 short. In an ideal world, RB, LB, CM, Winger, ST. In some ways, we still seem a long way from being ready but we made late signings last pre-season so this lull in activity isn't totally unexpected.

 

[Impish]

HOW is Matt Rhead back playing league football ffs

A target man that scores goals - invaluable. He'll get between 10-15 and green will hit 20+ now that he feels loved again.

One more striker to come in, if it's someone like Amond then we're laughing.

 

[hellogregory]

GK. Paul Farman

RB. Sean Long
CB. Luke Waterfall (c)
CB. Sean Raggett
LB. Sam Habergham

RM. Jordan Maguire-Drew
CM. Alex Woodyard
CM. Elliott Whitehouse/ Billy Knott
LM. Nathan Arnold

CF. Matt Green
CF. Matt Rhead

About 5 more to sign as well so should be very strong come season opener.

It's got a very non league look about it, with a sprinkling of proven league quality.

It's hard to predict how you'll do, a lot of them have a lot to prove at this level and it could go either way.

 

[Impish]

Agreed there's a few in there that have it all to prove at this level and they'll be bursting to do so after being knocked back before.

But there's also a few there that are too good for this division in my opinion so nice blend

 

[OneDecentLester]

A target man that scores goals - invaluable. He'll get between 10-15 and green will hit 20+ now that he feels loved again.

One more striker to come in, if it's someone like Amond then we're laughing.

Matt rhead will not get 15/20 goals this season, id bet my house on it...

Feel free to screenshot that! You've clearly forgotten the standard of LEAGUE football... I understand it's been a while

 

[OneDecentLester]

It's got a very non league look about it, with a sprinkling of proven league quality.

It's hard to predict how you'll do, a lot of them have a lot to prove at this level and it could go either way.

Very non league look about it indeed... I fail to see why they are one of the favourites, mid table at the very best for Lincoln with that line up