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+----- Thread: Window Closes But We Weren't Even In The Room (/showthread.php?tid=11146)
Window Closes But We Weren't Even In The Room - Devongone - 30-03-2022
Our ability to sign new players came and went last week with us deciding to keep our hands in our pockets with a view to signing someone we really really want next season. It sounds a sensible policy, especially if some of our injured players become fit. It appears to be a long-term view and we have rarely seen the bigger picture in recent years, but the problem is that we are probably now not good enough to gain promotion via the play-offs, so for next season we will probably be seeking a similar standard of player to this from that cash in our pockets.
The real long-term view would EITHER have been to sign a couple of good players in the last few weeks to refresh and enliven our promotion bid by ensuring we finish in the top three, OR we could have brought young players onto our books primarily for next season, but who might now have learning to make the jump necessary to reach our level.
The first player on my list would have been Bailey Hobson only down the road at Alfreton. He's showing up really nicely in a midfield role for them despite fairly recently having been involved in the Rotherham Sunday League and showing his worth at Maltby Main.
Then I'd be taking a lingering look at Guiseley, despite them being bottom of National North. They have Josh Stones, a young centre forward, physically capable of playing higher who needs only time to up his goal ratio, and alongside him they can play 17 year old Jakub Hebda. Now both of them are still in education. Both were selected for England Schools and both are attracting interest. First-in with an offer of better football could have won the day. We could even have loaned them back to Guiseley and given them some chances to train with us .......
Next I'd be sidling up to a made-product. 21 year old Zico Asare at Oxford City. A right back, he came through the Fulham Academy, achieved some England youth recognition and has done well in National South.
Though he has failed elsewhere I'd also take a chance on Louis Walsh who is 22 I think. He was at Barnsley, went to Southend and they've let him go to Barnet where nothing much is happening, but he is a smooth wide player, who given confidence could have a goal or two in him.
Naturally I couldn't list this kind of player without mentioning my favourite Kane Drummond at Warrington Ryland. He's the first player they ever contracted. They are top of Northern Premier West. He plays wide, can come inside, is tougher than he looks, can score a goal and learned his stuff with Liverpool. Somebody give him a game in the EFL!!!!
Nikola Tavares at Wealdstone is still only 22 and he is another made player who could step into our line up in central defence, or full back. He has a touch of class about him and can read the game. He didn't make it at Crystal Palace, but he still wants to play League Football.
Though Weymouth is perhaps the last place we want to remember after what happened to Kabby, they have a midfielder called Mussa who is crying out to play in a better team. I think he's only 22.
And if we could get him I'd sign glamorous young Marcus Sablier from Bromley too. He even moves as though he knows he's got it.
None of these players would break the bank, except perhaps Sablier. All of them look like improving. Unfortunately I haven't got you a keeper, which we urgently need. If we are going forward don't we need some players with this kind of profile as well as our equivalent of perhaps a Madden, or a Mullin, or a Sarcevic?
RE: Window Closes But We Weren't Even In The Room - spireitematt - 31-03-2022
I watched the England C team play the Wales C team last night on Youtube and I think we should take a look at Will Evans who plays for Bala Town he plays on the left side of midfield more like a winger and he was causing a lot of problems for England.
Ash Palmer who is at Stockport and a former Buxton player is out of contract at the end of the season and he would be a good addition in defence for us.
Mason-Clarke who we were interested in signing from Barnet who turned us down played in the game and I can understand why Cook wanted to sign him because he looked dangerous when he got the ball but England just couldn't seem to finish. Imagine a front 3 of Tshimanga, Asante and Mason-Clarke?
RE: Window Closes But We Weren't Even In The Room - Devongone - 01-04-2022
I must say I was disappointed when Paul Fairclough reversed his former policy of picking young players for England C and went for a much more finished squad. Players of quality do come though at our level and below, as I'm sure they must in the Welsh League. I'd have liked to see him fielding youngsters. It would be nice to pinch a player from under Wrexham's big nose though.
If by a miracle we were to gain promotion we would urgently need players. If we stay where we are we desperately need to start signing players with the ability to take us where we want to go AND to step up to playing at that level.
On paper Wrexham and Stockport have squads as good as any of the promotion challengers in EFL 2. We simply now DON'T!!! We are trying to go up on 17 fit-ish players. We have King and Asante, who are certainly good enough. Whelan, if he stops appealing every time he is touched, is another. Tshimanga if he can come back as good as new would have suitors everywhere, but the rest are just maybe men and a couple are struggling to make maybe. We have a decent, but depleted, National League side, that's all. Good management can conjure that sort of team into the promotion race, but we might be facing a revitalised and consistent Notts County, an improved Grimsby, a determined Stevenage, an inspired Southend, or even a Boreham Wood with a bit bigger squad ....... or an Oldham with an owner next season.
RE: Window Closes But We Weren't Even In The Room - Dancingwilldoit - 01-04-2022
Disagree Dev, when fit, our squad is more than good enough. If the rumour mill is right we have Oyleke, Denton and Rowe ready or nearly ready for return. Tishmanga may be back for the playoffs. Add to that Clarke and Carline waiting in the wings.
Do you really think any of the players you mention would improve the squad and if so, who are you going to get rid of because we have something called a budget that needs to be considered. Our wage bill this year exceeds next year's budget.
RE: Window Closes But We Weren't Even In The Room - Devongone - 01-04-2022
Well, Asare, Tavares, Mussa and even Louis Walsh (if he hasn't become too demoralised) would all be competing for places now. The others would primarily be developing for next season.
I think the date on the announcement of the players we have returning to training may be significant. April 1st.
Ever since the New Year we have been playing with at least one hand tied behind our backs. If Jack Clarke can stay fit for more than two games together he could well play at a higher level. Danny Rowe is a very good player - I dreamed of him playing in behind Tshimanga and Asante - but now I just hope he will play again. We and Tshimanga himself would be mad even to think about playing him again this season - he is too valuable! Denton is fit less often than Jack Clarke. As for Oyeleke - he's fine, but he too has a detailed medical history. It is noticeable that his former club Port Vale are in the promotion race largely on the back of goals from midfield from Garrity - who they got from Warrington Town, and I kept saying here was a player we should sign. If you don't look to the future you become the past.
It seems to me our players are straining every sinew to have us where we are in the race. They needed help! I'm not expecting us to go to Stockport or Wrexham levels of expenditure, I'd like us to find a different way. Equally you can't fill your team with youngsters and expect to win things, but young players do bring enthusiasm and fight. They help out the older players who saw them into the team and renew their desire to win. I haven't mentioned him, but Carline would be a good player to get back with the squad, because he does have infectious enthusiasm. This is the time when you can go stale, you've seen it at Boreham Wood and Bromley, it seems to be setting in at Halifax and yes with us too. For us fighting so long against such an extensive injury list must have been wearing. Against Notts County we pitched the enthusiasm of Khan bursting forward and the commitment of King ..... we need more than that. Asante needs more to feed on and more support. Miller went selfish, Whelan got frustrated and defensively we were fighting bravely on the very edge.
That won't get us through the play-offs in my mind and may not get us through tomorrow if we don't shackle Maguire-Drew.
I just thought I'd add that I'm not trying to be-little our players, or the club itself. If you asked my opinion of teams in EFL2 for instance I wouldn't be raving about the high standard of many of their players. Lots of them field players every week who are hanging on by their finger nails to a Football League career. Most of the players at even the promotion chasers are maybe men too. They aren't players we ought to rush to sign ......... But we are faced with a situation in which rival clubs in the National League are pumping a relatively enormous amount into gaining promotion. If we haven't the finances to match we have to be smarter, better-managed, sharper on the field. If Wrexham don't make it through the Play-Offs this time their owners might really throw the kitchen sink at it for next season, and we'll need to do more than just duck.