Player Retain List/New Contracts/Summer Signings

Harper is a RB and spent time on loan at Weston last season.
Allen is a striker and was City's top scorer 2 seasons ago at u18 level.

 

Bristol Rovers apparently in the running to sign Connor Chaplin from Portsmouth, they face competition from Barnsley and Coventry

 

Striker. 5 goals in 32 games last season. But most were from the bench. However, that record is not pretty when we have a striker who can score already and signed a striker from Scotland who hasn't played in England before and the level he has played at in Scotland is equivalent to L2 or non league level in England. So really on paper its only Harrison who will be main goal threat, if he sticks around of course and if he can do similar or hopefully better than last season. Our striking options really worry me at the moment. Do we have goals in us? Enough for a top 6 finish? On paper, no. I don't even think we got enough goals in us on paper to survive a relegation battle. Lets hope what we have and who we get is better on grass than on paper! Im not writing him off either. I will give 100% support. Just hoped for better and more experience of hitting the target more frequently.

 

The board don't appear to have given DC any transfer budget as all his signings have been free transfers even Lyle Taylor was available on a free and I am not sure that as good as DC is we will get the quality we need for nothing especially if he interests another club with more wage power

 

Disappointing isn't it ? I think they need to pull a rabbit out of the hat before we head over to London Road three weeks on Saturday. We have got to try and get more than one point from the first nine otherwise it will be like trying to play catch up again. I am hoping that Gavin Reilly will do well, I have watched Raith Rovers on a couple of occasions and it is true the standard is probably on a par with our div 4 but I just feel after listening to his interview that he has an eagerness to do well in England and hopefully that is going to be to our advantage.

 

I wouldn't say that. If there are good players available for free then stupid not to get them. We spent over £300k on Nichols and what did that achieve? 1 league goal all season. Spending money is not the be all and end all I think we got a very good, strong and creative midfield, even strength in depth too. Just need to strengthen the defence and ideally a striker known for scoring goals

 

I agree with you about free transfers CJS but I think if (and they maybe) funds to sign players were available then it would give more options. I totally agree with about the signings made so far, I am probably in the minority but I was hoping that Danny Leadbitter would have said no to the new contract because I think his defending his weak, Tony Craig would have been offered the defensive coaches job and a couple of LBs and a CD with a bit of pace would have been signed. I rate Tom Nichols but more as a attacking midfielder. With Gaffney leaving we are a couple of strikers short, the newby Reilly will I reckon do alright but that still leaves him or Harrison and no room for injuries or loss of form

 

Sounds like DC is near signing a LB. The player is apparently sorting things out with his club. Probably be a fee involved??

In here somewhere... (unless I miss heard)

 

Rodman and Chaplin will probably come of the bench an bag a few goals. I really hope we can hang onto Harrison. He was outstanding last season, and he'll probably add a few more goals than last season. Hopefully Harrison, Reilly and Bennet will be a good combo.Nichols is a good player, but probably not as an out and out striker, so maybe we'll see more from him too.

 

Interesting comment from Tom Lockyer in his interview re the Melksham match he said something like we are working on three formations this season much less than last year so maybe there will be less tinkering than last season. DC also said that he hoped to have a couple of new players including a LB before they went Dutch for their pre season

 

Luke James left FGR today and signed for Hartlepool

 

Any body go to Melksham today and if they did do they know who the trialist striker was.
Went to Yate and saw a good team performance with some good individual performances. the RB put in a good effort as did our new signing Theo Widdrington from Portsmouth and Ben Morgan, Luke Russe and Cam Hargreaves also played well. Others put in good performances but the name trialist came up often 8 today

 

This pre-season hasn't been very eventful on the signings front hopefully more will come in soon.

 

DC wants all new signings in before they travel to Holland.

 

Athanasios Papazoglou.

He is Greek.
1.95cm height so big target man.
Age 30.
Been on the books at Olympiacos in Greece, Roda in Holland and Kortrijk in Belgium.
Played 3 times for Greece. Scored none.
Not a good scoring record wherever he has been.
Avoid I say.

 

Bola has joined Blackpool. So he wont be returning to us.

 

Christian Doidge was on Rovers books a few years ago...

 

Yeah we're always linked to striker with poor records.

 

Rovers apparently leading a queue of EFL clubs to sign Tareiq Holmes-Dennis a LB from Huddersfield. David Wagner is prepared to listen to offers for as he is well down the pecking order. This information was found on Bristol Rovers FC news

 

DC said a player will join us either today or tomorrow. It hasn't happened today so.... tomorrow it is then! Says it here....