Judging by Hessy's comments on the official site it looks as though we will be raiding non-league for our players. What are peoples thoughts on this, I am not convinced as this is how we ended up with the Julians, Cronins, Adam Millers and John Nutters of this world in the first place. It is not a step forward in my book.
I am not surprised that we will once again be dipping or toes into the murky non-league player pool. My main concern is that Hess doesn't appear to have many contacts outside non-league football. A few of his signing for us first time around came from his connects at Watford and Barnet, and he managed to build a very good Dover side around a core of ex-Gills player who couldn't cut the mustard. But lets not forget that there are some very good players in non league that have proven their worth in league football, Morrison, DJ Campbell, King (both Marlon and Simon) so let not write this approach off just yet.
What else can he do when the Chairman has handcuffed him to some very tight budget restraints? I don’t think that we have any chance to purchase anyone decent or to sign a quality player who is out of contract. More loan signings and non-league signings, I feel will be the main bulk of our pre-season signings. It’s a pity we let Bayo go as he left the club obviously for money reasons and not for better football. Who can blame him? I would have thought that the Chairman should have realised that he is a tried and tested player who knocks in goals regularly and is worth keeping if we are to make a serious assault on Div 2 next season. I feel that it was short sighted to let him go when it may have been easier to have kept him. But Bayo is only one player and we need to find several others, who are hungry, quality players that may get us out of Div2. It is going to be a long, hard season.
I thought we were due £150000 from the Jacko transfer as Norwich got promoted to the Premier League. I heard that that was a clause in his fee. If so surely a little bit can be spared to sign a couple of half decent players.
yeah but last year the only reason we had such a big budget was due to A the high wages stimmo signed some of the donkeys to and therefore we had no choice and we got 600K from the jacko sale
Adman, you are talking like a man with some common sense. However, I would bet that Hessy will hardly see any of that money to use on the transfer market. More than likely it will go towards paying off the debt. I just wonder what Hessy was promised at the start of last season and what he ended up with? By imposing a budget restraint on him appears to be some kind of punishment for not securing promotion Then again, perhaps that is just me being a tad cynical.
I guess this is where Hessy earns his money and we find out how good he is at spotting talent. Lower league raid sounds most likely, pick up a couple of bargains and we'll be fine, pick up a Miller and a Thurgood and we'll struggle...
other thing to remember is most of the non league lads will give an arm and a leg (normally what happens with the gills injury crisises ) to play league football so atleast they'd be hungry rather than some of the guys we've brought in before who have been in and around the league for ages and are just looking to pick up a pay check, mccammon, lomas etc
We should have given Akin and Barcham longer contracts or at least extended them before end of season, we will never learn. Looks like a struggle this season unless we can get some quality loanies or some of the youth players get a chance and prove to be good enough. I dont mind a few non league players but not too many.
