Transfer rumours

What I said with more words (which I can't often claim)

 

It's a balancing act right now regarding ins and outs.

In League One we have to adhere to the wage restrictions put in place. Those restrictions could even be tighter than last year now that this is our third year in League One. If many of the players who have been told can find new clubs are still under contract then their wages appear on the spreadsheet and thus restrict us from making too many additions at this point.

It's great that we have moved the highest earners at the club on - getting the wages of Chambers, Skuse, Judge, Sears and Gwion off the spreadsheet has meant we've already been able to make some early moves and bring a couple in. There will obviously need to be more shipped out to free up the space in the wages.

We had a terribly bloated squad that must be trimmed but what is encouraging is that Brett Johnson has already said that we will be funded right to the top of what is allowed. This means that we will be as competitive as possible whilst staying within the guidelines.

So don't worry folks, even though it's been a bit slow on incoming players, it will ramp up as we get more players off the books, which is probably a more difficult task than bringing new lads in.

 

It is concerning though that pre season starts on Saturday and we only have 18 senior players, 5 of which have had very little if any first team experience at any level. So that leaves us with 13 first team players with any experience at this level and out of those 13, 6 had long term injuries last season... the revolution hasn't started yet

 

I'm really not concerned, a full reboot of this club will not happen in the space of a few weeks and this will be a season where the team will be learning on the fly. I expect us to start slow but build up steam as the season progresses.

Anyone who thinks everything will be perfectly in place come first game of the season will be horribly disappointed.

It took over a decade to reach this point, it will not be undone just like that!

 

Holy is plenty good enough in goal and we can always sign an emergency loan in the unlikely event of a long lay off. Jackson and Drinan are of no value to the squad and Norwood is not going to start every match unless they have got his fitness sorted out. I'm sure there will be at least a few more in this summer and then there is another window in January.

With the players we have I don't want us to go out and buy 10 more League One standard players to make the numbers up. I would much prefer to gradually bring in players with top flight potential. The exception being goal scoring where we are really, really struggling.

 

Why I am concerned is we are putting our faith in the unknown, I agree patience is required but Cook has chosen revolution not evolution and so far the squad we have a few days before pre-season would be relegation fodder in this division.

I have optimism that they will recruit the players they need but this strategy is extremely high risk. Cook hasn't exactly done well in the job so far. He took a high risk strategy in chucking the players under a bus last season and it failed spectacularly when we were in a good position to get in the playoffs.

Perhaps it's also that over the past 10+ years we've always been too happy to get players out of the door because they haven't performed or are past it but then they were never replaced.

I don't think the importance of having the bulk of the squad ready and available for pre season can be understated.

 

He might have to as the season gets closer and we haven't got any players to play

 

Cook hasn't done well because the players he had were not up for the fight.

He laid out his expectations and threw down the gauntlet and it seems not many were ready for the challenge, as evidenced by many taking the easy route to League Two instead.

Of course pre-season is important but we're not going to get a normal pre-season with everything that needs to happen to get us moving in the right direction. I do have faith that we will bring in the required players but there is a tournament going on and that normally means that deals are done later than usual. We have to balance the books along the way. It would not be a good scenario to fill our ranks with new players and surpass the wage limit and then have to pay contracts up for those players we don't want and can't get rid of at the end of the window to stay within the limits.

 

Lankester is apparently off to Cambridge. That’s the first one I have been surprised with. He has looked electric at times and will do well in a good side.

 

Im with you on that....probably our best prospect, and definitely a talented lad.
To get a like for like replacement will probably cost a good 2mill....
I know we had to clear out deadwood, but pushing it a bit far with our best talents

 

If Jack was that good...why Cambridge, why not a championship club? Obviously the football world don't rate him!!

 

He'll end up much higher...Cambridge have got a good player there

 

Surely this squad is going to take shape over multiple windows. If PC has a list of players some will just not be available yet. It’s not ideal, I admit, but we’re starting from ground zero once we get shot of the dross which is slow. I’d rather they wait to get the right players than rush and waste money on those not quite up for it. Harper would be very good if that happens..,

 

Like the majority of town players the past couple of seasons he's shown potential but given he's 21 he hasn't played much 1st team football at all and wasn't really near the first team last season.

Still it is sad to see him go, I'm surprised the youngsters have been given the same treatment as the senior pros, the biggest one I'm surprised by if rumours are correct is Downes. Who in my mind has shown he's one of the best players in the division and has pretty much played consistently well over the past couple of years, he actually seems an established first team which we can't say about anyone else.

Have to say I'm not a big fan of what Cook is doing or has done with the existing squad if I'm honest, however given his past experience we need to trust that he is doing the right thing and after reading what Alan Lee had said perhaps we need a complete reset because the culture was so bad at the club.

 

Jack was probably another young player to get first team football through necessity rather than through being ready and talented enough for it..
..I wish him well.

 

Harper deal confirmed, Lankester to Cambridge confirmed too.

 

Happy with both!!

 

Have they photoshopped Paul Cook’s teeth and skin for the American market in the promo shot?

 

McAuley Bonne in on loan… not a massive fan of loans or strikers who don’t have a strong goals to games ratio.

 

Season long loan is same as a year long contract…makes no odds to me as long as he produces.