[lesgeo]

Yeah.
Looked at some Celtic website which say that a fee is payable. So, dunno.

[lesgeo]

NI mentioned ‘balance’.
Now that is something that has been lacking at the start of quite a number of recent seasons.
You do really have to feel that the later it gets in the close season – the poorer the signings are going to be. History certainly suggests that.

Offer me six decent/semi-decent signings in the coming days – I’d take that over having 9 longshots a month or more from now.
But OOC players can still perhaps be used. If they are still unemployed in September – there are always some bargains to be had at rock bottom wages.

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alcazar

[lesgeo]

Are we certain that there is any cash at all?
I thought that going to Celtic was classed as going abroad.

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Northumbiron

[lesgeo]

So, if we do not get early Swan signings we’ll get better later signings from Cox.
Hmm.
Does this actually mean that Cox is having to pick through the leftovers rather than anyone else doing so?

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alcazar

[lesgeo]

Mick – so young and yet so cynical!

[lesgeo]

Playing out and out forwards on the flanks has been the main reason we have failed so many potential strikers in recent years. The list is not a short one.
Haven’t we paid a price for that?

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IRONINTHEBLOOD, bartonscorpion, alcazar, cassidystash

[lesgeo]

I have watched the playoffs this year. They have put into perspective just how poor we have been recently.
Still. Now time to get a little excited about The Iron, though. Our team for the coming season should be pretty much in place by this time next week -well, shouldn’t it?

[lesgeo]

Let ’em do what they like.

My loyalties remain entirely with cricket – the greatest sport-cum-art form known to mankind.

Football is not in the same league. (Sorry.)

Were it not for the Iron – I could never watch another football match – and it would not bother me at all.

[lesgeo]

Still. Most of the squad will be in place in the next ten days so we’ll have a much better idea how things will work out in the coming season.
Hoping Barrie won’t actually be required.

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Peter Promise

[lesgeo]

It will be a very long time until I forget that critical Cod ‘ed commentary from Exeter!

[lesgeo]

I’m a glass-half-empty person trying desperately to show a little optimism.

[lesgeo]

My gripe with Eisa was principally his advanced failings in the ‘tackling back department’ – he certainly bugged Newey.

At least Hippo makes an effort. Incidentally, I do not see the guy as being as awful as some make out. I’d give him 5.5 for last season – except the bits when played at LB.
In a better team, I feel we may well get more out of the lad. And let’s be optimistic that a new set of players must SURELY have better attitudes than those recently witnessed.
(Skills? – Well, that would indeed be a bonus.)

[lesgeo]

I would trust Bish as a scout.

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inspector

[lesgeo]

I think I recall that unless you match or beat the current salary with a contract offer – you will not get a payoff from a new club. If so, the Bedeau decision was the only logical one to take.

Interesting that a couple of months ago Cox praised McAtee’s attitude in training. I suggested a few weeks ago that Cox might want to see if he can get the best of a guy who has oodles of potential. It’s a big decision.
As for Hallam, this must surely be a pay reduction. If he is the only injury-prone player to survive the cut – it may be a risk worth taking but only if medical advice has offered a positive outlook for the future. Good player in there.
An element of risk with this pair – yes – but if it is just two players out of the squad and one out of the two comes off …
The thing about McAtee was that Hurst played to his strengths – mebbe Cox would like to try that too.

[lesgeo]

Interesting that, for the most part, players who were probably good enough to give a decent amount to the squad have been ejected if injury records not deemed to be up to scratch.

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alcazar

[lesgeo]

True, but we have not seen who is coming in yet.

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BobbyGmeister

[lesgeo]

RH reports we are actively pursuing Harrogate’s Jack Muldoon. He is OOC in June.
We’d have been a better team this season with Jack in the squad rather than KVV!

(Other released info is out tomorrow.)

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BobbyGmeister

[lesgeo]

NI – you are probably right about Kev’s salary level.

[lesgeo]

Or have we?

[lesgeo]

Bedeau and Olomola will have been on a fair crack.
Mcgahey and Kev too. Howard – maybe, maybe not.
Karacan probably and he’ll mebbe go as his mate has now left.

That is probably over £20k a week.

The others on BS’s list probably run to a third of that + Hallam who is hard to calculate.

Some years ago – I knew every player’s salary but no longer so there is more than a bit of hopefully inspired guesswork involved.

Anybody know better?

[lesgeo]

I am still not keen on sacking a guy who has been given far too many sows’ ears to turn into silk purses.
It wasn’t too many weeks ago that he admitted that his attempts at playing a number of systems were failing because the players were not good enough.
I think that I may believe him.

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Ferrite, Iron-awe, inspector

[lesgeo]

Hmm. A reserves team? – Why would that eat up a huge budget?
I moaned when we stopped having one – it gives so many opportunities to: keep fringe players fresh; get injured players moving gradually to match fitness – and also an opportunity for two or three youngsters to have first encounters with the pro game.

When last we had one, it was unusual not to see five or six youngsters featuring which was downright silly. Used sensibly – could be a good option.

[lesgeo]

It is rather like a county/test batsman being pilloried when he is forced into using a plastic bat.

[lesgeo]

I largely agree with BS.
But the ref gave too many free kicks for non-fouls and he owes Stevenage a penalty, I reckon.
Thought Green was ‘a curate’s egg’ – good in parts. I struggle to give him less than average.

[lesgeo]

Poor goal conceded but Howard not challenging. Four steps off his line and a moderate punch would have surely done the trick.
Even so, plenty of indifferent defending in front of him in the build up.

I would have liked to have seen Beestin tried in the number 10 role he seems to crave.

[lesgeo]

I am perfectly happy to see him depart.

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Ferrite, inspector

[lesgeo]

I largely agree NI but when players can’t trap a ball or make a straightforward pass it doesn’t matter what system is played.

[lesgeo]

I mentioned on another thread that our biggest single failing this season has been the losing/wasting/frittering away possession of the ball.
Who, in the backroom staff, is responsible for this basic failing?

It is not customarily the manager’s job – so who is doing a really poor job of preparing footballers for matches in terms of their skills?

Although I have coached a little across three different sports, I have never done any football. But you show/demonstrate techniques to people – don’t you? Or is football a different entity?

One of my beefs is that so few players are trained to turn 180 degrees when in possession. Only Gilliead has done this over the last season.
It is a fairly basic skill to impart – it’s hardly a Cruyff turn. The thing is that games turn on 180 degree turns.

It is common in Championship level matches. Many years ago, I remember Lawsy pushing this at one point (League Two?) and the side immediately improved in CM and up front.

Who is not doing the fundamental coaching? – I really don’t know which of the ‘coaching’ staff to blame and whose head really should be on a silver platter.

[lesgeo]

Sigh. Obviously, players cannot be skills-free. I really did not think that people on here would get so very super-literal.

Clearly, there are basic levels of competency: trapping the ball, accuracy in passing, not gifting possession, grit, determination and a little vision.
Anyone two players like that in the first team might have seen us into the top half this season. They do not need to be world-beaters.
For me, the very worst thing about this last year has been the loss of possession through unforced errors.
Most other ills – of which there have been more than a few – stem from that.

[lesgeo]

Loan players must meet criteria such as experienced or incur virtually no cost to us.
Must have proven quality and no bad injury record. There must be no signing contracts which might force us to put the player concerned into the side irrespective of form. A get out clause in January.
So if this means very few loanees, recent history suggests that might not be such a bad thing.

Our own signings must: have no worrying injury record; they must be known to be players who care; players who are tough and know the division. At this point, I want real grafters more than anything else.

If we ain’t pretty next season, in the greater scheme of things – that cannot matter. We have to consolidate. No more brushes with the NL.

Ideally, we need a CB, two utility players, 2 CMs with presence and two forwards. If they have footballing skills – that would be rather nice but not essential. (Could we maybe bring in a tricky winger to make us all feel a bit better about what we are going to have to endure? – Probably not. Sigh.)

Using the above criteria, injury records would have to preclude Clarke, Brown and the outside possibility of re-signing KVV.

[Author]

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