Owt 'appened?

Quoted from 75

Tell you what, let's allow an absolute stalwart of the club to leave on a free transfer, a bloke that would run through walls for you, and would lead through the middle. And let's let him leave and be replaced by a 34 year old, who will partner a 36 year old, with a 36 year old mate at full back (Mills may have something to say).

Yeah, he was that good that loads of League 2 and League 1 clubs were in for him, oh wait a minute.....................

Did it rain in Scotland Ginny ?

What a stupid question

Quoted from grimsby pete

Did it rain in Scotland Ginny ?

What a stupid question

Not much at all really. Couple of squalls but generally nice and hardly any of the dreaded midges.

Quoted from moosey_club

Man goes on holiday and complains about the holidaymakers...

Fair point. Guilty as charged.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

October is a great time to go the West Highlands, in a week we have had everything from 28degree bright sunshine, days without rain, to overnight frosts and a day of snow, but no midges and not many tourists, just walkers. The local football teams are rubbish.

I have a photo of Ness Football Club, which just looked out of place in the middle of nowhere in the most northerly part of the Western Isles. Bet it's interesting watching a game in an Atlantic gale.

BP Vicar, which players in our price range do you think we should try and sign?

Totally agree with BP Vicar.  I will though be getting my season ticket as ever.  This has to be the worst, most inactive pre-season so far that I can ever remember.  We have made no real effort to strengthen the squad at all, and I certainly cannot see us mounting any type of promotion charge this year at all.  Looking at our squad so far, I think our fight could well be at the wrong end of the table.  Expecting the usual drossy red crosses, but so what, can anybody actually explain what steps we have done to attract new / existing fans back to BP, other than the die hards that will turn up no matter what.................  Say what you like, but GTFC is a pound shop club under the current board.

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Quoted from TheCodfather1966

Totally agree with BP Vicar.  I will though be getting my season ticket as ever.  This has to be the worst, most inactive pre-season so far that I can ever remember.  We have made no real effort to strengthen the squad at all, and I certainly cannot see us mounting any type of promotion charge this year at all.  Looking at our squad so far, I think our fight could well be at the wrong end of the table.  Expecting the usual drossy red crosses, but so what, can anybody actually explain what steps we have done to attract new / existing fans back to BP, other than the die hards that will turn up no matter what.................  Say what you like, but GTFC is a pound shop club under the current board.

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Cue the "in Slade we trust" posts.

I'd be more concerned if other teams were making lots of signings and we weren't. However, that isn't the case. For all the protestations that Lincoln were making lots of signings, we've actually made the same amount just ours were more spread out. Only Mansfield and Chesterfield have made a significantly greater number of signings and Chesterfield had to because they released 13 players.

When you consider the size of our squad due to Hurst giving sub standard players two year contracts and Bignot buying loads in January without off-setting the costs by getting rid of some like he promised, there isn't a huge amount of squad space or money left to play with. We're in the market for a striker as has been widely reported and we'll obviously sign at least one left back and hopefully another centre back. Once that is done, it may be a case of working with what we've got because it would cost a fortune to release players like Yussuf and Summerfield and Boyce who nobody else seems to want.

Contracts will have expired yesterday so players won't be holding out for as much money now, they'll be wanting their next pay cheque sooner rather than later. Therefore I expect to see more movement everywhere this week and next. If we haven't got a striker and a left back in by the end of next week then I'll start to panic. Remember last season we only had one striker on the books until the 22nd July when we signed Jackson on loan and we only got our second permanent striker in on the 30th July!

We've got some good players in place already like Collins, Jones, Osborne, Mills, McAllister and Clements. In the brief time RS was in charge it looked like he could get more out of the current squad than Bignot was doing. We had two good home wins and a draw against second placed Plymouth. The away performances weren't as good but the thing that stood out in those games was the lack of pace and mobility across the middle which RS looks to have addressed already with the introduction of Rose, Dembele and Kelly. We're also starting to use sports science and analysis to give us an extra percentage gain in various areas which will hopefully add up over the season to a few more points. I personally believe that if we can get Asante fit that he will take the division by storm but we wait to see if that is possible.

I'm sure we'll see more incomings over the next two weeks. If we don't, then maybe we should start to panic but until that point relax and enjoy the summer weather!

Very true Mariner 91, the sun is out the pubs are open, the missus is doing my frigging head in, so off to the pub I go............

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