New players

Quoted from Heswall Mariner

I don't think loan players are the answer - we don't have control & eventually they will move back to the parent club.
PH has started with a proven CB & a much needed striker on 2 year deals.
More of the same I hope.

As a side note, I do like that we seem to be putting faith in these lads. There’s already the basis of a decent side for 23/24 signed up. This building for the future with long term objectives is the sort of business management claptrap spouted by everyone but it’s fair to say JS/AP are as good as their word so far. It will bear fruit

Quoted from Mariner_09

We need:

1 goalkeeper

1 left back
1 centre half

3 central midfielders
2/3 wingers

1 striker

Battersby is still a young lad. Think he’ll want a reserve keeper in of decent quality to provide backup to Crocombe. Think we can sign someone significantly cheaper than Macca and use that saved budget elsewhere if I’m honest.

One more CB. Shaun is 4th choice and moving into a coaching role I think, he’ll need someone else but I think Maher and Waterfall is his first choice.

The left back is an interesting one. Is Amos of high enough quality to push for back to back promotions? I realise he hasn't played a load of football before us and may benefit from a reset and full pre season but my suspicion is Hursty thinks he can do better.

I say 2/3 wingers cos Harry can play there to good effect and wig

In terms of specifics on midfielders, he’ll want a holder (like Raikhy or Coke), a bag of energy (the Fox, Jake Hessenthaner option) and probably someone who’s a bit more box-to-box and likely to get goals.

I think he’s going to want another link man/target man style striker. I know that’s Taylor’s role but in the League, aged 32, he won’t be playing every minute of every game, although will undoubtedly do a top job whenever asked. However, we need someone like that, maybe more mobile and with more goals in them as that type of player gets the absolute best out of McAtee, who remains our key player in the league.

Taylor’s actually 34 now.

As for Pearson, I still think he has something to offer, and I’m glad he’s on the books.

Quoted from ginnywings

Another keeper for sure.

Maybe another centre back, depending on the Longe-King situation. Another right back, Cropper or someone else. Another left back if Amos signs and two if he doesn't.

We'll need midfield recruitments as most of those we had have gone and a couple of wingers for sure.

Think we'll need another striker or two as well.

Basically, two players for every position and a few first and second year pro's.

Might be one or two utility type players in there to fill gaps.

Squad of about 26 to 28 possibly. Not checked how many we currently have signed

This

Quoted from Heisenberg

Taylor’s actually 34 now.

As for Pearson, I still think he has something to offer, and I’m glad he’s on the books.

Think as fourth choice CB, we won’t do any better. He’ll do whatever is asked of him whenever called upon. He’ll be a fantastic lad to have around the club and town. I’m delighted he’a part of it. He’s talked about possible coaching avenues so I think he’ll be here for a while yet.

I meant 34, don’t know why I put 32 but that just lays bare my point really. Undoubtedly another top pro to have around who will not moan who cause trouble and will do whatever asked when called upon. Just think we need better if we’re serious about challenging for consecutive promotions.

I should add we need more goals from other areas next season. Waterfall was our second top scorer with 9 last season, Taylor third with 7, maybe 8? Holohan may get into double figures if he plays every week but we need a Nathan Arnold/Kev Donavon style player getting a dozen goals from the wing and a striker who gets 12-15. That along with McAtee hopefully improving and staying fit thus getting 20+ goals would make us a serious force. And that has to be the aim.

Some of my observations may be critical but I just think this is too good an opportunity to spurn again and we need to strike while the irons hot and sign top top quality while we can.

I think we can safely assume those remaining players that were have offered deals to have either signed or agreed to, if they have decided to move on, a la Fox I think we’d have heard by now. We know Hursty puts time frames on player decisions like in previous summers so he has a good idea of what and where he needs to recruit.

For me, if we go into pre-season having only lost Fox, I’d be delighted and as others have said, it’s very exciting and refreshing to see us continue to build with multi-year deals and retain the bulk of the players who got us promoted.

Onwards and upwards!

Quoted from Mariner_09

We need:

1 goalkeeper

1 left back
1 centre half

3 central midfielders
2/3 wingers

1 striker

Battersby is still a young lad. Think he’ll want a reserve keeper in of decent quality to provide backup to Crocombe. Think we can sign someone significantly cheaper than Macca and use that saved budget elsewhere if I’m honest.

One more CB. Shaun is 4th choice and moving into a coaching role I think, he’ll need someone else but I think Maher and Waterfall is his first choice.

The left back is an interesting one. Is Amos of high enough quality to push for back to back promotions? I realise he hasn't played a load of football before us and may benefit from a reset and full pre season but my suspicion is Hursty thinks he can do better.

I say 2/3 wingers cos Harry can play there to good effect and wig

In terms of specifics on midfielders, he’ll want a holder (like Raikhy or Coke), a bag of energy (the Fox, Jake Hessenthaner option) and probably someone who’s a bit more box-to-box and likely to get goals.

I think he’s going to want another link man/target man style striker. I know that’s Taylor’s role but in the League, aged 32, he won’t be playing every minute of every game, although will undoubtedly do a top job whenever asked. However, we need someone like that, maybe more mobile and with more goals in them as that type of player gets the absolute best out of McAtee, who remains our key player in the league.

I’d concur with most of that, only I’d swap a wide player for something more resembling a striker.

The big question mark for me, if we are to play loosely the same system as last season (and I expect we will), is how we score more goals. Of the top 8 in last season’s National League, only Halifax scored fewer than us. Some of that is down to that poor run in the middle of the season, but I think it’s important not to ignore that our top scorer, in the league below, only scored 16 goals.

Now, I genuinely think that McAtee, if he can stay fit and suspension free, will be even better in League Two than he was last season, being fed by better and more intelligent players. But there is a downside to that; if that happens, like Bogle six years ago, there’s a decent chance we don’t see him in a Town shirt beyond January.

So it’s the Ryan Taylor role that holds the most scrutiny for me. McAtee needs a foil. An intelligent target man with finesse. But as much as I think Ryan Taylor was brilliant for us last season and I hope he signs up for another year, he wasn’t massively prolific for us in non-league and he hasn’t ever been in the EFL if we’re brutally honest.

We basically need a first choice number 9 with the class and ability of Taylor, but with a greater inclination to get between the posts and stick it in the back of the net. In a nutshell, we need to unearth the new Gary Jones. How good would he be playing alongside McAtee, who whilst nowhere near as quick as Michael Reddy, has arguably the better football brain.

Finding that player will define our season, in my opinion. But then again, as I’ve proven many a time before, I know fúck all.

Quoted from Poojah

I’d concur with most of that, only I’d swap a wide player for something more resembling a striker.

The big question mark for me, if we are to play loosely the same system as last season (and I expect we will), is how we score more goals. Of the top 8 in last season’s National League, only Halifax scored fewer than us. Some of that is down to that poor run in the middle of the season, but I think it’s important not to ignore that our top scorer, in the league below, only scored 16 goals.

Now, I genuinely think that McAtee, if he can stay fit and suspension free, will be even better in League Two than he was last season, being fed by better and more intelligent players. But there is a downside to that; if that happens, like Bogle six years ago, there’s a decent chance we don’t see him in a Town shirt beyond January.

So it’s the Ryan Taylor role that holds the most scrutiny for me. McAtee needs a foil. An intelligent target man with finesse. But as much as I think Ryan Taylor was brilliant for us last season and I hope he signs up for another year, he wasn’t massively prolific for us in non-league and he hasn’t ever been in the EFL if we’re brutally honest.

We basically need a first choice number 9 with the class and ability of Taylor, but with a greater inclination to get between the posts and stick it in the back of the net. In a nutshell, we need to unearth the new Gary Jones. How good would he be playing alongside McAtee, who whilst nowhere near as quick as Michael Reddy, has arguably the better football brain.

Finding that player will define our season, in my opinion. But then again, as I’ve proven many a time before, I know fúck all.

I said to my Dad the other day that I’d love to see McAtee play with Gary Jones, he had all the class and skill of Ryan Taylor, but with a much bigger goal threat.

I mentioned in another thread but I’ll reaffirm it, we need an Arnold/Donavon style 10-12 goals a season winger. The wings are possibly the position in which we have the most scope for improvement. We need more goals and end product from the wide players next season.

I think if Harry can mature his game a bit and be a little bit more disciplined and have a little more composure on the ball, then he could quite comfortably move into midfield alongside Holohan. I don’t know if Hursty shares that view, or thinks he can possibly do better than both but that’s my opinion.  

I think if McAtee has a better link man/target man, better midfielders feeding him and better wingers making crosses and runs for him, he’ll score more goals. Especially if he can stay fit and free from suspension. I know what you’re saying about someone signing him, hence I hope we’re trying to get him to sign a long term contract so we can’t have him pinched from us on the cheap.

JMD has the ability to score from the wing, as well as create for others.

Just need to get him fitter.

New keeper to challenge Crocombe

New first choice left back
Hopefully Amos and Cropper sign up as backup fill backs then defence finished unless we can persuade Hull to let us have Smith again.

2 centre midfielders, 2 wingers and another striker

So hoping Amos, Cropper and Clifton re-sign we need 7 more

I think a trimmer, fitter JMD could chip in with double figures which is always help.

We spent all year saying we needed a goal scorer last year and still went up…at the first time of asking.

Every team wants them but perhaps we still need a better ball player from the middle of the park, a Nolan type player.

I think we’ll see someone for each role, certainly slither defender, midfielder and front man come in…