Toby Mullarkey has joined Crawley Town

Toby Mullarkey has joined Crawley Town

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Poor feckers

Good for all parties this, it seems. I like Toby but he suits a RCB in a back 3 - not quite a CB and not quite a RB. Can't see a 3 being something we do much this season.

A fee is quite a plus as well. All the best Toby.

Didn't rate him in a 4 at all, looked okay in a 5.

Happy to get a fee and I'm sure we can get better

He must have some sexy-looking stats

Best of luck

Following the Russell Slade path of moving up through the divisions without actually achieving anything.

Thought he improved towards the end of the season, and looked better on the right of a three, but I’m not devastated about this by any means. Crawley have either completely lost the plot or they’re doing something incredibly clever with their transfer business that isn’t obviously apparent, because on the surface Mullarkey looked well off League One standard for me.  

Does that all but confirm we won't be playing a (predominantly) back 5 this season then?

He looked pretty solid as the rightmost of the 3 centre halves, but woeful at right back.

According to some of the comments on Facebook, it appears we’ve just sold Maldini for £6.50 and a scotch egg.

If he does as well as their last signing from us he will be making them a nice profit next season. I liked him in a three man CB role but he was no right back. Its horses for courses and they may have the next 'Red Rum'.

Quoted from BirtlesHatTrick

According to some of the comments on Facebook, it appears we’ve just sold Maldini for £6.50 and a scotch egg.

Honestly I despair with some of them.

Calling it a shocking decision.....

Good luck Toby.

Good luck to him but I think we’ve done well there. 29 in a few months, spent most his career in non-league, went down with Rochdale and almost the same result with us last year. Seemed to always be in two minds when balls came across box and he was on the back stick. Not bad on the ball but not exactly Beckenbauer.

Might allow Rodgers to slot straight in on his favoured right hand side, or it’s a few quid to take into the market.

He was awful at RB, did okay in a back three. But that’s an incredibly niche position to fill. Even then, he was an average L2 defender and nowhere near as good as some of the defenders we’ve had at this level. He’s not even close to L1 standard in my opinion and he’s too old to have any resale value so I think we’ve done well to get a fee. Like Artell says, I don’t think he’ll be too hard to improve on plus we got some money. Win-win.

When he came here with Rochdale, he was the best player on the pitch, and he was playing right back. Not sure why he couldn't replicate that here.

I’m amazed we got a fee, and reminds me of when we somehow managed to negotiate one for Rhys Wilmot going to Crystal Palace.

Quoted from SteffiMariner

When he came here with Rochdale, he was the best player on the pitch, and he was playing right back. Not sure why he couldn't replicate that here.

Not sure about that. I can remember Notts County away last season and their winger Jones had the better of him most of the game. Similar in other games with quick players. Maybe a little unfair on Mullarkey but I don't think we should be too despondent, there are better defenders out there than him. Fair play to him though with a move to League 1, however I can see Crawley struggling this coming season.

Decent profit made for what we paid for him! Great business from the club

Good business if the numbers stack up.

Another surprise as with Gav. Crawley will either shock everyone this season or it’ll go spectacularly wrong.

Quoted from 141255

Decent profit made for what we paid for him! Great business from the club

this

We are going all out passing footy next season - and I'm sorry but that is not Toby's strength
Great business for the club - he's neither a really good right back or centre back; we can get much better

Quoted from 141255

Decent profit made for what we paid for him! Great business from the club

Without being told the numbers it’s difficult to know what to make of this. Sign someone for nothing and sell them for £10k
might be a decent profit is some peoples minds.

If we're going to a back 4 (are we? Dunno!) he would've been basically useless anyway. Good luck to the lad, can't knock his effort.

I think some are slightly underrating him. He was pretty good in a back 3, largely solid and decent on the ball. Seems like a good pro and he obviously looks after himself. I'd agree though that he didn't stand out enough for anyone to think he was destined for the league above, but I've a hunch that he'll cope with the step up just fine.

Quoted from Dogger Bank

Not sure about that. I can remember Notts County away last season and their winger Jones had the better of him most of the game. Similar in other games with quick players. Maybe a little unfair on Mullarkey but I don't think we should be too despondent, there are better defenders out there than him. Fair play to him though with a move to League 1, however I can see Crawley struggling this coming season.

What I was saying was that when he was at Rochdale and they came to Blundell Park, he was the best player on the pitch for that game. Grimsby v Rochdale.

Quoted from MarinerDevil

I think some are slightly underrating him. He was pretty good in a back 3, largely solid and decent on the ball. Seems like a good pro and he obviously looks after himself. I'd agree though that he didn't stand out enough for anyone to think he was destined for the league above, but I've a hunch that he'll cope with the step up just fine.

Part of one of the worst defences town have had, club record home defeats, a defender who couldnt really defend.

Underrating him we are not

Quoted from Hagrid

Part of one of the worst defences town have had, club record home defeats, a defender who couldnt really defend.

Underrating him we are not

I'll just point out that Mullarkey didn't play in the Doncaster or Stockport home defeats and we didn't change to a back 3 until the FGR game in March. Our defence in the 1-6 Walsall defeat was a back 4 of Mullarkey, Waterfall, Maher and Glennon. Three of those were discarded because they weren't good enough, and we were clearly struggling with the defensive shape and the ultra-possession tactics at the time.

I'm not saying he was outstanding or anything, but you can't write him off for being involved in one horror defeat when his defensive partners were either rubbish or past it and he wasn't playing in his best position.

Surprised he has agreed to the move given it was rumoured he initially turned us down for Rochdale due to location and being based in the North West.

On the face of it, seems like good business by the club.

Not in the slightest bit bothered that he's gone. Good luck to him and I hope it works out for him better than it did here, but I suspect he would mostly have been sitting on the bench if he'd stayed, so opening up a slot in the squad is a good thing.

Quite frankly I prefer my town players to go bald gracefully and accept the hand that the Lord has dealt them. Mullarkey is, I’m afraid to say, a “bald denier” and I would not be able to offer him my full support going forwards. This move is best for all parties.

Quoted from MarinerDevil

I think some are slightly underrating him. He was pretty good in a back 3, largely solid and decent on the ball. Seems like a good pro and he obviously looks after himself. I'd agree though that he didn't stand out enough for anyone to think he was destined for the league above, but I've a hunch that he'll cope with the step up just fine.

He'll be 29 later this year and has spent all of his career in non league other than the last season and a half where he played for a team that was relegated and a team that finished 21st. I don't think we're underrating him at all. He wasn't the worst defender we've ever had but he's only really comfortable on the right side of a back three which is such a niche position that unless you're definitely playing that formation it's not worth keeping him. Particularly as we have got a fee for him. Will it be difficult to get a better replacement? We'll see but it's not like we're having to replace someone like Danny Rose is it?

Not that fussed. If we can't get better then we are in for another season of struggle.

Quoted from mariner91

He'll be 29 later this year and has spent all of his career in non league other than the last season and a half where he played for a team that was relegated and a team that finished 21st. I don't think we're underrating him at all. He wasn't the worst defender we've ever had but he's only really comfortable on the right side of a back three which is such a niche position that unless you're definitely playing that formation it's not worth keeping him. Particularly as we have got a fee for him. Will it be difficult to get a better replacement? We'll see but it's not like we're having to replace someone like Danny Rose is it?

I think you hit the nail on the head - to get the best out of him you need to adapt your team quite drastically and I don't think he's good enough as someone to build your team around .

I wish him well and think he will probably do well there , Lindsey is a good manager who prefers 3 at the back so he will be suited to that .

Goes with best wishes really and will keep an eye out .

Been told £50K

Quoted from golfer

Been told £50K

Not bad. Even if its somewhere around that figure, its better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick.

Saving the future wages is helpful, as well as anything incoming.

Curious just to see how Crawley line up this season, anyway, good luck to Mullarkey, the chance of playing at a higher level, I hope he does well.

Our defense looks like its going to be pretty fresh - not a bad thing. Hopefully it turns out well both ways.

Quoted from Hagrid

Part of one of the worst defences town have had, club record home defeats, a defender who couldnt really defend.

Underrating him we are not

While not sticking up for Mullarky as being a good defender, may I point out it’s ridiculous to judge a player because of a team performance. Just like 2002-03, we conceded 80+ goals in the league and Danny Coyne played all of them. Wouldn’t say that he was a dreadful keeper.
The Doncaster result was a freak. Look at the stats from that game, it’s ridiculous. They have 4 shots on target and score 5 !!! Expected goals was 1.86 town and them 0.46.

Quoted from tashee69

While not sticking up for Mullarky as being a good defender, may I point out it’s ridiculous to judge a player because of a team performance. Just like 2002-03, we conceded 80+ goals in the league and Danny Coyne played all of them. Wouldn’t say that he was a dreadful keeper.
The Doncaster result was a freak. Look at the stats from that game, it’s ridiculous. They have 4 shots on target and score 5 !!! Expected goals was 1.86 town and them 0.46.

Im judging him on the whole season, he couldnt defend

Thanks Toby. All the best.

Not a huge surprise as Artell always seemed frustrated with him after knowing him since he was a youngster, don't think he developed into the player he wanted him to be. Getting a fee is a nice bonus for a player who never seemed to fit for us. Had his moments going forward but looked weak defensively and often struggled to find a simple pass.