25/26 Summer Transfer Thread

I think Artell knows we need to be tighter and spoke after Saturday about getting in earlier with shape at set-pieces this pre-season.

I also think he'll back himself to improve this group rather than completely replace them all.  I'm not saying he wouldn't want to upgrade, because he'll always think (rightly) that there are better players out there.  The difficulty is getting the better players here and then before that creating space in the squad/budget for them.

At present, there's only Hume out of contract and we've offered him a deal.  McJannet aside I can't see a massive surge of interest for anyone else.  The ideal scenario is that we're able to offload the fringe defenders, which in this case is probably someone like Cass, to bring in an improvement on someone like Rodgers - who then takes the back up role that Cass occupied.

Easy, in theory.

Just can't see us going into the season with 8 or more senior defenders.  

Think it's inevitable we will be seeing a couple of the defenders told they are free to look elsewhere. We have some ok options amongst our squad, but maybe only Hume and McJannet are any better than ok, we need more next season. Same for GK's

All depends on how easy we can get someone to take over their contracts though*, but I do agree.  I think Artell certainly would like to upgrade on at least one.

Tharme's the obvious candidate for me.  I like him, I think we look better defensively with him but Artell, despite signing him, just doesn't seem to be that bought into him.  The calling out after the Harrogate game just seemed to sum it up.  Pretty sure more or less after Tharme's first game he made a comment about the intent was to sign someone who can pass it, not just hoof it out.

From the stands, Rodgers seems to be the one that most would move on.  But I think Artell really rates him and values what he brings going forward.  

Personally I'd definitely like to see more of Warren if we're going with a back three.  I thought he was excellent in that position and that just leaves Cass.  

If we can free up a space, I'd be surprised if we don't renew our interest in Andy Smith, did well by all accounts at Gillingham until getting injured and would certainly tick a box in terms of a bit of a more all-round defender.


*I don't think anyone expected anyone to take over, never mind pay a fee for, Toby Mullarkey's contract 12-months ago.

I didn’t get the incredible stick Rodgers got last year never mind this.

He’s been solid this season, bizarrely most of our defenders have been fairly decent but then our defensive record has been miserable and one of the main reasons we haven’t gone up.

In reality, I can point to multiple games this season where they’ve been outstanding and a real high has been our ability to hold onto leads. That was until right at the end of the season when sods law we blew two, 2 goal leads. They’ve also been superb in games when teams have launched balls into the box, it’s when the midfield and forwards come back for set pieces it all falls apart IMO.

We’re far too easily run at in games which gives the opposition countless chances to get into goal scoring areas and we’re often playing ourselves into trouble in games where the entire squad seems off it.

I looked back at our home losses this season and I could name one (Salford) where we probably deserved a draw. The rest of them we were absolutely terrible from front to back.

It seems strange to say the defensive record isn’t on the defenders I know, but you couldn’t pick out any individual defender and say they’ve had a bad season.

The goalkeeper on the other hand..

Quoted from pontoonlew

I didn’t get the incredible stick Rodgers got last year never mind this.

He’s been solid this season, bizarrely most of our defenders have been fairly decent but then our defensive record has been miserable and one of the main reasons we haven’t gone up.

Come on now. I can think of probably 3 goals off the top of my head where Rodgers has stood waiting for the keeper to claim the ball rather than get rid, and then he was clearly targeted towards the back end of the season because he’s not quick enough to deal with attackers so backs off & allows them too much time. Colchester & Morecambe immediately spring to mind.

Got probably 12 & half weeks to fill so I might watch back every goal we’ve conceded this year and wind myself up in the process.

Quoted from diehardmariner

All depends on how easy we can get someone to take over their contracts though*, but I do agree.  I think Artell certainly would like to upgrade on at least one.

Tharme's the obvious candidate for me.  I like him, I think we look better defensively with him but Artell, despite signing him, just doesn't seem to be that bought into him.  The calling out after the Harrogate game just seemed to sum it up.  Pretty sure more or less after Tharme's first game he made a comment about the intent was to sign someone who can pass it, not just hoof it out.

From the stands, Rodgers seems to be the one that most would move on.  But I think Artell really rates him and values what he brings going forward.  

Personally I'd definitely like to see more of Warren if we're going with a back three.  I thought he was excellent in that position and that just leaves Cass.  

If we can free up a space, I'd be surprised if we don't renew our interest in Andy Smith, did well by all accounts at Gillingham until getting injured and would certainly tick a box in terms of a bit of a more all-round defender.


*I don't think anyone expected anyone to take over, never mind pay a fee for, Toby Mullarkey's contract 12-months ago.

Agree, I prefer Tharme but the indication given is Rodgers is the favoured of the two. That's fine, Artell knows a damn sight more than any of us and it's his job, have faith in the decisions he makes in the window as he's earnt that right from us. I just can't see us going into next season with fundamentally the same defence that conceded the 6th highest amount of goals in the league, of the other teams four of those who were worse than us were the bottom 4. There's other context to it, of course, but defence is an area that needs some attention.

This really isn't a criticism... they are all ok options in my opinion and I wouldn't be concerned having any of them in the squad, just not all of them together in the same team - if we want to push on. We kept only 10 clean sheets last year.

Quoted from ska face

Come on now. I can think of probably 3 goals off the top of my head where Rodgers has stood waiting for the keeper to claim the ball rather than get rid, and then he was clearly targeted towards the back end of the season because he’s not quick enough to deal with attackers so backs off & allows them too much time. Colchester & Morecambe immediately spring to mind.

Got probably 12 & half weeks to fill so I might watch back every goal we’ve conceded this year and wind myself up in the process.

I'd say he's more targeted because they know JDS plays high leaving Rodgers exposed a lot of the time.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

I'd say he's more targeted because they know JDS plays high leaving Rodgers exposed a lot of the time.

Yes. Ryan Bennett comms at Crewe was a real eye opener. Think as the season went on more teams exploited it like Ska says.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I didn’t get the incredible stick Rodgers got last year never mind this.

He’s been solid this season, bizarrely most of our defenders have been fairly decent but then our defensive record has been miserable and one of the main reasons we haven’t gone up.

.

He adds something going forward and that overload was effective in the first half against MK Dons until we ran out of steam in the second half like in many games this season and we ended up pegged back as we stopped pressing. Always seen him quite shaky at the back though since he signed for us, not very good in the air and signed more for us looking for a ball playing defender than anything else but even fails at that sometimes. He has the same issues Hume had where he was very good attacking but defensively fragile but while Hume found a position where he works better with 3 in the middle, Rodgers still has a lot of the same issues even with the cover it provides.

He's the defender that comes to mind the most this season for causing goals conceded or creating dangerous chances for the other team by basically passing the ball to them in his own box. His aerial weaknesses were regularly exploited along with that defensive fragility, Tshimanga ran rings around him both games after he was tasked with marking him. There is a reason why we are better defensively with Tharme and that we need Rose to defend set pieces because we have to cover those who aren't very good in the air.

Nathan Baxter released by Bolton ex hull city goalkeeper