John Welsh signs

Quoted from forza ivano

Anyone else perplexed/ intrigued that we now have 6 central midfielders but no wide men?

Have you never played Football Manager!

Everyone knows the best formation is 4-3-1-2 for 4-1-3-2.... no wingers needed  

Quoted from buckstown

I'm struggling to imagine what Woolford will be doing next season with the events of the last 24 hours. Sure MJ has a plan but I'm  beginning to wonder why he kept him?

We've got five out and out central midfielders, Rose, Welsh, Hessenthaler, Whitehouse and Woolford. I'm sure MJ said Clifton could play there.. eventually. So if MJ wants to play three in the centre and one gets injured, then there will be only one experienced option left on the bench. Some look at a squad and forget about tactical options, injuries or loss of form..

While we're on about the central midfield. I remember some clever trousers (can't remember who ) getting hammered for saying that Rose was more likely than Summerfield to start the season..

Feel a lot happier about our transfer business the past 24 hours or so, I hope the recent quality of signings now continues..

On paper this is an absolute stonker of a signing.  But there's a few excellent points raised on here about the lack of games he's played in the last two years.  Reading between the lines on their forum it's arguably a case of him just getting edged out by younger players in a side with genuine ambitions of chasing a top 6 place in the Championship.  I don't think many of us would grumble at having a side full of guys who are just not quite good enough to be a permanent fixture in a side chasing a Premier League spot, but more than ok as squad cover at that level.

The lack of games in recent seasons could also work in our favour.  He's 34 which is hardly over the hill but his style of play means he will have probably taken a bit of a battering, bit of time off could have refreshed him.

What's really impressive is that Jolley has persuaded him to come here in the first place.  I know there's a family link to the area but considering he lives in Liverpool and travelled to Preston every day (1 hour) he wouldn't have been short of options to stay that way over and find a North West club in League 1, or indeed if he moved this way over there's a fair selection of League 1 clubs within an hour of us.  That Preston forum mentions that he helped out with the Academy so wonder if Jolley is going to do the same and has used that as a bit of a dangled carrot.  

All very, very encouraging so far.

Still lacking up top.

Hooper obviously finished the season very well so we have to hope he can continue this form, Cardwell yet to score a senior goal, Cook seems to have mostly played as a midfielder, Robles has a lot to prove given the level he's been playing at. Have I missed anyone?

I think we need one or perhaps two more forwards at least.

Quoted from forza ivano

Anyone else perplexed/ intrigued that we now have 6 central midfielders but no wide men?

I make it 5 who'll be solely central midfielders; Welsh, Woolford, Rose, Hessenthaler and Whitehouse.  I know Jolley has said he sees Clifton as someone who will eventually move into the middle but I don't think that will happen this season.

From last season when he started to make his real stamp on things, I don't see Jolley as someone who uses traditional wingers either.  He wants one of his midfielders to sit very deep, which allows the full-backs to push on high into wing-back positions where the 'wingers' push high and inside to help the lone front man put pressure on the opposition defence.

I quite like the system Jolley uses as it gets the best of both worlds, providing you've got the right players.  You've the ability to stretch teams out wide with the high full-backs and wide midfielders, but if the wide midfielders cut inside you've also got the option of overcrowding teams in the middle too.   Energy is definitely a key ingredient for Jolley this season and I can see us absolutely steam-rolling a few sides with the way we play.

Quoted from Maringer

Still lacking up top.

Hooper obviously finished the season very well so we have to hope he can continue this form, Cardwell yet to score a senior goal, Cook seems to have mostly played as a midfielder, Robles has a lot to prove given the level he's been playing at. Have I missed anyone?

I think we need one or perhaps two more forwards at least.

I can't see Hooper starting anywhere but the left flank.  He looked a hundred times a better player, far more natural to him than as an out-and-out striker.

There's one more to come up top, at least.  But I'm not concerned about the lack of goals so far from the current 3 in their careers.  At least one of them will come good with their return this year.  Cardwell has all the ingredients to be a very good striker at this level, he just needs a couple of goals to trickle in for him.  A lot of his play reminds me of Daryl Clare and how he just couldn't buy a goal when he first started with us.  

Report from a friend the North West - "should be a good signing even at that age. Very combative, good pass and a leader..."

Not a description that could be applied to many GTFC midfielders in the last 15 years...Pouton and that's about it (and hopefully JW better at avoiding red cards)?

I think we'll perhaps often play a forward 3, definitely with Hooper out on the left. As you note, he looked much more comfortable receiving and using the ball with the touchline next to him. I'd like to see him cutting in and taking more shots this year as I'm told he's got a hell of a shot on him (I missed his long-range efforts last season!) and he didn't shoot enough for me when he played last year.

I'm yet to be convinced that Cardwell will ever score very many. Can't fault his efforts, but he tends to spurn the chances which do come his way. Perhaps he'll do better once he breaks his duck and will hopefully get more chances in a team which isn't struggling so much as we were for much of last season.

Clare became a non-league specialist (and did very well indeed there) because I think he realised he wasn't quite good enough for league football. I fear the same may end up being the case for Cardwell. Hopefully not.

I would like to see us with a forward with some serious pace. Not sure if Cook qualifies as this or not but it's always helpful to have a player to give defenders something different to worry about, whether it's height, strength or pace. At our level, you don't need to be the most technically brilliant player if you're strong enough or quick enough to cause problems with those assets alone.

Quoted from forza ivano

Anyone else perplexed/ intrigued that we now have 6 central midfielders but no wide men?

I think it's a clear indicator that we'll be going with 3 in the middle as a formation so it's 2 per position which seems just about ok, maybe 1 too many. Rose was already contracted and so is the only one who Jolley hasn't actively offered terms to - perhaps he's going to find it hard to get a game.

Ah, yes. Also forgot about Akeem Rose (assuming he signs/has signed a new contract). He has pace to burn from what I've heard, so perhaps he's well within Jolley's plans?