not many more needed?

thought we might be looking at quite a few more still to come in, but looking at Cod Almighty I'm not so sure.
Capitals are first choice

G.K. McKEOWN, Battersby & Russell
Defenders PEARSON, LONGE-KING, SEARS, Waterfall, Idehen, Goundry,  (Starbuck)
Midfield CLIFTON, COKE, WRIGHT, FOX, Spokes, (Starbuck)
Forwards THE SHOP, McATEE, Jackson Jnr, Adlard (Scannell?)

Haven't included Hendrie, Khouri, Grist, Morais, Williams, Rose or Gibson as i don't expect any of them to be with us by the end of August

so I've got 10 first choices, 4 or 5 for the bench and 4 youngsters, with a squad total of 19/20

reserve keeper, winger, young centre forward & a left back would appear to be the gaps and then you've got a squad of about 24
anything i've missed?

Quoted from forza ivano

Haven't included Hendrie, Khouri, Grist, Morais, Williams, Rose or Gibson as i don't expect any of them to be with us by the end of August

Wasn't Khouri offered a pro deal?

Yep Khouri was offered a deal along with Adlard & Goundry.
They have accepted 1 year contracts but I don't think Khouri has signed yet..

How do you conclude we need another keeper?

Paul Hurst said we needed into double figures and we have 5 so far, so atleast 5 more to come but also I think some might wait until after the season has started as we can sign players pretty much all through the season so there's no immediate rush for some players who would be signed as "options" rather than first teamers

Personally I think there will be plenty more incoming, hopefully we see some outward movement too soon

Quoted from immariner

How do you conclude we need another keeper?

coz i don't think Battersby is quite ready and Russell isn't good enough, plus i'm sure Hurst has made comments to the effect that he wants McKeown to be challenged

ps i had heard that Khouri is on his way to either a midlands Championship team or a London premiership club, although tbf that was a few weeks ago now

When looking to see if we have a team to compete for promotion we have a guideline from the past...

McKeown.            
                                            
Tait.
Nsiala.
Gowling.
Roberstson.

Arnold.
Clay.
Disley.
Nolan.

Bogle.
Amond.

Subs.
Pitman.
Hoban.
East.
Pearson.
Marshall.

That needs to be the standard this time around....
The question is:
Are we anyway near that yet?

Quoted from forza ivano

coz i don't think Battersby is quite ready and Russell isn't good enough, plus i'm sure Hurst has made comments to the effect that he wants McKeown to be challenged

ps i had heard that Khouri is on his way to either a midlands Championship team or a London premiership club, although tbf that was a few weeks ago now

Fair enough. Not sure I see the point in re-signing Battersby if he's gonna sign a second experienced keeper and it's always possible to get a keeper on loan short notice. Wonder if we'll have a reserve team.

On Khouri, I did say that unless we offered him a decent contract, better than our standard one year for a first year pro contract, that he'd be off (assuming that's what we have offered). Although obviously raw, Khouri showed enough in technical ability to suggest he's better than anyone our youth system has developed in recent years and I see real potential there. Would be a shame but you gotta think if he was gonna sign he'd have done it by now.

Quoted from aussiej

When looking to see if we have a team to compete for promotion we have a guideline from the past...

McKeown.            
                                            
Tait.
Nsiala.
Gowling.
Roberstson.

Arnold.
Clay.
Disley.
Nolan.

Bogle.
Amond.

Subs.
Pitman.
Hoban.
East.
Pearson.
Marshall.

That needs to be the standard this time around....
The question is:
Are we anyway near that yet?

The end justified the means I suppose but we want a squad capable of automatic , not just one of making the play offs, making and winning the play offs is the minimum requirement of any squad this season I would say,  automatic as soon as possible should be the No.1 aim.

Russell won't be part of playing squad next season. A new goalkeeper will be signed. Battersby will be sent out on loan to gain first team experience.

I don't think it does anyone any favours to say making and winning the play offs is the minimum requirement. Look at the quality of that squad posted above and we weren't even close to winning the title. Winning the title is very difficult and the play offs is a lottery. I'm prepared to effectively give the team a free pass next season but I would probably be disappointed if we weren't challenging for top 7. Second season I will expect more, absolutely.

At a minimum I think we need a new left back; left winger/midfielder; and a striker with a proven record of scoring.  We have plenty of cash in the tin from Dembele, Pollock and perhaps Grist, so we should splash out on some real quality.

A couple more players in addition to those three to improve squad depth would take the total new signings up to 10, which I believe is the ball park that has been mentioned. Though one of those may be a keeper.

I think the whole club underestimated non league last time. I don't think that will happen this time around, especially with regards to player acquisition.

With all due respect to Neil Woods, I think the extra budget we had when we first went into non league wasn't used to best effect. Too many waning league players were signed and not enough young hungry players with non league knowledge.

It took Hurst a while to sort out the squad and then we didn't get much luck in the play offs. First time in them, we weren't good enough, but the following 2 play off tilts, we got the sh1tty end of refereeing decisions.

I think we will be much better prepared this time and I expect Hurst will have us in the play off positions at least. I also think there will be a few more ins and outs regarding the squad yet.

Quoted from immariner

I don't think it does anyone any favours to say making and winning the play offs is the minimum requirement. Look at the quality of that squad posted above and we weren't even close to winning the title. Winning the title is very difficult and the play offs is a lottery. I'm prepared to effectively give the team a free pass next season but I would probably be disappointed if we weren't challenging for top 7. Second season I will expect more, absolutely.

It's an aim ,  an objective, if its drip fed into every player at every opportunity they will know what they are expected to deliver....tell them ......dont worry ,its ok boys if you dont do too well this season but we really want it next year.....then expect failure. Its professional football not a school sports day.

Quoted from forza ivano

thought we might be looking at quite a few more still to come in, but looking at Cod Almighty I'm not so sure.
Capitals are first choice

G.K. McKEOWN, Battersby & Russell
Defenders PEARSON, LONGE-KING, SEARS, Waterfall, Idehen, Goundry,  (Starbuck)
Midfield CLIFTON, COKE, WRIGHT, FOX, Spokes, (Starbuck)
Forwards THE SHOP, McATEE, Jackson Jnr, Adlard (Scannell?)

Haven't included Hendrie, Khouri, Grist, Morais, Williams, Rose or Gibson as i don't expect any of them to be with us by the end of August

so I've got 10 first choices, 4 or 5 for the bench and 4 youngsters, with a squad total of 19/20

reserve keeper, winger, young centre forward & a left back would appear to be the gaps and then you've got a squad of about 24
anything i've missed?

You didn't PM me your credit card details so I could top up with Guinness and red wine for the season.

Quoted from moosey_club

It's an aim ,  an objective, if its drip fed into every player at every opportunity they will know what they are expected to deliver....tell them ......dont worry ,its ok boys if you dont do too well this season but we really want it next year.....then expect failure. Its professional football not a school sports day.

Absolutely promotion should be the aim, just as it should have been in league 2, and I wouldn't obviously expect anything else to be communicated to the players by the management. But that's not the same as to say it's the minimum requirement because to me, that implies there's consequences for not achieving it, and usually in football that obviously means the manager's job. Very few teams have gone up at the first attempt (Brovers wouldn't have done if it wasn't for that twit of a referee) and it's not defeatist to suggest that we probably won't and shouldn't expect to (as supporters), it's the reality.

Maybe we're just talking semantics here and we both ostensibly agree. What I'm say is, as a fan base I don't think it would be fair to expect a lot from next season and I hope that's reflected at games. As was shown last time we were here, sometimes a little patience can go a long way.

Quoted from immariner

Absolutely promotion should be the aim, just as it should have been in league 2, and I wouldn't obviously expect anything else to be communicated to the players by the management. But that's not the same as to say it's the minimum requirement because to me, that implies there's consequences for not achieving it, and usually in football that obviously means the manager's job. Very few teams have gone up at the first attempt (Brovers wouldn't have done if it wasn't for that twit of a referee) and it's not defeatist to suggest that we probably won't and shouldn't expect to (as supporters), it's the reality.

Maybe we're just talking semantics here and we both ostensibly agree. What I'm say is, as a fan base I don't think it would be fair to expect a lot from next season and I hope that's reflected at games. As was shown last time we were here, sometimes a little patience can go a long way.

Sick of the underfunded "competitive" budget mentality of the past board that has pretty much morphed into the expectations of the support....we should expect and demand more....Blundell Park has been like a morgue for seasons as let's face it, we all have really known as soon as the signings have been made and "hairs on the neck" signings have failed to appear leaving most with no belief.
It is chicken and egg really but if we dont seize this opportunity to change then it wont take long for the old mentalities to return.

Quoted from immariner

Absolutely promotion should be the aim, just as it should have been in league 2, and I wouldn't obviously expect anything else to be communicated to the players by the management. But that's not the same as to say it's the minimum requirement because to me, that implies there's consequences for not achieving it, and usually in football that obviously means the manager's job. Very few teams have gone up at the first attempt (Brovers wouldn't have done if it wasn't for that twit of a referee) and it's not defeatist to suggest that we probably won't and shouldn't expect to (as supporters), it's the reality.

Maybe we're just talking semantics here and we both ostensibly agree. What I'm say is, as a fan base I don't think it would be fair to expect a lot from next season and I hope that's reflected at games. As was shown last time we were here, sometimes a little patience can go a long way.

17 years was a long time, and we were very patient. The man who claimed he didn't want to own the club made us wait.

As for this coming season, the aim has to be league champions. Making up the division is not an option.

Quoted from forza ivano

coz i don't think Battersby is quite ready and Russell isn't good enough, plus i'm sure Hurst has made comments to the effect that he wants McKeown to be challenged

ps i had heard that Khouri is on his way to either a midlands Championship team or a London premiership club, although tbf that was a few weeks ago now

Source Phil Noches?

Quoted from aussiej

When looking to see if we have a team to compete for promotion we have a guideline from the past...

McKeown.            
                                            
Tait.
Nsiala.
Gowling.
Roberstson.

Arnold.
Clay.
Disley.
Nolan.

Bogle.
Amond.

Subs.
Pitman.
Hoban.
East.
Pearson.
Marshall.

That needs to be the standard this time around....
The question is:
Are we anyway near that yet?

This, I think, highlights the challenge we have next season. Of those players listed above, the following were already here at the start of the 15/16 season (or had been on loan at the end of the previous season and signed permanently that summer):

McKeown
Pearson
Nsiala
Gowling
Robertson
Arnold
Clay
Disley
Pittman

That’s a damn good basis on which to build a National League team. On top of it we then added:

Tait
Nolan
Amond
Bogle
Townsend (12 game loan)

So we already had a pretty good head start, and you’d have to say those five signings were pretty stellar (even if you can argue that Bogle played his best football for us the following season in League Two). Even then, we were only just good enough to get over the line, and I’d argue that we only made the play-offs courtesy of Townsend’s cameo during which we took 22 points from 27.

We haven’t the luxury of that kind of spine to begin with this time around, and so we need to somehow replicate that same kind of recruitment quality, but probably in double the numbers. That’s a very tall order, and I’m not sure it’s realistic to expect that in one or two transfer windows.

There’s an argument that Hurst should’ve got more out of that crop of players and we should have won promotion more comfortably than we did, but regardless I don’t see us assembling a squad close to that good in time for the coming season.

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think we’ll go up next season. There’s a hell of a lot to be optimistic about right now, but sometimes maintaining that optimism requires a dose of realism at the same time. We are where we are and it will take time to change that, but it’s important to note that where we are will not be the fault of anyone still at the club when the season gets underway.

If we are in a league where only the champions are certain to be promoted, that is what we must aim for, obviously. For once, we have everything going for us.

We have an experienced manager who has the full support of the board, with a proper budget, who knows the club inside out. We have a large fan base who are desperate to back the team; we have a board who want to make a success of it and have the funds and know-how to make it happen.

We will have a fantastic pitch to play fast exciting attacking football, and we have a head start over most of our rivals both in terms of finance and being able to plan ahead well before their season finished.

We must make it pay. Of course, if we don't win the league because someone else has assembled a better team then fair enough, but we should be aiming for the title 100 %.

On the signings front, I would expect we are saving the best till last and most sought after players taking their time to decide but it is very important we get two or three signings that really would signal our intent. I will be really disappointed if those signings aren't made when everything seems to be in our favour.

I may have let my imagination run away but I'm expecting a couple of statement signings, maybe a striker and midfield/winger. Think we also need a left back
Am I right in thinking it's only 5 subs in the conference, in which case we didn't have a goalie on the bench last time. Think Shaun was the emergency cover and a loanee if Macca gets injured

Think there will be a left back, another full back if Hendrie doesnt re-sign, another centre midfield, 2 wingers and a striker.
6 more signings at least.

We need a 20+ goal scorer . Absolute top priority.

I think the biggest break on us next season will be the impact of the ‘dead wood’ (for want of a better term) on the budget.

Quoted from aussiej

When looking to see if we have a team to compete for promotion we have a guideline from the past...

McKeown.            
                                            
Tait.
Nsiala.
Gowling.
Roberstson.

Arnold.
Clay.
Disley.
Nolan.

Bogle.
Amond.

Subs.
Pitman.
Hoban.
East.
Pearson.
Marshall.

That needs to be the standard this time around....
The question is:
Are we anyway near that yet?

Don’t know, but don’t think so. However time to fix it yet.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

We need a 20+ goal scorer . Absolute top priority.

I think the biggest break on us next season will be the impact of the ‘dead wood’ (for want of a better term) on the budget.

Yep, that and three more in as a minimum, including another wide player. Then it depends on what happens with Williams Scannell and Hendrie

So the cunning save money ploy this year is Shaun Pearson as sub keeper, eh ??

Double the impact as player or sub without losing the 5th outfield player option !!

It's actually not that stupid an idea with only 5 subs allowed !

I think we need 8 more.
        rb               lb
        rw cm cm   lw
              fw fw