The rumour...

Quoted from 123614

So maybe this is the time to speculate about something that's been bothering me for quite a while now.......the number 9 Shirt!

We have 8 listed players as forwards, not all are strikers, but none of them have been given the Number 9 shirt.  The only thing I can come up with is that PH is waiting for a certain players contract to end on 31st July, the deal might have already been done, or he might have to fight for him.  I can't imagine PH keeping the number 9 shirt open just in case he spots a good striker somewhere, so what do you guys think?  I'm all out of bubblegum and desperate to see who our new number 9 will be!

Football League contracts typically end on 30th June but their former club still pays them until the end of July if they aren't fixed up so next week, there will be a number of players no longer getting paid and under more pressure to get fixed up.

The league season starts next weekend too which will, in theory, make people reconsider the level they want to play at.

I'm not sure if our number 9 will be a free agent though. Hurst has placed emphasis on fitness so I wonder if we will be paying a fee for somebody or raiding the U23 market. Revan said that his loan move was on the cards for a few weeks but Villa wanted him to complete pre-season with them.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Football League contracts typically end on 30th June but their former club still pays them until the end of July if they aren't fixed up so next week, there will be a number of players no longer getting paid and under more pressure to get fixed up.

The league season starts next weekend too which will, in theory, make people reconsider the level they want to play at.

I'm not sure if our number 9 will be a free agent though. Hurst has places emphasis on fitness so I wonder if we will be paying a fee for somebody or raiding the U23 market. Revan said that his loan move was on the cards for a few weeks but Villa wanted him to complete pre-season with them.

This what bothers me the most.  Basically everyone who is out of contract now are free to talk with any one or any club they like, and have been able to do so for almost a month!  I would have thought that PH, with 4 weeks to talk to someone, would have got the deal over the line by now, but that's just my opinion.

Quoted from gtfc_akpa_akpro

This is awful

I think it was more, Tounge in cheek, than anything else.

Which sounds creepy as hell the more you think about it

Quoted from 123614

This what bothers me the most.  Basically everyone who is out of contract now are free to talk with any one or any club they like, and have been able to do so for almost a month!  I would have thought that PH, with 4 weeks to talk to someone, would have got the deal over the line by now, but that's just my opinion.

Maybe the player he wants is under contract?

Maybe that club wants to get someone else in before letting this chap go?

[quote=2633]

Maybe the player he wants is under contract?


Well if that is the case, then we are going to have to pay for him, and if he is a 'marquee' signing then I guess he won't come cheap!  It will be interesting to see what emerges over the next few days/weeks.

Quoted from 123614

This what bothers me the most.  Basically everyone who is out of contract now are free to talk with any one or any club they like, and have been able to do so for almost a month!  I would have thought that PH, with 4 weeks to talk to someone, would have got the deal over the line by now, but that's just my opinion.

Makes sense, if his previous club are still paying him until end of July, and he is going to have to take a pay cut he would wait until his old club stop paying him a larger wage before he moved for a lower wage. Or we might have offered him the same but he waited to see if he gets a better offer until end of July.

I have faith in PH getting us a decent goalscorer.

Quoted from 123614

So maybe this is the time to speculate about something that's been bothering me for quite a while now.......the number 9 Shirt!

We have 8 listed players as forwards, not all are strikers, but none of them have been given the Number 9 shirt.  The only thing I can come up with is that PH is waiting for a certain players contract to end on 31st July, the deal might have already been done, or he might have to fight for him.  I can't imagine PH keeping the number 9 shirt open just in case he spots a good striker somewhere, so what do you guys think?  I'm all out of bubblegum and desperate to see who our new number 9 will be!

I think your logic is right. Hurst wouldn't keep the number 9 shirt empty on spec. He will have 1 or 2 lined up waiting for their contracts to end. Next week will be interesting to see who comes in to complete the jigsaw.

Quoted from bax

Maybe the player he wants is under contract?

Maybe that club wants to get someone else in before letting this chap go?

I think this is quite likely. Knowing Hurst's previous patterns in terms of lead strikers I would expect he'll be after someone in their prime age-wise, and relatively proven at a higher level or tearing it up at our level / the level below (a la Hearn and Bogle). Looking on the very useful [url=https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spieler/vertragslosespieler/statistik/1/plus//galerie/0?ausrichtung=alle&spielerposition_id=14&land_id=alle&altersklasse=&wettbewerb_id=GB4&seit=alle&yt0=Show]Transfermarkt[/url] site there are very few free agents who most recently played in League One, League Two or National League that fit that bill. The only names which look remotely suitable are:

• Kyle Vassell (most recently on loan at Fleetwood from Rotherham)
  
• Mark Cullen (most recently at Port Vale)
  
• Caolan Lavery (most recently at Walsall)
  
• Scott Boden (most recently at Chesterfield)
  

I'd expect Vassell to be somewhat of a stretch financially, and I'd have thought there would have been competition above our level that would be more attractive to him. Cullen and Lavery have both been on trial at Hartlepool and it looks as though they'll at least be taking Cullen on. Boden, whilst reasonably prolific in the Conference, will be 32 in December which probably rules him out given the ages of LJL and Taylor.

The only other name that stood out was Aramide Oteh, recently released by QPR but having been on loan at a few clubs in League Two in recent seasons where he's done 'ok'. Still not massively proven at 22 however and has recently been on trial at Donny, so possibly also unlikely.

Beyond that, there appears to be very little out there in terms of free agents, so I'd say the likelihood will be someone currently under contract or someone out of the left field who hasn't been playing in England (which I also see as slightly unlikely).

Personally I think it’s going to be someone of the work in progress type rather than a proven lower league striker.
An Owen Windsor type for example……

Quoted from Son of Cod

Bit of a faff, I click quote and then copy it and then go back to the thread and click quote on the next one and paste it in and so on...does that make sense? Not sure if I've explained that well?

While I was thinking about it, that was what I thought you may have done. Thanks for confirming.