New players

Assuming everyone signs who has been offered a contract, how many more players do fishy folk think we will sign and in what positions? Cheers

3  - 1  Striker   2 wingers

Maybe a loan signing or two will be through the front doors soon

Need someone centre midfield, we look very thin on the ground there.

someone to take foxs place?

Another keeper for sure.

Maybe another centre back, depending on the Longe-King situation. Another right back, Cropper or someone else. Another left back if Amos signs and two if he doesn't.

We'll need midfield recruitments as most of those we had have gone and a couple of wingers for sure.

Think we'll need another striker or two as well.

Basically, two players for every position and a few first and second year pro's.

Might be one or two utility type players in there to fill gaps.

Squad of about 26 to 28 possibly. Not checked how many we currently have signed

We need:

1 goalkeeper

1 left back
1 centre half

3 central midfielders
2/3 wingers

1 striker

Battersby is still a young lad. Think he’ll want a reserve keeper in of decent quality to provide backup to Crocombe. Think we can sign someone significantly cheaper than Macca and use that saved budget elsewhere if I’m honest.

One more CB. Shaun is 4th choice and moving into a coaching role I think, he’ll need someone else but I think Maher and Waterfall is his first choice.

The left back is an interesting one. Is Amos of high enough quality to push for back to back promotions? I realise he hasn't played a load of football before us and may benefit from a reset and full pre season but my suspicion is Hursty thinks he can do better.

I say 2/3 wingers cos Harry can play there to good effect and wig

In terms of specifics on midfielders, he’ll want a holder (like Raikhy or Coke), a bag of energy (the Fox, Jake Hessenthaner option) and probably someone who’s a bit more box-to-box and likely to get goals.

I think he’s going to want another link man/target man style striker. I know that’s Taylor’s role but in the League, aged 32, he won’t be playing every minute of every game, although will undoubtedly do a top job whenever asked. However, we need someone like that, maybe more mobile and with more goals in them as that type of player gets the absolute best out of McAtee, who remains our key player in the league.

Currently;

Orsi
X - McAttee - X
Holohan - X
Amos - Maher - Waterfall - Efete
Crocombe

That is how I see us shaping up so far. I do see Clifton renewing, and I see a potential upgrade/competition to full backs in the form of Cropper and another.

As mentioned above a Fox/Hessenthaler signing to sit with Holohan is needed, as are two or more wingers.

Potentially a few loan signings too.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Maybe a loan signing or two will be through the front doors soon

I don't think loan players are the answer - we don't have control & eventually they will move back to the parent club.
PH has started with a proven CB & a much needed striker on 2 year deals.
More of the same I hope.

I agree Heswall Mariner.

The bar has been set on these signings.

On the surface, Orsi was underwhelming (i.e. signing from a competitor side, after a reasonable loan a league below), but it is similar to McAttee, Podge etc.

Maher is a very good signing, a left-footed centre back to complement Waterfall and only mid-20s is very good - Arteta spent an age getting a left-footer for Arsenal - brings balance etc...apparently.

Onwards and upwards!

Excited for the season to come.

Quoted from Heswall Mariner

I don't think loan players are the answer - we don't have control & eventually they will move back to the parent club.
PH has started with a proven CB & a much needed striker on 2 year deals.
More of the same I hope.

As a side note, I do like that we seem to be putting faith in these lads. There’s already the basis of a decent side for 23/24 signed up. This building for the future with long term objectives is the sort of business management claptrap spouted by everyone but it’s fair to say JS/AP are as good as their word so far. It will bear fruit

Quoted from Mariner_09

We need:

1 goalkeeper

1 left back
1 centre half

3 central midfielders
2/3 wingers

1 striker

Battersby is still a young lad. Think he’ll want a reserve keeper in of decent quality to provide backup to Crocombe. Think we can sign someone significantly cheaper than Macca and use that saved budget elsewhere if I’m honest.

One more CB. Shaun is 4th choice and moving into a coaching role I think, he’ll need someone else but I think Maher and Waterfall is his first choice.

The left back is an interesting one. Is Amos of high enough quality to push for back to back promotions? I realise he hasn't played a load of football before us and may benefit from a reset and full pre season but my suspicion is Hursty thinks he can do better.

I say 2/3 wingers cos Harry can play there to good effect and wig

In terms of specifics on midfielders, he’ll want a holder (like Raikhy or Coke), a bag of energy (the Fox, Jake Hessenthaner option) and probably someone who’s a bit more box-to-box and likely to get goals.

I think he’s going to want another link man/target man style striker. I know that’s Taylor’s role but in the League, aged 32, he won’t be playing every minute of every game, although will undoubtedly do a top job whenever asked. However, we need someone like that, maybe more mobile and with more goals in them as that type of player gets the absolute best out of McAtee, who remains our key player in the league.

Taylor’s actually 34 now.

As for Pearson, I still think he has something to offer, and I’m glad he’s on the books.

Quoted from ginnywings

Another keeper for sure.

Maybe another centre back, depending on the Longe-King situation. Another right back, Cropper or someone else. Another left back if Amos signs and two if he doesn't.

We'll need midfield recruitments as most of those we had have gone and a couple of wingers for sure.

Think we'll need another striker or two as well.

Basically, two players for every position and a few first and second year pro's.

Might be one or two utility type players in there to fill gaps.

Squad of about 26 to 28 possibly. Not checked how many we currently have signed

This

Quoted from Heisenberg

Taylor’s actually 34 now.

As for Pearson, I still think he has something to offer, and I’m glad he’s on the books.

Think as fourth choice CB, we won’t do any better. He’ll do whatever is asked of him whenever called upon. He’ll be a fantastic lad to have around the club and town. I’m delighted he’a part of it. He’s talked about possible coaching avenues so I think he’ll be here for a while yet.

I meant 34, don’t know why I put 32 but that just lays bare my point really. Undoubtedly another top pro to have around who will not moan who cause trouble and will do whatever asked when called upon. Just think we need better if we’re serious about challenging for consecutive promotions.

I should add we need more goals from other areas next season. Waterfall was our second top scorer with 9 last season, Taylor third with 7, maybe 8? Holohan may get into double figures if he plays every week but we need a Nathan Arnold/Kev Donavon style player getting a dozen goals from the wing and a striker who gets 12-15. That along with McAtee hopefully improving and staying fit thus getting 20+ goals would make us a serious force. And that has to be the aim.

Some of my observations may be critical but I just think this is too good an opportunity to spurn again and we need to strike while the irons hot and sign top top quality while we can.

I think we can safely assume those remaining players that were have offered deals to have either signed or agreed to, if they have decided to move on, a la Fox I think we’d have heard by now. We know Hursty puts time frames on player decisions like in previous summers so he has a good idea of what and where he needs to recruit.

For me, if we go into pre-season having only lost Fox, I’d be delighted and as others have said, it’s very exciting and refreshing to see us continue to build with multi-year deals and retain the bulk of the players who got us promoted.

Onwards and upwards!

Quoted from Mariner_09

We need:

1 goalkeeper

1 left back
1 centre half

3 central midfielders
2/3 wingers

1 striker

Battersby is still a young lad. Think he’ll want a reserve keeper in of decent quality to provide backup to Crocombe. Think we can sign someone significantly cheaper than Macca and use that saved budget elsewhere if I’m honest.

One more CB. Shaun is 4th choice and moving into a coaching role I think, he’ll need someone else but I think Maher and Waterfall is his first choice.

The left back is an interesting one. Is Amos of high enough quality to push for back to back promotions? I realise he hasn't played a load of football before us and may benefit from a reset and full pre season but my suspicion is Hursty thinks he can do better.

I say 2/3 wingers cos Harry can play there to good effect and wig

In terms of specifics on midfielders, he’ll want a holder (like Raikhy or Coke), a bag of energy (the Fox, Jake Hessenthaner option) and probably someone who’s a bit more box-to-box and likely to get goals.

I think he’s going to want another link man/target man style striker. I know that’s Taylor’s role but in the League, aged 32, he won’t be playing every minute of every game, although will undoubtedly do a top job whenever asked. However, we need someone like that, maybe more mobile and with more goals in them as that type of player gets the absolute best out of McAtee, who remains our key player in the league.

I’d concur with most of that, only I’d swap a wide player for something more resembling a striker.

The big question mark for me, if we are to play loosely the same system as last season (and I expect we will), is how we score more goals. Of the top 8 in last season’s National League, only Halifax scored fewer than us. Some of that is down to that poor run in the middle of the season, but I think it’s important not to ignore that our top scorer, in the league below, only scored 16 goals.

Now, I genuinely think that McAtee, if he can stay fit and suspension free, will be even better in League Two than he was last season, being fed by better and more intelligent players. But there is a downside to that; if that happens, like Bogle six years ago, there’s a decent chance we don’t see him in a Town shirt beyond January.

So it’s the Ryan Taylor role that holds the most scrutiny for me. McAtee needs a foil. An intelligent target man with finesse. But as much as I think Ryan Taylor was brilliant for us last season and I hope he signs up for another year, he wasn’t massively prolific for us in non-league and he hasn’t ever been in the EFL if we’re brutally honest.

We basically need a first choice number 9 with the class and ability of Taylor, but with a greater inclination to get between the posts and stick it in the back of the net. In a nutshell, we need to unearth the new Gary Jones. How good would he be playing alongside McAtee, who whilst nowhere near as quick as Michael Reddy, has arguably the better football brain.

Finding that player will define our season, in my opinion. But then again, as I’ve proven many a time before, I know fúck all.

Quoted from Poojah

I’d concur with most of that, only I’d swap a wide player for something more resembling a striker.

The big question mark for me, if we are to play loosely the same system as last season (and I expect we will), is how we score more goals. Of the top 8 in last season’s National League, only Halifax scored fewer than us. Some of that is down to that poor run in the middle of the season, but I think it’s important not to ignore that our top scorer, in the league below, only scored 16 goals.

Now, I genuinely think that McAtee, if he can stay fit and suspension free, will be even better in League Two than he was last season, being fed by better and more intelligent players. But there is a downside to that; if that happens, like Bogle six years ago, there’s a decent chance we don’t see him in a Town shirt beyond January.

So it’s the Ryan Taylor role that holds the most scrutiny for me. McAtee needs a foil. An intelligent target man with finesse. But as much as I think Ryan Taylor was brilliant for us last season and I hope he signs up for another year, he wasn’t massively prolific for us in non-league and he hasn’t ever been in the EFL if we’re brutally honest.

We basically need a first choice number 9 with the class and ability of Taylor, but with a greater inclination to get between the posts and stick it in the back of the net. In a nutshell, we need to unearth the new Gary Jones. How good would he be playing alongside McAtee, who whilst nowhere near as quick as Michael Reddy, has arguably the better football brain.

Finding that player will define our season, in my opinion. But then again, as I’ve proven many a time before, I know fúck all.

I said to my Dad the other day that I’d love to see McAtee play with Gary Jones, he had all the class and skill of Ryan Taylor, but with a much bigger goal threat.

I mentioned in another thread but I’ll reaffirm it, we need an Arnold/Donavon style 10-12 goals a season winger. The wings are possibly the position in which we have the most scope for improvement. We need more goals and end product from the wide players next season.

I think if Harry can mature his game a bit and be a little bit more disciplined and have a little more composure on the ball, then he could quite comfortably move into midfield alongside Holohan. I don’t know if Hursty shares that view, or thinks he can possibly do better than both but that’s my opinion.  

I think if McAtee has a better link man/target man, better midfielders feeding him and better wingers making crosses and runs for him, he’ll score more goals. Especially if he can stay fit and free from suspension. I know what you’re saying about someone signing him, hence I hope we’re trying to get him to sign a long term contract so we can’t have him pinched from us on the cheap.

JMD has the ability to score from the wing, as well as create for others.

Just need to get him fitter.

New keeper to challenge Crocombe

New first choice left back
Hopefully Amos and Cropper sign up as backup fill backs then defence finished unless we can persuade Hull to let us have Smith again.

2 centre midfielders, 2 wingers and another striker

So hoping Amos, Cropper and Clifton re-sign we need 7 more

I think a trimmer, fitter JMD could chip in with double figures which is always help.

We spent all year saying we needed a goal scorer last year and still went up…at the first time of asking.

Every team wants them but perhaps we still need a better ball player from the middle of the park, a Nolan type player.

I think we’ll see someone for each role, certainly slither defender, midfielder and front man come in…

Quoted from ginnywings

JMD has the ability to score from the wing, as well as create for others.

Just need to get him fitter.

Yeah noticeable that in the PO final extra time when he came on he was still unable to keep up with the player he was meant to be tracking when we were out of possession. He was either very unfit indeed or is simply unwilling to do that side of the game even in that match.

I'm not 100% convinced we would have retained him if he hadn't been given a contract already.

Unless it is entirely a fitness issue then we simply couldn't retain both him and  sousa as both seem to lack in crucial aspects so sousa's lack of an extra year cost him. Even though when the chips were down against teams of the approximate calibre we can expect to play against next year he was preferred to start.

It is evident certainly after his injury that JMD got found out fitness wise even after coming off the bench he looked knackered and at times was struggling to keep up in games, his fitness was mentioned as a concern when he signed so Hurst and JMD himself will know it needs to improve and I certainly hope that he has been set a strict fitness plan this close season. What we do know is that JMD does have genuine quality, he got 7 in 33 for Leyton Orient in their first season back in league 2 so that suggests he can cut it at league 2 and if his fitness has improved for this new season I can't see why he can't get double figure goals.

Regarding Taylor, I think people are going to be disappointed if they think we can find a striker with his ability to link up play and lead the line as well as chipping in with many more goals. You're not likely to find too many players with those abilities in the 4th tier (or the 3rd tier, for that matter), but we definitely need somebody else who can play a similar role. If they can link up play well enough, goals will come from elsewhere but the service to the strikers always needs to be better. Lumpaldinho had that great season where he got a good return of goals but then didn't get that near double figures in subsequent years. I think a Livvo-style return of goals is the best we can expect from a target man.

Im hoping for the arrival of some pace on one of the wings and/or a nippy striker to give us a different option as that is something we lack with the present players who have signed up.

Im not convinced that Clifton will be trusted with a central midfield role. People have been saying he needs to tighten up his control and improve his passing for a few seasons now so it doesn't seem likely to me that this will happen. I suspect that Hurst will be looking for a like for like replacement for Fox (as much as is feasible). I wouldn't be upset to see Clifton playing on the left again, but with the step up, I don't think he'd be as effective and it is often a real limitation trying to get crosses in on your weaker foot. It's likely he'll remain a jack of all trades filling in as required, IMO, and there's no shame in putting in a decent shift wherever you're required to play.

I agree about Pearson.
I can see him following the Ben Davies path and carrying on at the club for the foreseeable, which is great for young pros.

How many did Taylor get? 9 was it? For a striker playing his role that’s not too bad. Look back at similar players, Livvo, Rees, even Jones. They are not sniffers like Amond, they play with their back to goal and bring others in. LJL was truly awful in front of goal but that wasn’t the point of his play. (and I know he got a few more goals one season but a big chunk of those were pens)