Open Day Sunday

[ferrarilover]

That'll be because I'm addressing SHANE, but using my special nickname for him :Oops:

Matt.

[Scott Brehaut]

Ah, good stuff.

Just checking

[DevonYellow]

French, your assessment of the team is grossly unfair. To suggest that our not signing Cooper basically means that our scoring any goals at all is down to the will of God Almighty and Divine Intervention from corners is NASA level daft.

Scott, we have some money left in the kitty, it's ok, it's just that we can't pay Deaman silly money. If he impresses enough to get an offer (as CP pointed out, Knill seems impressed with him so far), then the offer will be limited to whatever fair, but not excessive salary we can offer (think 700-800/week). If he demands £1500/week and won't budge, then he will be catching the last train to Clarksville in the hope of that sort of deal elsewhere.

Super, I missed the early element of the day, but it seems the players did a penalty shootout. I'm offering prizes for anyone not in attendance who can tell me who won it.

Matt.

Nathan Craig?

[Richinns]

I am going for Danny Sullivan

[supergulls]

I've been told Ashley yeoman beat jake Hutchings in the final.

[Richinns]

I've been told Ashley yeoman beat jake Hutchings in the final.

I have heard yeoman is the most natural finisher at the club (including Benyon).

[supergulls]

Yeah I've heard the same too rich, hopefully he gets a few more goals this year and becomes more confident with the added responsibility.

[hector]

Just a couple of things from the Fans Forum this afternoon. Knill confirmed that the Manset deal is dead. He said we were in for him, but that he never really seemed like he was genuinely set on coming to us. He glossed over the other Frenchman, pointedly.

Bill Phillips suggested that the next couple of years will see slower off-field growth, since we're in the process of paying off things like the training ground developments and the off bits from the Bench. I guess this will depend upon how well we do in the various cups. Bill is keen to get us on TV at least once this season, although this is somewhat out of our hands.

Knilly is acutely aware that we are short of a striker. He is trying to get someone in, we have a few irons in a few fires, but we needn't expect anything necessarily before the first game of the season.

He addressed, at length, the issue of getting players to the area. He's offering them first team football and a beautiful setting to entice them down, even on low wages. It seems that players these days are expecting silly money (two grand a week in L2) and are playing a dangerous game.

Cooper deal is dead. Knilly liked him, lots, but was concerned by his size and the fact that he's not a specialist defender. He liked him as a player and a bloke and would recommend him to any other manager looking for that type of utility player. He also seemed to be quibbling over a hundred quid and Knill refused to be dealt with in that manner.

Knilly is looking to develop players into saleable assets. That's part of his recruitment process, finding players who will be"better than Torquay United".

We are at the point where we are constrained by budget. He likes Deamon and Pearce, but he's not sure he can afford both. Pearce is a first choice, and has taken a massive wage cut to come to us on the promise that he will play. Expect, therefore, to see him on the teamsheet more often than not.

Likes the idea of developing youth players and bringing them through. He's delighted that Preece (or whatever his name is) hasn't gone to Villa, because it gives him another option to bring through into the first team.

That was basically it. There are a couple of odd things that I've forgotten, but nothing vitally important.

Matt.

Thanks for the summary. It does seem strange, however, that Knill has seemingly contradicted himself, as it wasn't long ago he was saying that location wasn't an issue and then also about having strikers in before next week. Now effectively we are not and geography is suddenly an issue again.

Starting up front with Benyon and Yeoman, reminds me of the year we opened the season with Laight and Byng up front. Not good. Not good at all.

[ferrarilover]

Craig made the final, but Super et al are correct, it was Yeoman over Hutch. I know this'll sound like I'm getting on the NC bandwagon again, but his penno (such as one may adjudicate in this situation) was crazy good.

Matt.

[exilegull]

Thanks for the summary. It does seem strange, however, that Knill has seemingly contradicted himself, as it wasn't long ago he was saying that location wasn't an issue and then also about having strikers in before next week. Now effectively we are not and geography is suddenly an issue again.

Starting up front with Benyon and Yeoman, reminds me of the year we opened the season with Laight and Byng up front. Not good. Not good at all.

AK answered at length about the location - he specifically stated that it was not as hard to get players down as he had initially thought it might but it was clearer not as easy as for a club like Bury that is surrounded by a large number of other clubs so in many cases players do not have to move.

The whole management team are acutely aware of the need for a bigman up front but getting the right player is tough. I think unfortunately some time was wasted on Manset but I'm sure pretty all of us agree it was a target worth going for. There are a lot of names that AK is following up on, it is just a case of sticking within the budget and finding a player that will fit into the squad on a professional and as importantly a personal level.

[exiledgull]

I am very happy with additions we have brought in so far. All seem An improvement on what we had last year. The only area we have a problem with is , is up front and AK has said he knows this and working on it. What more can he do?

I do hope we get the loan player in followed by like we say an experienced target man.

If we get this we could be looking very strong for the season.

[Scott Brehaut]

Craig made the final, but Super et al are correct, it was Yeoman over Hutch. I know this'll sound like I'm getting on the NC bandwagon again, but his penno (such as one may adjudicate in this situation) was crazy good.

Matt.

So good that it missed....

[frenchgull]

Hi Farrailover,just respondong to a post that said maybe we can score our goals from corners etc by center backs.I was pointing out that it is better to watch football played by passing and creating chances not by waiting for a corner or free kick,don't get me wrong I am the first person to cheer when that happens but creative midfeilders for me anytime.I would like to say that I applaud A k if he signs deaman for the future,young players should be encouraged,I watched Peter Wakeman in goal in 1956/1957 give away a goal to Southend apoint which meant we missed out on promotion but we got behind him and he came good and went of to Sunderland.I have every respect for our squad and think we shall be OK this season

[ferrarilover]

No Scotty, you silly boy, the one before the one which he missed (with his wrong foot).

French, I see now, makes much more sense.

Matt.

[Scott Brehaut]

That's not how your post read.
Maybe you should, like, learn to write better like, and then we would, like, be able to, like, understand what you is, like, saying.

Innit.