ferrarilover wrote:Yeah, great, Ian Wright and all that...
Except for every Charlie thingy and Kieffer whatsit, there are about 150,000 absolute nobodies. We haven't got the money to take a chance on some totally unproven kid from the Dog and Duck, we can't sign proven league goalscorers, so we need to stick with the sort of journeymen that we normally get and just hope we can find the right formula. It worked for over 100 years and now, this year, it's failed. A 1% failure rate is absolutely no reason to change the way we do things.
The best prep we can make for next season is to keep our back 5 together. We concede precious few chances in a match, but manage to concede goals from almost all of them. That won't happen in the Conference, so all those 1-0 losses become 0-0 draws (more than enough to keep us up this year). If we're going to spend money, that would be where mine would go.
Matt.
The thing is, it hasn't always worked and once again, persist with Benyon/Hawley and we will still lose games when teams that take a chance on signing a forward score against us. You yourself have remarked that the difference this season has been not having someone who scores goals. Well, we will still be in that predicament if we do as you suggest. We cannot afford an established forward. Even the best Conference strikers are unlikely to leave their clubs to come to us, so we should look lower down, as if other clubs can do it, then so can we.
I will be interested to see how many from those lists progress. I have a feeling about Omar Bogle but we will see, I guess, and perhaps watch as someone else takes him on.
nickbrod wrote:Rendell scored 15 for Woking this season.
Rendell is on loan at Woking and I would think will be released by Luton so could be a possibility? Another thought ..... Connell is on loan at Northampton and will probably be released by his parent club, Bradford. Don't think he's actually scored for the Cobblers but could be a player who would get goals in the Conference. As for this season, Nickbrod, I reckon your favourite player, Robin Stubbs, could have scored more than Benyon and Hawley put together even now !!!
tomogull wrote:
Rendell is on loan at Woking and I would think will be released by Luton so could be a possibility? Another thought ..... Connell is on loan at Northampton and will probably be released by his parent club, Bradford. Don't think he's actually scored for the Cobblers but could be a player who would get goals in the Conference. As for this season, Nickbrod, I reckon your favourite player, Robin Stubbs, could have scored more than Benyon and Hawley put together even now !!!
Good idea. Lets sign another forward who can't score any goals.
Agree with Matt firstly, if we can keep our back line together then with a bit more work we can be a really strong unit in that department. Then I reckon we need to add a few non league players who have shown promise and try and blend a team around journeymen and hope it all works out. Players like Howe came here and did well whilst players like Hawley flopped big time. It's swings and roundabouts and if we can get a few experienced pros and iron them out a bit like we did with Rene then that is the way to go I reckon.
I actually believe we have been sticking with players like Bodin, Mansell, Nico etc for far too long, consistently including them for two seasons when their overall form just simply didn't warrant it. So it is also about identifying what one is actually getting out of an individual and making a judgement whether it is viable to continue to keep them in the side. It's an extremely difficult task all round and looking back it is clear to see (quality of football aside) what an excellent job Martin Ling did at recruitment and finding players to fit the criteria he was looking for. His only glaring error being the signing of Bodin who may yet still excel in a more more fluent, positive attacking set up but for a struggling side hasn't brought anything to the table.
I think that this season we have continued to play players who didn't warrant a place in the team and added to them journeymen and youngsters who just haven't worked for whatever reason and in addition most of the loanees have been piss poor give or take the odd one. Nothing and nobody has actually gelled, clicked or got started this season and when you have an entire team suffering this then it is easy to predict struggle.
Again, just like Ling identified players he could use effectively, Knill brought in players that he thought could mostly do a job and nearly all have been found wanting. Add them to players here already poor or on their way out form wise then it spells disaster.
That is why I believe now that we should keep the back 5 if we can and basically just lose everyone else and build from the back again. Get rid of all of the TUFC old boys and players who just haven't cut it and get in a mix of experienced pros at this level who are willing to come here and also hungry unproven local league players as well as some from youth and give it a go. It's pretty much all we can do on our budget and ensures we wipe the slate clean and give ourselves the best chance of holding our own next season. Anyone who thinks we are a shoe in for the play offs is as deluded as those who thought we would stay up as early as last October. Next season will be **** tough and if we aren't ready for it then we'll be in big trouble. This summer is a pivotal one in the clubs history because we need to stop septicaemia from setting in once and for all.
Strangely enough it was Pope Gregory the 9th inviting me for drinks aboard his steam yacht, the saucy sue currently wintering in montego bay with the England cricket team and the Balanese Goddess of plenty.
Opinions,opinions,opinions! Given a winning side some of those players who haven't shown the return we fans wanted will, I predict, come good, whether in League 2 or the BT (?) Premier.
No matter what some of you think I bet Mansell remains next season.
For me players like Goodwin and Cargill are the way forward. I still believe Hargreaves is the one who can bring back the good times.
yeoman has had about 3 sub appearances this season and has scored 2, Benyon and hawley must've had about 35 each and scored 3 goals each! would be a very tufc thing to do by releasing yeoman, no doubt the cheaper option, at the end of the season! think he could be the difference between success and failure next season! very good finisher and I'll be dissapointed if we release him!
