Tom Crawford

[jackal2]

One for the future, Nolan might be thinking that say O'Connor only has a couple of good seasons left in him?

For God's sake don't condemn the lad with the "one for the future" tag!

I'm completely open-minded about the signing because I know little about him. You assume he's been targeted after thorough scouting, so the signs would seem promising.

What I will say is that he needs to be at least capable of challenging for a first-team place very quickly, because a club at our level cannot afford wasting any more of its time and money on Elliott Hodge or Callum Saunders types.

Noor Husin and Tom Crawford will both need to demonstrate their worth as genuine first-team squad members.

[Old_pie]

Class of 2020. Al's calling it his '2020 vision'.

Should've gone to Specsavers*

*Other High St Opticians are also available.

[jacobncfc]

a club at our level cannot afford wasting any more of its time and money on Elliott Hodge or Callum Saunders types.

I think it's a bit unfair to compare him to either Hodge or Saunders - they're both 22 (three years older is a lot at that age) and had already been tried and failed at senior football. Crawford only turned 19 today and is on the way up - he's younger than Pierce Bird who is generally regarded as a really good prospect despite only playing once in the tinpot trophy last season.

[SwalePie]

Good write up on the Chester academy's multiple successes, including him breaking through.

https://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/s...onths-14685875

[jackal2]

I think it's a bit unfair to compare him to either Hodge or Saunders - they're both 22 (three years older is a lot at that age) and had already been tried and failed at senior football. Crawford only turned 19 today and is on the way up - he's younger than Pierce Bird who is generally regarded as a really good prospect despite only playing once in the tinpot trophy last season.

Yeah, I'm only citing them as examples of the worst type of "ones for the future" we've tended to sign in years gone by, such as the likes of "ex-Man Utd trainee" Ryan Ford a while back. He didn't even cause a ripple, and I could name several more if I get my old programmes out.

My gut instinct is that this does feel different, to be fair. The timing suggests we've identified and scouted him properly and made our move ahead of others, in the way Peterborough often do. If so, then he could be the next Mark Draper for all we know. The evidence will be how fast he break into the first team picture and makes an impact. Good luck to him.

[DaveSmithRules]

Looks like a great signing to me. Very young and by all accounts Chester's best player at the back end of last season. England C appearances are not to be sniffed at either.

My only chagrin is that's he's another centre mid.

[jackal2]

My only chagrin is that's he's another centre mid.

Hmmm yes, I hope I'm wrong but I still think Nolan might have notions of messing around with 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 formations. He had a dabble last season and got his fingers burnt (perhaps even cost us automatic) but managers these days seem obsessed with packing midfield.

If he needs to know why not to go down that route, at home at least, study virtually any of the video tapes from the last 10 years when we've employed those tactics at Meadow Lane. It's not like it hasn't been tried, tested and proven to fail. Away from home is a different matter.

[Freeman25]

4 or 5 centre mids isn't a lot at all, players will get injured/suspended throughout the season and we know Nolan likes to rotate his team. We're nowhere near where we were when Derry had about 12 central midfielders here