Off season transfer rumours/potential signings

[slack_pie]

Nigel would have very much liked to have kept Riley Harbottle but Stags couldn't match the £200k fee that Hibs paid for him. Riley is quite confident on the ball and likes to get forward, scoring 6 goals for Stags last season. Luckily we were able to pick up Lewis Brunt on loan from Leicester who is an even better prospect. Riley is a very good young player and would be an asset to any team in league 2. I'd be quite happy to have him back at Stags again if we can't get Brunt back.
Hopefully you can sort your defence out in the summer and keep hold of your better players. Good luck for next season, it's going to be another interesting one. It's good seeing you back in the EFL.

Cheers mate! Nice to hear from a civilised Mansfield fan for once! Hope to see you in L1 soon.

[nw6pie]

Nigel would have very much liked to have kept Riley Harbottle but Stags couldn't match the £200k fee that Hibs paid for him. Riley is quite confident on the ball and likes to get forward, scoring 6 goals for Stags last season. Luckily we were able to pick up Lewis Brunt on loan from Leicester who is an even better prospect. Riley is a very good young player and would be an asset to any team in league 2. I'd be quite happy to have him back at Stags again if we can't get Brunt back.
Hopefully you can sort your defence out in the summer and keep hold of your better players. Good luck for next season, it's going to be another interesting one. It's good seeing you back in the EFL.

Thanks for that, very interesting. Stags seem to have done well with loanees from Forest, Derby and Leicester in recent seasons.

[hissingdwarf]

Thanks for that, very interesting. Stags seem to have done well with loanees from Forest, Derby and Leicester in recent seasons.

What? You mean Warner wasn’t the answer to all our prayers? He wasn’t the cool, calm and collected ball player we were all told about when he signed?

[Chicken Balti Pie]

What? You mean Warner wasn’t the answer to all our prayers? He wasn’t the cool, calm and collected ball player we were all told about when he signed?

He could have been that defender if he wasn't then shoved in our basket case if a defence

[nw6pie]

What? You mean Warner wasn’t the answer to all our prayers? He wasn’t the cool, calm and collected ball player we were all told about when he signed?

I’m sure he was all of those things at under-23 level, but struggled with the physicality of L2. Our next set of defenders/loan signings need to have shown they can handle men’s football, otherwise it’s always going to be something of a gamble.

[hissingdwarf]

I’m sure he was all of those things at under-23 level, but struggled with the physicality of L2. Our next set of defenders/loan signings need to have shown they can handle men’s football, otherwise it’s always going to be something of a gamble.

I think every cb we had struggled with the physicality of L2. Season gone and the season we were relegated.
You would have thought we’d learn from our mistakes, but…

As you say, sometimes the hard nosed ugly buggers who head it, kick it and smile with crooked teeth and a bloodied nose are the ones you need.
We needed a Mark Ellis type character to come in and show them how it was done last season. We didn’t as we prioritised the passing around at the back…and it got us…well, high possession stats and metrics!

[Elite_Pie]

What? You mean Warner wasn’t the answer to all our prayers? He wasn’t the cool, calm and collected ball player we were all told about when he signed?

Must admit I was really enthused when we signed Warner, he seemed to tick all the boxes for the type of defender we needed. He was however a massive disappointment, he just didn't look good enough for League 2.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up in the future.

[kill_the_drum]

Must admit I was really enthused when we signed Warner, he seemed to tick all the boxes for the type of defender we needed. He was however a massive disappointment, he just didn't look good enough for League 2.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up in the future.

I agree.
I read from Norwich fans they were surprised he was dropping to league 2.
Our system uses defenders in a very different way than perhaps he was used to. I just don’t think he ever looked comfortable.
He’d just come on against MKD and tracked a runner rather than holding his line. It played them onside and cost us a goal.

[Notts78]

Must admit I was really enthused when we signed Warner, he seemed to tick all the boxes for the type of defender we needed. He was however a massive disappointment, he just didn't look good enough for League 2.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up in the future.

No doubt a bit like Matty Virtue-Thick. Struggled as a kid on loan for us in L2 but forges a career higher up the leagues than Notts.

[drillerpie]

I think every cb we had struggled with the physicality of L2. Season gone and the season we were relegated.
You would have thought we’d learn from our mistakes, but…

As you say, sometimes the hard nosed ugly buggers who head it, kick it and smile with crooked teeth and a bloodied nose are the ones you need.
We needed a Mark Ellis type character to come in and show them how it was done last season. We didn’t as we prioritised the passing around at the back…and it got us…well, high possession stats and metrics!

As somebody pointed out the other day, in recent times our defenders haven't done THAT much which is really out of the ordinary for a defender - they generally pass it carefully along the back line or into the midfielder who drops deep.

They don’t dribble out of defence that much any more, and the times they get pressed or try something risky they often mess up anyway. They also clear the ball more often now.

Obviously we need defenders with good feet but they dont have to be Beckenbauer, and I'm thinking we would only gain from having at least one CB whose strong suit is actual defending.