Targets

[ShropshireAlex]

I see Ollie Turton has been released by Huddersfield. He's 32 now, but worth a punt to see if he'd like to come home and give us a specialist right back, as Cooney's clearly gone? (Well as Billington's played at times I do think his future is playing CH not going on as RB.)

[gazan]

Agreed! He also played the same role as Billington (RB switching into midfield) while at Huddersfield

[Wartman]

I see Ollie Turton has been released by Huddersfield. He's 32 now, but worth a punt to see if he'd like to come home and give us a specialist right back, as Cooney's clearly gone? (Well as Billington's played at times I do think his future is playing CH not going on as RB.)

No thanks too old and going back again to ex players, sanders looked good as a holding midfielder and with Lunt also being able to play in that position hopefully will keep Thomas out of the squad for good would like to see one of our young players a FB next season with Billington playing there also.

[gazan]

Billington needs to be a CH rather than a RB. We need natural full-backs in those positions. Turton is a RB but he may not want to come back here anyway. The point is we need at least 3. We didn't have enough dedicated/natural full-backs this season. Williams is NOT a LB and to be honest he can go, for me. 12 yellows and a red is not the record of someone we need at the Alex. It's certainly not the record of someone as vice-captain.

[gazan]

We need a (couple of) winger(s), a couple of strikers 3 full-backs and a couple of mobile midfielders. That's just for starters.

[LordK]

When does Crewe issue its released list?

[gazan]

As all the players are supposedly present at the kit launch (which I think is timed too early considering the way the season finished), I assume it will happen next week. Possibly the players will then go on holiday and the list will be released then.

[gazan]

We need a (couple of) winger(s), a couple of strikers 3 full-backs and a couple of mobile midfielders. That's just for starters.

Any further conjecture on what we need? With the potential outstanding contract offers on the table, we would have a relatively large squad that isn't particularly strong in depth or otherwise. We also need to unload more. I know there's mutterings about Bogle but for me Williams can go too. There's also an argument for offloading a couple more injury prone players despite them being in contract. As 'mutual agreements' can be costly, there is a quandary about budgets.
I have to say, at this early stage, that I'm not optimistic. Still, lots of time to go (53 days to kick off! Significantly longer to window closure.) Lots of things can change by then.
I assume much of the managerial staff is still on holiday.

[Wartman]

Bogle Williams and Thomas can all go for me, hopefully then we can have 3 peas and 2 conkers in our recruitment pot.

[Wartman]

Any further conjecture on what we need? With the potential outstanding contract offers on the table, we would have a relatively large squad that isn't particularly strong in depth or otherwise. We also need to unload more. I know there's mutterings about Bogle but for me Williams can go too. There's also an argument for offloading a couple more injury prone players despite them being in contract. As 'mutual agreements' can be costly, there is a quandary about budgets.
I have to say, at this early stage, that I'm not optimistic. Still, lots of time to go (53 days to kick off! Significantly longer to window closure.) Lots of things can change by then.
I assume much of the managerial staff is still on holiday.

I would suggest Gazan that like the entire squad the management team were on holiday from early Feb.

[gazan]

🤣🤣

[gazan]

I assume Lee Bell is on notice for next season. However, it's difficult to see what conditions could have been set. Based on results alone most people tend to think end of October is an optimum time to replace a manager. It gives the new man a decent period of time to affect form, before the window opens and changes of personnel can be made. However, the last 2 seasons, results wise, have been more than decent by the new year. In both cases there was significant collapse come the second half of the season. At which time it is probably too late to change anything significant. So what other situation might there be.
Well, it could be style of play. However, this is purely subjective and difficult to benchmark. It could be effective utilisation of ex academy, something not very evident so far. But this makes LB a hostage to fortune. I've already suggested that we haven't produced much outstanding in the last handful of years.
Perhaps they're going all or nothing. Giving him the majority of the season and running the risk of not being promoted again but with a definite plan to replace before or at the end of the season.
Or, in the end, they might not have him on notice, after all, and will act when and if, accordingly!
How do other people see the likely scenario?

[Wartman]

I assume Lee Bell is on notice for next season. However, it's difficult to see what conditions could have been set. Based on results alone most people tend to think end of October is an optimum time to replace a manager. It gives the new man a decent period of time to affect form, before the window opens and changes of personnel can be made. However, the last 2 seasons, results wise, have been more than decent by the new year. In both cases there was significant collapse come the second half of the season. At which time it is probably too late to change anything significant. So what other situation might there be.
Well, it could be style of play. However, this is purely subjective and difficult to benchmark. It could be effective utilisation of ex academy, something not very evident so far. But this makes LB a hostage to fortune. I've already suggested that we haven't produced much outstanding in the last handful of years.
Perhaps they're going all or nothing. Giving him the majority of the season and running the risk of not being promoted again but with a definite plan to replace before or at the end of the season.
Or, in the end, they might not have him on notice, after all, and will act when and if, accordingly!
How do other people see the likely scenario?

If recruitment does not improve significantly we will start our collapse in August so far recruitment has been abject a poor striker and new contracts to non league standard players the rest of league 2 must be quivering in their boots and looking forward to collecting 3 points at Gresty shambles road.

[Timmy58]

If recruitment does not improve significantly we will start our collapse in August so far recruitment has been abject a poor striker and new contracts to non league standard players the rest of league 2 must be quivering in their boots and looking forward to collecting 3 points at Gresty shambles road.

I think you are being unnecessarily harsh. You may not rate Bell, or the squad of players but in all honesty is this negativity helpful to anyone at this point? I have noticed in this day and age, it is all too easy to just criticise, whether it be football, or government/politics, assuming that those being attacked don't want the same as us. You are fully entitled to do it of course but, for example, to refer to our newly signed striker before he has had chance to put his boots on as poor is totally unfair and unsubstantiated.

[Harlzed]

The quiet window so far suggests (as was always going to be the case) that the vast majority of ins will be loan players. By the time they?ve returned from holiday and been assessed by their own clubs it?s into July before we see them. Leading to inconsistent August form, at best. The loan market being a lottery as we know, you?ve only got to look at Walsall last season to see the highs and lows of this.

I would personally prefer to develop our own than others, in fact our financial viability depends on it. I?m on the fence regarding what we may or may not spend on the academy and whether it?s worth it but if the graduates don?t progress and some made in to saleable assets then ultimately one of these seasons the loans won?t work and we will end up in the National League.

The bargains don?t seem to be there in non-league now and if in the top half of the National League are likely on similar wages to what we can pay. Fingers crossed for luck in the loan market but what else can a Chairman do unless they have millions to sink in to the club and overpay wages wise - and that went well for Gillingham last season didn?t it. I don?t envy the Chairman or Bell. The only thing that a ?big name? former player as manager looking for the first step on the ladder may bring is a name to attract better loan players but at the heart of the problem is a broken financial model.

Further to the posts above though, an inconsistent August and poor Sept/ Oct I think will see a change in management when the calendar year results are taken into consideration.