My opinion is there are far too many on this board talk out of their rear exhaust.
Fact
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My opinion is there are far too many on this board talk out of their rear exhaust.
Fact
But surely that’s the aim of every club every pre season? You never get your first choice signings which is why you end up signing substandard players, and then others to replace them.
Our summer recruitment last year was by and large rubbish, I just hope the people who signed them aren’t in charge of recruitment this year. Presumably we now have a smaller budget because of no parachute payments so my hopes aren’t that high.
The parachute payment applies to the academy and wouldn't really fund any players, it's not like the premier League and championship parachute payment
Think most will be gone. IB has a style of play that he had to try & get these players to change as they were Ardleys, to play his way.
Slocombe (although not pushed)
Ellis
Reeves
Miller
Rodders
Roberts
Knight
Enzio
JoB Experience on the bench to bring on
Some sensible comments about not making wholesale changes.
I would be comfortable if the starting 11 from yesterday were all in next years squad with Doyle taking more of a management role and in the squad as back up. Add Roberts and Lacey to it and it’s strong. What would need to happen is that we strengthen in key areas.
A lot though will depend on what system IB wants to play as we really don’t know if 3-5-2 is his favourite system. I quite like it and how in the main we have performed with it over the last month or so, and it suited the players available.
Time will tell and we will probably know more Monday or Tuesday with the retained list.
It's probably worth pointing out that I doubt IB will be 'choosing' that many new players. Think he was bought in for his coaching bskills and Football Radar may take care of much of the recruitment.
My squad for next year
GK - Slocombe
GK- Brookes
GK - New keeper
RB - Brindley
RB - DKE
CB - Rawlinson
CB - Lacey
CB - New player - Ellis
CB - New player
LB - Chicksen
LB - McCrory/New player
MID - Reeves
MID - New player - Miller
MID - O’Brien
MID - Doyle - Assistant manager
MID - New player
MID - New player
MID - New player
MID - New player
FWD - Wootton
FWD - Roberts
FWD - Rodrigues
FWD - Palmer
FWD - Knight
We really aren’t far off. Midfield was always a big concern and when O’Brien got injured for the playoffs we literally didn’t have a replacement that could do the same job. This is the biggest rebuild area for me.
Attack is a little bit of a risk. We’ve missed a prolific scorer this year but Roberts and Rodrigues will be like two new signings next year. We know next to nothing about Palmer and Knight, so big years for them.
Players to let go -
Steele
Pilling
Barnett
Turner
Griffiths
Enzio
Sam
Some of those guys will be on decent wages that need freeing up to strengthen the squad....not sure what contracts they’re on though.
I would imagine we will still have a top 5 budget. I don’t know enough about other clubs finances but would imagine there will be some clubs who have big budgets like Stockport (assuming they don’t go up) and Wrexham (assuming the US investment is there).
What has been clear in the 2 seasons we have been in the NL is that having a big budget means naff all. Barrow and Sutton are evidence of that.
From a financial point of view I have zero concerns and that we are well looked after.
We seem to have a manager/coach who can bring the best out of players as the last 8-10 games shows. Even in defeat yesterday we were the better side. Not my opinion but that of Adam Virgo the man who some on here thinks he is somehow anti Notts.
If we keep the core of the current group and add to it in key positions, as well as getting Roberts fit and firing, we have the recipe for success.
COYPs
On the subject of central defence - is defending set pieces & playing out from the back mutually exclusive? And too much to ask at NL level, as someone said on here yesterday...
I don't think so. It might look like it from the last quarter of the season, but there were special circumstances.
IB was picking 2 or 3 from Ellis, Lacey, Rawlinson and Turner for his first 10 matches in charge. But we were losing games by getting done in the air and on the ground!!! The centre-backs looked confused, didn't take full responsibility, made errors as well as not playing it out well from the back. So what was there to lose by going with Brindley and Chicksen if we were getting done by set pieces anyway? Then the Wrexham game with Brindley-Ellis-Chicksen was our best defensive performance of the season. So you can be forgiven for sticking to that when the other options were failing anyway.
I think IB is enough of a pragmatist to deliver both next season. And you have to have both, so even if it takes a different formation or personnel, it'll get sorted.