Signing Backgrounds

[MAD_MAGPIE]

So I have had a quick and basic look at where we have signed players from. I have ignored loan players. The vast majority of our squad do not have a background in this division. There are one or two good ones to come out of this such as Wootton probably being the number one EFL signing for example but by and large my opinion is that this recruitment strategy is not working. Take a look at the list below. Interestingly the few we have brought in from NL are all pretty good. Of the EFL ones Lacey, Rawlinson and Wootton and Slocombe I would keep. Still hard even at this stage to pass comment on Sam and Rodrigues. I do think we need to be looking more at non league for players. They will be cheaper, more accustomed to the rigors of the division and probably more eager. The majority of that side won't be playing for us next season regardless of the division we are in.


Player Club
Slocombe Bristol Rovers EFL
Pilling Tranmere EFL
Brindley Bromley NL
Turner Mansfield EFL
Barnett Oldham EFL
Rawlinson Port Vale EFL
Mccrory Burton EFL
Kelly Evans Kettering NL
Chicksen Bolton EFL
Alex Lacey Gillingham EFL
Reeves Bradford EFL
O'Brien Bradford EFL
Doyle Coventry EFL
Wootton S****horpe EFL
Roberts Morpeth NL
Boldjewinn Crawley EFL
Rodrigues Portugal N/A
Sam Holland N/A

I think it's the right strategy to get players from a higher level because generally they have the experience of playing at a higher level and also have a greater level of quality. However that is only part of the jigsaw. The second part is their temperament, fitness, mentality. Then it's how they all work together and galvanise as a team.

I don't doubt that we have the players and individual talent to be serious contenders at this level, however as a unit rightly or wrongly it seems at times we are less than the total sum of the parts. There have been two stand our moments for me this season where I feel we have reached our full potential. The first half against Barnet at home and the recent home game with ten men against Dagenham.

We are the biggest club in non-league and my fear is if we fill the team of non-league players we become an established non-league club over time rather than a temporary one, and if we were to get promoted we would struggle and could risk coming straight back which seems Barrow could be in danger of. We almost need promotion out of this league to be a catalyst to push the club forward and being competitive in league two like Shrewsbury, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln and Luton before us, rather than being a one season wonder to then struggle in the league above. That is what my hope would be by having players with EFL experience.

I'm not saying their are not merits with signing some non-league players, but if we do I would like them to be young players on their way up or who have had to take a step back to kick start their careers such as the likes of Cal Roberts, Kyle Wootton et al. What can then happen is as these players progress and grow then they follow the club up through the lower leagues. For me the clubs I've mentioned previously should be our blueprint.

[nw6pie]

I think it's the right strategy to get players from a higher level because generally they have the experience of playing at a higher level and also have a greater level of quality. However that is only part of the jigsaw. The second part is their temperament, fitness, mentality. Then it's how they all work together and galvanise as a team.

I don't doubt that we have the players and individual talent to be serious contenders at this level, however as a unit rightly or wrongly it seems at times we are less than the total sum of the parts. There have been two stand our moments for me this season where I feel we have reached our full potential. The first half against Barnet at home and the recent home game with ten men against Dagenham.

We are the biggest club in non-league and my fear is if we fill the team of non-league players we become an established non-league club over time rather than a temporary one, and if we were to get promoted we would struggle and could risk coming straight back which seems Barrow could be in danger of. We almost need promotion out of this league to be a catalyst to push the club forward and being competitive in league two like Shrewsbury, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln and Luton before us, rather than being a one season wonder to then struggle in the league above. That is what my hope would be by having players with EFL experience.

I'm not saying their are not merits with signing some non-league players, but if we do I would like them to be young players on their way up or who have had to take a step back to kick start their careers such as the likes of Cal Roberts, Kyle Wootton et al. What can then happen is as these players progress and grow then they follow the club up through the lower leagues. For me the clubs I've mentioned previously should be our blueprint.

I notice that King's Lynn's best player the other night, Sonny Carey, had been released by Norwich (he's only 20). One thing we've never seemingly been able to do is pick up decent players released by Forest, Derby and Leicester. Is that because they're not good enough, or are there more potential Cal Roberts' on our doorstep?

While I'm talking about talented young players, it's good to see our under-18s doing so well this season. It's a shame that no fans can actually watch them perform to see if there are any gems amongst them - you know, before some Premiership team comes and takes them off us. They beat Doncaster 4-2 yesterday, the latest in a string of winning performances (pretty sure we thrashed Huddersfield recently, too). Anyone on the board got any inside info on the players to watch?

[MAD_MAGPIE]

I notice that King's Lynn's best player the other night, Sonny Carey, had been released by Norwich (he's only 20). One thing we've never seemingly been able to do is pick up decent players released by Forest, Derby and Leicester. Is that because they're not good enough, or are there more potential Cal Roberts' on our doorstep?

While I'm talking about talented young players, it's good to see our under-18s doing so well this season. It's a shame that no fans can actually watch them perform to see if there are any gems amongst them - you know, before some Premiership team comes and takes them off us. They beat Doncaster 4-2 yesterday, the latest in a string of winning performances (pretty sure we thrashed Huddersfield recently, too). Anyone on the board got any inside info on the players to watch?

It's an interesting point you make about picking up decent players being released from Forest, Leicester and Derby. I do think it's important to forge good links and relationships with your neighbours in higher leagues in my opinion as it can offer a pool of talent for players to come on loan and also ones that are released. We saw this in recent years with Grant and Yates and Grealish who albeit was from Aston Villa they are a midlands club.

There are advantages as well because some of the youngsters may not have to move from where they are living as well. Obviously we are loaning Jimmy Knowles from Mansfield and in the position we are we should also look towards Lincoln.

Clubs like Bury, Oldham, Rochdale etc.. have always been able to tap into the pool of talent from the Manchester area and so should we in our region especially being in the heart of the East Midlands. That is also why it adds insult to injury that we got relegated out of the football league when there probably was talent within a 50 mile radius of Meadow Lane out there.