Recruitment

[HUCKNALLPIE]

For me, this has been a massive problem this season and is a huge worry going forwards, which is hugely ironic considering our owners background.

I've never been a huge fan of Ardley's formations, approach to matches and tactics but his signings for the most part were excellent. During the half season he was here in 18/19, he still managed to sign Doyle, Rose, O'Brien, Mackail-Smith and one or two others (I know some of the young lads who came in on loan weren't good enough).

Last season, it was incredible he managed to sign so many decent/good/fantastic players in the days leading up to the season and the few weeks after it had started: Slocombe, Brindley, Kelly-Evans, McCrory, Turner, Wootton, Thomas, Lacy, etc.

Then we come to this season and it is clear that signings were more of a team effort. The owners and their analysts, Ardley and Abott (never let this bloke near your recruitment) all had their input. Leigh Curtis talked about Ardley being asked to watch videos of foreign players and then choose some of them.

As a result, we've been left with:
- A squad that doesn't fit any particular formation very well
- Players Ardley clearly didn't trust or rate - Chicksen, Sam, etc.
- Injury prone players
- Only one centre forward
- Zero legs or physical presence in midfield
- A huge, bloated squad, propped up with unused loan players (on a league match day, 9 outfield players don't even make the bench!
- We've actually signed 16 players this season! How many would we consider a success? Reeves and Rodrigues?

My biggest worry is that whoever our manager is is going to have players thrust on to him that he might not want, doesn't rate or don't fit our formation. I know this is becoming the en vogue way of doing things and is working brilliantly at places like Brentford (oh to be in their position - a club a similar size to us) but it does worry me. For every Roberts do we get a Sam or a Sloth?

The owners have put their money in and have the right to run the club the way they want. We definitely need a huge clear out in the summer.

[crazyfists]

Good post. In theory I think it should work overall as we now have a coach to make the players better not an overall manager. If the players we get in can be improved and are open to listening then this model could be brilliant for a few reasons the most being our club will have a philosophy which stays pretty much the same whoever the manager is. This is key for me to get up the leagues as the amount of player churn from new managerial appointments and also outside influences to change playing styles from the managers preference is massive. This in turn should cut down wasted wages and wasted years whilst we switch out sides.

I think this is the future of football at our level, I think the days of finding a Warnock or Big Sam are pretty much gone, we need as a whole club to be pulling in the same direction. This means firstly the playing staff as can't do foook all without them.

[countygump]

For me, this has been a massive problem this season and is a huge worry going forwards, which is hugely ironic considering our owners background.

I've never been a huge fan of Ardley's formations, approach to matches and tactics but his signings for the most part were excellent. During the half season he was here in 18/19, he still managed to sign Doyle, Rose, O'Brien, Mackail-Smith and one or two others (I know some of the young lads who came in on loan weren't good enough).

Last season, it was incredible he managed to sign so many decent/good/fantastic players in the days leading up to the season and the few weeks after it had started: Slocombe, Brindley, Kelly-Evans, McCrory, Turner, Wootton, Thomas, Lacy, etc.

Then we come to this season and it is clear that signings were more of a team effort. The owners and their analysts, Ardley and Abott (never let this bloke near your recruitment) all had their input. Leigh Curtis talked about Ardley being asked to watch videos of foreign players and then choose some of them.

As a result, we've been left with:
- A squad that doesn't fit any particular formation very well
- Players Ardley clearly didn't trust or rate - Chicksen, Sam, etc.
- Injury prone players
- Only one centre forward
- Zero legs or physical presence in midfield
- A huge, bloated squad, propped up with unused loan players (on a league match day, 9 outfield players don't even make the bench!
- We've actually signed 16 players this season! How many would we consider a success? Reeves and Rodrigues?

My biggest worry is that whoever our manager is is going to have players thrust on to him that he might not want, doesn't rate or don't fit our formation. I know this is becoming the en vogue way of doing things and is working brilliantly at places like Brentford (oh to be in their position - a club a similar size to us) but it does worry me. For every Roberts do we get a Sam or a Sloth?

The owners have put their money in and have the right to run the club the way they want. We definitely need a huge clear out in the summer.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we are going nowhere fast this season, certainly not with these players. If Burch can sort this team out, It certainly won't be a quick fix and it will deffo require an influx of new players.

[crazyfists]

I've resigned myself to the fact that we are going nowhere fast this season, certainly not with these players. If Burch can sort this team out, It certainly won't be a quick fix and it will deffo require an influx of new players.

Agree 100%

These players can't even play the style IB will want to implement, I don't think they can cover the pitch quick enough and will ship alot of goals. We really cannot judge him until he gets some of his own players in. I don't think he really wants JOB, Doyle or Reeves to choose from at all in centre mid but doesn't have much choice.

[jacobncfc]

I think calling Reeves a success would be... generous at best. He’s been a huge disappointment for me.

I would say Rodrigues, Sam and Knowles have all contributed as much as you could reasonably expect really. I think Chicksen was an Ardley signing and has been completely hopeless. None of the loanees have really come in and had any impact.

Ultimately I think that NA convinced the owners that we needed proven, experienced players to compete at the top of this league and I think that’s been proven to be wrong. Our best players, with the exception of the centre backs, are generally younger ones in Wootton, Roberts and Kelly-Evans. I think you would struggle to argue that Doyle, Reeves, O’Brien, Turner and now Ellis are any more consistent than the presumably much cheaper foreign imports and younger lads.

[crazyfists]

Reeves has been a big disappointment, I thought he'd boss the midfield at this level but no wonder we were able to get him, obviously other clubs didn't quite fancy him at 27 which should be his peak and now we can see why. That's not to say that we'll be getting the best players in the world, we're non league but it's all reletive.

[laddo]

Agree with Jacob

Reeves probably the most disappointing of all our signings we were solely relying on him to upgrade the central midfield department and he hasn't to date.

Gump is right it's obvious the supporters need to have a lot of patience (let's be honest something we've not been great at doing in the past) to change the direction of this battered old ship around.

I hope the fans follow the lead of the owners with a 4 year plan and can spot gradual progress and allow the new management team to implement their plan and do their work.

[Evesham Pie]

Reeves a success? Not sure I'd agree with that.

I think it's hard to read who was influencing which signing, apart from maybe Rodrigues and Sam who I assume are both Football Radar signings. I think Rodrigues is a good signing and I think Sam has something about him that maybe we haven't found a way to utilise fully yet. He was the brightest player on the pitch when he came on yesterday.

The failure to strengthen centre midfield is the most perplexing aspect, as Ardley frequently talked about burn out with defence etc, but hasn't done anything for the ageing, slow midfield, apart from Wolfe who he clearly didn't rate enough to give a regular start and yet he's still here.

I take some comfort from one of the interviews with Burchnall where he talked about the importance of character and mental attitude in making signings, which married with the analytical approach should hopefully make for some good appointments going forward.

I'm not sure who's contracts are up at the end of the season, but there is a clear need to strengthen centre midfield, better cover at centre back, reducing the reliance on loan players at left full back and more options up front as we have sorely missed a Dennis type player since he left. Kyle has not been at the top of his game of late too so we need other options and Effiong doesn't seem to have delivered much since he joined.

I think we have to accept that we are unlikely to go up this year and need to give Burchnall time. The performance yesterday reinforced for me that the Reedtz brothers were right to make the change and we now have a better chance of mounting a meaningful challenge next year. I don't like the idea of a 3rd season in the NL, but we are where we are.

[crazyfists]

Ardley used to say he took players mental strength into account when signing them then said they all played badly cause they were nervous. Let's hope IB makes a better fist of it.

[Evesham Pie]

I think Chicksen is a prime example of Ardley not having taken mental strength sufficiently into account. He always looks terrified when he's in possession and has no confidence when going forward.