Signings - This season

[Boomerangpie]

After the criticism earlier in the season I took for daring to say Montague has yet again saddled us with some poor signings, I thought I'd give my thoughts on this year's crop as they stand.

EXCELLENT Good enough for league 1 and above

Abbott ( Oh he isn't ours ! )

GOOD - League 1 building -

Bass, Bedeau , Platt , Jatta, Ness

OK - League 2 Squad only -

Tsaroulla, Johnson ( not ours )

BACK UP LEAGUE 2 - Nothing more

Gordon, Grant, Hinchy, McDonald

POOR - Should never have been signed ! -

Brown, Martin, Cundy, Edwards

UNDECIDED YET - But certainly not convinced -

Traore, Jarvis, Whitaker

So 18 players signed - Only 6 good enough for League 1 ( 1 not even ours )

Upto 12 Not good enough beyond league 2

Not a great ratio.

Those who called me a " Bed wetter " and other derogatory comments, please feel free to argue the case differently now.

When all fully fit do we have a squad good enough to get promoted from League Two this season? A squad put together by Montague with all the good and average and poor signings from past transfer windows. I say yes we do even when factoring in the head coach.

[jacobncfc]

A bit of a point on those in the not quite good enough or unproven box - how many have had a regular run of games in the position where they previously did well enough for us to want to sign them?

The centre backs generally play at centre back, I suppose. Hinchy only ever in holding midfield, where hes been useful enough cheap back up. Grant mostly as a ten, but even hes had to do a semi regular shift as an inverted wing back.

Tsaroulla and Gordon were regulars for a promoted side last season playing as orthodox wing backs. Theyve played on the opposite side as much as they have their natural one.

Martin was a winger or forward who had to do a graveyard shift as a wing back. He finally had a couple of good games further forward then got released.

Edwards has been a holding midfielder for his entire career but been played exclusively as a number ten.

Whitaker played as a striker or just behind while at Everton. We?re asking him to drop into his own half and link the play.

Jarvis was seemingly really exciting as a forward or wide forward in Ireland, but is being asked to play at left back.

Traore is a striker who is having to learn a number ten role because we only play with one striker and Jatta?s position is nailed down.

[wiseoldmagpie]

A bit of a point on those in the not quite good enough or unproven box - how many have had a regular run of games in the position where they previously did well enough for us to want to sign them?

The centre backs generally play at centre back, I suppose. Hinchy only ever in holding midfield, where hes been useful enough cheap back up. Grant mostly as a ten, but even hes had to do a semi regular shift as an inverted wing back.

Tsaroulla and Gordon were regulars for a promoted side last season playing as orthodox wing backs. Theyve played on the opposite side as much as they have their natural one.

Martin was a winger or forward who had to do a graveyard shift as a wing back. He finally had a couple of good games further forward then got released.

Edwards has been a holding midfielder for his entire career but been played exclusively as a number ten.

Whitaker played as a striker or just behind while at Everton. We?re asking him to drop into his own half and link the play.

Jarvis was seemingly really exciting as a forward or wide forward in Ireland, but is being asked to play at left back.

Traore is a striker who is having to learn a number ten role because we only play with one striker and Jatta?s position is nailed down.

It does make you wonder what impact playing as many as possible in their natural positions might have.

[maddogslater]

Some great points in there Jacob 👏

[freemuzzy]

A bit of a point on those in the not quite good enough or unproven box - how many have had a regular run of games in the position where they previously did well enough for us to want to sign them?

The centre backs generally play at centre back, I suppose. Hinchy only ever in holding midfield, where hes been useful enough cheap back up. Grant mostly as a ten, but even hes had to do a semi regular shift as an inverted wing back.

Tsaroulla and Gordon were regulars for a promoted side last season playing as orthodox wing backs. Theyve played on the opposite side as much as they have their natural one.

Martin was a winger or forward who had to do a graveyard shift as a wing back. He finally had a couple of good games further forward then got released.

Edwards has been a holding midfielder for his entire career but been played exclusively as a number ten.

Whitaker played as a striker or just behind while at Everton. We?re asking him to drop into his own half and link the play.

Jarvis was seemingly really exciting as a forward or wide forward in Ireland, but is being asked to play at left back.

Traore is a striker who is having to learn a number ten role because we only play with one striker and Jatta?s position is nailed down.

Bang on, this is why any recruitment is generally only as good as the Head Coach tasked with knitting it all together.

Where would Langstaff - a free-scoring left winger - have lined up under Maynard/another Head Coach to Williams? Wing back? Would be then have been the player we saw and thus labelled a good signing? Rodrigues was generally playing left wing in a 4-4-2 under Ardley.

Gordon recently said he?d never played on the left before he joined us, until the past month or so that?s where he?s played most of his football.

[HUCKNALLPIE]

Bang on, this is why any recruitment is generally only as good as the Head Coach tasked with knitting it all together.

Where would Langstaff - a free-scoring left winger - have lined up under Maynard/another Head Coach to Williams? Wing back? Would be then have been the player we saw and thus labelled a good signing? Rodrigues was generally playing left wing in a 4-4-2 under Ardley.

Gordon recently said he?d never played on the left before he joined us, until the past month or so that?s where he?s played most of his football.

When Maynard had Langstaff last season he mainly played him as a midfielder in the 3-4-2-1 or wide on the few occasions he played 4-3-3. He hardly played him up front.

Playing players out of position is his thing: Gordon, Traore, Crowley, Austin, Jones, Grant,
Brown, Martin, Edwards, Langstaff, etc

[Notts78]

I have no problem players being asked to play ?out of position?. It?s very much the modern way that players can often play in multiple positions.
What Maynard and even the players need to understand is that you may start in position A but should also be swapping to position B or C.

Let?s take Kellan Gordon and Nick Tsaroulla as an example. Both often play on the ?wrong wing? but never seem to swap during a game? why? It?s the same with the CM players? one will often hold, play the 8 or god forbid a false 9, mix that up. Make it difficult to be marked and try to confuse the opposition.
The only players IMO that should stick to role in the system we play is the Gk (obviously) the 3 x CB and the CF. The rest should and could mix up.