I watched the full interview with Turner on Pies Player two weeks ago (well worth a watch btw, he came across brilliantly), which is where these quotes are recycled from.
His point was actually the exact opposite of the way it’s been interpreted here; he was glowing about the squad unity/strength, highlighting that there’s players not in the squad who are pushing hard and well respected despite not being involved and that everyone is very much on the same page.
To that end, a bit of a petty move by Ardley to only name 6 subs on Saturday and the oldest trick in the book by a manager to try and force new signings (Guardiola even did it two seasons ago) as the perception is that they ‘can’t’ name a full squad. He clearly feels differently to Turner and is making a very unnecessary distinction between ‘his’ players and those he inherited, which is a shame and feels needless when so much progress is being made.
Worse case scenario, he could’ve at least brought along someone from the youth team for experience. But hey ho.
Tootle & Fitzsimmons possibly. In fact that could possibly be helpful to both.
Not Ox or Crawford though. Given that Crawford played at this level for AFC Fylde for part of last season he could have been on the bench or as Freemuzzy suggests, one of the young lads. I suppose they could have travelled with 7 subs but someone took ill or was injured prematch?
I think we are all reading too much into this as he could have put the new signing on the bench if he wanted 7 subs.
I'd imagine it was a pregame injury or Lacey's registration papers hadn't been completed in time (or they weren't sure) and didn't want to risk it. It makes no sense to do it as a statement making excercise the day after you've just signed someone and not included them in the squad.
Oxlade-Chamberlain might be a cr*p footballer but he was doing more running work before and after games earlier in the season than some of the players in the starting lineup, doing sprints across Meadow Lane and I'm fairly sure he did it an an away game too where he wasn't actually in the squad (but had travelled) so I wouldn't put him forward as a player that might not be putting his all in or at least trying.