Different from last pre season rather than wholesale changes think this pre season we really need to focus on quality in key positions. We have operated without a wide right player all season. Square pegs in round holes shunted players out there even changed formation to wing backs last night all because we don’t have a decent wide right player. We must priority get this position filled next season. Then up front im sorry but Adebayo,Gaffney and Candlin are not up to it and need to be shifted on to bring a couple of strikers in. Lavery and in particular Gordon work there socks off and we need extra help up front. We don’t have any back up even to bring off the bench to change a game. Two strikers definitely of necessary standard to compete with Lavery and Gordon.
Quality rather than quantity this pre season hopefully with hardly any of the budget used up in January we can stretch to get key positions filled adequately
Not sure I agree on bringing in another 2 strikers, with what we pay we’re not going to have 4 decent strikers on our books at one time and I’d rather have one more challenging for a starting place than 2 of another Gaffney/Adebayo
I’d like to see us use 4-3-3 more next season, especially at home where we should be trying to win games so emphasis for me should be signing an experienced winger and attacking midfielder
Other than that, the full back positions would be my next concern
Going to be an important summer for sure. I’d love to see Pring stay another season but I can’t see it. I think they’ll want to test him in League One next.
Darrell Clarke mentioned we have a core of about 8/9 players good enough for a ‘promotion push’ next season. I reckon they are Liam Roberts, Cameron Pring (if we could get him to stay on another loan), Dan Scarr, Stuart Sinclair, Caolan Lavery, Josh Gordon, Alfie Bates, Callum Cockerill-Mollett, Wes McDonald and Jack Nolan (from the limited time we’ve seen from him so far).
I’ve purposely left the likes of Jack Rose, Sam Perry and other kids out as I’d keep them but they wouldn’t be main players in a promotion campaign however Bates and CCM I think would get plenty of game time next season.
So that’s ten players. The keeper, three defenders, four midfielders and two strikers. I don’t think that’s too bad to go into the summer looking to build around.
As I say, can’t see us keeping Pring and I could see us keeping Holden but if I had the pick of them, those ten would be mine. Clarke’s will probably include James Clarke and Rory Holden though and not Pring as he sees him going back.
Is Adebayo on a two year contract? Is anybody convinced he will eventually come good? Id say get a decent league two striker and maybe get a young promising striker looking to the future that we could pick up from somewhere like we have got Jack Nolan in. We was after the lad from Leamington who went to Forest Green wasn’t we somebody along those lines.
From what we’ve seen on the pitch and what comes across from the manager and the club I’d suggest we have little chance of signing any player of the proven standard for a top seven finish. More likely it will be taking a punt on players who ‘may’ have the potential to improve. I do agree though that more home nurtured players will be bled through into the side if it can be one more successful, especially at home, which is where most of we fans see them play. If we could sign one decent player I’d go for a midfielder who could pass forward! We might see what the strikers are made of then more often.
I think the intention at the start of the season was for 3-5-2 to be our primary formation, hence the signings of both Pring and Facey who are specialists in those positions rather than having to convert traditional full backs.
Wes was signed to be something of a Plan B when DC saw fit to change formation to play with out and out wingers. The fact that he’s turned into our most creative player has resulted in a tactical rethink and the switch to 442. The second winger was an afterthought as players like Kinsella, Holden and Gordon can cover that position. The fact that we got Nolan in means DC was well aware that we needed another winger, but was probably right in my book to go all out for someone with more experience if the right player wasn’t available
It was the key last summer as well. And should have been in Jan. For me we are no further forward than where we were at the end of last season when all those contracts were up and we had a blank sheet of paper. We need to be as ruthless as Clarke likes to say he will be then isn’t.
Edit: Oh and a right winger better at the job than Liam Kinsella filling in would be nice.
Right back and Left back if better than what we have got. 1 striker bought from someone.
I think that’s where Clarke will be faced with a big decision, our current strike force is not good enough to get us out of this division.
Something has to give.
More creativity badly needed.
Number 10 type dosen’t seem to exist in DC’s mind. Wondered where he’d have played a Sawyers/Oztumer if at all…
If you want promotion you need to be winning close to 15 home games so miles off that although the away form is actually better than usual for top 7 team.
I think it’s creativity what’s needed and better full backs.
When we are at home, the onus is for our full backs to make space and go on the overlap. Can anyone remember any time this season our full backs have Done that regularly in a game?
They can’t because they’re not good or quick enough. Get rid. I’d keep Facey and CCM, but get in two decent full backs with an attacking/pace threat. I’m assuming Pring will go back. As I say, especially for when we play at home and teams sit back and play long against us.
Midfield. I think we are desperate for a box to box midfielder who can actually go past our forwards and get on the end of crosses. I can’t remember when our midfielders get into the final third in transition, let alone the box. That needs to be solved.
We need two quality wingers / wide forwards for this level. that’s obvious.
One striker. Gaffney will be binned, and that leaves us with Adebayo as 4th choice. I think we need a bit of a battering ram type of striker, ironically for game’s last night when teams in this league are a bit industrial with their play.
So that’s 5/6 decent recruits and I think we won’t be far off. As I said on the other thread, I’m fairly confident that will happen given we haven’t spent the budget this season, and Clarke now knows this bunch a bit better.
I just hope this is the transition season for DC and his plans because if not, he’ll be under self-inflicted pressure from the get go given his own statements regarding next season etc
It’s looking likely that Bolton, Southend and Tranmere will be relegated into L2 for next season so despite what we know is a ■■■■■ league, they’ll all spend bigger than we will so getting out of it next season won’t be much easier than this…
UTS
I keep reading here that Bolton will be seriously restricted with the embargo. No fee paid. So many in the squad. Wage cap. So i am not sure about them. Suppose they will get some players off their previous reputation and stadium if they are given a choice of Bolton or say Port Vale. We will be higher next season i think, i hope. UTS.
Despite what some think, I believe we are alright at full back.
Saddler hasn’t done much wrong and can play on either side, Kory will be fully fit next season.
My only doubt about Pring is injuries, if DC can persuade him to stay it would certainly benefit the club.
I know Lavery and Gordon have knocked in the goals lately, but they don’t posess the quality we will need for a promotion push.
To be perfectly honest, I’m a little worried about next season.
With all due respect to Pomlett, he does not have the money to take this club forward. Financially, we’re no better off than we were under Bonser - he’s still receiving 400K per annum!
Granted, Pomlett paid the loans off when he purchased the club, but he has to attract outside investment should we get out of L2.
It is my belief we need the investment now. We really don’t have anyone of quality at the club and cannot attract them due to the restraints on the budget. If the club are willing to show their intent on a promotion push, get some quality on the pitch. Maybe, just maybe the fans will react accordingly.
Why wait till the summer?
I think you’re so right about the fullbacks. We need players in those positions who can be pivotal when we attack. Oh how we miss leahy and, in particular, Devlin 
I was with you until…
I thought you’d appreciate that
In all seriousness, Devlin as an attacking right back in a back 5 would have made a huge difference this season. Instead, he headed north and, unfortunately, his whole season was cut short by injury before Christmas. Funny how life goes…
When Ade came to the club he didn’t seem that bad, and scored a few good goals, but with one of the supposed best striker coaches in the league in Marcus Stewart, he seems to have regressed? is it the case that we have broken him down to build him back up? are we trying to coach out of him what Fulham coached into him?
To be honest MOST of the dismal players we released last year would have made a big difference this season