Sentiment aside (and I like Laird), if we were signing any other bloke who had played one game this season for a team in the league below - would we be pleased?
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Precisely
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Also, for all his criticisms Leahy barely misses a game, which covers for the fact we don’t have enough budget for a back-up in the left-back position. Is Laird going to play every game if Leahy goes, and if not, who will?
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It is interesting how when Keates first got here he signed Cook straight away and targeted players like Ferrier and Gordon (amongst others that we couldn’t get over the line) however when the panic is on we seem to go back to players that have been here previously.
Would Keates seriously be targeting players that Walsall have had like Zeli, Osbourne and Laird that we’re all here and left before Keates joined?
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Laird is better defensively than Leahy and it’s what we need along with his calm experienced head at the back. Is he still up to it, who knows.
The fact we have to keep relying on our old players is really strange, and worrying though. As I said on another topic, our wages don’t match so we have to keep going back for players who a) loved it here but got bombed out by previous management and have ended up dropping a league or two or b) players that loved it here, went onto better but ultimately failed. We need to get out of this very lazy cycle of just going for someone who was here before. That said, I love Laird.
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Not sure how I feel about this. Loved him when he was here last time and did a good job by all accounts, especially as he was signed to replace Rico Henry. I just hope the two years since he was here last haven’t taken it’s toll as badly as they seem to have with Osbourne.
It should at least make us more solid down that side, and allow Jarvis or Zeli to play a bit more rather worry about what’s going on behind
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Wow if this is the level of player we are looking to get us out of the mess , then it’s time to shut the door and close up!
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Whilst Laird would be a good signing, and an improvement on Leahy, it’ll be another short term deal, and we’ll be back to square 1 in June. He’ll be 31 at the start of next season.
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Played once this season for Forest Green, how is that a good signing?
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Yes this has puzzled me to be honest. Why would Keates, specifically, go back to a load of player that were here while he was busy managing Wrexham? It doesn’t make sense to me and makes me question who is actually making these signings.
And if I can be afforded the tin foil hat for a second, there’s a potential protest on the card and a fan focus meeting around the corner. There’s also certain members of staff that were around when Laird was and know him to be a very nice and popular bloke…
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Reading between the lines you are saying that Laird is hosting Monday nights focus meeting?
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We refuse to deal with agents that charge more than minimum wage. Therefore 90% of the players out there are closed off to us.
Of all Bonser’s policies, this has to be the one that puzzles me the most. When you’ve got a small budget, which restricts you to the bargain aisle, restricting that even further by refusing to deal with agents is just stupid.
It’d be like going to Tesco but refusing to pay the 15p for 3 bags, resulting in having to make numerous trips to Tesco, buying a small amount each time, in order to avoid paying 15p.
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Mole and Gamble seem to pull on a lot of old relationships… I think that’s the answer .
I mean genuinely what would Keates know about a player that hasn’t played all season?
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May not be true, but I did hear from somebody that Zeli may have been a board signing rather than a Keates signing.
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What on earth would we know about Mussa? We don’t scout in Belgium, we barely scout over the border in the B postcode, never mind Belgium.
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We had him on trial for 4 weeks before he signed so that we could learn about him.
Agree I don’t understand that one either.
Heard that some club officials had a mini city Christmas break to the Belgium market and they met Mussa and had such a laugh they brought him back for a trial at the club.
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Ah fair enough then.
Laird was a good player for us. Surprised we bombed him out. If he comes, does that mean Leahy would play left winger?!
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