Summer Transfer Thread

[Squeezebox]

I don't get your post, Greyhound. Has he signed?

Was it not an attempt to start a snooker pun fest?

 

[Grecian Max]

You can't have it all ways Max. On the one hand you are praising Matt, and then blaming the Club for a policy of going for loan players ? It is NOT a Club policy. The Club gives its managers autonomy, they are given a budget and it is up to them how they decide to spend it. It is Matt's decision to go after loan players, and his alone, so if you say that you support him then back his judgement, he has a clear idea of how he wishes to take the team forward.

Proper confused by this post. “Can’t have it both ways”? What are you suggesting by this? That nothing MT does can be critiqued, if - on balance - I think his reign has been a successful one and I like the bloke? This sort of view can only have been formulated more recently where it’s a requirement to “take sides”. Doesn’t encourage particularly thoughtful debate if you choose to go down that path. IMO.

Taylor is still a young manager and has mistakes before and will this season I’m sure. One thing he got right is to nail the squad building last year to the point where the team was just better than most others. He’s not the most tactical of managers (although improving - one thing he did better at last year was changing the game with subs) so his recruitment is usually a real strong point. The change of focus this year is a risky one and I think at this point, with no players added we might do better to tweak that approach. I’m sure they’re on it and we’ll see some movement soon - I would suggest they will bring in more permanents than was originally mooted. We’ll wait and see.

 

[Grecian Max]

The real concern in lack of signings is a goalkeeper. An experienced goalkeeper should have been signed by now. The Head of Recruitment should have sorted that by working out who was available and have some alternatives ready. Isn’t that his one and only job?!
It’s interesting that no one has moved on, particularly Jay and Key. Even one of the moneybags clubs in League Two might have moved for them you would have thought. They were part of a promotion winning team after all. It makes you wonder if Taylor and The Club thought that as well and have been left dead in the water by this, hence why nothing has happened.
Loan signings and players like Grounds is the reality but I am sure we were all expecting something a bit better. Talk of 6000 crowds and growing the brand will all quickly disappear if you don’t maintain momentum on the pitch.

The interesting point around our most saleable assets is none of them had a spectacular season, despite promotion.

Nombe - injured for half of it
Jay - disappointing from December onwards, despite that winning goal v Barrow
Key - average for the level he achieved the season before
Hartridge - injured for a large part of the season

The only one to substantially improve and raise his price was Collins I think

 

[andrew p long]

The real concern in lack of signings is a goalkeeper. An experienced goalkeeper should have been signed by now. The Head of Recruitment should have sorted that by working out who was available and have some alternatives ready. Isn’t that his one and only job?!
It’s interesting that no one has moved on, particularly Jay and Key. Even one of the moneybags clubs in League Two might have moved for them you would have thought. They were part of a promotion winning team after all. It makes you wonder if Taylor and The Club thought that as well and have been left dead in the water by this, hence why nothing has happened.
Loan signings and players like Grounds is the reality but I am sure we were all expecting something a bit better. Talk of 6000 crowds and growing the brand will all quickly disappear if you don’t maintain momentum on the pitch.

Its 17 July today. Dawson was signed on 29 July 2021, nine days before the first league game, and signed the day after he became available.

Yep, this time last season, with two weeks to go to the first game of the season I was worried. But MT/the recruitment team pulled off the fantastic signing of Dawson, their gamble on waiting paid off.

So presumably you are saying MT/ECFC have not waited for Dawson to become available?

 

[andrew p long]

One point of detail on Max's analysis. The Plan A was permanent signings, but we didn't land any of our key targets. Loan signings are Plan B (or Plan C,D,or Z!)

But, like Max, I'm puzzled why the focus seems now to be exclusively on loans. Surely there are free agents released by Championship/League One sides who could be of interest. Derby have signed loads of very good available players in the last 10 days (albeit players out of the reach of our budget)

I don't understand why permanent signings are ruled out..unless MT has been scarred by the experience of signing free agents without. a pre-season behind them?

 

[grecIAN Harris]

The interesting point around our most saleable assets is none of them had a spectacular season, despite promotion.

Nombe - injured for half of it
Jay - disappointing from December onwards, despite that winning goal v Barrow
Key - average for the level he achieved the season before
Hartridge - injured for a large part of the season

The only one to substantially improve and raise his price was Collins I think

Not that there is much of a price on him I would suggest. He is the current Liam Sercombe and will be a solid League1/2 performer who would actually be more of an asset if the shackles were taken off of him. He'll end up going stale like Sercs, be in need of and get a move in about three years time where he'll end up being allowed to play with a bit more freedom and start showing what we should have seen from him.

 

[IndoMike]

Was it not an attempt to start a snooker pun fest?

Oh, right. Certainly snookered me. Doh.

 

[IndoMike]

Not that there is much of a price on him I would suggest. He is the current Liam Sercombe and will be a solid League1/2 performer who would actually be more of an asset if the shackles were taken off of him. He'll end up going stale like Sercs, be in need of and get a move in about three years time where he'll end up being allowed to play with a bit more freedom and start showing what we should have seen from him.

The only thing I can think you might be referring to is that it would be good to see him driving forward and having a pop at goal I guess you mean you think he's chained to the DM position and not given freedom to attack. That would be an assumption on your part

 

[Banksy]

I don't get your post, Greyhound. Has he signed?

Looking for a whoosh Mike?

 

[Colesman Ballz]

Proper confused by this post. “Can’t have it both ways”? What are you suggesting by this? That nothing MT does can be critiqued, if - on balance - I think his reign has been a successful one and I like the bloke? This sort of view can only have been formulated more recently where it’s a requirement to “take sides”. Doesn’t encourage particularly thoughtful debate if you choose to go down that path. IMO.

On the contrary, I was taking issue with your statement that THE CLUB had clearly got it wrong so far in how to navigate this transfer window by going all in on loans. I was pointing out this was Matt's own policy ! And I am certainly not criticising him for that, I am mightily impressed with the job he is doing for us and happy to let him get on with doing things as he sees fit. I certainly will not be "jumping down his throat" over minor setbacks along the way. Of course we need a number one keeper it is blindingly obvious to one and all, and quite clearly this is receiving the attention it deserves, so why are grown men on these boards "wetting themselves" ? Have a little fecking faith one and all !