At least 3 Championship clubs are in talks with Lincoln.
If true then it seems very unlikely but I still wouldn’t completely rule anything out.
Are they offering regular first team football? How many will go on to agree a fee? How many rumours are agent talk to get the possible deal?
Gallen has spoken before about keeping multiple plates spilling - you may be working away on several deals for one position in your squad. Grant might not be the main target for any of those clubs, interest and talks can end at any time for various reasons.
As mentioned above Wiggins is a great example, presumably he turned down Watford as he wasn’t guaranteed playing time.
Given we’ll be looking at good young players I wouldn’t be surprised to see some come in who were linked with clubs higher up (not necessarily Grant). Not every player will get their ideal move and not every rumour has truth in it - wasn’t that long ago we signed Yassin Moutaouakil, the France u21 captain linked with Barcelona.
I am not sure how much faith I have in this idea we are looking at "young players". I think there is a big difference between old players and young players, if you know what I mean.
Watson, Pratley and arguably Gunter and Pearce are old players. I would say Morgan and DJ are young. We have a big talent gap between last year's U18s and Morgan, for multiple reasons, and that needs addressing as well.
But of the 8-10 1st team players we currently need I wouldn't expect many, or any, to be both permanent signings and say under 23. Maybe one or two?
I would expect 5 or 6 players of a similar age to Gilbey, Washington, Stockley, Inniss etc in the 25-28 type range. We need to be younger than last season but that doesn't necessarily mean 8 players u23.
I agree, we know we’re looking to lower the average age of the squad, younger rather than young would be a better description. I really meant players up to their mid 20s who could grow with the club over 2/3 years rather than a rigid cut off point of say u23.
Having a look Grant is already 26 but I’d include him in that bracket (just about), he’s a player on the up who could be doing well in the Championship over the next few years.
The obsession with age is strange really.
Italy fielded a side whose back line was a edge age 32ish and whose midfield was mostly in the later 20's.
One player even had the name immobile! Yet they over ran an average younger Turkish side.
There’s no obsession, Steve Gallen has said himself they’re going to lower the average age. It’s about building a squad with more than a season in mind and reversing what we did last season, where we had several players 30+ which resulted in a team lacking a bit of energy and pace. They’re important for the way Adkins wants to play with a high press.
Precisely like the older higher energy quicker paced Italian side. Given that it of it leaves out a decent older player it would be an obsession in age .
You’re comparing an international team with top tier players to L1. It’s one extreme example, it’s like saying Barcelona of around a decade ago is proof lower league clubs signing target men is an obsession when they could find their own Messi.
You don’t get many 30+ players with quality, pace and energy dropping down to that level.
I’m not saying we can’t sign any older players or that older players can’t be part of a successful side. If the right player comes along I don’t see age stopping us from signing them either.
We will though have a younger squad than last season and I expect us to do better given we have a full window with no salary cap limiting us.
As I said on a previous post a couple of weeks ago.........I'll start getting worried if we haven't signed at least 1 new player by the end of next week & mightily pissed off if we haven't signed 2 or 3 by the time the players report back for pre-season training (which I think is around the 28th of this month).
At least 3 Championship clubs are in talks with Lincoln.
If true then it seems very unlikely but I still wouldn’t completely rule anything out.
Are they offering regular first team football? How many will go on to agree a fee? How many rumours are agent talk to get the possible deal?
Gallen has spoken before about keeping multiple plates spilling - you may be working away on several deals for one position in your squad. Grant might not be the main target for any of those clubs, interest and talks can end at any time for various reasons.
As mentioned above Wiggins is a great example, presumably he turned down Watford as he wasn’t guaranteed playing time.
Given we’ll be looking at good young players I wouldn’t be surprised to see some come in who were linked with clubs higher up (not necessarily Grant). Not every player will get their ideal move and not every rumour has truth in it - wasn’t that long ago we signed Yassin Moutaouakil, the France u21 captain linked with Barcelona.
I am not sure how much faith I have in this idea we are looking at "young players". I think there is a big difference between old players and young players, if you know what I mean.
Watson, Pratley and arguably Gunter and Pearce are old players. I would say Morgan and DJ are young. We have a big talent gap between last year's U18s and Morgan, for multiple reasons, and that needs addressing as well.
But of the 8-10 1st team players we currently need I wouldn't expect many, or any, to be both permanent signings and say under 23. Maybe one or two?
I would expect 5 or 6 players of a similar age to Gilbey, Washington, Stockley, Inniss etc in the 25-28 type range. We need to be younger than last season but that doesn't necessarily mean 8 players u23.
I agree, we know we’re looking to lower the average age of the squad, younger rather than young would be a better description. I really meant players up to their mid 20s who could grow with the club over 2/3 years rather than a rigid cut off point of say u23.
Having a look Grant is already 26 but I’d include him in that bracket (just about), he’s a player on the up who could be doing well in the Championship over the next few years.
The obsession with age is strange really.
Italy fielded a side whose back line was a edge age 32ish and whose midfield was mostly in the later 20's.
One player even had the name immobile! Yet they over ran an average younger Turkish side.
There’s no obsession, Steve Gallen has said himself they’re going to lower the average age. It’s about building a squad with more than a season in mind and reversing what we did last season, where we had several players 30+ which resulted in a team lacking a bit of energy and pace. They’re important for the way Adkins wants to play with a high press.
Precisely like the older higher energy quicker paced Italian side. Given that it of it leaves out a decent older player it would be an obsession in age .
You’re comparing an international team with top tier players to L1. It’s one extreme example, it’s like saying Barcelona of around a decade ago is proof lower league clubs signing target men is an obsession when they could find their own Messi.
You don’t get many 30+ players with quality, pace and energy dropping down to that level.
I’m not saying we can’t sign any older players or that older players can’t be part of a successful side. If the right player comes along I don’t see age stopping us from signing them either.
We will though have a younger squad than last season and I expect us to do better given we have a full window with no salary cap limiting us.
The comparison was about age where an loser team beat a younger team. That applies to any level of competition
Had you said long term an older team is less likely to stay together I would agree. I am sure there are quick players over 30 in League 1 whose experience would be useful. Then again they don't need to be quick if they have other skills.
I agree it can apply to any level, there's no rule that younger teams always win, but the point is we didn't have the balance right last season. We relied too much on 30+ players (Pratley, Watson, Pearce, Shinnie and Gunter), when several of them started we usually lacked pace and energy.
It's not that we need to replace all of them, we're just more likely to improve if we don't have so many of them in a team together. Watson for example can contribute but he needs the right type of players around him. Playing him alongside Pratley, Shinnie and in front of Pearce and Gunter left him more exposed as they couldn't cover his lack of pace. Had he played in the 18/19 side he'd have looked a much better player sitting behind Cullen and Aribo who were mobile and comfortable on the ball.
The issue is nothing more than improving the balance of the team and squad. Gallen agrees and given we had one of the oldest squads in the league so do most other clubs in our division. Nothing against older players, there are plenty of examples of experienced players coming in and improving us.
I saw that Chelsea midfielder who was on loan at Luton got released. Brown I think. Bit above our station maybe?
Is he or is it izzy....boom boom
Loads of talent, just hasn't happened for him, for what ever reason. Has he just ended up in a rubbish team every year?
Good age, good position (ie we need a couple) don't think he is above our station because the championship clubs with money probably wouldn't want him.
I saw that Chelsea midfielder who was on loan at Luton got released. Brown I think. Bit above our station maybe?
Is he or is it izzy....boom boom
Loads of talent, just hasn't happened for him, for what ever reason. Has he just ended up in a rubbish team every year?
Good age, good position (ie we need a couple) don't think he is above our station because the championship clubs with money probably wouldn't want him.
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You don’t get many 30+ players with quality, pace and energy dropping down to that level.
We will though have a younger squad than last season and I expect us to do better given we have a full window with no salary cap limiting us.
He fecking hates Millwall
Jorge Grant
Whoh oh oh
Starts for Wales today.
Lord, Grant me patience.
Roland
A
New
Toothbrush
It's not that we need to replace all of them, we're just more likely to improve if we don't have so many of them in a team together. Watson for example can contribute but he needs the right type of players around him. Playing him alongside Pratley, Shinnie and in front of Pearce and Gunter left him more exposed as they couldn't cover his lack of pace. Had he played in the 18/19 side he'd have looked a much better player sitting behind Cullen and Aribo who were mobile and comfortable on the ball.
The issue is nothing more than improving the balance of the team and squad. Gallen agrees and given we had one of the oldest squads in the league so do most other clubs in our division. Nothing against older players, there are plenty of examples of experienced players coming in and improving us.
Loads of talent, just hasn't happened for him, for what ever reason. Has he just ended up in a rubbish team every year?
Good age, good position (ie we need a couple) don't think he is above our station because the championship clubs with money probably wouldn't want him.