Rochdale gutted to lose him but looks like the main teams linked with him till now were Forest Green and Stockport. Another bargain bin signing. Anyone else noticing a theme with Roland 2.0?
So another League One team, and a League Two team that are throwing money around like a League One team
And yet he's a bargain bin signing
When we’re supposed to be aiming for automatics, playoffs at the least and our competition for signings are, at best, lower league 1 teams, yes I would call that bargain bin.
I truly hope to be proven wrong and I’ve bought my season ticket so I’ll be there to see it either way but I can see another poor season ahead.
I know what you mean. I remember when we signed a Reading cast off, a Sheffield Wednesday cast off, a free transfer from a League One team, a bloke who got relegated with Dagenham, a midfielder from Oldham and some work experience kid they brought in to help test the players' fitness. We had competition for about two of those players. Then when we signed some unwanted laughing stock released by Leicester I was about ready to pack it in. It was a joke, and then we...oh we won the league with a record points total. Never mind.
To be fair in the previous season those players had been playing Reading - Championship Wednesday - L1 Bournemouth - L1 playoffs Dagenham - star player in a relegated L1 team Oldham - L1
I'm not knocking O'Connell or any Swindon players we might sign, but there's a difference between the Powell signings and the L2 players that we seem to be linked with at the moment.
Well not quite, Hamer had played for two different clubs at L1 level the previous season and played exactly 0 Championship games. Michael Morrison played just 12 games for Wednesday in L1 the season before and by all accounts stunk the place out, and Dale Stephens had been loaned to Southampton in L1 where he played 6 times. Danny Green did do well for Dagenham but they still finished 21st. We had some competition for him and the Bournemouth lads were a good get, but we picked up a lot of players who had had bad seasons previously and were cheap because they looked like damaged goods. O'Connell has played 101 League One games so let's not make him out to be some L2 nobody, he seems like he fits the way he want to play and has a lot of experience in our league
Sorry, but no way was that Powell squad full of damaged goods. The only signings who we got "under the radar" due to their struggles were Morrison and Yann.
Hamer was a young keeper at Reading, who like most young keepers go out on loan to get experience. He had 2 L1 loan spells at clubs which finished higher than ourselves Stephens got injured at Soton which probably scuppered his chances of a move. We paid £375k for him Hayes - Championship Preston Taylor - Exeter finished 8th. Was he their captain? Hollands and Wiggins - top players for Bournemouth Hughes - had been at Scunthorpe, relegated from the Championship Green - we paid £350k for him and had competition
I never said it was full of them but there were plenty. Hayes failed at Preston and was unwanted. He scored 2 goals and then was loaned out to Barnsley where he didn't score. He signed a three year deal and had it terminated after one. Yann was a laughing stock. Cort was unwanted at Burnley and had been farmed out the previous season. Andy Hughes had been at Scunthorpe for 6 months before moving on. Wednesday practically gave us Morrison they wanted shot of him so badly. Hamer was a decent young keeper but one that Reading had decided wasn't going to make it for them and so were ready to let go permanently on the cheap. We signed some players on the up too, of course we did, but the point is that you can't judge the quality of signings by who you're competing with for them because some players will work for you and not other teams and the trick is in identifying the right ones for your team.
The likes of Hayes and Cort were all struggling to get game time in Championship sides, signing players not getting game time at a level above is hardly taking a punt, when those players had plenty of pedigree to show they could do a good job for an ambitious L1 side.
O'Connell has some pedigree coming through at Celtic.
If we're comparing to 11/12 he's the equivalent of Matt Taylor who played in League 1 for two seasons before we signed him.
O'Connell first played in League 1 in 15/16 and most of his games since have been at that level.
Powell mainly signed players from our league and some unwanted higher up, but it's far from the only way. We should be looking for stand out players in League 2, if anything it's something we haven't done enough of in recent years. Other clubs have signed some very good players from that level.
He does have some L1 pedigree, but in fairly poor sides, two of which got relegated.
I'm not sure Taylor is that much of a comparison though, as the previous season before we signed him Exeter finished above us in 8th in the table 1 point off the playoffs, so had shown he could be part of a promotion seeking L1 side. That would be like us signing a player from Plymouth or the likes of Lincoln or Shrewsbury in recent seasons, the overachieving smaller club in L1.
If O'Connell is a success, it will be because he's a stand out player in a poor L2 side, and can step up to be part of a promotion seeking L1 side (as opposed to one happy to just survive).
Not sure on Telford, only 25 but I'm a bit concerned that prior to this season, he had only scored 13 in his previous 107 league appearances (most of which were in League 2).
Not sure on Telford, only 25 but I'm a bit concerned that prior to this season, he had only scored 13 in his previous 107 league appearances (most of which were in League 2).
I hope we don’t sign him. Feels like it would be Nicky Ajose part 2 and he can only play in a front 2 so I doubt we will go for him
Bloody hell, his mate tells him well done for securing a decent shilling contract and we all think he’s signing!
Agree that some are making a presumption but it's not unrealistic. Top scorer in the league and has announced he's leaving Newport. Be very surprised if he's not a League 1 striker soon.
Not sure on Telford, only 25 but I'm a bit concerned that prior to this season, he had only scored 13 in his previous 107 league appearances (most of which were in League 2).
Agreed, not what we need imo.
If we’re going 4-3-3 or continuing with 3-5-2 let’s get some pace upfront to play off Stockley/Aneke.
Not sure on Telford, only 25 but I'm a bit concerned that prior to this season, he had only scored 13 in his previous 107 league appearances (most of which were in League 2).
Agreed, not what we need imo.
If we’re going 4-3-3 or continuing with 3-5-2 let’s get some pace upfront to play off Stockley/Aneke.
Be interesting. If we go 352 we definitely need a pacey striker to play off Stockley. If we go 433 then we'll have CBT but agree we'd definitely need another one with pace, especially if we are keeping DJ and Kirk. I have to admit I don't think that's promotion winning wingers, wouldn't be against DJ leaving.
Bloody hell, his mate tells him well done for securing a decent shilling contract and we all think he’s signing!
Agree that some are making a presumption but it's not unrealistic. Top scorer in the league and has announced he's leaving Newport. Be very surprised if he's not a League 1 striker soon.
I think it’s more likely he goes to Salford or Stockport. They’ll have larger budgets than maybe all of the league 1 teams that would want him
Rochdale gutted to lose him but looks like the main teams linked with him till now were Forest Green and Stockport. Another bargain bin signing. Anyone else noticing a theme with Roland 2.0?
So another League One team, and a League Two team that are throwing money around like a League One team
And yet he's a bargain bin signing
When we’re supposed to be aiming for automatics, playoffs at the least and our competition for signings are, at best, lower league 1 teams, yes I would call that bargain bin.
I truly hope to be proven wrong and I’ve bought my season ticket so I’ll be there to see it either way but I can see another poor season ahead.
I know what you mean. I remember when we signed a Reading cast off, a Sheffield Wednesday cast off, a free transfer from a League One team, a bloke who got relegated with Dagenham, a midfielder from Oldham and some work experience kid they brought in to help test the players' fitness. We had competition for about two of those players. Then when we signed some unwanted laughing stock released by Leicester I was about ready to pack it in. It was a joke, and then we...oh we won the league with a record points total. Never mind.
To be fair in the previous season those players had been playing Reading - Championship Wednesday - L1 Bournemouth - L1 playoffs Dagenham - star player in a relegated L1 team Oldham - L1
I'm not knocking O'Connell or any Swindon players we might sign, but there's a difference between the Powell signings and the L2 players that we seem to be linked with at the moment.
Well not quite, Hamer had played for two different clubs at L1 level the previous season and played exactly 0 Championship games. Michael Morrison played just 12 games for Wednesday in L1 the season before and by all accounts stunk the place out, and Dale Stephens had been loaned to Southampton in L1 where he played 6 times. Danny Green did do well for Dagenham but they still finished 21st. We had some competition for him and the Bournemouth lads were a good get, but we picked up a lot of players who had had bad seasons previously and were cheap because they looked like damaged goods. O'Connell has played 101 League One games so let's not make him out to be some L2 nobody, he seems like he fits the way he want to play and has a lot of experience in our league
Sorry, but no way was that Powell squad full of damaged goods. The only signings who we got "under the radar" due to their struggles were Morrison and Yann.
Hamer was a young keeper at Reading, who like most young keepers go out on loan to get experience. He had 2 L1 loan spells at clubs which finished higher than ourselves Stephens got injured at Soton which probably scuppered his chances of a move. We paid £375k for him Hayes - Championship Preston Taylor - Exeter finished 8th. Was he their captain? Hollands and Wiggins - top players for Bournemouth Hughes - had been at Scunthorpe, relegated from the Championship Green - we paid £350k for him and had competition
I never said it was full of them but there were plenty. Hayes failed at Preston and was unwanted. He scored 2 goals and then was loaned out to Barnsley where he didn't score. He signed a three year deal and had it terminated after one. Yann was a laughing stock. Cort was unwanted at Burnley and had been farmed out the previous season. Andy Hughes had been at Scunthorpe for 6 months before moving on. Wednesday practically gave us Morrison they wanted shot of him so badly. Hamer was a decent young keeper but one that Reading had decided wasn't going to make it for them and so were ready to let go permanently on the cheap. We signed some players on the up too, of course we did, but the point is that you can't judge the quality of signings by who you're competing with for them because some players will work for you and not other teams and the trick is in identifying the right ones for your team.
The likes of Hayes and Cort were all struggling to get game time in Championship sides, signing players not getting game time at a level above is hardly taking a punt, when those players had plenty of pedigree to show they could do a good job for an ambitious L1 side.
O'Connell has some pedigree coming through at Celtic.
If we're comparing to 11/12 he's the equivalent of Matt Taylor who played in League 1 for two seasons before we signed him.
O'Connell first played in League 1 in 15/16 and most of his games since have been at that level.
Powell mainly signed players from our league and some unwanted higher up, but it's far from the only way. We should be looking for stand out players in League 2, if anything it's something we haven't done enough of in recent years. Other clubs have signed some very good players from that level.
He does have some L1 pedigree, but in fairly poor sides, two of which got relegated.
I'm not sure Taylor is that much of a comparison though, as the previous season before we signed him Exeter finished above us in 8th in the table 1 point off the playoffs, so had shown he could be part of a promotion seeking L1 side. That would be like us signing a player from Plymouth or the likes of Lincoln or Shrewsbury in recent seasons, the overachieving smaller club in L1.
If O'Connell is a success, it will be because he's a stand out player in a poor L2 side, and can step up to be part of a promotion seeking L1 side (as opposed to one happy to just survive).
I get that you're saying Taylor showed he could be part of a good L1 side, but as an individual there's only so much they can do. Taylor happened to be part of a good Exeter side, the difference between them and Rochdale could have been a three or four good midfielders and attackers.
In 19/20 Rochdale finished 18th in L1, two years later they finished 18th in L2. Given he's in his mid 20s it's likely the club has changed around him rather than O'Connell becoming a L2 player.
Stepping up to be part of a L1 top 6 side isn't a massive stretch for a someone with L1 experience if we make the right signings and put together a balanced team.
So currently in terms of first-team players we've lost (that actually featured towards the end of the season):
Henderson > Maynard-Brewer Purrington Gunter Matthews Pearce Famewo > O'Connell Leko > Kirk Lee Burstow > Davison Washington
Seems like we probably need 5/6 more players.
I think we're probably 7 short in terms of quantity - 4 FB's, a CB, a CM and a Winger. That would give us two players for each position (if we're playing 433) and then Clare as a utility man and Aneke as a third choice striker. A 24 man squad so 1/2 need to be U21. I also think we need another CM on top and a third striker as a minimum, with Gilbey/Morgan and Davison leaving. Personally I think that's the minimum requirements to reach top 6, although I'd also like to get rid of DJ and get another winger in. Might also need a new keeper to play the way it looks like we will.
Still hoping we go try to sign Lewis Hall on loan from Chelsea.
Excellent talent who can play centre back, left back, and left wing-back. Only 18 but is very comfortable and mature on the ball and can physically look after himself too.
Comments
Starting to feel like we might finally get a transfer window right.
Feeling positive
I'm not sure Taylor is that much of a comparison though, as the previous season before we signed him Exeter finished above us in 8th in the table 1 point off the playoffs, so had shown he could be part of a promotion seeking L1 side. That would be like us signing a player from Plymouth or the likes of Lincoln or Shrewsbury in recent seasons, the overachieving smaller club in L1.
If O'Connell is a success, it will be because he's a stand out player in a poor L2 side, and can step up to be part of a promotion seeking L1 side (as opposed to one happy to just survive).
If we’re going 4-3-3 or continuing with 3-5-2 let’s get some pace upfront to play off Stockley/Aneke.
Ironically could see Telford with Mullin at Wrexham if Ryan Reynolds is going to throw money at it again.
In 19/20 Rochdale finished 18th in L1, two years later they finished 18th in L2. Given he's in his mid 20s it's likely the club has changed around him rather than O'Connell becoming a L2 player.
Stepping up to be part of a L1 top 6 side isn't a massive stretch for a someone with L1 experience if we make the right signings and put together a balanced team.
Henderson > Maynard-Brewer
Purrington
Gunter
Matthews
Pearce
Famewo > O'Connell
Leko > Kirk
Lee
Burstow > Davison
Washington
Seems like we probably need 5/6 more players.
Paul Chuckle is exactly the type of player Ben Garner wants to bring to Cafc with the emphasis on possession football.
From me to you.
Edited. A like for you Red Chester, time waits for no man 👍
Signing today
Signing tomorrow
Fixtures out on Thurs
Spain jolly up on Fri
What a week to be alive! Up the addicks.
Excellent talent who can play centre back, left back, and left wing-back. Only 18 but is very comfortable and mature on the ball and can physically look after himself too.