Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2023/24

[BarraMatt]

Daily Mail reporter suggesting Bradford keeper is about to sign for Carlisle.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745081677041254851

 

[Gi Dalor]

https://x.com/MikeKeegan_DM/status/1745081677041254851?s=20

This won't cause a meltdown. Done, apparently.

 

[ForzaCounty]

Edit - FFS, beaten to it twice

 

[LS Bantam]

FML. Not only a brilliant keeper but has totally bought into the club, Bradford itself, does loads of community stuff, seems a top top bloke too, and to move to Carlisle? Carlisle? Absolutely biggest kick in the balls for years.

 

[Kauto Star]

Were apperently trying to sign Jayden Jackson from ipswich

His name is actually Kayden Jackson. Ex youth player of ours who played Sunday league football in Bradford too.

A player I always thought may end up back with us.

A very good signing for you if it comes off

 

[1862]

Played against us in both games this season. I didn’t see the cup game, but I thought he was shit in the league game.

4 keepers now and I don’t trust any of em.

Brooks must be going back out on loan, no point him sticking around here.

 

[hellogregory]

FML. Not only a brilliant keeper but has totally bought into the club, Bradford itself, does loads of community stuff, seems a top top bloke too, and to move to Carlisle? Carlisle? Absolutely biggest kick in the balls for years.

Before Carver and his antagonising posts surface, I’ll say that IF this is true, i can see why you’d see it as a kick in the balls. There’s every chance (a certainly in my eyes) we’ll be back in league 2 next season which means this move (if it happens) is solely down to money and nothing else.

Makes me quite frankly concerned about how much money we’re chucking at him. I’d imagine he’s already on very good money at Bradford.

 

[Conker]

Not convinced by Carlisle way of spending money at all, unless it’s window to strengthen for a promotion push back to L1 next season

 

[hellogregory]

Not convinced by Carlisle way of spending money at all, unless it’s window to strengthen for a promotion push back to L1 next season

I think so. It seems to be tried and tested league 2 players we’re targeting/signing.

Get them in now, see if they can improve us us a bit in L1 and make a fist of at least trying to be competitive, then be ready y to hit the ground running next season in L2.

 

[Son of Cod]

Not convinced by Carlisle way of spending money at all, unless it’s window to strengthen for a promotion push back to L1 next season

Agree that 650k on Armstrong is ridiculous but Lewis is a cracking keeper, comfortably the best I've seen since being back at this level so I reckon even if they're paying loads again then it's a worthwhile bit of business that one.

 

[hellogregory]

Pete o’rourke is reporting that Stevenage’s move for Craig MacGillivray from MK has collapsed.

MacGillivray was supposedly our top target for the goalkeeper position so maybe this will pull the plug on the potential Harry Lewis deal.

 

[hellogregory]

Agree that 650k on Armstrong is ridiculous but Lewis is a cracking keeper, comfortably the best I've seen since being back at this level so I reckon even if they're paying loads again then it's a worthwhile bit of business that one.

Who told you we paid 650k for Armstrong? Carver?

More like 250k - 300k absolute max.

 

[Conker]

Agree that 650k on Armstrong is ridiculous but Lewis is a cracking keeper, comfortably the best I've seen since being back at this level so I reckon even if they're paying loads again then it's a worthwhile bit of business that one.

Ey he’s a good keeper but there others at this level similar, him on loan at Wrexham is superb and Pym been unbelievable this season.

 

[LS Bantam]

Lewis has gone backwards this season, last year I 100% would’ve said best in the league but ever since Barnsley wanted him in the summer he hasn’t been the same and he’s thrown more than a few in his net this season. That’s not to say he isn’t the best keeper we’ve had in years, only Pickford on loan probably came close about ten years ago, safe to say I’ll be absolutely gutted when this gets confirmed later.

 

[Son of Cod]

Who told you we paid 650k for Armstrong? Carver?

More like 250k - 300k absolute max.

I'm not convinced. Will have to ask the rest of the L2 forum?

Ey he’s a good keeper but there others at this level similar, him on loan at Wrexham is superb and Pym been unbelievable this season.

Pym's always been a decent keeper at this level from what I've seen, I probably didn't realise he'd been quite that good this season tbh. We only really tested him for 45 mins across both our league matches.

Lewis has gone backwards this season, last year I 100% would’ve said best in the league but ever since Barnsley wanted him in the summer he hasn’t been the same and he’s thrown more than a few in his net this season. That’s not to say he isn’t the best keeper we’ve had in years, only Pickford on loan probably came close about ten years ago, safe to say I’ll be absolutely gutted when this gets confirmed later.

Interesting, he was very good against us at VP and then the only other match I've seen of him this season was the Notts match that was on telly but you lot were just terrible all over the park in that first half, so didn't want to judge him on that. There's probably been loads of good loanees.

Interesting debate to be had here, who's the best keeper(s) you've seen at this level? Kasper Schmeichal, Joe Hart and Dean Henderson take some beating for me but I'd probably say Hart due to him being a proper player on the books of a L2 club.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

I’d say Lewis is the best keeper at this level, certainly short term potential wise. It wouldn’t have shocked me if a championship club had come in for him, even this year when his forms been a bit more inconsistent he’s still as good as most in league 1 and 2, all of which are prone to the odd error. His fumbles were always a bit dramatised due to the fact he didn’t really make one at all last season and I think some of our fanbase forgot they happen regularly at this level.

Make no mistake, unlike the overrated Young this would be a loss. The only upside is you can get a fairly solid keeper on loan or for cheap and strengthen elsewhere. Lewis was free for instance.

With all due respect to Carlisle, he was denied a move to Barnsley in the summer so it feels quite a big comedown.

 

[Conker]

You can quite easily replace him with a dud though.

Notts County got three keepers on books and atleast two of em are not good enough. Dunno about the new guy.

Mansfield had Nathan Bishop before Pym, but just a loan from Man Utd, Pym is our first proper decent long term #1 since Alan Marriott and that’s years ago now.

 

[Conker]

Pym's always been a decent keeper at this level from what I've seen, I probably didn't realise he'd been quite that good this season tbh. We only really tested him for 45 mins across both our league matches.

We conceded less than anyone else, and obviously the likes of Flint play a major part in that but Pym made some saves he’s got no right to this season which massively helps.

 

[Gi Dalor]

We've signed Ryan Sandford. A keeper from Dartford. 24 years old. He was, briefly, with Wimbledon but I know nowt about him.

To be honest he doesn't have to be brilliant to get a game with us.

I would presume Fulham will be recalling Ashby-Hammond. If one of you get him he appears to be a decent keeper then goes walkabout or let's the ball roll over him.

Casey

L A-H's gone to Notts County.

 

[F!RTHY]

All I can say is, Carlisle must be chucking some serious coin about if they’re taking Harry Lewis off our books.

A lot of Sparks decisions are ruled by keeping the peace with fans at the minute. Our socials are already accusing Rupp of lining his own pockets - and of course, Sparks doesn’t know what he’s doing yada yada yada.

Lewis is loved by everyone at the club, so any decision to let him go will not be taken lightly - highly motivated by a wedge of cash for both parties.

 

[Son of Cod]

We conceded less than anyone else, and obviously the likes of Flint play a major part in that but Pym made some saves he’s got no right to this season which massively helps.

Even more so when you're up at the top but not spanking teams by cricket scores on the regs. Without checking your results, I'd guess you've had a fair amount of 1/2 goal victories, so a good keeper becomes really important in this sort of team. Difference between autos and playoffs maybe. Admittedly, you can probably say this about plenty of players in a good team but those saves are tangible evidence when considering a keeper's role in a successful side.

 

[hellogregory]

I’m still not convinced this is true.

Given we’ll be back in league 2 next season the only serious reason he’d come to us is if we’re chucking a load of money at him and while our new owners are wealthy, they don’t strike me as the type that would splash silly amounts on one player’s salary and whilst Lewis is no doubt a very good goalkeeper, it still doesn’t exactly strike me as the type of player you really push the boat out for.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Unsurprisingly having a top keeper is paramount to being a top side. Very few sides are successful or have a successful season despite their goalkeeper. Although both Wrexham and Notts did last season, I would suggest it's a rarity. That was a special season.

We haven't had a fantastic #1 since 2014.

 

[RavenBish]

Brooks must be going back out on loan, no point him sticking around here.

He is. I think people forget how young Brooks is just because he’s been in the first team squad for seemingly years. They’re handling him the right way and the only reason people call for him is because they assume he can’t be worse than Stone or Slocombe. Which this season probably isn’t wrong.

Also think it’s pretty clear Ashby-Hammond has been signed as backup, so it doesn’t really matter how good he is. That’s probably the bigger problem, Stone has two decent feet and I think his distribution on the whole has been great given how much we ask of him - but from a pure goalkeeping perspective he is a literal hologram in goal

 

[Son of Cod]

Unsurprisingly having a top keeper is paramount to being a top side. Very few sides are successful or have a successful season despite their goalkeeper. Although both Wrexham and Notts did last season, I would suggest it's a rarity. That was a special season.

Yep, widely regarded as the easiest fifth tier of all time.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Yep, widely regarded as the easiest fifth tier of all time.

Until this this season of course

"It were tougher back in my day when more teams were part time"

 

[Son of Cod]

Until this this season of course

"It were tougher back in my day when more teams were part time"

Yep correct, you officially get to claim this when Chesterfield come up.

 

[Carver]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745120105153917268

It will be nice having a little feeder club.

 

[Tinpot and proud]

It will be nice having a little feeder club.

Naughty !!!

 

[Optipez]

He is. I think people forget how young Brooks is just because he’s been in the first team squad for seemingly years. They’re handling him the right way and the only reason people call for him is because they assume he can’t be worse than Stone or Slocombe. Which this season probably isn’t wrong.

Also think it’s pretty clear Ashby-Hammond has been signed as backup, so it doesn’t really matter how good he is. That’s probably the bigger problem, Stone has two decent feet and I think his distribution on the whole has been great given how much we ask of him - but from a pure goalkeeping perspective he is a literal hologram in goal

I sincerely hope he isn't back up, that would mean he's less reliable than the pair we've got. I'd start him against Grimsby and be honest with Stone and tell him he's not been playing to top end L2 standard and needs to win his place back.