Recruitment and Starting Line-up’s

[Agombar stool]

Ahhh Sam Parkin, sadly by the time we signed him he really was shit! But I think injuries and age had ruined him by that point.

Yeah, after he got his 'big move' to Ipswich he was beset with injuries and his career never really hit the heights sadly.

He is now in media and comes across as a really decent guy.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

So after 3 recruits, I think our strongest starting line up looks like this:

Mike Cooper (Young keeper, highly rated)

CB: Will Aimson
CB: Niall Canavan
CB: Gary Sawyer

RM/RWB: Joe Riley
LM/LWB: Ashley Smith-Brown

CM: Joe Edwards

CAM: Danny Mayor
CAM :Antoni Sarvevic

ST: Joel Grant
ST Ryan Taylor.

Personally think we still need 4/5 more. Another CB, a couple of strikers, a keeper, and 1 possibly 2 midfielders who can play CM or CAM.

 

[shoddycollins]

With our first friendly tomorrow, we might get an idea of how Elvis wants to set out.

We haven't got an attack yet with speculation over Hope's future while McKirdy and Bridge were probably signed to challenge for first team positions. We do have some triallists who I expect will feature. Miles Storey is probably at the front of the queue to lead the line, in terms of potential permanent signings at least, we'll probably have a couple of loanees once the season kicks off. I think we'll be something like.

____________________Collin_____________________
Elliot_____Webster_________NKP________Iredale
____________Jones (c)_____Scougall*_____________
???????_____________?????????______________Hope
_________________Storey/Loanee

Bench: Gray, Mellis, Branthwaite, McKirdy, Bridge, others

* One of our current triallists, Tyrone Duffus is a defensive midfielder, he'll probably get a run out in this position in friendlies

????? - In friendlies these positions will be opportunities for trialists Elliot Reeves and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts as well as probably a chance for McKirdy and Bridge to prove themselves. Expect loanees to be brought in in these areas. Scougall could also get a chance to step in here too as it's closer to his natural position and will be where he'll be challenging when Etuhu returns. I imagine Hope will be put up front for at least some of the time.

Etuhu is still out injured. Definite starter when he returns but we'll be starting the season without him.

I think we should have enough about us to stay up provided all our players in the top three lines are half-decent. I expect they should be, none of them fill me with fear. I feel fairly confident about Webster, though that confidence is mostly based on him looking a bit like Clint Hill. The bottom two lines could be cause for concern but attacking players tend to look much better if your core is solid enough, so we'll probably end up with attacking players who could be akin to Nathan Thomas at Notts if we start struggling, but then Nathan Thomas at Carlisle if we do alright.

Honestly, if we'd kept Devitt and McCarron and managed to bring in someone like Yates or Thomas I'd have been quietly confident for next season because we'd be sitting here just a decent goalscorer short of a team.

 

[F!RTHY]

So after 3 recruits, I think our strongest starting line up looks like this:

Mike Cooper (Young keeper, highly rated)

CB: Will Aimson
CB: Niall Canavan
CB: Gary Sawyer

RM/RWB: Joe Riley
LM/LWB: Ashley Smith-Brown

CM: Joe Edwards

CAM: Danny Mayor
CAM :Antoni Sarvevic

ST: Joel Grant
ST Ryan Taylor.

Personally think we still need 4/5 more. Another CB, a couple of strikers, a keeper, and 1 possibly 2 midfielders who can play CM or CAM.

How do you feel about your striking options? -Seems to be your weakest area.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

How do you feel about your striking options? -Seems to be your weakest area.

Definitely need a couple additions. Miles off the mark compared to you lot when it comes to forward players. We do have young Alex Fletcher, a local lad who Ryan Lowe seems pretty keen on giving a chance this season, but we definitely need a couple more strikers.

Dom Telford from Bury has been linked, but I think we’d need at least two. Reckon we missed out on Maynard.

 

[Valeite]

We have signed Davis Amoo from Cambridge, any good folks?

 

[Indian Dan]

I refer my honourable friend to the answers given some time ago.

 

[shoddycollins]

We have signed Davis Amoo from Cambridge, any good folks?

Who's Davis Amoo?

 

[valefan16]

After the latest signings we are looking much better IMO.

Scott Brown

James Gibbons
Leon Legge
Nathan Smith
Adam Crookes

Tom Conlon
Manny Oyeleke
Luke Joyce

David Worrall
Mark Cullen
David Amoo

Solid core of last seasons squad mixed with more attacking pace and goals

As pointed out on OVF the crucial change is the depth certainly going forward.

Tom Pope
Ben Whitfield
Richie Bennett
Christian Montano

All capable of coming off the bench and doing something.

We still have four trialists. We need another full back so if we can get Cummings that would really add to us.

We’ve cut our squad size down finally but having a squad where there’s not loads of dead wood but a few decent options could be crucial this season for us.

I’d like a more attacking centre midfielder if possible too.

 

[shoddycollins]

Tom Pope
Ben Whitfield
Richie Bennett
Christian Montano

All capable of coming off the bench and doing something.

The key word there being 'something'. I mean if you need to call on someone to come on in the seventieth minute go up for a header and give away a free kick then Richie Bennett's your man.

 

[Big Bird]

Definitely need a couple additions. Miles off the mark compared to you lot when it comes to forward players. We do have young Alex Fletcher, a local lad who Ryan Lowe seems pretty keen on giving a chance this season, but we definitely need a couple more strikers.

Dom Telford from Bury has been linked, but I think we’d need at least two. Reckon we missed out on Maynard.

Odd that Maynard would rather go to Mansfield than link up with Lowe and Mayor again. Mansfield must have blown us all out of the water with whatever they've offered him.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Odd that Maynard would rather go to Mansfield than link up with Lowe and Mayor again. Mansfield must have blown us all out of the water with whatever they've offered him.

It was definitely because of the opportunity to be in Mrs Radford’s passenger seat.

Wouldn’t mind if we tried to go for Eoin Doyle, Bradford are being greedy and don’t that many good forwards.

 

[T.A]

Odd that Maynard would rather go to Mansfield than link up with Lowe and Mayor again. Mansfield must have blown us all out of the water with whatever they've offered him.

Not really.. he didnt want to move away from the area his kids train with United.

 

[Big Bird]

Not really.. he didnt want to move away from the area his kids train with United.

Oh. Furry muff.

 

[valefan16]

The key word there being 'something'. I mean if you need to call on someone to come on in the seventieth minute go up for a header and give away a free kick then Richie Bennett's your man.

The point with Bennett is I believe had he played and scored the goals for Vale that he got last season I think he would of been our second highest scorer! That’s how flat our goal scoring column was!

Pope now may become an impact sub; his fitness isn’t as good so may not start as much this season, he’s literally played for months on one leg virtually which makes his goal return even more outstanding but If we can utilise him less he should then be fresher and more capable when he does play.

Could be interesting going forward this season how that develops but assume we will stick with the 4-3-3 Askey likes and Cullen if fit would surely be the first choice.

 

[F!RTHY]

It was definitely because of the opportunity to be in Mrs Radford’s passenger seat.

Wouldn’t mind if we tried to go for Eoin Doyle, Bradford are being greedy and don’t that many good forwards.

It’s weird, because a lot of our fans would drive him themselves.

Doyle, for me, gets a lot of unfair criticism. He’s most definitely seen as an Edin Rahic signing - and anything associated with that name is just frowned upon....and I mean ANYTHING.

Doyle had no service at all last season. Scannell out injured for most of the season, and we didn’t have any other wingers - no, seriously. Doyle, essentially, had to do it all on his own - we certainly didn’t play to his strengths....or anyone’s strengths for that matter.

A forward line that consists of Doyle, Vaughan, Donaldson and McCartan is exactly what is needed to bounce straight back; and I for one will be incredibly disappointed if we let him go.

However, with that being said: should someone come in for him, we certainly wouldn’t let him go for nothing, and he’s apparently on £5k per week - which would free up some funds to perhaps find an adequate replacement - a young loanee from a prem side for example.

 

[GTFCfish]

It’s weird, because a lot of our fans would drive him themselves.

Doyle, for me, gets a lot of unfair criticism. He’s most definitely seen as an Edin Rahic signing - and anything associated with that name is just frowned upon....and I mean ANYTHING.

Doyle had no service at all last season. Scannell out injured for most of the season, and we didn’t have any other wingers - no, seriously. Doyle, essentially, had to do it all on his own - we certainly didn’t play to his strengths....or anyone’s strengths for that matter.

A forward line that consists of Doyle, Vaughan, Donaldson and McCartan is exactly what is needed to bounce straight back; and I for one will be incredibly disappointed if we let him go.

However, with that being said: should someone come in for him, we certainly wouldn’t let him go for nothing, and he’s apparently on £5k per week - which would free up some funds to perhaps find an adequate replacement - a young loanee from a prem side for example.

He must be really shit then if your fans would happily spend around £100 on petrol to drive the 660 mile round trip from Bradford to Plymouth just to get rid of him.

 

[F!RTHY]

He must be really shit then if your fans would happily spend around £100 on petrol to drive the 660 mile round trip from Bradford to Plymouth just to get rid of him.

Aye, be careful some fans will catch wind and send him your way to be the first name on your team sheet - keeping costs down.

 

[Brooky]

Yeah I'd drive Doyle down, didn't look like he couldn't trap a ball to save his life and he looked just as awful in our first pre season game.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

He’s most definitely seen as an Edin Rahic signing - and anything associated with that name is just frowned upon....and I mean ANYTHING.

Not just by fans, players like McCarten feel the same judging by this mornings article.

Personally I could take or leave Doyle, I'd rather him not leave to someone in this division though. But I think we need a bit more pace and mobility up top to compliment Vaughan and Donaldson.

 

[Indian Dan]

Their zimmers might get in the way as well!

 

[Simpo]

What exactly is the deal with Oldham's owner, new coach, and #foreignlads approach?, you ask...

Well, this article sums things up quite nicely: https://www.otbfootball.net/continental-football-in-the-eye-of-the-pennines/

 

[shoddycollins]

Yeah I'd drive Doyle down, didn't look like he couldn't trap a ball to save his life and he looked just as awful in our first pre season game.

If he's a striker then we'll gladly save you the petrol and let you drive him here.

 

[Jonny12]

So after our trio of signings today have brought our number of signings to 11, our strongest 11 is looking like:

GK: Liam Roberts/Jack Rose
RWB: Shay Facey/Cameron Norman
RCB: James Clarke
CB: Dan Scarr
LCB: Mat Sadler
LWB: Cameron Pring
CDM: Danny Guthrie
CM: Liam Kinsella
CM: Stuart Sinclair
ST: Elijah Adebayo
ST: Josh Gordon

With Wes McDonald (LM), James Hardy (CAM), Callum Cockerill-Mollett (LB/LCB), Alfie Bates (CM), Tom Leak (CB), Mitch Candlin (ST), Jack Kiersey (CM), Luke Little (RB) and Kory Roberts (CB) when he comes back from injury our squad is now starting to take shape.

We also still have George Dobson and Morgan Ferrier expected to leave.

Back 5 very, very solid with 3 very hard working and talent midfielders in front of them. Still lacking up front but both starting strikers we have are very promising youngsters and with George Dobson and Morgan Ferrier potentially leaving for fee's we might have a little bit of budget left over to bring a few strikers and a couple more wide players in.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Squad update, our squad currently stands as this

Goalkeepers:
Mike Cooper

Defenders: Tafari Moore, Joe Riley, Mike Peck, Scott Wootton, Niall Canavan, Will Aimson, Gary Sawyer, Ashley Smith-Brown, Ryan Law

Midfielders: Danny Mayor, Joel Grant, Adam Randell, Joe Edwards, Antoni Sarcevic, Conor Grant, Tom Purrington, Cameron Sangster

Forwards: Ryan Taylor, Dom Telford, Alex Fletcher, Calum Dyson, Luke Jephcott, Klaidi Lolos.

Mike Peck, Ryan Law, Adam Randell, Tom Purrington, Cameron Sangster and Klaidi Lolos, have all never featured for the first team. I’d like to think Dyson will be moved on and Jephcott loaned out, and a couple of the other kids possibly loaned out.

Our strongest 11 currently is:

GK: Mike Cooper

CB: Will Aimson
CB: Niall Canavan
CB: Gary Sawyer

RWB: Joe Riley
LWB: Ashley Smith-Brown

CDM: Joe Edwards
CM: Antoni Sarcevic
CM: Danny Mayor

ST: Dom Telford
ST: Ryan Taylor

I’d say we still need another CM, another ST, another CB, another CDM and a keeper. A LWB too. Starting to take shape but we still need a few additions.

 

[Indian Dan]

Should keep you above the drop zone.

 

[F!RTHY]

I know there usually isn’t much to be read into which numbers are allocated to which player, but our squad numbers were released yesterday.

GK: Richard O’Donnell

RB: Kelvin Mellor
CB: Paudie O’connor
CB: Ben Richards-Everton
LB: Jackson Longridge

CM: Hope Akpan
CM: Matty Palmer
CM: Jermaine Anderson/ Jake Reeves

ST: James Vaughan
ST: Eoin Doyle
ST: Clayton Donaldson/Sean Scannell

Subs:
GK: Sam Hornby
CB: Tyler French
CB: Anthony O’connor
RW: Zeli Ismail
RB: Adam Henley
ST: Shay McCartan
ST: Omari Patrick


Arguably our strongest XI.

 

[hellogregory]

Pathetic that with 3 weeks to go until the season starts we still don’t have a team. No strikers at all, our only reliable source of goals is Hallam Hope from the wing but he’s set to be sold within the next week. Like with the McCarron sale the money will not go into bringing in players capable of keeping us up. We’re even having to take potential loan players on 2 week trials because they are so young and unknown.

The attitude of just accepting relegation out of the football league from our club angers me so much. The folk running our club all need a baseball bat across their faces for what they are doing. It’s disgraceful.

 

[Bottega Don]

Here is how I imagine we will start the season as of right now.

GK: Rory Watson
RB: Jordan Clarke
CB: Harrison McGahey
CB: Andy Butler
LB: Kgosi Nthle
RM: Alex Gilliead
CM: Yann Songo'o
CM: Matty Lund
LM: Adam Hamill
ST: Lee Novak
ST: Kyle Wootton

Subs:

GK: Jake Eastwood
CB: Rory McArdle
CB: Cameron Burgess
CB/LB: Jacob Bedau
LB: Lewis Butroid
CM: James Perch
CM: Levi Sutton
CM: James Horsfeld
LM: Andy Dales
LM: Yasin Ben El-Mhanni
LM: Ryan Colclough (Would normally start but injured at the start of the season)
AM: Jordan Hallam
ST: Kevin Van Veen
ST: Olufela Olomola
ST: John McAtee

Very happy with our starting defenders and midfielders, not confident with the keeper or the strikers. We also still need to offload a few, too many wasters still hanging on.

 

[Big Bird]

Lee Novak strikes as the perfect League 2 striker.