Transfer talk.

[MellowYellow]

...Johnson on potential signings, he maintains that he has agreed terms with four players and if they turn up to Mondays training then he will sign them. This seems a weird way of doing business ... this fails the basic marketing test of a successful company ... if you wish people to invest in season tickets and merchandise and sponsorship etc etc.

You have a case in point, football is more of a business now than it has ever been. However, as with any business get your decisions wrong and you are in trouble. If you really look closely, its not glorifying the signing of a player/s that generates revenue its the teams that do well in the league with their overall squad. That is why revenue is so closely related to league position — poor performance on the pitch means fewer tickets sold, less merchandising, less sponsorship and broadcast income and even less chance of signing players of quality. Against this background it is perhaps not surprising that insolvency is a common problem in football. I just hope Cameron and Whitfield reflect on this when they are playing National League North football the season after next.

[PlainmoorB0b]

I think we need to chill a bit.

Both Gary’s and the squad members’ moves in terms of players in and out would have been dramatically affected by a different outcome in the play off final - personnel required and/or surplus to need would have been very different had we succeeded in promotion. We know this from watching Buckle’s side step up.

Gary would have had a plan for each eventuality (promotion or not) but no oven ready deals.

As it stands, he suggests we have four potential signings lined up.

Given that the season could start with positions filled as follows, there’s no reason to sweat. This is almost the side that performed so well with an unbeaten run and a hell of a shift v Notts County:

A goalkeeper

Wynter
Moxey - would be better as utility cover with a specialist left back as first choice
Lewis
Centre back (but quite possibly Sherring)

A wide forward / winger (but possibly Nemane)
Hall
Little
Lemonheigh Evans
Andrews

Wright

Yes - some of these are aging or injury prone and the likelihood of getting a similar season from them is reduced but it only takes a couple of inspired loans or clever utility signings and I’m confident we’ll do just fine.

Get the keeper right and we’ll avoid dropping some points we could have done without dropping this season and get the right striker signing to share the burden with Danny and play offs are more than possible again.

[MellowYellow]

Moxey - would be better as utility cover with a specialist left back as first choice

Name me a better (specialist) left-back in the national league?

[CourtierGull]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryan Law back here on loan for the season, and hopefully that would see Moxey share the left back role or even see moxey move into the centre of defence

[PlainmoorB0b]

100% agree with you - just thinking given age and likely sustained fitness he may play fitfully in central defence / full back / wide midfield as required - but fully fit and with longevity he’s a no brainier there.
We suffered without a specialist left back when injuries hit last year and the difference it made when even a raw loanee in Ryan Law slotted in and provided defensive nous whilst freeing up Andrews to step forward again and provide some width and creativity on the flank was huge - we lost ground when we didn’t have that option due to lack of available players and it hit us hard in defence and cost the team going forward with Andrews deputising and Whits missing too.

[culmstockgull]

I agree with your sentiments MellowYellow, but would go further, football is a total business and must not be run any other way, it is not for the well intentioned but ultimately unsavvy supporter with shallow pockets to run a club. In our own mini Abramovich who to date has invested nearly 5 Million and counting shows how clubs in the lower reaches without such a guardian angel are and will continue going to the wall.
You cannot run a club based on those you can get through the gate, there are too many variables,fans are by nature fickle, a run of three or four poor results or cold Tuesday evenings drop that figure by 25 per cent, under Owers nearly 35 per cent. I have worked out roughly that if we were to be cost neutral to our owner, we would need a home crowd of 5000 to 6000 every match regardless of the weather or how well we were playing.
The commercial side of the club is the one that generates more revenue than outlay and as that manager I would be screaming at Johnson, get me a signing that will excite the supporters and make them believe that the upcoming season will be as successful as the last and I will generate revenue through season ticket sales, sponsorship and merchandising, If I cannot achieve this aim, then perhaps I should go back to working in the bar at half time.

[happytorq]

I'd expect Moxey to be used as centre-half at times this season. His experience will help and he won't be getting beaten for pace on the outside as we saw at times last season.

Would love to have Ryan Law back on loan for the season, but I seem to recall that when he went back to the Gargs he played well in an otherwise pitiful team performance (lost 5-0, i think) and the manager specifically said he was good.

[happytorq]

New "Inside Plainmoor" just dropped.

Apparently the National League has changed how they do things, so they can't announce anything until after players are registered with the league.

They did say that they have 7 coming in on Monday, though, with possibly another one prior to the Poole game.

also, Koszela and Slough's new contracts are for two years.

[DWB]

New "Inside Plainmoor" just dropped.

Apparently the National League has changed how they do things, so they can't announce anything until after players are registered with the league.

They did say that they have 7 coming in on Monday, though, with possibly another one prior to the Poole game.

also, Koszela and Slough's new contracts are for two years.

But others have announced signings e.g Notts County !!!

[TUFCfan]

New "Inside Plainmoor" just dropped.

Apparently the National League has changed how they do things, so they can't announce anything until after players are registered with the league.

They did say that they have 7 coming in on Monday, though, with possibly another one prior to the Poole game.

also, Koszela and Slough's new contracts are for two years.

Also worth noting that 2 or 3 of the new signings will be on two-year deals.

[Kingsgull83]

New "Inside Plainmoor" just dropped.

Apparently the National League has changed how they do things, so they can't announce anything until after players are registered with the league.

They did say that they have 7 coming in on Monday, though, with possibly another one prior to the Poole game.

also, Koszela and Slough's new contracts are for two years.

Not exactly news is it? We needed at least this many players to even have a match day squad and plenty of other teams have named signings before now. Gary is a good spin doctor also lowering expectations by telling us we won’t of heard of anyone we are signing.

[happytorq]

Not exactly news is it? We needed at least this many players to even have a match day squad and plenty of other teams have named signings before now. Gary is a good spin doctor also lowering expectations by telling us we won’t of heard of anyone we are signing.

It speaks to the Johnson tendency towards getting things lined up and agreed upon before announcing anything, and I also think throwing out the 7 guys in one go is probably more of a statement that going one-by-one over a few weeks.

Gary did also say that some of the players have experience at League level - I don't for one second think "we won't have [sic] heard of anyone we are signing"

[rivieratouch]

You have a case in point, football is more of a business now than it has ever been. However, as with any business get your decisions wrong and you are in trouble. If you really look closely, its not glorifying the signing of a player/s that generates revenue its the teams that do well in the league with their overall squad. That is why revenue is so closely related to league position — poor performance on the pitch means fewer tickets sold, less merchandising, less sponsorship and broadcast income and even less chance of signing players of quality. Against this background it is perhaps not surprising that insolvency is a common problem in football. I just hope Cameron and Whitfield reflect on this when they are playing National League North football the season after next.

New goalkeeper on Monday to be unveiled as Mark Halstead, released by Morecambe fc. Been trialling at Oldham, but been informed he's on his way here

[SuperNickyWroe]

New goalkeeper on Monday to be unveiled as Mark Halstead, released by Morecambe fc. Been trialling at Oldham, but been informed he's on his way here

Obviously likes being by the seaside..... :}

[MellowYellow]

Aside from Mark Halstead there are a few seasoned ex-Morecombe players released and still without a club : Jordan Slew and Jay Leitch-Smith (strikers) Stephen Hendrie (left back).