2015/2016 League 2 Squad Reviews

[RavenBish]

Annual thing on TFF. One fan from each club quickly goes through their squads and gives a brief description on each player. Like so;

Name - Rakish Bingham
Age - Immortal
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs - (Wigan, Mansfield....)
Rakish Bingham is a striker with a vast amount of talent etc...
Expectations/Opinion - Definitely one of our best players, is an exceptional striker and I am hoping he will perform next season. If he does I'd expect us to win the league by January, that doesn't sound possible but Rakish Bingham deals in making the impossible possible.

so....
Keepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Strikers
Key player?
One to watch?
Biggest weakness?

If someone from each club (or you can split the work out between 2 or 3 if you want) can volunteer and I'll keep track here and then chase you down once they need to be submitted. Cheers.

Carlisle - cufc17
Luton - Chippy
Bristol Rovers - ComeOnIrene & miagsygas
Barnet - George Reilly's Hairpiece
Mansfield - StagsForLife
Northampton - LordJord
Portsmouth - WAP
Wycombe - thewwfc
Cambridge - Tom_CUFC

PS: I'm a nonce.

 

[cufc17]

I wouldn't mind doing ours, though I don't mind if one of the other CUFC fans would prefer to do it, or even splitting the work.

 

[Chippy]

Happy to contribute with ours too.

 

[hellogregory]

I wouldn't mind doing ours, though I don't mind if one of the other CUFC fans would prefer to do it, or even splitting the work.

Well I for one can't be arsed, but others might.

 

[miagsygas]

I can do the Bristol Rovers one.

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

I'll step up for our one.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

I can do the Bristol Rovers one.

Happy to split this with you Miagsy if you like.

 

[StagsForLife]

Love the example Bish.

I'll do the stags squad review if no other Stags fan volunteers to do it.

Bingham somehow turned into a god on my career mode on FIFA, was managing Man United and next thing I know it says "Man City courting Rakish Bingham" and signs for 70 Million.

 

[LordJord]

Happy to do one for Teyn unless anyone else really wants to.

 

[WAP]

I'm up for ours (Pompey).

 

[miagsygas]

Happy to split this with you Miagsy if you like.

Yeah that's cool mate, I'll send you a pm when they need the write up.

 

[thewwfc]

I can do Wycombe.

 

[LordJord]

When are we looking to complete these by?

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Go on then, I'll do Cambridge.

 

[RavenBish]

When are we looking to complete these by?

1st August.

 

[chairboyexile]

I can do Wycombe.

I can help with Wycombe if you want it

 

[E10rifle]

If you don't mind a nooooob doing it, then I'll happily cobble together one for Orient.

Edit: Ahh, free afternoon. I'm done. Let me know where you want it sent, Bish.

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

Barnet review is done and ready to go.

 

[E10rifle]

Barnet review is done and ready to go.

Good stuff. Hope it includes the phrase: "Like a toddler, Shaun Batt's tendency to simply kick the ball with whichever foot gets there first somewhat limits his effectiveness".

 

[thewwfc]

here's Wycombe:

Goalies:

Matt Ingram. Signed 2011. Youth team product.

Local boy Ingram is our established first-choice keeper, and has shown himself to be a consistent and sometimes outstanding stopper for this level.
An injury kept him from the Wembley play-off final and he's only played part of the pre-season campaign, but should be the default option for most of the campaign.

Alex Lynch. Signed 2014. From Posh.

We've seen relatively little of Lynch so far, he's mostly been on loan to local sides Burnham, and Hayes & Yeading. However, he featured late on in the play-off campaign and acquitted himself better than many were expecting - all the signs indicate him to be a solid back-up choice.

Goalie coach Barry Richardson is also registered as a player but has never had to play for us.

Defenders:

Sido Jombati - RB. Signed 2014 from Cheltenham.

Jombati arrived from Cheltenham with the reputation of being a bit erratic but occasionally a fan fave. Thankfully we've seen relatively little of the former but a fair bit of the latter aspect so far. Sido is a fairly footballing RB and shys away from any of the more "if in doubt, boot it out" aspects of lower league defending. However, he'll need to get back in the groove after a injury late last season ruled him out of the rest of the campaign.

Joe Jacobson - LB. Signed 2014 from Shrewsbury.

Not really sure why Shrews let this one go, but JJ has proved to be a constant in the side since signing
and one of the standout players, he even chips in with the odd goal. A key player.

Anthony Stewart - CB. Signed 2015 from Crewe

Ha! A sordid tale. Stewart was a WW youth team product who broke into the first XI in 2012. He grew as a player, with progressively more starts under his belt and growing in confidence, to the extent that he was catching the attention of other clubs. When we went down in 2014, he rejected a new contract and was touting himself around, only to fail to land a deal before the start of the 14/15 season. As an U23 player, any club signing him would be eligible to pay WW compensation, which seemed to put off potential suitors, and he didn't actually end up getting a deal till Nov 2014 with Crewe.

Turns out Crewe didn't rate him that much in the end, and he was restricted to a handful of appearances.

So he's back with his tail between his legs, he may have to go some to win back the fans given the slightly shabby way he left, but has the quality to do it.

Aaron Pierre - CB. Signed 2014 from Brentford

A real rock at the back and part of an excellent defence last season, Pierre is up there with the best
in the division and should continue in the same vein this time round.

Michael Harriman - RB. On loan from QPR

This will be Harriman's second loan spell at WW. He was on loan to Lu'un last season, they wanted to buy him permanently but QPR apparently priced him out of the market, so we seemed to be the next best thing. I'm guessing Harriman will be used as a utility player, either in defence or midfield. He has the quality to be a first team regular from what I recall so time will tell how his return works out.

Ryan Sellers - LB. Signed 2015 from Bolton

Sellers is a young signing whose experience has mostly come from his loan spells at Wingate and Finchley, with some time also spent at Barnet. Much like Harriman, will also be expected to cover at midfield when needed. Maybe one for the future but we'll see.

Midfielders:

Marcus Bean - CM. Signed Jan 2015 from Colchester

Bean has proved to be a somewhat divisive player and took a while to settle in at the club, but if the signs from the end of last season are anything to go by, he's starting to be comfortable in the side. Perhaps he's a confidence player but his distribution and reading of the game can be iffy on occasion, which is not always the best thing in midfield. Still, he covered well at RB last season when Jombati got injured. I would imagine he'd be in and out of the First XI this season but you never know.

Matt Bloomfield - CM. Signed 2003 from Ipswich

That rare breed these days, a more-or-less one-club man, since he barely featured for Ipswich. "Mr Wycombe"
is our longest serving player by a mile. One of those "110%" players, Bloomfield's dedication and effort is not always matched by his decision-making, and he can occasionally prove to be frustrating.
Nonetheless, he does also show quality on occasion, and certainly has the tenacity that Ainsworth demands from his players.

Jason Banton - LM. Signed 2015 from Argyle

One of those players who seems to have been signed largely on the strength of a blinder against us in the play-off run, Banton comes with a reputation of having an over-inflated ego and a disruptive influence. That said, so did the last nippy winger we signed from Argyle, Paris Cowan-Hall, and Ainsworth seemed to sort him out. Banton probably has the quality, but whether he's prepared to knuckle down and use it remains to be seen.

Max Kretzschmar - CM - youth team product.

Max made his first team debut in 2013, and has been in and out of the side ever since. Probably best described
as a creative midfielder, he seems to have the skill but can be a bit lightweight and bullied off the ball at times, not a quality that Ainsworth favours. Probably mostly a squad player but I guess one plus of having such a small squad is that we can be sure every player will get a game at one time or other, and with a bit more consistency Kretzschmar could be a regular.

Luke O'Nien - CM - signed 2015 from Watford.

Haven't seen this one play yet, was a regular for Wealdstone last season on loan from Watford, so O'Nien may have some work to do to make the step up but he's still young and Ainsworth has proven to have a decent eye for a player so far, so here's hoping.

Sam Wood - LM - signed 2012 from Brentford

Established first-team regular, Wood shows a good balance between creativity and guts. Mr Consistency with
the occasional flash of brillance, Wood is all set to be a mainstay of the team once more this season.

Danny Rowe - CM - signed 2015 from Rotherham.

Rowe is already a veteran of 2 loan spells with Wycombe, although previously mostly at CB. Another example
of Ainsworth's policy of signing utility players who can cover multiple positions as injuries dictate. Having finally signed on a permanent basis for the club, it's believed that Rowe will play mainly the holding midfield role in the side but will probably end up at centre-back at some point again.

Gareth Ainsworth is also still registered as a player, but didn't feature last season and will have no intention of doing so this season either unless the injury situation gets beyond dire.

Forwards

Garry Thompson - signed 2015 from Notts County

Thompson has never been a prolific scorer, but has chipped in solidly with goals wherever he's been. Notts County fans seemed to be indifferent to him leaving the club this summer, but oh well, it's no bad thing to put away 11 goals last season in a crap side at a higher level. We can't afford the pick of the bunch as far as big names go, and personally I think Thompson looks OK as a signing. Has previous of working with Paul Hayes so hopefully they'll re-develop their partnership.

Paul Hayes - signed 2014 from Scunthorpe

Captain Hayes may rarely score glamour goals, but he certainly gets in the right positions to get the poacher
ones, and also sets up others very well. We seem to miss him when he's not playing, and whilst I doubt he'll get 20 in a season, should be good for double figures at least.

Aaron Amadi-Holloway - signed 2014 from Newport

Holloway took a bit of time to really establish himself at the club, but started to show signs of being a real prospect towards the end of last season. Good in the air, holds the ball up well and has got some real skill about him on a good day. Will be looking to develop this season and firm up his place as a first-choice starter.


Overall I think the squad has a good balance of youth and experience. Ainsworth's signings so far have generally been pretty good, and he seems to do well with bringing young players through. We have to, as we often can't afford more experienced players.

That said, young unproven players are always going to be a gamble, and with a very small squad, we can't afford any dead wood.

If there's one area where I'd say the squad looks light, I'd say it's up front. It's not that we haven't got the quality there, it's just that we haven't got strength in depth, and if anyone gets injured in the front line then we could struggle. That said I would still expect us to dip into the loan market again this season, so we'll see what we get.

How we'll do? I would say mid-table to just missing out on the play-offs. I think we've signed well and we have a good squad, but I think we may be just missing that something extra to mark us as a promotion challenger again this season.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Harriman's a (very good) right back, no left foot so definitely not a left back!

 

[thewwfc]

Harriman's a (very good) right back, no left foot so definitely not a left back!

doh - you're right, for some reason I recalled him playing at LB but that's bollocks, he played at RB for us too. Will edit...

 

[E10rifle]

Are we just sticking these things on willy-nilly, then? No point doing it in order, I suppose, otherwise we'll be waiting until next season to find an Accrington fan. Anyway, my scribblings are ready whenever (I was preparing a special celebrity audio version for our illiterate friends from Barking, but Stacey Solomon has unfortunately come down with a severe case of throat crabs).

 

[Richard Cranium]

StagsForLife If you still need any help with this mate I don't mind. Got nothing to do tonight so will have ago if you haven't started yet.

 

[StagsForLife]

StagsForLife If you still need any help with this mate I don't mind. Got nothing to do tonight so will have ago if you haven't started yet.

Yes mate you can do i was going to start it today but have been busy.

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

Not sure if this has got delayed because of the server move. Anyway, just in case I don't get on here before the weekend, here's the Barnet review:

Barnet Squad Review 2015-2016


Name: Graham Stack
Age: 33
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs (Loans in italic): Arsenal, Beveren, Millwall, Reading, Reading, Leeds, Wolves, Plymouth, Blackpool, Wolves, Hibernian

Stack joined Barnet in August 2012 from Hibs. His first season ended in heartache following relegation to the Conference, but he played 45 games in the title winning side and was named in the Vanarama team of the year. A good shot stopper, but sometimes fails to command his area as much as he should.

Name: Gavin Hoyte
Age: 25
Position: Right Back
Previous Clubs: Arsenal, Watford, Brighton, Wimbledon, Lincoln, Dagenham & Redbridge, Gillingham

Joined the club this summer after his release from Gillingham. A quick, attack minded full-back, he looks certain to start the season at right back, and in place of, last year’s POTY candidate Andy Yiadom.

Name: Elliot Johnson
Age: 20
Position: Left Back
Previous Clubs: None

A product of the Barnet youth system which he joined following his release from the Norwich academy. Made his debut as an 18 year old and quickly established himself as the first choice. Following a dip in form after relegation, he re-established himself last season and was rewarded with a new contract. An attacking left back but is also a capable defender.

Name: Bondz N’Gala
Age: 25
Position: Centre Back
Previous Clubs: West Ham, Weymouth, MK Dons, Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Plymouth, Yeovil, Stevenage, Barnet, Portsmouth

Billy returned to the club at the start of the last campaign having featured on loan during the 2012-2013 season. A non-nonsense centre half, he formed a solid partnership with the now departed David Stephens.

Name: Bira Dembele
Age: 27
Position: Centre Back
Previous Clubs: Stade Rennes, US Boulogne, CS Sedan, Red Star 93, Stevenage

Signed from local rivals Stevenage this summer, Dembele will replace David Stephens. If the disappointment that Stevenage fans felt at his loss is anything to go by, then he looks to be a very welcome acquisition.

Name: Michael Nelson
Age: 35
Position: Centre Back
Previous Clubs: Leek Town, Spennymoor United, Bishop Auckland, Bury, Hartlepool, Norwich, Scunthorpe, Kilmarnock, Bradford, Hibernian, Cambridge

The latest signing of the summer following his departure from Cambridge. There are question marks about his form in the second half of last season, and whether his age is catching up with him, but does bring a wealth of experience and could be ok playing as a back-up.


Name: Sam Muggleton
Age: 19
Position: Left Back/Left Midfield
Previous Clubs: Gillingham, Barnet

Son of former goalkeeper Carl Muggleton, Sam unsurprisingly is good with his arms, having graduated with honours from Rory Delap College, Stoke. Without those missile like throws, league football would be out of the question, but he should feature regularly on the bench to come on and throw a ball across a few postcodes.

Name: Andy Yiadom
Age: 23
Position: Right Midfield/Right Back
Previous Clubs: Hayes & Yeading, Braintree

Andy was outstanding last season, as he completed the transition from a winger to full back, that had begun the season before last. Reading into the signing of Hoyte, he looks likely to move back to the right wing where he did struggle slightly last time around in the league. Hopefully his overall development will enable him to keep his high level of performance from last year, which attracted bids from Barnsley in this close season.

Name: Mauro Vilhete
Age: 22
Position: Right Midfield/Full Back
Previous Clubs: Hendon, Boreham Wood

Another youth team product, Mauro finally broke through and established himself last season having been around the first team since 2009. Like Yiadom, he can play wide midfield or full back, and despite his diminutive size, he is good in the air and has a very good shot on him.

Name: Sam Togwell
Age: 30
Position: Defensive Midfield
Previous Clubs: Crystal Palace, Oxford, Northampton, Port Vale, Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Chesterfield, Wycombe

Sam epitomises the role of the player doing the dirty work to allow others to play. He is still able to pick a pass and is usually on set-piece duty for balls to be played into the box. His presence will be vital for the team to do well this season.

Name: Curtis Weston
Age: 28
Position: Midfield
Previous Clubs: Millwall, Swindon, Leeds, Scunthorpe, Gillingham, Gillingham

Seems to have been around for ages (youngest player in a cup final at the age of 17 [obligatory Curtis fact]) and developed into a key player last year, scoring vital goals in the run-in. A box-to-box player, his energy and drive will have played a part in him being awarded the captain’s armband this season.

Name: Tom Champion
Age: 29
Position: Midfield
Previous Clubs: Barnet, Wealdstone, Bishop’s Stortford, Braintree, Dartford, Cambridge

Tom re-joined having left 10 years ago when we won our second conference title. Nominally a centre back in his previous time with us, he’s now converted to a central midfield position, and will provide cover and competition to Togwell and Weston.

Name: Ben Tomlinson
Age: 25
Position: Left Midfield/Forward
Previous Clubs: Worksop, Macclesfield, Alfreton, Lincoln

Signed this summer following his contract expiring at Lincoln, he is expected to fill the left sided role in midfield. A tireless runner and chaser, but will be expected to arrive at the far post to get on the score sheet from the crosses coming in from the right. Can also play up front.


Name: Luke Gambin
Age: 22
Position: Left Midfield
Previous Clubs: Met Police, Hemel Hempstead, Hendon

Came through the youth system and made his debut back in 2012. A small nimble player with an eye for goal, but has yet to establish himself fully in the first team.


Name: John Akinde
Age: 26
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Ebbsfleet, Margate, Bristol City, Wycombe, Brentford, Bristol Rovers, Dagenham & Redbridge, Crawley, Dagenham & Redbridge, Portsmouth, Alfreton

Conference player of the year, but unproven at league level. Flat track bully, or a player that has matured and understands his game? The answer to that question will be the single most determining factor in how the team goes this year. If he performs to the level that he showed throughout the last campaign, then he’ll be very difficult to stop.

Name: Kevin Lisbie
Age: 36
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Charlton, Gillingham, Reading, QPR, Norwich, Derby, Colchester, Ipswich, Colchester, Millwall, Leyton Orient, Stevenage

Signed as a like-for-like replacement for Charlie MacDonald, Kevin brings the real knowledge and know how for the striking unit. A cult hero at Leyton Orient, and the target man that will hopefully allow Akinde to play off him. Another where there are doubts about his age and his legs, and this may see him rotate with Michael Gash.

Name: Michael Gash
Age: 28
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Cambridge C, Cambridge U, Ebbsfleet, York, Rushden, Cambridge U, Braintree, Kidderminster, Kidderminster, Nuneaton

We all love Gash, was the song that reverberated around the ground as he walked out to collect his winner’s medal. He earned that with his performances, after joining on a short term deal in January, and he earned his new deal to stay with the club. A clever link player, he will be pressing to start the season alongside Akinde.

Name: Matthew Stevens
Age: 17
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: None

Became the youngest ever player for the club when he made his debut last season at the age of 16. A prolific scorer for the youth team and already attracting attention from higher up the leagues, he has a bright future in the game and will look to secure some game time over the coming season.


Name: Shaun Batt
Age: 28
Position: Striker/Right Winger
Previous Clubs: (Gulp!): Stevenage, Arsley, Cheshunt, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ilford, Leyton, East Thurrock, St. Albans, East Thurrock, Fisher, Peterborough, Millwall, Millwall, Crawley, Leyton Orient, Leyton Orient

The Shaun Batt South-East Roadshow has reached this part of North-West London. A left field signing, to play right field, or up-field, this is a wildcard being played if ever I’ve seen one. Open up a dictionary and look for impact sub and you won’t find it, as that’s two words, but if you could find it, you’d probably be looking at a picture of Shaun Batt. At least that’s the plan.


Key Player: John Akinde

It can’t really be anyone else. If he wasn’t scoring last year he was creating havoc that allowed other players time and space to play. Will be an even more marked man this year.

One To Watch: Fumnaya Shomotun

Hang on, he wasn’t in the list above. Well, no, that is true, but he’s the name that everyone seems to be talking about at Barnet. Another product of the youth team, but yet to wear the colours in a league game, he has every chance of making the bench this season and pushing for some time on the pitch. A skilful midfielder who should provide some much needed flair should he be able to step up this season.

Biggest Weakness:

Flair, or lack of it. The strength of last year’s team was that we could bully teams if needed, but also pass and move when that was called for. Cook and Luisma have gone, and there is a doubt about whether there is enough guile in the side should the Akinde machine not be working in any given match.

 

[BeesKnees]

Good stuff GRH,
Difficult call to decide which dev players to include and which to leave out. I think we will see a fair number of them in the JPT. Shomotun well worth the mention and I hope we see more of him.

 

[E10rifle]

Best stick this on here while the site is sort-of working and it gives enough time for Martin Allen to do his scouting.

Name: Alex Cisak
Age: 26
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs: Leicester, Accrington, Oldham, Burnley
Attributes: A tall, commanding keeper with decent distribution.
Expectations: A loanee who nearly kept us in League One single-handedly. Well, double-handedly. One of an extremely limited number of players who didn’t completely embarrass themselves last season, his signing (incredibly for real, actual money) came as the most pleasant surprise of the summer. Should be the undisputed #1.


Name: Gary Woods
Age: 24
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs: Doncaster, Watford
Attributes: Vampiric attitude to crosses, and possesses all the confidence of a callow 14 year old boy trying to do the sex with a sarcastic lingerie model. Still better than Birmingham-bound Adam Legdzins.
Expectations: Having won the League One title with Doncaster he should be more than adequate in League Two, but nagging doubts about his consistency mean that Alex Cisak’s arrival has been met with more relief than you’d otherwise expect. Happy to have him if he’s happy to sit on the bench.

Name: Charlie Grainger
Age: 18
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs: Youth Team
Attributes: Being better than Adam Legdzins, despite having never made a first team appearance.
Expectations: Having first sat on the bench as a 16 year old, Charlie has represented England at various age group levels over the past few years but according to Ian Hendon won't be heading out on loan to the Conference this season as expected. The son of former footballer (this will become a theme), notorious headcase Martin Grainger, he might have to fill in at left back like his old man if our paucity of options in that position costs us around Christmas.

Name: Sam Sargeant
Age: 17
Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs: Youth Team
Attributes: Marching, assault courses.
Expectations: A first year professional (this will also become a theme) he is another highly-rated young keeper whom I’ve never seen play. Apparently he’s quite a Private lad in General, but has a good Commander of his box and is Captain of the youth team. Or something. Ten hut!

Name: Sean Clohessy
Age: 28
Position: Right back
Previous Clubs: Southend, Kilmarnock, Colchester
Attributes: Overlapping, marauding down the right flank, getting caught out of position.
Expectations: Has some big boots to fill in the shape of Scott Cuthbert, but is a more natural fullback than the hulking Glaswegian and will hopefully provide some attacking width to what is otherwise a narrow-looking side.

Name: Sam Ling
Age: 18
Position: Right back
Previous Clubs: Youth team
Attributes: Good technique, offers the opportunity for both fish and heather-based puns.
Expectations: The son of former footballer (told you) Martin Ling, the first year professional (told you again) will understudy Sean Clohessy this year. Looks a good bet for a JPT role, but hopefully won’t have to fill-in at centre back like he did inadequately at Braintree in pre-season.

Name: Frazer Shaw
Age: 20
Position: Left Back
Previous Clubs: West Ham, Dulwich Hamlet
Attributes: Pacey, athletic, inexperienced
Expectations: Part of the influx of players and staff from West Ham, Shaw is well known to manager Ian Hendon from their time together at our dear neighbours. Another overlapping fullback, fans will be hoping for a mirror image of the impact that Sean Clohessy is likely to have on our other flank. If he doesn’t we’re a bit stuck, as there’s no discernible competition for his place currently at the club.

Name: Matthieu Baudry
Age: 27
Position: Centre back
Previous Clubs: Bournemouth
Attributes: Anticipation, calmness personified in possession, abject lapses in concentration.
Expectations: A cut above League Two. A bit like Franz Beckenbauer and Titus Bramble rolled into one, Baudry will be the best ball-playing centre half in the division for 89 and a half minutes of every game, and in the other 30 seconds give away the winner against Morecambe or whatever no-marks we’re deigning to accommodate that week.

Name: Connor Essam
Age: 23
Position: Centre back
Previous Clubs: Gillingham, Creepy Crawley, Dover Athletic
Attributes: Being very large, kicking things very hard, prematurely announcing his own signing on Twitter.
Expectations: With skipper Nathan Clarke departing for pastures northern, Orient have an opening for the archetypal ‘he’ll head it all day, but he’s got the turning circle of an oil tanker’ defender and Essam looks certain to fulfil that role. Unlike his predecessor, Essam appears to still have both his knees, so that’ll be a bonus.

Name: Jack Humphrey
Age: 17
Position: Centre back
Previous Clubs: Youth Team
Attributes: Clapton Under-11s tiddlywink champion in 2006
Expectations: You’d like expectations to be non-existent for this first-year professional, but considering how few contracted defenders we have we might see him in a red shirt soon. Which will inevitably get in the way of his burgeoning tiddlywink career, much to the chagrin of his Great Aunty Muriel, a former national champion in the sport.

Name: Alan Dunne
Age: 32
Position: Utility
Previous Clubs: Millwall
Attributes: No idea, but he’s been playing for the Bermondsey mob for 23 years, so I’d imagine breaking and entering will be up there.
Expectations: A one-club man insofar in his career, Dunne is heading into the unknown in E10. Generally considered a solid operator across three different positions, Alan should be a shrewd acquisition as long as he doesn’t get too confused by the lack of pink Stone Island shirts in the home end.

Name: Shane Lowry
Age: 27
Position: Centre back / left back
Previous Clubs: Aston Villa, Millwall
Attributes: Being a fat, arrogant, Aussie shitcock
Expectations: Recently on trial at Birmingham and with an alleged offer from Coventry on the table, the kangaroo-botherer should be on his way soon after invoking a relegation release clause in his contract. Which is good news, as he’s too poor in the air to be a centre half and too slow to be a fullback. Good riddance.

Name: Lloyd James
Age: 27
Position: Centre midfield
Previous Clubs: Southampton, Colchester
Attributes: Set pieces, good passing range, bottling out of tackles.
Expectations: The metronome that makes the side tick, James’ absence with a broken leg was keenly felt last season. If he has a good season we should be effective at starving other sides of possession. Whether or not we’ll do anything with it is another matter.

Name: Sammy Moore
Age: 27
Position: Central midfield
Previous Clubs: Ipswich, Stevenage, Dover Athletic, AFC Wombles
Attributes: Box-to-box energy, likes to put his foot in, not being Josh Wright.
Expectations: No great expectations of him from the fans, but with Ian Hendon leaning towards a narrow three-man midfield, Moore’s energy will be important to provide support to both the attack and defence.

Name: Bradley Pritchard
Age: 29
Position: Centre midfield
Previous Clubs: Tamworth, Hayes & Yeading, Charlton
Attributes: Being a bloody nice bloke.
Expectations: God bless the Zimbabwean Zidane. He’s limited enough in his natural position, but was shoehorned out on the right by all four of our managers last season and became something of a poster boy for Russell Slade’s terrible summer signings. Should be more comfortable at League Two level.

Name: Jobi McAnuff
Age: 33
Position: Left wing
Previous Clubs: Loads
Attributes: Multitudinous. Experienced, quick, good on the ball, two-footed. And incapable of playing for Orient.
Expectations: After being absolute gash last season, McAnuff has spent the summer pissing about in South America and the Caribbean at two international tournaments for Jamaica. He’s played against Messi and reached the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. No doubt he will return to East London and be total wank

Name: Dean Cox
Age: 27
Position: Left wing
Previous Clubs: Brighton
Attributes: Capable of going both inside and outside his man, scores goals, fantastic crosser of the ball and always gives 100%. Indispensible.
Expectations: He was the best wide player in League One, so pretty safe to say that he’ll be the best wide player in League Two as well. The wee man has been used in a free role behind the strikers during pre-season, so expect him to wreak havoc on your defences from all areas of the pitch. Except in the air.

Name: Blair ‘Tony’ Turgott
Age: 21
Position: Right wing
Previous Clubs: West Ham, Coventry
Attributes: Lightning quick, working hard, being entirely unpredictable, invading Iraq.
Expectations: After an extremely inauspicious spell at Coventry, Blair will be looking to progress his career at Orient. Likely to be used from the subs bench at the start of the season, his signing will either be inspired or insipid. Not sure which yet. Spends all his time on the right wing, much like his former Prime Ministerial namesake.

Name: Sandro Semedo
Age: 18
Position: Winger
Previous Clubs: Benfica
Attributes: Mad skillz, a superb afro.
Expectations: One of Orient’s hottest outfield prospects, Semedo has been handed a two-year contract on the back of some highly promising performances in the development squad. Possessing a howitzer of a shot, this could be a breakthrough season for the Portuguese youngster – then again, he could turn out to be the new Loick Pires.

Name: Harry Lee
Age: 20
Position: Central midfield
Previous Clubs: Youth Team
Attributes: No-one is exactly sure. May possess incriminating photographs of Kevin Nugent.
Expectations: The expectation was that he would be released having not started a game (again) last season, but Harry has signed on for another 12 months. He’s left footed, and has been filling in at left back this pre-season, so this might all be part of Hendon’s cunning plan to keep costs down after last years’ excesses.

Name: Freddy Moncur
Age: 18
Position: Central midfield
Previous Clubs: Youth Team
Attributes: Being John Moncur’s son, which should mean he’ll be fat enough for the division.
Expectations: Another who has impressed for the youths, he’ll be off on a work experience loan to St. Albans in no time. Unlikely to be seen in the first team this year.

Name: Montel Agyemang
Age: 18
Position: Central midfield
Previous Clubs: Youth team.
Attributes: He’s got a bit of everything, apparently.
Expectations: Somewhat surprisingly he isn’t the son of Patrick Agyemang. Another one who, if we see him in the first team outside of the JPT, I’ll know that we’re in bother.

Name: Jay Simpson
Age: 26
Position: Right wing, Striker
Previous Clubs: Arsenal, Hull City Tigers
Attributes: Talented, quick, good finisher, hopeless lack of fitness.
Expectations: Good player who will spend more time on the treatment table than off it. If we can get him fit? 15 goals as a minimum; probably more. If we can’t, then another season of paying ludicrous wages for a pair of busted hamstrings awaits.

Name: Paul McCallum
Age: 22
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Dulwich Hamlet,West Ham
Attributes: All elbows, towering height and bad temper. A bit of a bastard to play against, in other words.
Expectations: Already in possession of a hatful of average loan spells in League Two, McCallum is another product off of Hendon’s Hammers production line. He’s had a stunning pre-season and should thrive on the service provided by ace crossers Cox and Clohessy.

Name: Ollie Palmer
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Woking, Mansfield Town
Attributes: Another huge 6’5” target man, he’s got decent feet and is surprisingly rapid for a fat fucker.
Expectations: It’s a bit of a grey area as to whether paying compensation counts as paying a transfer fee, but if it does then Ollie is the first player we’ve shelled out for since Wayne Gray in 2008. No pressure, then. Mansfield fans didn’t seem to think much of him, but they’re crap so what do they know?

Name: Scott Kashket
Age: 19
Position: Forward
Previous Clubs: Hobbiton Hawks, Youth Team
Attributes: Dribbling, jinking, evading his marker in long grass.
Expectations: The Frodo to Dean Cox’s Bilbo, the diminutive forward is nicknamed the ‘Isreali Messi’. No, really. Scored a great goal at Colchester in pre-season and will be part of match day squads from the get-go this year. Missing a finger from his journey to destroy the One Ring.

Name: Victor Adeboyejo
Age: 17
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Youth Team
Attributes: From the six minutes he was on the pitch last season, he looked very fast.
Expectations: None. Zip. Zero. Hopefully we’ll sign another striker and he’ll spend the season out on loan learning his trade.


Key player? Dean Cox. The guy has the most assists in the entire Football League over the past four season and has banged in over 40 goals in that time for good measure. If he wasn’t getting 5-large a week, I’d wonder what on earth he’s doing at the club. As it is, he bloody loves it here and, as long as Frazer Shaw does a good job of overlapping, he’ll be in clover against a series of bewildered and tearful right backs.

One to watch? Plenty to choose from in our youth team graduate-heavy squad, but with Charlie Grainger likely to be Alex Cisak's understudy, I’ll back Scott Kashket to make the breakthrough into the starting line-up. As long as his burgeoning career as Ant-Man’s stunt double doesn’t get in the way.

Biggest weakness? The squad has swung from one extreme to the other with the majority of last season’s overpaid has-beens being replaced by a bunch of spotty teenagers, so strength in depth is a real concern. However, our biggest weakness is undoubtedly our megalomanic chairman and his propensity for sacking managers, appointing clueless Italian backroom staff, meddling in team selection and attracting Albanian arrest warrants. Hopefully the circus behind the scenes won’t affect on-pitch matters quite so drastically this year.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

Name - Steve Mildenhall
Age - 36
Position - Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs - Swindon Town, Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Grimsby Town, Yeovil Town and Millwall, amongst others.
Mildy is a vastly experienced goalkeeper but his confidence decreased massively during the last campaign, and I am worried that he is well past his best ahead of our return to League Two. I do hope, though, that he can rediscover some good form as we haven’t got the budget to replace him.

Name - Will Puddy
Age - 27
Position - Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs - Cheltenham Town, Salisbury City, amongst others.
A more than capable second choice goalkeeper, so I am happy we have Puddy here. He stepped into the first team at times last season and recorded a number of clean sheets, but I am not convinced he is up to being a good FL goalie.

Name - Lee Brown
Age - 24
Position - Left Back
Previous Clubs - QPR
Browner is Mr. Consistent; nothing spectacular, but a reliable left back who likes to overlap when he can. At 24, he will definitely be one of the better full backs in the division - just as he was when were last in League Two.

Name - James Clarke
Age - 25
Position - Centre Back or Right Back
Previous Clubs - Woking, Salisbury City, Oxford United, Oxford City
From what I’ve seen of James Clarke, he looks a very solid acquisition. He is at a good age and his versatility across the back-line will be hugely important. A good signing in my opinion.

Name - Tom Parkes
Age - 23
Position - Centre Back
Previous Clubs - Leicester City
A very solid defender and I think he will continue to improve under Darrell Clarke’s management. He is prone to moments of Fifa-esque madness - attempting to run the length of the pitch from his own penalty area, but gets tackled by the first man he comes up against - but Gasheads love him.

Name - Daniel Leadbitter
Age - 24
Position - Right Back
Previous Clubs - Newcastle United, Torquay United, Hereford United
Athletic and pacey, Leadbitter is a full back who likes to get forward, although he is sometimes caught out positionally as a result. He’s always improving, though, and I think he’ll adjust to this level with ease and kick on again.

Name - Mark McChrystal
Age - 31
Position - Centre Back
Previous Clubs - Wolves, Derry City, Partick Thistle, Tranmere Rovers, amongst others.
Macca is an experienced defender and he is a steady-eddy who gives his everything week in, week out. I was not convinced by him in our last spell in League Two, but he was outstanding last season and I would like to think he will continue where he left off.

Name - Tom Lockyer
Age - 20
Position - Centre Back
Previous Clubs - None.
It’s difficult to believe Lockyer is just 20, because he has been playing regularly for us for a few seasons now. His versatility and willingness to play anywhere has resulted in appearances at RB, LB, CM and RM in that time, but his best position is as a central defender. A top young player.

Name - Danny Greenslade
Age - 19/20
Position - Left Back
Previous Clubs - Truro City (loan)
A Youth Team graduate, Danny looks as though he will be Lee Brown’s understudy. He has played a few times in pre-season and has done a decent job considering his limited taste of first team football. One for the future.

Name - Tyler Lyttle
Age - 18
Position - Right Back
Previous Clubs - None.
Another YT graduate (and son of Des), Tyler has been very impressive during pre-season. Strong, athletic and good on the ball, he is a player I have no doubt go on to be a very good player for us in the coming years. He probably won’t get much of a chance this year, but he’s a promising talent.

Name - Lee Mansell
Age - 32
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - Luton Town, Nuneaton Town (loan), Oxford United, Torquay United
Manse is a hero amongst our supporters for his attitude, enthusiasm, personality and the fact he scored the winning penalty at Wembley. He is nothing spectacular in the middle of the park, but he is strong, aggressive and a real pain in the backside for opposition midfielders.

Name - Chris Lines
Age - 29
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons (loan), Port Vale
Linesy is our key man and the focal point of the team. Keep him fully fit all season and we have a set-piece expert and one of the best playmakers in this division. He boasts the creativity all good teams need and the fact we have managed to get him signed up on a permanent deal is superb business.

Name - Stuart Sinclair
Age - 27
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - Luton Town, Salisbury City, Arlesey
The guy is our equivalent of the Duracell bunny. He runs all day long from box-to-box and does not give his opposite man a moment’s peace. Sincs simply loves playing football and I am ruddy chuffed for him that he has an opportunity in the FL, because he absolutely deserves it. Oh, and he has the best beard in football.

Name - Ollie Clarke
Age - 23
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - Gloucester City, Mangotsfield United, Clevedon Towm (all on loan)
Ollie has come through the ranks and is a tenacious midfield player. For me he doesn’t contribute an awful lot in either half and probably doesn’t deserve to be a regular starter, but he has a ferocious shot on him and scored a number of absolute worldies last season.

Name - Jake Gosling
Age - 21
Position - Winger
Previous Clubs - Exeter City, Dorchester Town (loan), Gloucester City (loan)
Gos is a fully fledged international footballer (albeit for Gibraltar) and got better and better as last season went on. He is not a traditional winger in that he isn’t very pacey, but he is technically very decent and has a keen eye for goal.

Name - Cristian Montano
Age - 23
Position - Winger
Previous Clubs - West Ham United, Oldham Athletic, America de Cali and several loan spells
There has been plenty of controversy in Montano’s short career thus far, but having not been found guilty of any wrongdoing, DC has been prepared to give him another chance in the FL. A very direct wide player, our second ever Colombian player is a tricky customer and possesses a superb first touch. I think he will prove a big success for us this year and be the provider and scorer of many goals.

Name - Billy Bodin
Age - 23
Position - Winger/Striker
Previous Clubs - Swindon Town, Crewe Alexandra (loan), Torquay United, Northampton Town
DC wants Bodin to prove he can contribute to the team and is completely over his injury problems. He definitely has something about him and I have been impressed by his work-rate over the summer, so I sincerely hope he can show he is a good player.

Name - Dominic Thomas
Age - 19
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - None.
A YT graduate who is nowhere near first team level, but has always received good reviews in reserve games. A box-to-box midfielder with a good engine is all I can say really having seen him feature in a few pre-season games.

Name - Jay Malpas
Age - 18/19
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - None.
As above, really. Only featured a couple of times in pre-season but from what I have seen, he looks a similar player to Ollie Clarke. He will be sent out on loan pretty soon I would imagine.

Name - Ryan Broom
Age - 18/19
Position - Centre Midfielder
Previous Clubs - None.
Broom has come through alongside Malpas but has made a much better impression in his cameo appearances. He is a more attack-minded player and has scored a few goals during pre-season, which will stand him in good stead for the future.

Name - Jermaine Easter
Age - 33
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs - Wycombe Wanderers, Plymouth Argyle, Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Millwall, amongst others
Our most experienced outfield player and a top player for this level even at 33. We couldn’t believe we managed to get him on board in January considering he was playing in the Championship for Millwall before Christmas, and he looked very good before his season-ending injury. If we can keep him fit he will score goals, without a doubt.

Name - Matty Taylor
Age - 25
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs - Forest Green Rovers, Chester (loan), among others
Hit 20+ goals for us last season despite the fact he isn’t exactly what you would call a natural finisher - if he was, he’d be playing much higher than League Two. His all-round play and intelligence is a huge asset, it’s just a shame that finishing isn’t his strong point. He does get himself on the scoresheet a fair amount, but he won’t get as many opportunities this year.

Name - Ellis Harrison
Age - 21
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs - None.
Harrison has had a turbulent career and he’s only been a pro for a few short years, but he has rescued his career in the last year and is now a big player for us. Fast, strong and very direct, the young striker is developing into the type of player he was tipped to become when he first burst on to the scene and was a regular scorer in the Conference. I hope he can continue to improve at this level and cement his place as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Name - Nathan Blissett
Age - 26
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs - Kidderminster Harriers
Big Bliss is not technically gifted, nor is he a natural goalscorer, so what does he bring to the table? He is strong, deceptively quick and unpredictable, which is by far and away his best quality. It isn’t deliberate, but it causes problems in the opposition’s defence and often results in an opportunity being created. A really likeable guy and I sincerely hope he grasps his chance in the FL.

Name - Jamie Lucas
Age - 19
Position - Striker
Previous Clubs - Weston-super-Mare (loan), Gloucester City (loan)
Lucas has a real predatory instinct and has impressed during pre-season, although you would have to say he is probably fifth choice at the moment. I do think he has a good chance of getting game time this year, though.

Key Player: Chris Lines.

One to Watch: Jamie Lucas.

Biggest Weakness: Strength in depth; we don’t have any!

 

[Saddlerrad]

Nice work guys, can you do me a favour though please? The others have been posted on the websites blog page.

If you go to 'blogs' > create entry> and then post the work there, add a picture and hit submit - it will then show as on the websites blog.

ComeOnIrene and E10rifle

Thanks!