Signings - how ready are you for the season 2017-18?

[dedwardp]

Brennan Dickenson was our POTY by an absolute mile last season and hands down had to be one of the best left sided players in this division. Did his ACL in training during April and isn't expected back until February - again, Christmas seems a bit quick.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Any Yeovil fans on here ahead of the new season? Do you really only have 18 players so far?

 

[SVH]

I've done my ACL before and it's one of the toughest things I've had to go through to get back playing football. If Osborne is back by Xmas it will be a miracle.

Minimum 6 months.

 

[GloverGing]

Any Yeovil fans on here ahead of the new season? Do you really only have 18 players so far?

Yeah, I would expect us to have 20-21 players in our squad by the time we play you.

GK: Artur Krysiak, Johnny Maddison

Full back: Ryan Dickson, Tom James, Daniel Alfei

Centre Back: Nathan Smith, Omar Sowumni, Keston Davies, Bevis Mugabi, Stephane Zubar

Centre Mid: Connor Smith, James Bailey, Jake Gray, Alefe Santos

Winger: Otis Khan, Rhys Browne

Striker: Francois Zoko, Olufela Olomola

Add to that a striker (which Way has confirmed), a couple of Wingers on loan, possibly another CM and I would imagine that will be us.

 

[Kenneth E End]

That's not a particularly strong squad is it? What are you thinking in regards to your chances next week?

 

[GloverGing]

That's not a particularly strong squad is it? What are you thinking in regards to your chances next week?

Its not great and its been like this for the last couple of seasons, a couple of injuries and we're in the shit.

We've got no chance against your lot next week, but we get to see Yeovil legend Marek Stech so its not all bad.

 

[joethegill]

I've done my ACL before and it's one of the toughest things I've had to go through to get back playing football. If Osborne is back by Xmas it will be a miracle.

Minimum 6 months.

I did my MCL 2 years ago (almost to the day!) and it's still not right. Once a knee is damaged it'll never properly heal.

 

[Son of Cod]

In all fairness, the club have been wording it slightly different to ACL and also reported that it isn't as bad as they initially feared.

 

[Chris FGR]

Definitely can't pin the moneybags tag on us these days, must have one of the youngest squads in the division. Mainly been signing youngsters keen to prove themselves, a few of them on loan, with the odd experienced head.

Reckon this is the smallest playing budget we've had in years. Makes this season very unpredictable, no idea how ready we are tbh.

 

[spireite]

Is it wise to get promoted then slash the budget?

 

[Chris FGR]

Is it wise to get promoted then slash the budget?

Might be a case of having to, due to FFP?

Could also be due to having some success bringing in unproven youngsters from lower divisions last season, including Ethan Pinnock who we got 500k+ from Barnsley for last month, plus the likes of Manny Monthe, Omar Bugiel and Sham Mullings who were all cheap signings but did better then some of the supposed big names in the squad. Seems we've realised that might be the more cost effective way to operate now we've finally reached league 2 and the pressure is off to go up at all costs.

 

[spireite]

Might be a case of having to, due to FFP?

Could also be due to having some success bringing in unproven youngsters from lower divisions last season, including Ethan Pinnock who we got 500k+ from Barnsley for last month, plus the likes of Manny Monthe, Omar Bugiel and Sham Mullings who were all cheap signings but did better then some of the supposed big names in the squad. Seems we've realised that might be the more cost effective way to operate now we've finally reached league 2 and the pressure is off to go up at all costs.

I guess the concern would be going straight back down, when signing a couple of proven league players in key areas might have kept you up. All conjecture though obviously

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Manny Monthe, Omar Bugiel and Sham Mullings.

Have you made those names up?

Am I alone in mourning proper footballers names?

 

[FrankTheTank]

Might be a case of having to, due to FFP?

Could also be due to having some success bringing in unproven youngsters from lower divisions last season, including Ethan Pinnock who we got 500k+ from Barnsley for last month, plus the likes of Manny Monthe, Omar Bugiel and Sham Mullings who were all cheap signings but did better then some of the supposed big names in the squad. Seems we've realised that might be the more cost effective way to operate now we've finally reached league 2 and the pressure is off to go up at all costs.

Wouldn't say they were cheap. We spent circa £90k on the three of them all up, they weren't free transfers. But granted none of them are on big wages.
BTW my tip is for Bugiel to have a big season and take some of the pressure off Doidge in the goal scoring ranks.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Think we're there or thereabouts now in terms of our squad being completed. A photo was circulating round twitter of Robbie Weir having his photo in the shirt so that one looks to be done, he's impressed me on trial in the games I've seen..

Squad for next year looking like:

GK:
Tommy Lee, Joe Anyon

Defenders:
Scott Wiseman, Brad Barry, Laurence Maguire, Ian Evatt, Sam Hird, Dion Donohue, Paul Mcginn, Jerome Binnom-Williams

Midfielders:
Louis Reed, Jordan Sinnott, Robbie Weir, Jak McCourt, Reece Mitchell, Charlie Wakefield, Joe Rowley, Connor Dimaio

Attackers:
Gozie Ugwu, Kristian Dennis, Chris O'Grady, Ricardo German, Delial Brewster

Roll on Saturday....

 

[Habbinalan]

It seems likely that our squad numbers pretty much reflect current Derry thinking for his most aggressive starting line up and bench at home.

With Brad Halliday still recovering from appendicitis, Leon Davies may well get a start on Saturday and I'm expecting O'Neil to start alongside Deegan, with Azeez on the bench, for our standard away 4-2-3-1. I can see quite a few personnel changes in midfield and up front for Tuesday's trip to Bristol but I hope he gives the back 4 (and keeper possibly?) another chance to play together.

I can still see Berry likely to move on and up, with McGurk and possibly Roberts (both transfer listed) going out on loan if there a no permanent deals available. If Roberts were to go, it leaves us a bit light at the back, even if our much heralded speedy skilful CB is signed before the end of the month. I'm growing in confidence that we'll have a CB coming in in the next week or so - I just hope he'll have been worth the wait.

 

[shoddycollins]

Minor update on how our squad looks. Still paper thin, but less the bible-paper we were the other week and maybe more something nice from Paperchase.

Senior Professionals

Goalkeeper
Jack Bonham (half season loan)
Shamal George (half season loan)

Centre Backs
Mark Ellis
Tom Parkes

Wing Backs
Gary Liddle (R)
Tom Miller (R)
Danny Grainger (L)

Midfielders
Luke Joyce (D)
Mike Jones (D)
Kelvin Etuhu (D)
Samir Nabi (A)
Jason Kennedy (A)

Wingers
Nicky Adams
Reggie Lambe
Jamie Devitt
John O'Sullivan

Strikers
Hallam Hope
Shaun Miller
Richie Bennett
Sam Cosgrove

Development Contracts
Morgan Bacon (G)
Jack Egan (M)
Jordan Holt (M)
Cameron Salkeld (F)

So we've brought in Bennett and Cosgrove to complete our choice of first-team strikers and another loanee keeper. I feel like our season hangs on Richie Bennett making the step up to league football and us not get any injuries in defence, and if either of the keepers performs well then our season may hang on being able to extend their loan. Seriously having no senior keepers confirmed to be in the squad after January seems like madness but I can only assume there was nobody available worth signing.

Curle has said he may look into the loan market before the transfer window shuts which suggests to me that our transfer activity is done and dusted, and that is worrying, tbh I don't think we have any money to do anything else.

I think at least we look pretty good in midfield. Some on our forum have said we have too many midfielders but I think they've just become accustomed to our small squads of late, I think five central midfielders and four wingers is absolutely fine, the central midfielders are a mix of defence and attacking and the wingers a mix of left and right. Their assessments seem to be based on classing Kennedy, Nabi and Hope as wingers just because they might be deployed out of position there as well as including the development players and classing Salkeld as a winger, making it sound like we have 10 wingers in the squad. Whenever Kennedy has been put in the RM position he's always IMHO played more as an attacking midfielder just with a right-sided bias and not a winger. Nabi's looked pretty good in a more central role, not sure why people think of him as mostly a winger. He looks to me like an attacking midfielder who is good with the ball at his feet and likes to bring it forward.

We need need need more defenders, any idiot can see that. I've classed Liddle as a RB but that's just really wishful thinking, he's looked very good to me when put in that position and I saw him play there against Carlisle City, but the way he was used last season, combined with this season's squad numbers suggest he's seen as a centre back, where he looks woefully out of position. He doesn't seem to have a centre-backing bone in his body so I don't get it. We were looking at a defender on trial, Gideon Adu-Peprah, and he played in a few friendlies and was highly rated, but apparently Cambridge have taken him on trial now because Shaun Derry doesn't like to let us have nice things.

I really dislike the concept of having two loan keepers, even more them only being half season loans. I guess it doesn't make a huge amount of difference as even if they were on full-season loans they could be recalled in January if their parent clubs decided they were good enough to loan to a League One club; and that's the thing they'll either turn out to be bang-average L2 keepers or they'll be decent and we'll lose them in January and have the even trickier proposition of filling two keeper slots mid-season. I figure Bonham will start as the number one given he's more experienced, has the #1 shirt and has been with us since the start of training, but they're both pretty young, George is only a few months older than Bacon (19). Interestingly I hear George was playing for Liverpool's development squad as a striker as recently as 2015/16.

So there we go... wish us luck, we'll need it.

 

[Moomin]

Still expecting one or possibly two more new signings this month but our squad is as follows:

G: Christy Pym and James Hamon

FBs: Pierce Sweeney, Dean Moxey and Craig Woodman

CBs: Troy Brown, Jordan Moore-Taylor, Troy A-H, Luke Croll

CMs: Lloyd James, Ryan Harley, Jake Taylor, Jordan Tillson, Alex Byrne

Wingers: David Wheeler, Lee Holmes, Jack Sparkes

Strikers: Reuben Reid, Ryan Brunt, Liam McAlinden, Robbie Simpson, Matt Jay.

We definitely need another right back and would like an attacking midfielder. Tyler Harvey has been on trial and he would play in that position. We've got a number of players who can play in a number of positions but I'd say our squad is good enough for play offs as there's still plenty of goals there and defensively we've strengthened with Moxey plus having a fully fit Troy Brown is huge. Reuben Reid looks leaner and sharp plus McAlinden and Brunt will offer excellent backup. And keeping Wheeler so far is huge.

 

[Habbinalan]

I'd rather have got shot of him than Ellis.

Hopefully his wages will mean we can tie up Adu-Peprah (if Cambridge don't beat us to it ) and maybe another striker?

We were looking at a defender on trial, Gideon Adu-Peprah, and he played in a few friendlies and was highly rated, but apparently Cambridge have taken him on trial now because Shaun Derry doesn't like to let us have nice things.

Good of you to do a bit of scouting for us shoddycollins and Alan Partridge.

You do realise that SVH is actually Shaun's Virtual Hirer in Chief.......and is not always to be believed?

Unlikely we'll sign him TBH.

 

[shoddycollins]

Good of you to do a bit of scouting for us shoddycollins and Alan Partridge.

You do realise that SVH is actually Shaun's Virtual Hirer in Chief.......and is not always to be believed?

So you're suggesting you think you will sign Peprah?

 

[cufc17]

Minor update on how our squad looks. Still paper thin, but less the bible-paper we were the other week and maybe more something nice from Paperchase.

Senior Professionals

Goalkeeper
Jack Bonham (half season loan)
Shamal George (half season loan)

Centre Backs
Mark Ellis
Tom Parkes

Wing Backs
Gary Liddle (R)
Tom Miller (R)
Danny Grainger (L)

Midfielders
Luke Joyce (D)
Mike Jones (D)
Kelvin Etuhu (D)
Samir Nabi (A)
Jason Kennedy (A)

Wingers
Nicky Adams
Reggie Lambe
Jamie Devitt
John O'Sullivan

Strikers
Hallam Hope
Shaun Miller
Richie Bennett
Sam Cosgrove

Development Contracts
Morgan Bacon (G)
Jack Egan (M)
Jordan Holt (M)
Cameron Salkeld (F)

So we've brought in Bennett and Cosgrove to complete our choice of first-team strikers and another loanee keeper. I feel like our season hangs on Richie Bennett making the step up to league football and us not get any injuries in defence, and if either of the keepers performs well then our season may hang on being able to extend their loan. Seriously having no senior keepers confirmed to be in the squad after January seems like madness but I can only assume there was nobody available worth signing.

Curle has said he may look into the loan market before the transfer window shuts which suggests to me that our transfer activity is done and dusted, and that is worrying, tbh I don't think we have any money to do anything else.

I think at least we look pretty good in midfield. Some on our forum have said we have too many midfielders but I think they've just become accustomed to our small squads of late, I think five central midfielders and four wingers is absolutely fine, the central midfielders are a mix of defence and attacking and the wingers a mix of left and right. Their assessments seem to be based on classing Kennedy, Nabi and Hope as wingers just because they might be deployed out of position there as well as including the development players and classing Salkeld as a winger, making it sound like we have 10 wingers in the squad. Whenever Kennedy has been put in the RM position he's always IMHO played more as an attacking midfielder just with a right-sided bias and not a winger. Nabi's looked pretty good in a more central role, not sure why people think of him as mostly a winger. He looks to me like an attacking midfielder who is good with the ball at his feet and likes to bring it forward.

We need need need more defenders, any idiot can see that. I've classed Liddle as a RB but that's just really wishful thinking, he's looked very good to me when put in that position and I saw him play there against Carlisle City, but the way he was used last season, combined with this season's squad numbers suggest he's seen as a centre back, where he looks woefully out of position. He doesn't seem to have a centre-backing bone in his body so I don't get it. We were looking at a defender on trial, Gideon Adu-Peprah, and he played in a few friendlies and was highly rated, but apparently Cambridge have taken him on trial now because Shaun Derry doesn't like to let us have nice things.

I really dislike the concept of having two loan keepers, even more them only being half season loans. I guess it doesn't make a huge amount of difference as even if they were on full-season loans they could be recalled in January if their parent clubs decided they were good enough to loan to a League One club; and that's the thing they'll either turn out to be bang-average L2 keepers or they'll be decent and we'll lose them in January and have the even trickier proposition of filling two keeper slots mid-season. I figure Bonham will start as the number one given he's more experienced, has the #1 shirt and has been with us since the start of training, but they're both pretty young, George is only a few months older than Bacon (19). Interestingly I hear George was playing for Liverpool's development squad as a striker as recently as 2015/16.

So there we go... wish us luck, we'll need it.

I think it's a decent squad, apart from the glaringly obvious shortage of defenders which will become evident when we get an injury or suspension. Hopefully at least one of the keepers turn out to be good enough. In midfield and attack I think we're in good shape, particularly in midfield.

Keeping Mike Jones fit is vital if we're to have a good season in my opinion, we looked so much more solid when him and Joyce played together.

 

[Habbinalan]

So you're suggesting you think you will sign Peprah?

Naah. SVH is usually first of the mark and ITK. I know nothing (wouldn't have heard of Pep or known of our interest but for your posts). I'm just pleased to be reassured that we're looking at players of his ilk and hoping that someone like him or Scott Wharton are likely to be coming in.

 

[SVH]

Peprah actually played a pre season friendly for us but that was mainly down to the fact we were short on numbers.

If we make another signing it will be a CB.

 

[Si Robin]

We're clearly not ready for the season, what with having no right back in place having trialled 4 this summer and letting a perfectly decent one go and only having 3 forwards, 2 of whom struggled last season and the other was playing in the Isthmian League. So here's our squad:

GK
Jon Flatt - on loan from Wolves
Rhys Lovett
Lewis Clayton - Youth teamer

Defenders
Jamie Grimes
Jordon Forster
Will Boyle
Jordan Cranston
Daniel O'Shaughnessy
Aaron Downes
Matt Bower

Midfielders
Kyle Storer
Kevin Dawson
Harry Pell
Nigel Atangana
Carl Winchester
Jerrell Sellars (who I thought was a forward, but nevermind)
Josh Thomas

Forwards
Danny Wright
Dan Holman
Mohammed Eisa

Fear us!!!

 

[Luke Imp]

We still feel 3 signings away - first choice RB, back-up LB and another ST.

In theory, Eardley, if he signs as expected, could sort the first two out but with his injury record, I'm not sure that'd be wise.

 

[Luke Imp]

Our squad as it stands, is:

Goalkeepers
Paul Farman
Richard Walton (Out On Loan At Gainsborough)
Josh Vickers

Defenders
Sam Habergham
Callum Howe
Sean Raggett
Sean Long
Luke Waterfall
Rob Dickie (On Loan From Reading Until January)

Midfielders
Alex Woodyard
Elliott Whitehouse
Nathan Arnold
Josh Ginnelly (On Loan From Burnley)
Billy Knott
Jordan Maguire-Drew (On Loan From Brighton)
Michael Bostwick
Harry Anderson

Strikers
Matt Rhead
Matt Green
Ollie Palmer

Squad of 20, with one out on loan, so 19. Howe also due out on loan, so that'll reduce it to 18. In which case, and as above, we need 3 players.

Green will more than likely end up as our top scorer but how high remains to be seen. We didn't have a particularly high scorer last season with goals being shared around very well and I expect that to be the case again.

Short on strikers, but in Knott, JMD, Ginnelly and Anderson, we've got options there if needed but I'd prefer another out and out striker.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Our Squad:

GK
James Mckeown
Ben Kilip

FB
Ben Davies
Paul Dixon
Zak Mills

CB
Nathan Clarke
Danny Collins
Karleigh Osborne

CM
Sean McAllister
James Berrett
Mitch Rose
Harry Clifton
Jamey Osborne
Luke Summerfield
Chris Clements

Wingers
Sam Kelly
Tom Bolarinwa
Siriki Dembele

Strikers
Sam Jones
Harry Cardwell
Scott Vernon
Akwasi Asante

I think all we need is a utility defender and a forward with some all the strikers are big lads who don't go for the through ball.

 

[shoddycollins]

Strikers
Matt Rhead
Matt Green
Ollie Palmer

That's a very Mansfieldy looking strike-force

 

[mtfc26]

Not the most mobile, even Greeny is slowing down a bit.

Rheady doesn't need pace that brute force and the touch of an angels wings carries him through.

Palmer's just shit.

 

[Luke Imp]

"...the touch of angel wings".

I like that. Better than "good touch for a big man".