Happy Talk...

[brucie]

I actually wouldn't be suprised to see a loan signing or two perhaps from Bournemouth. I don't see Hawley doing bugger all but the likes of Tonge,Benyon and Downes should be good enough at this level.
Why do we need to be sniffing around Salisburys players - they havn't got anybody who is better than what we have already.
Briscoe and Young are infinitely better players than anything that they could offer us.-

[Rjc70]

Jeff said "a team with Downes and Pearce as Central defenders, Harding and Cooper as holding midfielders with Young playing ahead of them, that is a solid spine of a team with good leadership qualities and a bit of creativity at the top - not looking too shabby perhaps?"

Could be ok. Briscoe and Cameron out wide, it's a start. Downes has a tendency to drop the odd bollock per game, mind. Up front we're buggered, though.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

The problem with selling Chappell is that Sheff Utd have a massive clause for any monies we receive. Depending on how that clause works it may be that there is a minimum we need to sell him for to cover any money owed to them....

A way round this would to allow him to go for a free but with a sell-on clause to his new club which would give us something and the Blades as well?

[PhilGull]

I actually wouldn't be suprised to see a loan signing or two perhaps from Bournemouth. I don't see Hawley doing bugger all but the likes of Tonge,Benyon and Downes should be good enough at this level.
Why do we need to be sniffing around Salisburys players - they havn't got anybody who is better than what we have already.
Briscoe and Young are infinitely better players than anything that they could offer us.-

I wouldn't say no to Kevin Amankwaah for a bit of experience at the back and Angus MacDonald may be worth another look no he's a little older and wiser. Also, Ricky Wellard could well do a job if the price was right.

[Fonda]

I highlighted concerns about money and signings, but I do have reservations about the existing squad too. My primary concern is that we have a lot of players, likely to start the season, who either don’t want to be here or aren’t wanted. There’s nothing Hargreaves can do about shifting players that other clubs (understandably) don’t want. But there is not going to be a harmonious atmosphere in our dressing room next season, and that is bound to have an effect on the pitch.

There are players in our squad that I’m glad we’ve got. Luke Young could be excellent for us. A midfielder with the ability to pick a pass and create a chances is what we’ve lacked since O’Kane departed – and was a serious hindrance to us last year. But the other players we have with quality, might very well not be here by the time the season starts. Pearce is every bit a League quality centre back. And if he’s here for the season our prospects improve. But I’d be very surprised if he is. Somebody will see a bargain and take it. Cameron likewise might yet get poached.

If we start the season with the squad we have now, Pearce, Young, Cameron are league quality players that we’re lucky to have and will be of huge benefit. Rice, Harding Thompson and Briscoe should be solid enough performers at this level.

But the rest? They either aren’t good enough or aren’t wanted. For me, we don’t have the ingredients for an even semi-successful season with the personnel currently at the club. Everything depends on the players we bring in, and that is why I’m eager we get some business done before the ‘better’ players are hovered up by everyone else.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Its telling that those that wanted to go and turned down new contracts here to do so, have all got fixed-up and all of those on the transfer- list,with another year on their contracts to run, are all still here.Does this indicate that their agents aren't being pro-active as their players aren't pushing to get fixed-up elsewhere? Might not be the case for Chapell,but Downes for one is very settled here,as I suspect is Benyon.I understand Hawley is trying to get fixed up with a Midlands/Northern club but still seems likely that most,if not all, will be with us when the season starts.

[PhilGull]

I think a lot of the problem is that teams at our level are happy to pay big signing-on-fees and wages for 'free' players but are less enthused by the idea of paying for a player, especially when they have a less than impressive recent record.
We really only seem to see teams paying for players when they have been performing well and the fans can be impressed with tales of "we've paid £100k for X 30 goal-a-season player".

[supergulls]

Everybody shouldn't jump to conclusions, players that are out of contract are free agents and were allowed to move to alternative clubs whenever it suited, for the players that were placed on the transfer list this is not an option. The transfer window only opened this week so no deal could be done before this. Now the window is open we might see one or two of those one the list moving on.

[tomogull]

I know it's still very early days but I tend to go along with Fonda although my glass is slightly fuller than his. I don't think we will set the Conference alight next season. I think it will be more of a consolidating and re-building season (as many of us thought last season would be) where we may flirt with the play off places but nothing more. Those like Matt who are more 'in the know' than us mere mortals hint that several 'developments' are on the horizon so we'll just have to wait and see .....

By the way, I wouldn't mind seeing young Angus McDonald back at Plainmoor. He was a bit raw when he was here on loan from Reading but you could see he had potential. I'm rather surprised that the vultures circling over Salisbury haven't already picked him up.

[ferrarilover]

Don't assume that because a guy is on the transfer list, it's because he isn't wanted by the manager.

Matt.

[tomogull]

Don't assume that because a guy is on the transfer list, it's because he isn't wanted by the manager. Matt.

Soooooo ....... what you are saying is that player(s) have asked to be put on the transfer list rather than CH placing them there? This explains why Hawley, just as an example, hasn't moved on because CH has placed a £100,000 fee on his head because he wants to keep him at Plainmoor. Okay - the sun is getting to me now ! I actually think Hawley could do a job as a midfield player but that's a topic for another day ........ unless someone comes forward with £100,000 for him ........

[ferrarilover]

I'm not saying that. Perhaps I should be more clear...

We've listed the players we've listed, not because we don't want them, but because we can't afford them. It's a bit like selling your V8 and buying a diesel. It's not because you don't want your present car, it's just that you can't afford to fuel it up with £400 of unleaded every month.

Matt.

[Fonda]

Eastleigh have now signed Craig Stanley.

[gurneygibbs23]

We do have yeoman who has shown he can find the net in most of his appearances. Playing him off a central striker would appear to get the best out of him. He clearly has skill and deserves a run in team.

I think a lot depends on whether he ships the dross out. He must be working on a decent striker coming in.

I can't see thompson ever becoming anything more than a poor mans bedeau(that's poverty then) and tonge has to go, a right back is needed as is another centre back, downes was so bad last season and pearce could get a move also.

If cruise gets another deal he could be a good signing, excellent footballer and good going forward just poor defensively, maybe a new position?

And what with bodin?

Just some thoughts some of I haven't seen mentioned

[Fonda]

I'd forgotten Yeoman earlier. Stick him in the group of 'solid enough performers at this level'. Cruise too ought to be capable - he just needs to find some consistency, which will only come with regular games.

Yeoman might well be one of our first choice strikers next season. Which when you consider Eastleigh start the season with Constable and Midson, shows where we are currently.