Let's start some rampant speculation:
Patto say's he's looking at "proven goalscorers at this level...", but presumably they're not scoring goals this season, a) because it's unlikely anyone in our division would sell their star player to us or b) If they were banging in goals, they wouldn't want to come to us anyway.
So, I propose:
Paul Benson (D and R): Barely scored this year in the league, suggesting he found his level last year. Dagenham are skint too.
Charlie McDonald (Southend): Prolific last year for Gravesend, barely featured this season (except when scored against us), suggesting again, that the Conference is his level.
Any more ideas?
New signings
Paul Benson has had a host of injuries this season
and is currently out again with another knock.
MacDonald has scored some goals for Southend recently
and for the life of me I can't see any reasons why he would want to return to
the Conference. His aim was always to return to the FL after spells with Crawley and Gravesend.
and is currently out again with another knock.
MacDonald has scored some goals for Southend recently
and for the life of me I can't see any reasons why he would want to return to
the Conference. His aim was always to return to the FL after spells with Crawley and Gravesend.
I think strikers are only part of the problem. I missed the first 3 weeks of December which was a blessing, but I was back from Aldershot onwards and I think Patterson has so far managed to make us a worse side than we were under Smith.
Patterson has some bigg issues (apart from how he's managed to make it even more difficult for Smith's defensive side to score goals), he's playing 4-4-2 but we have no width other than Ledgister. If we're going to continue with 4-4-2 we desperately need a left winger, Trainer is not a left sided midfielder and seems to spend much of the game drifting inside. I'd be tempted to get rid of Hutchinson too as his only talent appears to be winning headers which for a central midfielder is hardly high up the list of required attributes. I saw the Aldershot, Crawley home and Kiddy games and I thought our best performance was the game we lost at Aldershot. Mainly because we had a midfield of Rose, Quinn, Pettefer and Ledgister and all 4 were capable of moving, passing and creating space for one another which was horribly lacking for long periods in the other games.
So if I was Patterson I'd be looking for in this order
1) Striker (I think Duffy and Yemi are probably good enough for this league but those are our only 2 at the moment).
2) Left midfielder/winger (arguably we'd need 2 and a right midfielder for cover).
3) Central midfielder who can pass.
4) Central defender (a big one unless Wilmott is actually ever going to be fit again)
5) Another 7 players to give us half a chance of the play offs.
Generally I'm relieved the bottom 4 of the conference are quite a long way off.
Patterson has some bigg issues (apart from how he's managed to make it even more difficult for Smith's defensive side to score goals), he's playing 4-4-2 but we have no width other than Ledgister. If we're going to continue with 4-4-2 we desperately need a left winger, Trainer is not a left sided midfielder and seems to spend much of the game drifting inside. I'd be tempted to get rid of Hutchinson too as his only talent appears to be winning headers which for a central midfielder is hardly high up the list of required attributes. I saw the Aldershot, Crawley home and Kiddy games and I thought our best performance was the game we lost at Aldershot. Mainly because we had a midfield of Rose, Quinn, Pettefer and Ledgister and all 4 were capable of moving, passing and creating space for one another which was horribly lacking for long periods in the other games.
So if I was Patterson I'd be looking for in this order
1) Striker (I think Duffy and Yemi are probably good enough for this league but those are our only 2 at the moment).
2) Left midfielder/winger (arguably we'd need 2 and a right midfielder for cover).
3) Central midfielder who can pass.
4) Central defender (a big one unless Wilmott is actually ever going to be fit again)
5) Another 7 players to give us half a chance of the play offs.
Generally I'm relieved the bottom 4 of the conference are quite a long way off.