John Grant

[Ancient Colin]

Well, there's a surprise: &quotJohn had spells with Hereford, Telford and Shrewsbury before linking up with U's boss Chris Wilder at Halifax ... &quot

[Mally]

Or not a surprise. I'd much rather a manager signing players that he knows and trusts than the methodology of some former managers who signed players they'd never seen on the say so of somebody with no connection to our club.

Remember the dross that Jim Smith brought in that got us relegated?

[Ancient Colin]

But it somewhat reduces the pool of potential players, doesn't it? What happens when we are in the Championship with our assembly of ex-Halifax starlets?

[YF Dan]

I am getting bored of our manager just going out and signing player after player.

Can he not work with the large squad he's got?

Do we really need Constable, Cook, Midson, Green M, Green F, Cain, Grant, Deering, and Woodley competing for three places?

Matt Green (my player of the season) has scored 5 goals in his last 5 hours of play, yet can't get a starting place at the moment. How's he going to be feeling as yet another striker is brought in? You reach a point when news players dont add competition for places, they start to piss off players who've done the business for you all season.

Do we want all these players who wont be here next year in the squad as we go into the last months of our most important season ever?

[Zeke]

Woodley isn't competing for a place though is he? Cook and Frannie appear to be crap right now by all reports leaving an off form Constable, Midson, Matt Green, Deering and Cain (short term) as viable options.

[Mally]

But it somewhat reduces the pool of potential players, doesn't it? What happens when we are in the Championship with our assembly of ex-Halifax starlets?

So you conceed that this player acquisition strategy will get us to the Championship.

I think at that point it may be time for another manager or perhaps we could afford a decent scouting network by then.

[boris]

Do we want all these players who wont be here next year in the squad as we go into the last months of our most important season ever?

The most important thing is to get that promotion, even if it means some players have their delicate feelings bruised. If Grant can help get us back into the League, whether or not he's here next season, then I couldn't give a toss if Matt Green is feeling sorry for himself (and it's more likely to be Midson's place under threat, I'd have thought).

[Ascension Ox]

Well, there's a surprise: &quotJohn had spells with Hereford, Telford and Shrewsbury before linking up with U's boss Chris Wilder at Halifax ... &quot

He's a good player at this level, that is for sure. Is that a surprise as well?

[Ascension Ox]

I am getting bored of our manager just going out and signing player after player.

Can he not work with the large squad he's got?

Do we really need Constable, Cook, Midson, Green M, Green F, Cain, Grant, Deering, and Woodley competing for three places?

Matt Green (my player of the season) has scored 5 goals in his last 5 hours of play, yet can't get a starting place at the moment. How's he going to be feeling as yet another striker is brought in? You reach a point when news players dont add competition for places, they start to piss off players who've done the business for you all season.

Do we want all these players who wont be here next year in the squad as we go into the last months of our most important season ever?

Don't forget the MK Dons chant YF tonight. It's your favourite.....

[Ancient Colin]

He's a good player at this level, that is for sure. Is that a surprise as well?

He scored a lot of goals for Aldershot when they got promoted, that's certainly true. We will see if he is still a good player at this level, now, a couple of years later. Let's hope so.

I am a little concerned that the solution to every problem appears to be &quotget another player in&quot rather than &quotlet's manage, coach and adjust towards a solution&quot, whether that is about team form or individual player form. I am a little concerned about wage bill impacts. I am a little concerned about continuing disruptions to what was a winning team, albeit one that had lost form. I think those concerns are not entirely unreasonable.

[leicesteryellow]

Woodley isn't competing for a place though is he? Cook and Frannie appear to be crap right now by all reports leaving an off form Constable, Midson, Matt Green, Deering and Cain (short term) as viable options.

good point. Constable is obiously still wanted but he is badly off form. Cook should retire. (again) midson has done ok but simply has not scored enough goals. These people are the one supposed to be scoring and they are not at the moment.
Deering and cain are not out and out goal scorers i'd say,more creators.

I agree it's quite worrying to see the amount of coming and goings, but then again we've seen before how players at this level struggle to do a whole season, and we've also seen how some players crumble under pressure.

As someone said above, i couldnt care less as long as this policy gets us promoted. If it doesn't, then we can say it doesn't work. At the moment league position says it does.

BTW It's snowing here, i hope i'm not wasting a journey...

[deanwindass]

Woodley isn't competing for a place though is he? Cook and Frannie appear to be crap right now by all reports leaving an off form Constable, Midson, Matt Green, Deering and Cain (short term) as viable options.

good point. Constable is obiously still wanted but he is badly off form. Cook should retire. (again) midson has done ok but simply has not scored enough goals. These people are the one supposed to be scoring and they are not at the moment.
Deering and cain are not out and out goal scorers i'd say,more creators.

I agree it's quite worrying to see the amount of coming and goings, but then again we've seen before how players at this level struggle to do a whole season, and we've also seen how some players crumble under pressure.

As someone said above, i couldnt care less as long as this policy gets us promoted. If it doesn't, then we can say it doesn't work. At the moment league position says it does.

BTW It's snowing here, i hope i'm not wasting a journey...

...and he's injured.

YFD are you suggesting that you could have a top 3 line up of Woodley, Cain and F.Green for example? Or, Deering, Cook and M.Green right now?

The way we play with 3 up top requires at least one central striker, of the Beano type. Pre-Grant signing, Midson was the only other option and not only is he injured currently but also arguably hasn't scored enough goals, as Zeke points out. Beano's off form anyway and we've got an awful lot of very important games to go.

I cannot see how it is a bad thing to bring in a big powerful striker with a very impressive goal scoring record at this level and experience of winning and getting out of just the very league we are aiming to win and have got to get out of!

[boris]

BTW It's snowing here, i hope i'm not wasting a journey...

The game will be on.

Whether or not you're wasting a journey should be clearer at about 9.50 this evening.