Ryan Clarke

[B*ue dragonstander]

Some of you will have seen him in 3 competitive matches. What are the first impressions?

[sleepinggiant]

I think he looks quality. He will shine more once he is able to play in his more favoured right back/wing back role. Trouble is though that I think they are also Wardy's best positions. He came as a midfielder but hasn't convinced me yet in that role.

[wakefield]

The Gaffer was giving him a b*ll|*cking throughout the game on Sat.

So, suprisingly, he seems to lack confidence.

Rapinder? - Signing of the decade!

[jeremypitt]

He may well be, but after 3 games in a leaky defence, thats a bit of a call!!!

[Deleted]

"The Gaffer was giving him a b*ll|*cking throughout the game on Sat.

So, suprisingly, he seems to lack confidence."

Do you mean Ward, Wakey? I agree with others - better at full back.

[B*ue dragonstander]

If the King reckons Gill is Ok then that wil do for me. Sounds like Ward and Clarke should dovetail down the right but will we ever have an all fit defence? Shabir Khan is a worry. His injury record is not great and with a small squad can we really afford to carry a passenger?

[jeremypitt]

I think Shab has reached the point of being a liability, which is a real shame, but with such a small squad I see us as having two different liabilities, Shab with his injuries, and can it really be right in a squad so small to have a 40 year old who also has to perform the job of management without an assistant? We could find ourselves a proper centre half to replace Shab, and another strong central midfielder to replace AP.

[ab]

Do you reckon that Andy Preece is taking an additional salary for playing equivalent to that of a full squad member?

[jeremypitt]

I've got no idea, he may, he may not although I hadnt even given that any thought, but if he is just an "occasional" player, then that makes the squad really only a 17 man squad. What I'm thinking is that if AP was purely the manager, would there be room for another full squad member!! Or even another youth team member, or trialist. Put it another way, if AP was to leave us and a new manager came in, would he have to keep the squad that one player lighter? I don't know. But in my view I can't see either Shab or AP featuring a great deal this season for different reasons.

[ab]

I dont know the answer, either.

But if you were the manager, and you had four strikers (Wilding, Webster, Danks and Wood)among a 17 man squad, would you choose to spend your budget on a fifth striker as a full-time squad member, when you have only three (four at most) midfielders? Myself, I would have thought not. On that basis, it is my supposition that if AP was purely the manager, there would not be room for another full squad member, and that if a new manager were to come in, he would not be able to increase the playing staff by one. I agree that we are unlikely to see AP feature a great deal, but I feel that Shabs is key, especially after Saturday.

Furthermore, I reckon that AP has probably taken on the coaching role (instead of paying for an AM replacement) in order to free up budget for the playing staff.

Which all goes to suggest that, with us being 3 players and a coach down on last years wage bill (less inflation and pay rises), the Club may have been running significantly over budget last year - as inferred by the constant references to the importance of the cup games, and by the end-of-season comment that the budget will determine how well we perform this year.

[jeremypitt]

Myself, I would have thought not either, which is why I said replace the old man with a strong central midfielder. I agree that Shab is so important, but its a big big gamble having to rely on someone who can barely put together a run of 3 games without suffering injury!!!
It sounds like the budget is so much tighter now that I hate to think where we'd have been without the £100k from the Cup run!!!!!!!

[ab]

Sorry, we must have got crossed wires. I dont think we are in a financial position to "replace the old man with a strong central midfielder", as you put it.

Shabs becomes crucial now that Burley is out, probably for a while.

[jeremypitt]

Yes thats true, but can he stay fit though!!!
I wonder who's putting the squeeze on us, the accounts look healthier last year

[Deleted]

Is Burley out?

[jeremypitt]

Yes he's got a bad back, and he didnt tell Preecey!!!!

[wh]

I wonder if its sciatica again? he was struggling with it early last season.

[ab]

Out for a fortnight, according to the WN.

[Deleted]

Sciatica's v painful. I had a spell of it a few years back, but some stretches sorted it out by and large.

[B*ue dragonstander]

Burlo will be a big loss. We also have Chris Smith who seems to be struggling with a problem that wont go away and Shabs who at best cannot be match fit. Luckily we have a few versatile players in the squad but if this succession of niggling and not so niggling injuries goes on we may need to play Craig Wilding at the back! Whatever the situation this squad will have to dig deep to cover the inevitable gaps.

[wh]

What about Preecey playing at the back? I may be wrong but I thought that when we signed him the press release said something about him being able to play there?

[jeremypitt]

Based on his abilities to head a ball the other end of the field, I'd be a little worried if he was in the back line. And before anyone has a go at me for dissing him, its not his fault, its a natural part of the aging process, the timing just slips a bit, same as a boxer who in his prime would be able to slip a punch and deliver on the counter with immaculate timing, once they hit their mid 30's its just not guite there!!!!!! For duffers like us, that lack of timing doesnt really matter, so you wobble a bit more on a bike, or you catch the tennis ball a little early on the racket, but for a pro sportsman that little slip of timing makes a huge difference.

[ab]

Manc could do a good job for us, based on his performance in BM5.

[StopfordianWCFC]

ab said:

Manc could do a good job for us, based on his performance in BM5.

Unfortunately I am crocked Andy (stress fracture), otherwise I would be delighted......

......I suspect the delight would be all mine, however!