Transfer News and Gossip Transfer Rumours Thread 2024/25 - Time to Cook 👨‍🍳

[kentblues]

It is a very tough balance to strike- not helped by the huge income gap between the EFL and NL due to the EFL money (TV et al)- £1.5m is it? If you believed spending an extra £100k would materially improve the chances of promotion would you do it?

The club have a tough job getting the balance and we don’t know if the size of the budget is even an issue at all- might be just a case of being a little more patient whilst those additional players are brought in….

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

But not at the sacrifice of the budget?

Everyone wanted a sustainable team. Goals of instant promotion might not align with that.

It might take two seasons to rebuild the fan zones, food, sponsorships ect to then to have the money to invest into the squad to become title contenders.

Crying because Ron over spent and ****ed it, then crying because we haven’t signed more people is a contradiction.

People want a sustainable football club. Patience will be a huge part of that.

So you are happy with the current squad? You think that it will be good enough for promotion? Its tiny, and smaller than last year.

No body is saying blow the budget, sign loads of players, but there must be room for 1 or 2 more even in the most stringent and sensible budgets.

As Spaceman correctly said, there is a middle ground, and that is somewhere in between

1) Where we are now, with a smaller squad than last year, and clearly lacking in certain areas of the first team and cover.
2) Spending big and not being sustainable.

 

[BriggBlue]

We need to bear in mind that we have lost the fewest players out of all the teams in the league, we obviously need a replacement for Wes who was key down the left linking up with Bridge and was a first choice midfielder.

We've already got an upgrade on Powell so I would assess our squad of being one first teamer down from where we finished the season.

Don't be surprised if we bring in less than other teams, we don't need to

 

[stewart]

We would have finished fifth while under an embargo, with one or two players on the bench, with a toxic atmosphere at many home games, and unpaid players uncertain of where their next mortgage payment is coming from. The fact that a few tosspot teams have added a few overrated ****ers doesn't mean that they are going to be able to contend with the mighty new look Shrimpers.

And put a shirt on

Dont need shirts where iive mate ,this isnt England,

 

[SUFCGoals]

We need to bear in mind that we have lost the fewest players out of all the teams in the league, we obviously need a replacement for Wes who was key down the left linking up with Bridge and was a first choice midfielder.

We've already got an upgrade on Powell so I would assess our squad of being one first teamer down from where we finished the season.

Don't be surprised if we bring in less than other teams, we don't need to

Agreed, we're only missing a ball carrying midfielder down from our best team last year. We're in a better place than we were this time last year.

Nothing to be worried about but would be nice to have the Wes replacement in before the York game

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Initially when Kev arrived he said he wanted to operate with a much smaller squad than what we had at the time. (30 plus). IIRC a number of 22-23 was mentioned.

We made it through last season with the mandatory 16 for much of the season under dire circumstances.

With the introduction of 7 named subs and 5 useable for this season, a step the NL previously resisted due to it seemingly being unfair to the bigger ex-league clubs being able to adapt more easily than the traditional NL clubs such as the Woking's and Wealdstone's of this world, it now makes that 22/23 number much more realistic, with 18 in use at any match, and having the ability to rotate due to injuries and the very rare international call up at this level. Especially with more clubs turning full time or minimum the hybrid model, such as Braintree have done. Also the introduction of that stupid new non League cup competition with little reward and more opportunity to suffer injuries.

It certainly seems a route Barnet have gone down, vastly increasing their squad signing 9 or ten new signings, letting a couple go, but not forgetting they had the injection of a major £4m approx. in a sell on fee that they collected. (Hopefully that will be us in the future now we are going to be financially managed correctly). We are at the start of that journey in finding the rough diamonds, knocking the edges of and selling for a profit, but at the same time improving our league standing and it is imperative we get out of this division upwards ASAP.

I am being patient, but the closer it gets to the 10th and the size of the squad, the risk is there of being at greater impact to the squad for injuries, so would like to see some new faces that can genuinely compete for places in the side. I don't want additional numbers for the sake of it, that offer no improvement to the team or can't maintain our on the pitch standards if we are subject to injuries, as most of us accept we will be.

Hopefully, there will be some positive movement this week, but I am sure Kev and the management are working to make this happen sooner rather than later.

UTB

 

[Hadleigh-shrimper]

I get some people opinion budget sustainable ect. If we were in league 1 or 2 I’d get it we should be a big fish in a small pond in this league.

 

[Dubai]

I get some people opinion budget sustainable ect. If we were in league 1 or 2 I’d get it we should be a big fish in a small pond in this league.

Ah, so we need to spend what we don’t have to ensure we get up to the dizzy heights of Div 1&2. People used to say the same about Ron when in L1 to get to championship.

How’d that go?

When does it end?

 

[Boreham Blue]

The truth is that we are football fans (and riding on the crest of a wave) and so we are eager for exciting signings but most of us trust John Still to find the right players, the coaches to bring the correct ones in and the new management to be proper custodians of our club. There will be a slight tension between the two but as has been said, there is no window to close, EFL players may become available and it’s a long season.

 

[kentblues]

I must admit I’m a little confused. Are the facts not:

Generally it was considered we had a small squad last year (which is not an issue for sure if Kev believes that’s the way)

Anyway
Players out-
Demi (as of now looks like coaching role only)
Woodman
Wes
Sandat
Dackers
Powell
Martin (who was the number two keeper)
So 7 out

Players in:
Walker
Gubbins

Hence most entirely logically say we need circa 4 in

BTW not sure 7 out would be that low compared with the average (that said I haven’t checked)

Btw at this moment we have a squad of 15 senior players plus Macdonald and Faulkner

 

[Jim Levenstein]

We don't actually need anyone unless we start suffering with injuries. Obviously would be nice to have all positions covered before the season started but we've probably/definitely missed out on top targets and as mentioned above we don't just want to be signing for the sake of it. It's also not like there is any competitive games going on right now for us to take a look at players properly.

 

[JAL]

Feels too quiet on this front, not sure I like it much.

Squad is smaller than small really.

 

[Hadleigh-shrimper]

We don't actually need anyone unless we start suffering with injuries. Obviously would be nice to have all positions covered before the season started but we've probably/definitely missed out on top targets and as mentioned above we don't just want to be signing for the sake of it. It's also not like there is any competitive games going on right now for us to take a look at players properly.

We definitely do need people urgently I’d say I was hoping we had them lined up for when went through like last time.

 

[BoyWonder2]

Feels too quiet on this front, not sure I like it much.

Squad is smaller than small really.

But we don’t tend to hear much anyways, so no different from normal.

Under PB, he loved a soundbite and would speak to Chris Phillips and there would be lots of articles about what he is after, who he is talking to (without naming names) etc. whereas Kev keeps his cards close to his chest.

99.99% of Twitter transfer rumour accounts are nonsense, and the respectable ones won’t cover the National League. In terms of names, London Shrimper is your one to follow on here (but posts rarely) or Twitter.

CP doesn’t announce much in terms of who we are speaking to either because Kev doesn’t let him know, or because he has been asked not too.

I feel like some leaks are being plugged at the club, but I still hear bits and pieces but also hear from outside the club too.

I’ve said the positions Kev wants to strengthen, and ideally how many he’d bring in, but obviously budgets do come into it.

Also, I feel like taking some of these players on trial suggests we’ve missed out on our top targets in some areas. Would Pedder be on trial if we’d secured our number 1 attacking midfielder option? I’d suggest not. Maybe we’ve missed out on options two and three, I don’t know.

Also, in terms of a goalkeeper, looking at the two we’ve had on trial, both have a bit of pedigree and could make a case of them being a number 1. Like the Arsenal lad, would he go from being in the Arsenal squad to warming the bench at National League level? I wonder if we get in a goalkeeper coach separate to another goalkeeper, one who could be a number 1 as and when Collin moves on, gets injured or whatever.

Work is still ongoing to strengthen the squad, and I think we will get another 1 or 2 in before the York game, but it’s a balancing act.

An example, Cardwell had a contract, had a storming season last year and got a new contract. It would be naive to think he’d have taken a pay cut or been on the same money, so that would eat into the budget. Same as GSM. Bridge & Ralph probably got pay increases for signing “proper” contracts as a thank you for being non-contract initially. So whilst we haven’t replaced all the players we’ve lost, we’d have used up some of that budget in securing new deals for existing players.

 

[Firestorm]

COSU will have a budget , perhaps we are close to the limit of the budget with wages etc , especially taking the work needed on RH , training grounds etc .
May be they need to see what they can increase on the income front before they spend any more , particularly as they spent more keeping us afloat before taking control than they anticipated .

I am , personally, waiting for the new income streams (catering , fanzone etc) to be up , running and making consistent significant profit before expecting any real investment in the playing squad .

 

[They Call It Madness!!!]

Don't forget we now have bodies available from the the youth set up. Some people are forgetting that MacDonald and Faulkner are first year pros - they should be on the squad list too.

 

[Hadleigh-shrimper]

Don't forget we now have bodies available from the the youth set up. Some people are forgetting that MacDonald and Faulkner are first year pros - they should be on the squad list too.

Great win it my xmas

 

[Smiffy]

Initially when Kev arrived he said he wanted to operate with a much smaller squad than what we had at the time. (30 plus). IIRC a number of 22-23 was mentioned.

We made it through last season with the mandatory 16 for much of the season under dire circumstances.

With the introduction of 7 named subs and 5 useable for this season, a step the NL previously resisted due to it seemingly being unfair to the bigger ex-league clubs being able to adapt more easily than the traditional NL clubs such as the Woking's and Wealdstone's of this world, it now makes that 22/23 number much more realistic, with 18 in use at any match, and having the ability to rotate due to injuries and the very rare international call up at this level. Especially with more clubs turning full time or minimum the hybrid model, such as Braintree have done. Also the introduction of that stupid new non League cup competition with little reward and more opportunity to suffer injuries.

It certainly seems a route Barnet have gone down, vastly increasing their squad signing 9 or ten new signings, letting a couple go, but not forgetting they had the injection of a major £4m approx. in a sell on fee that they collected. (Hopefully that will be us in the future now we are going to be financially managed correctly). We are at the start of that journey in finding the rough diamonds, knocking the edges of and selling for a profit, but at the same time improving our league standing and it is imperative we get out of this division upwards ASAP.

I am being patient, but the closer it gets to the 10th and the size of the squad, the risk is there of being at greater impact to the squad for injuries, so would like to see some new faces that can genuinely compete for places in the side. I don't want additional numbers for the sake of it, that offer no improvement to the team or can't maintain our on the pitch standards if we are subject to injuries, as most of us accept we will be.

Hopefully, there will be some positive movement this week, but I am sure Kev and the management are working to make this happen sooner rather than later.

UTB

Must of missed that. Who was sold on that generated that money for them?

I know Maidenhead had a huge windfall (c.£4m+) for the sell on of Max Kilman from Wolves to the Hammers. Is that who you meant?

 

[SUFCGoals]

Must of missed that. Who was sold on that generated that money for them?

I know Maidenhead had a huge windfall for the sell on of Max Kilman from Wolves to the Hammers. Is that who you meant?

I think he's referring to Ronnie Edwards (possibly) who's gone from Posh to Saints form £3M but supposedly Barnet got 50% of that.

 

[Smiffy]

I think he's referring to Ronnie Edwards (possibly) who's gone from Posh to Saints form £3M but supposedly Barnet got 50% of that.

A 50% sell on is very impressive!