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Yorkshire Blue

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It's a small sample size but all three signings are League Two players.

No fringe players dropping down from higher leagues in search of regular football. No non-league stars looking to better themselves. No past-it pros hanging on for one last pay day. All sideways moves from players in their mid-20s.

In contrast, Sturrock's first summer saw us try mainly for players who'd played at a higher level.

A deliberate ploy or coincidence? Is he after players who can cope with the rough and tough of division 4? Or are they just cheaper than players accustomed to a third division wage? Or is he just playing safe to build up the depth first with players he knows what he's getting and the gambles (the Mohsnis, the Leonards) will come later in pre-season?

The three signings we've made are all high floor, low ceiling type signings.

I'll be a little disappointed if we don't sign anyone from non-league this summer. There are some good players out there - Sean Clohessy is one of Sturrock's best signings (although that will have been Widdrington) and I think there are more players out there on way up, like Clohessy, Ryan Hall (Widdrington again?) or like Mark Bentley, Mark Gower, maybe even like Freddy Eastwood (when we signed him on the way up rather than on loan on the way down). Who was that utility player we had on trial from Welling(?) last year? I'd like us to get a couple of players in permanently like that - not necessarily him, but someone who'd overachieved in non-league to see if they could stand out in the fourth division as well.

Presumably we'll get some random French triallists in as Luggy has good contacts out there and there might be some gems in amongst them. They probably have even higher ceilings and lower floors than the non-league players.

Cresswell will be a Coughlan signing. Tomlin is a long term Sturrock target, don't know what the Straker connection is.
 
I dunno, make it four then if he's actually signed.

He's another in his mid 20s who played league two football last year.
 
Trial match on Saturday, so I'd expect plenty of players from all over (non-league, free agents, foreigners) to pop up.

Who's this years Rohan Ricketts!!!
 
Or is this just simple trying to balance our budget and taking horses for courses and getting sorted out so we know where we are on a preseason level?
 
As has been pointed out in the original post Clohessey, Mohsni and Hall are 3 amazing signings none of which came from the league above.

Not all the players brought in at this level will work out, but Sturrock certainly has pulled in some gems.
 
The three signings we've made are all high floor, low ceiling type signings.

I'll be a little disappointed if we don't sign anyone from non-league this summer.

I'm not sure what "high floor, low ceiling" means I'm afraid - any chance of an explanation? Is it Yorkshire speak? :winking:

Would expect a couple of players from the trials to show a strong chance of signing ...... but we know from past experience that this can be a means for a player's agent to alert other clubs to the situation - but better to try than not.

Otherwise, whilst I have some questions over some of the players signed, overall I'm quite pleased at the moment as we seem to be building a squad with a level of depth and experience that is better than we have seen for the last couple of seasons ..... with the exception of losing Grant(ee). :'(

Of course we need a goalie ...... and if Kalala is not with us, then an experienced central midfielder would be on my shopping list.

Think getting the balance right in midfield with the right combination of wingers and strikers will be a tricky business ..... and it's all to play for in the friendlies .........
 
For Yorkie, this is a very positive post !!

Is it?



I'm not sure what "high floor, low ceiling" means I'm afraid - any chance of an explanation? Is it Yorkshire speak? :winking:

High floor could be amazing, low ceiling could be a flop. Classic example Bilel Mohsni. Best case scenario with those raw attributes he'd develop into a premiership player, but when we signed him there was also quite a strong possibility that he'd be Rymans Premier at best.

Low ceiling, high floor you know what you are getting.

The four we've signed have high floors as we know they are league two players - even if they don't work out here they'll find another league two club, maybe at worse a conference side and get games with them. But they probably have quite low ceilings given that they have been playing professional football for quite a few years around this level and improvement tends to tail off for most positions by that age. League One might be their absolute peak as a player and they may not reach that peak.
 
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can Belford be a trialist :winking:​

He knows something we don't :winking:
 
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