Transfer News, Gossip & Speculation Transfer Thread - Summer 2025 Edition.

[kentblues]

Well it was Justin who said we were going for promotion (ok maybe he was ****ed, who knows!).

People saying 1st is unachievable/fantasy land .. well it isn't .. anyone can win the league with consistent results over 46 games and the required quality. Quality doesn't have to equal big bucks. Maher is a master at getting team spirit going and getting players running through walls. We've got no points deduction and no embargo. We've got amazing passionate fans. I'm with Mr Rees - let's go for it. If we fail we fail but let's go for 1st place. None of this 'happy with 4th' malarkey.

I agree the positive is certainly if we can bring in that quality to add to what we have then everything becomes possible.

 

[McShrimper]

Well it was Justin who said we were going for promotion (ok maybe he was ****ed, who knows!).

People saying 1st is unachievable/fantasy land .. well it isn't .. anyone can win the league with consistent results over 46 games and the required quality. Quality doesn't have to equal big bucks. Maher is a master at getting team spirit going and getting players running through walls. We've got no points deduction and no embargo. We've got amazing passionate fans. I'm with Mr Rees - let's go for it. If we fail we fail but let's go for 1st place. None of this 'happy with 4th' malarkey.

I’m not sure what else Justin and the consortium can say when asked directly about the ambitions for next season. Can you imagine the reaction if he instead said different. ie. “We’ve put our hand in our pockets a fair bit, so I reckon our budget will be about 10th highest in the league. We’ll aim to sneak in the playoffs again…” Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t…

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I’m not sure what else Justin and the consortium can say when asked directly about the ambitions for next season. Can you imagine the reaction if he instead said different. ie. “We’ve put our hand in our pockets a fair bit, so I reckon our budget will be about 10th highest in the league. We’ll aim to sneak in the playoffs again…” Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t…

I'm with him - aim high. It's not really the British way but why go into a season with the mindset that we're not in a position to win the thing. COSU cannot spend fortunes but let's focus on what we can do to give us that extra 30 points or so - turn draws into wins, losses into draws. We don't need to reinvent the wheel BUT we do need to be very clever in our recruitment. We're led to believe we have good people leading this .. let's hoover up some rough diamonds!!

 

[Supershrimper]

Waldron (Tamworth) - fail

Waldron joined from Rushall Olympic

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

I

Well the reality is no one has gone to the EFL.

Cardwell is a good non league striker all be it firing blanks for a season at FGR will have dented his standing. It hasn’t worked for him at EFL level. FGR was a good move financially and a bad move professionally- so far at least.

Gus may- we will see. My point stands that we have maybe one player who an EFL club might at this moment want sign. This is indicative of where we are at now.

So to me this just reinforces what many are saying- we need 4-5 of that calibre (or soon to be) through the door.

I agree that it might be what we might need but it's not realistic to expect that.

We don't have the financial firepower to go and get 5 players that EFL clubs might want to buy unfortunately. It will be players that have the 'potential' of getting there from our current league or the leagues below. Ready made ones will be too expensive I fear.

As I said, the likes of Parillon and Morton can still achieve that feat, the former specifically. If we sign Spasov or someone similar, that will be the same for them too.

The facts are, the types of players many mentioned previously, such as Linney or Will Davies, have now gone to a football league side or a side spending loads of money. It just isn't a pond we are fishing in.

 

[kentblues]

I

I agree that it might be what we might need but it's not realistic to expect that.

We don't have the financial firepower to go and get 5 players that EFL clubs might want to buy unfortunately. It will be players that have the 'potential' of getting there from our current league or the leagues below. Ready made ones will be too expensive I fear.

As I said, the likes of Parillon and Morton can still achieve that feat, the former specifically. If we sign Spasov or someone similar, that will be the same for them too.

The facts are, the types of players many mentioned previously, such as Linney or Will Davies, have now gone to a football league side or a side spending loads of money. It just isn't a pond we are fishing in.

Which is fine and let us, including the Kev out brigade, set their expectations accordingly. I have no problem with COSU following the sustainable path (indeed it’s, after what we went through, the number one concern). Let’s just not want to sack everyone if then we aren’t in the top 3 at Xmas.

Anyhow let’s see who we actually bring in.

 

[Jack_23]

A lot of overreaction from fans regarding transfer activity or lack of it . Still plenty of time to get players of good quality in. Losing out on players happens to every single club. Signings will come . Patience is needed

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

Numerous ITK have confirmed that is what has happened. We dragged our feet and missed out.

Get over the Cashman saga…..please.

 

[stewart]

Mher and co have watched the team last season , now they should know our weak spots , so really whats needed mostly is to strengthen those positions they believe are our weaknesses, most here have their own opinion on those weak spots, Strengthen those weak spots whether they come from NLS/NLN or lower it dosent really matter. We shouldnt be looking for WOW signings because we cant afford them,im sure they will be looking at discards from academies higher up the chain also ,plenty im sure been released from those top London clubs who may enjoy the fresh sea air of the Essex riviera .

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Interesting. I guess it also depends where you are trying to get to. 60% from the NLS/NLN have been good enough for NL. How many have attracted an offer from the EFL? I believe not a single one? In part our problem is we have a rock solid team of NL players that can get us 4th - 7th as the team is also more than the sum of its parts.

The question isn’t how we continue to get players that can step up to the NL but are also players who will take us a step further and who EFL clubs would want because they are at that level…

Re the L1/L2 most are loanees which has indeed proved very hit and miss. Not really sure L1/L2 is a very good source in NL unless you are very careful and want to spend £££. Unless it’s a youngster being released at a higher level perhaps.

Probably investing in players currently in the NL who we believe can step up?

How many have gone to League Clubs? Our priority is not to be a feeder club for the EFL but to gain promotion. Fact is under KM with a little help from JS we would have qualified for the play offs last season but for point deductions and that was even with all the scarcely believable goings on we endured during the last days of RM. This season we did make the play offs and almost won promotion via that route while some free spending rivals with serious financial backing could were forced to look on via their TV sets.
And it was not as if our lead into the season was ideal, either. That is an enviable record.

Since KM and JS took over we have unearthed some seriously good players for very little outlay despite having recruitment either restricted and/or interrupted by events beyond their control. This pre season is the first time they have been able to operate in a normal fashion although, as always, there will not be a whole lot dosh to throw around.

Our signings from lower in the pyramid tend to be of the stealthy variety. Here's hoping for more of the same be they sooner or later.

 

[Southend Elvis]

I would love to see us sign 5 or 6 cheap young prospects, rather than 3 or 4 expensive hasbeens. We should have enough old heads with experience in our current squad to add steady know how, who knows, some gems may be amongst those youngsters who would push us up the league and earn us some dollar if the big boys come snooping.

 

[kentblues]

I would love to see us sign 5 or 6 cheap young prospects, rather than 3 or 4 expensive hasbeens. We should have enough old heads with experience in our current squad to add steady know how, who knows, some gems may be amongst those youngsters who would push us up the league and earn us some dollar if the big boys come snooping.

The second of those options I absolutely wouldn’t want. The first is fine and set expectations accordingly. But we should all judge once our business is done what to expect realistically.

 

[annie1954]

I think one problem is we have a target player who we would like to sign but if a Football League side is showing interest it makes it hard I’m sure most players would avoid playing at this level if they could

 

[The Original Tribal Chief]

Get over the Cashman saga…..please.

Get over the fact that we are not looking like we can compete for promotion, but may scrape into the playoffs.....please

 

[danbowen]

I would love to see us sign 5 or 6 cheap young prospects, rather than 3 or 4 expensive hasbeens. We should have enough old heads with experience in our current squad to add steady know how, who knows, some gems may be amongst those youngsters who would push us up the league and earn us some dollar if the big boys come snooping.

I agree I would certainly want more younger players but you 100% need experienced players alongside those. Although we have players who have played alot of games I wouldnt say we have any real leaders on the pitch who can lift players up when it is getting tough and that is arguably part of the reason Oldham were able to come back in to it in the final against us. Our most vocal player last season was possibly Bonne other than that we were very quiet on the pitch.

 

[Southend Elvis]

The second of those options I absolutely wouldn’t want. The first is fine and set expectations accordingly. But we should all judge once our business is done what to expect realistically.

To me, the second option is unlikely to produce much success. When players have been paid who knows, how much more and possibly played in front of tens of thousands of fans, how could they increase their effort or enthusiasm when playing against 75 away fans on a rainy Tuesday night. You may always get 1 or 2 that play up, but you have more chance with the fame hungry young players, wanting to get noticed.

 

[Shrimper]

Get over the fact that we are not looking like we can compete for promotion, but may scrape into the playoffs.....please

We definitely need to sign someone with a recent proven record of goals at this level or I can see us coming 6th/7th

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

We need maybe 5 or 6 in as we have let 2 go, as well a 1 loanee, and we had a small squad anyway.

Of those 5 or 6, not all of them are going to be ready made star players that we have nicked from under the noses of Bolton, simply not going to happen. If we can get one, then brilliant.

We need a couple from NLS/NLN that may or may not make the grade, think Cardwell, Morton, Parillon, GSM, Crowther etc. Maybe 1 will shine and improve the team, one will end up a squad player.

We then need a couple more seasoned players from other NL sides, KAF, Hayes, Taylor, Husin etc ones that will more than likely improve the starting eleven. These are the really important signings.

Then a couple of youngsters on loan from Premiership/Championship/L1 clubs, such as Pepple. We might get lucky and get a star that is then recalled or not, or we might get some rubbish, but this is the gamble, and its the cheapest option.

Yes I am getting frustrated that nothing is happening, and maybe that its the first time in years where the club hasn't been the centre of my attention both during the winter and the summer (for all the wrong reasons previously). So its difficult to just forget and get on with life for 3 or 4 weeks without thinking about football, but that is what we all need to do.

The club will sign players, either in the next week or so, or at the start of preseason (there maybe some trialists etc. could get another Ryan Leonard), or even right up until the 9th August, but whatever happens I am sure we will be in a much better state than last August, and hopefully hit the ground running and give wining this god damn division a good old attempt.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I agree I would certainly want more younger players but you 100% need experienced players alongside those. Although we have players who have played alot of games I wouldnt say we have any real leaders on the pitch who can lift players up when it is getting tough and that is arguably part of the reason Oldham were able to come back in to it in the final against us. Our most vocal player last season was possibly Bonne other than that we were very quiet on the pitch.

We have experienced players.

Ralph, Miley, Hopper, Taylor, Bridge, Bonne, Husin etc were all experienced and we have an experienced core for next season.

If you want leadership that’s something else. Lopata is about as inexperienced as we’ve had in the Maher era but was a leader.

 

[rlb999]

We definitely need to sign someone with a recent proven record of goals at this level or I can see us coming 6th/7th

Or we need someone to step up and start scoring regularly. I think Kendall has the most potential to do this.