Next Season - New Signings for 17/18

[manor15]

Championship

• Sammy Ameobi - 25, Never set the world on fire at a high level so could be looking to carve a career now.
• Christian Walton - 21, obviously been here on loan and would command tribunal fee.
• Rohan Ince - 24, Defensive midfielder who was very highly rated by Brighton at one point. Been on loan at Swindon.

League 1

• Dorian Dervite - 28, this man does not need any explanation
• Jonathan Obika - 26, 6 in 30 for a relegated Swindon side, but he has bags of pace and experience
• Matt Lund, 26, had him on loan before and has become a good L1 CM.

Picked a few out to comment on.

Was Ameobi not in the same youth/reserve teams as Ranger when they were at Newcastle? Could be useful.

Think I've seen somewhere that Walton was under contract for another year and given that he's an England under 21 international said to be earning £6k a week, it might not be achievable.

Saw Ince play at Swindon and was their best player, energetic and good on the ball, good at breaking up play like Deegan was.

Dervite was brilliant when he was here but has been bombed out by Bolton, may be a bit of a risk if we need someone to cover Ferdinand for example. No point signing him to end up injured himself. Also been linked with a move back to Spain or France.

Obika was a bit of a targetman as well, but with Fortune and Ranger quite similar players in style to him, would we need him?

Given that PB left Lund out at Wembley, wonder how the relationship between them would be now.

Is Coker out of contract? The way PB was speaking at the Gala dinner suggested he is and that PB really wanted him to sign and was very complimentary about him and how high he could play. I saw a tweet from CP saying that PB said he has another year though?

Signed a three year deal in the summer of 2015 so should be under contract.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

I'd definitely stick a cheeky offer in for Bradley Dack. I imagine bigger clubs will be sniffing but you dont ask you dont get.

 

[manor15]

Northampton goalkeeper Adam Smith will leave them on a free transfer and is very highly rated. Doubt we are looking for a keeper but if we are then there won't be many better available in League One this summer.

 

[rigsby]

I'd definitely stick a cheeky offer in for Bradley Dack. I imagine bigger clubs will be sniffing but you dont ask you dont get.

There were rumours of a Crystal Palace offer of £2m for him last summer so it would have to be a real cheeky offer.

Like wise Walton. Not sure how people think we could be in the market for someone who would cost more than Bentley. I would expect Brighton to be looking at a loan to a Championship club next season.

 

[secondalibi]

I'm not usually overly keen on ex players returning, but I certainly wouldn't mind if we went in for Ben Reeves. He is out of contract at the end of June at MK Dons. However, we'd probably need to pay a decent fee for him.

 

[Sherif H]

John Ruddy and Seb Bassong have been released by Norwich?!

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

There were rumours of a Crystal Palace offer of £2m for him last summer so it would have to be a real cheeky offer.

Like wise Walton. Not sure how people think we could be in the market for someone who would cost more than Bentley. I would expect Brighton to be looking at a loan to a Championship club next season.

I reckon there's a chance we could get Walton back tbh. His only real experience for any length of time has been in League 2 so Brighton might not be against a season loan at a League 1 side.

 

[Portuguese Shrimper]

John Ruddy and Seb Bassong have been released by Norwich?!

John Ruddy is a good keeper and only 30 years of age - plenty of years left in him! Wouldn't have to move too far either.

 

[Jim Levenstein]

Highly doubt Walton will be coming here again we have 2 competent keepers under contract our budget will not being used on another..

We certainly do need a 5th striker. Cox is great, Ranger is injury prone, MAF is old and though I like Theo, he puts in 100% and his pace does cause problems I worry about his actual quality on the ball. I'd like us to try and loan Toni Martinez from West Ham who has been at Oxford. A bit of flair and youth up top.

I imagine O'Neill, Nouble, Hines, Mooney and maybe Timlin will be released the others will be offered deals to stay. I'd like a quality right winger (maybe we can spend Mooney's wages on that to ensure some good talent coming in)

A new CB to give Thompson and Anton some competition if they stay..

Ryan Leonard getting a new contract is essential. Bids will be coming in for him this summer guaranteed.

 

[Ricky Otto]

Highly doubt Walton will be coming here again we have 2 competent keepers under contract our budget will not being used on another..

We certainly do need a 5th striker. Cox is great, Ranger is injury prone, MAF is old and though I like Theo, he puts in 100% and his pace does cause problems I worry about his actual quality on the ball. I'd like us to try and loan Toni Martinez from West Ham who has been at Oxford. A bit of flair and youth up top.

I imagine O'Neill, Nouble, Hines, Mooney and maybe Timlin will be released the others will be offered deals to stay. I'd like a quality right winger (maybe we can spend Mooney's wages on that to ensure some good talent coming in)

A new CB to give Thompson and Anton some competition.

Ryan Leonard getting a new contract is essential. Bids will be coming in for him this summer guaranteed.

I agree but think Timlin will be offered something. Of the nine out of contract (Thompson, White, Ferdinand, O'neill, Hines, Timlin, Mooney, Nouble & Atkinson) I think All will be offered deals bar O'Neill, Hines, Mooney & Nouble.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Of the 9 out of contracts I feel Mooney, O'Neill, Hines, Nouble will be off for sure. Question marks over White and Timlin.

The biggest bit of business we could do this summer is tie Lenny down to a long term deal.

 

[Jim Levenstein]

Would definitely offer White a new deal. Whenever called upon this season he has really played well though I imagine he will have a very tempting offer from the dodgy side of the county.

 

[Tampa Blue]

Zander Diamond has been released and I thought that he played well against us.

 

[Napster]

Zander Diamond has been released and I thought that he played well against us.

he was great in Saved by the Bell

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

Zander Diamond has been released and I thought that he played well against us.

Yeah, he really sparkled that day!

 

[shrimper-james]

I'd definitely take John Ruddy here, could do a great job in L1. Norwich have also released striker Kyle Lafferty who I wouldn't mind, but I suspect he'll probably want to stay at a higher level

 

[rlb999]

Loving all these people wanting to spend money on a third senior goalkeeper!

Interesting comment from Darragh McAnthony this evening who is about as good a lower league businessman as there is in my view - doesn't take players released by championship clubs as wage demands are too high.

 

[* ORM *]

Is Lockwood available?

 

[mrsblue]

Loving all these people wanting to spend money on a third senior goalkeeper!

Interesting comment from Darragh McAnthony this evening who is about as good a lower league businessman as there is in my view - doesn't take players released by championship clubs as wage demands are too high.

Any fair minded person would understand players dropping down will be expensive !....these type of guys have a certain lifestyle afforded by a decent pay package...none of them are joining us for anything other than money and a decent lump of it.

 

[Barry.C]

What like Shrewsbury Gillingham and Port Vale did.

By the way PB had interviewed 15 Players within 10 days of the end of last season and another 15 before the end of May. The reason being is we can't just have who we want. If their chairman (Orient) want to much money then its a no. If Charlton come along and offer a player (Novak) £100,000 a year more then its a no. If the agents want to spend all summer having an auction with the players current club and about 4 others then its a No

But equally the players who are desperate for a contract before June 1st aren't always the best. Still that's the madness of pro football and that's the joy of being born in this part of Essex.....What if your mum and dad had decided to start their family in Colchester?

PB made a point of emphasising how important it would be to get players in early and according to your points well made he was certainly making the effort to do so, although some of our better marks came along a bit later in the day. He clearly indicated he would not be encumbered by the play offs last year and extolled the virtues of getting players in early as do practically every Manager I have heard speak on the matter.
Incidentally for another perspective Sheffield United, Bradford and Bolton were among the quickest off the mark. They actually belted along to sign 31 players between them from June to July and where have they ended up?
So its a bit like patterns on the stock exchange ( the first quarter Housebuilders play ) In other words it is easy to say it didnt happen for this particular 4 years, whilst ignoring the pattern of the other 31 years? So a little circumspection is required