Who stays/Who goes

Let's not be under any illusions here. Our defence consists of 7 players. Our full backs are not encouraged to get forward let alone our two midfield babysitters.
Assuming league one has better forwards then it's safe to predict that Adams will stick to his counter attacking style.
I'm not expecting an assault on a play off place next season.

Rollo Tomasi wrote:

Let's not be under any illusions here. Our defence consists of 7 players. Our full backs are not encouraged to get forward let alone our two midfield babysitters.
Assuming league one has better forwards then it's safe to predict that Adams will stick to his counter attacking style.
I'm not expecting an assault on a play off place next season.

All depends who Derek brings in, he' probably in his car on way to Scotland right now.

Not too many surprises but slightly was on Fox, expected Millar to be retained Adams obviously rates him, rest pretty much agree albeit not entirely on Slew.
Felt he was playing very well until Kennedy was brought in

harvetheslayer wrote:

Not too many surprises but slightly was on Fox, expected Millar to be retained Adams obviously rates him, rest pretty much agree albeit not entirely on Slew.
Felt he was playing very well until Kennedy was brought in

Fox? Why?

Tgwu wrote:

We still have retained the worst two backs that was in League 2 last season

I don't think Sawyer was anything like that bad and Miller, and he's not that bad either, hasn't so much been retained because he is under contract already so there was no decision to make.

I'd be very underwhelmed if Miller was a regular starter in League 1.  Sawyer is a dependable enough fullback, but his best years are now behind him too.

It is encouraging that there'll clearly be a lot of new additions. It remains to be seen how the quality of those new additions stack up in League 1.

Indeed.

And let's face it those released hardly set the world alight.

Slew had some pace but not much else, scored a few but not enough; Spencer had a good first touch, scored a few but not enough; Bulvitis was solid enough but was horribly exposed by a pacey forward; Brunt was everybody's fave Big Guy up front but has definite fitness issues which may not be over-come;   Donaldson never inspired; Smith was probably better than Donaldson but that wasn't saying much.

The only one I feel sympathy for was Rooney. I didn't see much of him but what I did see impressed me. He would have been a hopeful punt in L2 but that makes him a desperate one in L1. For him it is possible that promotion came a year too soon.

Hugh Watt wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Not too many surprises but slightly was on Fox, expected Millar to be retained Adams obviously rates him, rest pretty much agree albeit not entirely on Slew.
Felt he was playing very well until Kennedy was brought in

Fox? Why?

Rarely scores, aging reminds me of Ray Wilkins great at going sideways. Obviously Adams rates him good enough for league 1

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

Indeed.

And let's face it those released hardly set the world alight.

Slew had some pace but not much else, scored a few but not enough; Spencer had a good first touch, scored a few but not enough; Bulvitis was solid enough but was horribly exposed by a pacey forward; Brunt was everybody's fave Big Guy up front but has definite fitness issues which may not be over-come;   Donaldson never inspired; Smith was probably better than Donaldson but that wasn't saying much.

The only one I feel sympathy for was Rooney. I didn't see much of him but what I did see impressed me. He would have been a hopeful punt in L2 but that makes him a desperate one in L1. For him it is possible that promotion came a year too soon.

Rooney faded at Hartlepool....from playing ....to sub....to bench warmer......had the chance on loan to make a point....but didn't in the end.....answered Adams questions about him .....now released.....might be ok in Div 5.....maybe Torquay.

Agree

Can we have a sticky like Angry had last summer with the in's and out's

Squad for season 2017/18

Luke McCormick.
Nathan Blissett.
Ryan Taylor.
Gary Sawyer.
Antoni Sarcevic.
Sonny Bradley.
David Fox.
Jake Jervis.
Gary Miller.
Jakub Sokolik.
Yann Songo'o.
Oscar Threlkeld.

Contracts offered to Graham Carey and Marc McCallum.
Apprentices offered professional contract: Jordan Bentley, Alex Fletcher and Callum Rose.

Released:
Ryan Brunt.
Nauris Bulvitis.
Jack Calver.
Ryan Donaldson.
Vincent Dorel.
David Ijaha.
Ryan Lane.
Billy Palfrey.
Louis Rooney.
Jordan Slew.
Connor Smith.
Jimmy Spencer.
Ben Steer.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

Tgwu wrote:

We still have retained the worst two backs that was in League 2 last season

I don't think Sawyer was anything like that bad and Miller, and he's not that bad either, hasn't so much been retained because he is under contract already so there was no decision to make.

Very strange to say that two players who helped to fashion the joint second best defensive record in the division were actually the two worst full backs in the league but there you are.

It appears to me from the sidelines that Argyle's defensive record has little to do with who the full backs were and more to do with 9 or 10 behind the ball. To credit the traditional 5 man defence for a good defensive record misses the point. The goalposts have moved.

Adams looking at signing at least nine new players for next season. I expect he has a list of names and targets who can do a job in League One. If Carey does leave in the next couple of weeks or so, Adams will find a suitable replacement who can be in the same mould as Carey (or better ?). I completely trust Adams, he knows what he is doing. I expect one or two of the new signings will be complete unknowns to us all.

I understand he is taking in three games in the next few days. Not sure if that is scouting for players or he just wants to watch some Scottish footie as a break.

VillageGreen wrote:

Adams looking at signing at least nine new players for next season. I expect he has a list of names and targets who can do a job in League One. If Carey does leave in the next couple of weeks or so, Adams will find a suitable replacement who can be in the same mould as Carey (or better ?). I completely trust Adams, he knows what he is doing. I expect one or two of the new signings will be complete unknowns to us all.

I understand he is taking in three games in the next few days. Not sure if that is scouting for players or he just wants to watch some Scottish footie as a break.

Maybe Lord Jim is dipping into the million pound piggy bank after all.

Three to one on we sign a current or former Ross County player sometime soon.

Only surprise for me is Spencer, believe he's under rated, but we have to assume DA knows best

Graiser wrote:

Only surprise for me is Spencer, believe he's under rated, but we have to assume DA knows best

.

Agree with that, thought Spencer looked decent. Surprised also at Connor Smith who I thought could have done a job in L1. The rest were pretty much expected.

akagreengull wrote:

VillageGreen wrote:

Adams looking at signing at least nine new players for next season. I expect he has a list of names and targets who can do a job in League One. If Carey does leave in the next couple of weeks or so, Adams will find a suitable replacement who can be in the same mould as Carey (or better ?). I completely trust Adams, he knows what he is doing. I expect one or two of the new signings will be complete unknowns to us all.

I understand he is taking in three games in the next few days. Not sure if that is scouting for players or he just wants to watch some Scottish footie as a break.

Maybe Lord Jim is dipping into the million pound piggy bank after all.

dont be so bloody facetious

beesrus wrote:

It appears to me from the sidelines that Argyle's defensive record has little to do with who the full backs were and more to do with 9 or 10 behind the ball. To credit the traditional 5 man defence for a good defensive record misses the point. The goalposts have moved.

As you rightly say, your perspective is from the sidelines.

Aren't all of our views from the sidelines?

PlymptonPilgrim wrote:

Graiser wrote:

Only surprise for me is Spencer, believe he's under rated, but we have to assume DA knows best

.

Agree with that, thought Spencer looked decent. Surprised also at Connor Smith who I thought could have done a job in L1. The rest were pretty much expected.

Smith was certainly far better than Donaldson!

I suppose the fact that both were outside the 1st XI for much of the season suggests that they were what is known as "squad players" for us. Having gone up a division the old squad players find themselves a level higher and if they couldn't cut it at L2 1st XI level then why should they at L1 1st XI level?

charleymouse wrote:

Aren't all of our views from the sidelines?

 Exactly Charley, but don't tell the self appointed bishops that, stepping on their toes and all.
A wider perspective is often a valuable thing.

charleymouse wrote:

Aren't all of our views from the sidelines?

Depends which sideline is in question for this particular debate. The sideline that Mr Beesrus is expressing his opinion on would appear to be based on the evidence of a televised game at Liverpool, not on the 46 games which he didn't watch. It must take be a rather opaque thought process to conclude that a particular team scores 70-odd goals whilst permanently keeping 9 men behind the ball but everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how it may be formed. A bit like describing someone as a "self appointed bishop" really.

My sideline would be even more distant then! Although Mr B didn't use the word permanently about the 9 men behind the ball and Argyle's 71 goals was the second lowest of the 7 sides getting automatic promotion in the FL this season, so maybe there's something in what he's saying.

And whatever you think of the phrase itself, the meaning behind a "self appointed bishop" seems clear enough to me.

Greenskin wrote:

charleymouse wrote:

Aren't all of our views from the sidelines?

Depends which sideline is in question for this particular debate. The sideline that Mr Beesrus is expressing his opinion on would appear to be based on the evidence of a televised game at Liverpool, not on the 46 games which he didn't watch. It must take be a rather opaque thought process to conclude that a particular team scores 70-odd goals whilst permanently keeping 9 men behind the ball but everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how it may be formed. A bit like describing someone as a "self appointed bishop" really.

I've seen a lot more than that, and my family/friends are season ticket holders who virtually all tell the same sorry tale. The most defensive set up in our life time, and we've had an exponent or two of the theory of entertainment free football in the likes of Pulis and Kemp. You're living in dreamland.