Last summer we signed Pawel Abbot - Paul Hayes can only be an improvement on that so all in all I'm happy. His goal scoring record doesn't look great, he's only managed double figures in the league twice in his career (according to Wiki) but he looks to have done well in thie league on two seperate occasions and at 27 he should be hitting his prime. A good signing for this division, although I'm not sure he'd be any use in the Championship - but we can cross that bridge when we get to it !
Very good player, a bit inconsistent, but we're in a world where we're not signing the finished/proven article. It's as good a signing as we could hope for. My only worry at this point is that we're looking light in the central positions.
For all those looking for big name signings perhaps they should look how other teams have got out of this division. My guess is that a group of competent well coached and motivated players that fit together playing together as a team in a consistent style defined by the manager is rather more important - the stars would then grow out of such a framework. The fact that we have had a midfield for a number of years where it has been difficult to see the best way of fitting them together, although the indiviudal players all have their qualities (apart from McOxo!) goes a long way to explaining why we are where we are. Every good team has its dull workhouses who just fit into the pattern.
Rather like Hollands, I have read the comments and those that seem to know about the lad seem to rate him so that is good enough for me for now. I have never really heard of him and don't remember ever seeing him play so can't comment personally.
Players with experience and pedigree in tihs league are exactly what we need though so he ticks those boxes.
We need players who know this league inside out, and who are willing to come here to work hard and get promoted rather than players who come here because we offered the highest wages. If they come from the area then all the better as it helps people to settle in quicker if they have family/friends nearby or feel comfortable in similar surroundings.
I think we need to see who is resigning with us before we can decide how well we are going to do or what players we need to come in. Plenty we are waiting for news on - Semedo, Racon, etc.
Totally underwhelmed by this. I think if anyone had any doubts whether we are being bankrolled by some multi millionaire, the answer is in this signing. Great wind up by Cawley as well.
Hmmm...the last time I looked we were a 3rd division side, its gonna be very diificult to get Championship quality players at the Valley regardless of the amount of money that we have. I expect us to sign players like this, with the odd 'surprise' thrown in, ie championship player or Prem loanee. I dont know anything about Hayes, that said, reading the posts on here I think he might work with BWP.
can't relly comment as I've never seen the lad play..............
however, in his 10 season career he has only scored more than 13 goals in a season TWICE (and I'm including cup games in that) and strange that he signs on a free for PNE in 2010 and then 3 months into a 3yr contract they let him out on loan (face didn't fit/fall out with manager/no good..............take your pick)
looks like another Benson to me & certainly not a Le Fondre.
I'll reserve judgment until i've seen him play - Welling pre-season is always a good indicator..
I can see the logic, but I don't know enough to say either way whether I think it will work. Hayes and the likes of Hollands are the calibre of player I was personally expecting (not hoping, I admit to aspiring higher) to make up the majority of any new signings this preseason.
If wouldn't be the first time a second striker in a pair that were awesome turns out to be significantly less than half of the partnership. Hooper moved to Celtic for £2.4m so it's not hard to speculate that Hayes had an exceptional (for the level they were at) partner who made his stats look good. Ignoring the obvious sarcasm I suspect I would be able to get a few assists in the third division if I was playing alongside Darren Bent (God only knows how many Bexley Dan would get), so I am treating this with cautions optimism. His stats away from Scunthorpe are not all that impressive, but then nor are ours, if we're honest.
What I think there is no doubt about, however, is that this signing is significanty less excititng/impressive that the chap from the paper led us to believe. This is, is it not, the same paper that was promising a take over "within a week" for most of the summer of 2009. Clearly the paper, or it's employees, are much better at promising stories than delivering them.
As with most of our signings since the glory years we know less and less about these two bob players And as with every clown and hero we've signed in recent times, the usual he could be the greatest thing since slice bread brigade arrive and there's the he's bound to be wank cos we've got him brigade(that's where I lean towards) Why would a team as desperate as preston not be able to find him a place last season ?? Anyway until I see him I have no idea and we might not even get him so still nothing to get too excited/depressed more by
we'll always be a league one side if we sign league one standard players unless we can improve them significantly and that's the key Have we signed this nobody or are we just assuming he's signed ?
Am I alone in thinking this is a 'realistic' signing? If we are going to splash out, surely it is for a central defender or two, and also to replace Semedo and Racon if they move on.
Just had a look back at what he actually said on Twitter.
First he said he had a cafc exclusive, no mention of it being a big name or an exciting signing.
Later he added the player is well known - he is at League 1 level - and "think it will be a good signing."
I don't see where there was any suggestion we were bringing in a big name player.
Well known could even mean a League 2 player like Le Fondre couldn't it? It really just confirmed it wasn't another non-league player like Pritchard or a young player no one had heard of.
A proven player at this level who has won promotion twice before - I'll take that.
The reality of the situation is the 'big names' that some are expecting would simply not be interested in coming to a league one side. Add to that the wages we would have to offer them would dwarf those of the other players, put our finances in jeopardy and maybe even cause resentment amongst those other players. We have all seen big time players take the cash and play at a lower level...how many of them are then actually prepared to pull their sleeves up and fight day in day out to succeed? Often, they end up as distant figures that see themselves as too good for the team and so don't buy into the ethos of pulling together and slogging away to get the desired result. We need commited sloggers to get out of this league - at least in the metaphorical sense!
I agree with macronate that we appear to be slowly building a side to do the job - it is intriguing to see it all take shape. This may only be one small part.
In reply to oohaahmortimer, PNE's problem last season wasn't really scoring goals, it was conceding them. In front of Hayes in the pecking order were some very good forwards including the likes of the beast (Parkin), Ellington, Brown, Elliot and Hume (who is will be with them next season and may well be the best striker in our league by a mile if his form continues - he was a regular scorer in the champs last season as well as an excellent all round player). I think it is fair to say that he didn't get much of a chance to prove himself last season and was also a casualty of changes in the management regime. Whether he proves to be a hit for us, who knows....but surely it's not right to write him off before he's even kicked a ball for us!
There is a long way to go in the recruitment journey of this season, the big differences from this season are that:-
We are not delaying purchases till as late as possible to delay paying salaries.
We are shopping at the top of Div 1 not the bottom of Div 1 or Div 2.
We are able to take punts on lower division players in the knowledge that if it does not come off then it is a pain rather than critical
We have a manager who everybody wants to succeed and who is as assured of his job, as much as any manager can be.
Hayes, Hollands, BWP are players that offer us a step up in the quality of the squad, not maybe the step up we would dream of, but with potentially Parrett, Ecclestone coming back next season and further signings we could have a very good Div 1 squad next season.
We've got two strikers right now. Two; one of them scored a hatful last season but can go off the boil any minute and has dodgy knees, and the other isn't really first team material. I'm delighted to see we're being linked with Hayes. He has a proven track record and is well thought of. Abbot had 13 goals in L1 last season but from what I heard Oldham fans were pretty surprised that had happened and weren't too sad to lose him. I'll take Hayes as part of a rebuilding process any day. Having said that thought we've actually got to sign him first. This could just be another Bolasie situation
If he is a League 1 Andy Hunt/Deon Burton type player then he sounds like a very good signing and just the kind of foil we need for BWP. If we can get Hayes and proper massive battering ram type striker then we'll have good balance and options up front. Maybe add a raw, fast youngster on loan and we'll be laughing. It would be a similar squad of strikers to the one Parky had in our first season in the division but with that magic ingredient - a goalscorer in BWP.
Hayes would be a good signing but where does the balance lie after that... I agree with EA in the sense that I'd take Hayes, a big physical player and a speedster. But would Powell have 5 senior strikers? Could we afford to only have Hayes as a target man in the squad given that he's only 5 foot 11? Could we afford to have BWP as the only striker with real pace in the squad? Would anyone be happy with 4 senior strikers and if so what 2 others would you choose from Target Man, Link Up Player or Speedster?
Just heard from a mate of mine, who plays in the same football team as Hayes best mate. It's correct that he is on holiday at the moment with his girlfriend, but Charlton want him and he wants to come to us. The only sticking point at the moment is agreeing wages. His agent is talking to the club. According to my mate, he is back living in Dagenham at the moment, so we are nice and local for him.
Well you have pace and goals in BWP. A reasonable all rounder (hold up play, decent in the air, poaches a few goals but not quick) in Benson and Hayes the clever link/target man. Add to that a hulking lump with a smidge of pace (a less fragile Akpo Sodje) and you have a decent set of four. Proabaly a clear first choice pair for a side trying to play passing football but also two decent options from the bench if we need to go more direct.
If we could maybe get a player like Eccelstone, i.e. talented and fast but raw and can play up front or wide then we'd have a decent 5th option and room for all three reserve strikers on the bench.
Don't know if Ansah is that player, I've never seen him play and I don't have any specific suggestions for names of the hulking great lump either but with that general squad make up we'd be able to cover Hayes with Benson, BWP with the fast youngster and throw the lump into the mix as and when the situation demanded.
Comments
Starting to feel a lot more optimistic about next season.
For all those looking for big name signings perhaps they should look how other teams have got out of this division. My guess is that a group of competent well coached and motivated players that fit together playing together as a team in a consistent style defined by the manager is rather more important - the stars would then grow out of such a framework. The fact that we have had a midfield for a number of years where it has been difficult to see the best way of fitting them together, although the indiviudal players all have their qualities (apart from McOxo!) goes a long way to explaining why we are where we are. Every good team has its dull workhouses who just fit into the pattern.
Rather like Hollands, I have read the comments and those that seem to know about the lad seem to rate him so that is good enough for me for now. I have never really heard of him and don't remember ever seeing him play so can't comment personally.
Players with experience and pedigree in tihs league are exactly what we need though so he ticks those boxes.
can't relly comment as I've never seen the lad play..............
however, in his 10 season career he has only scored more than 13 goals in a season TWICE (and I'm including cup games in that) and strange that he signs on a free for PNE in 2010 and then 3 months into a 3yr contract they let him out on loan (face didn't fit/fall out with manager/no good..............take your pick)
looks like another Benson to me & certainly not a Le Fondre.
I'll reserve judgment until i've seen him play - Welling pre-season is always a good indicator..
We are in L1 people, so we are signing L1 players.
It's not rocket science.
Even if we were cashed up - which I don't think we are - then we would still be signing basically L1 players.
If wouldn't be the first time a second striker in a pair that were awesome turns out to be significantly less than half of the partnership. Hooper moved to Celtic for £2.4m so it's not hard to speculate that Hayes had an exceptional (for the level they were at) partner who made his stats look good. Ignoring the obvious sarcasm I suspect I would be able to get a few assists in the third division if I was playing alongside Darren Bent (God only knows how many Bexley Dan would get), so I am treating this with cautions optimism. His stats away from Scunthorpe are not all that impressive, but then nor are ours, if we're honest.
What I think there is no doubt about, however, is that this signing is significanty less excititng/impressive that the chap from the paper led us to believe. This is, is it not, the same paper that was promising a take over "within a week" for most of the summer of 2009. Clearly the paper, or it's employees, are much better at promising stories than delivering them.
And as with every clown and hero we've signed in recent times, the usual he could be the greatest thing since slice bread brigade arrive and there's the he's bound to be wank cos we've got him brigade(that's where I lean towards)
Why would a team as desperate as preston not be able to find him a place last season ??
Anyway until I see him I have no idea and we might not even get him so still nothing to get too excited/depressed more by
Have we signed this nobody or are we just assuming he's signed ?
First he said he had a cafc exclusive, no mention of it being a big name or an exciting signing.
Later he added the player is well known - he is at League 1 level - and "think it will be a good signing."
I don't see where there was any suggestion we were bringing in a big name player.
Well known could even mean a League 2 player like Le Fondre couldn't it? It really just confirmed it wasn't another non-league player like Pritchard or a young player no one had heard of.
A proven player at this level who has won promotion twice before - I'll take that.
The reality of the situation is the 'big names' that some are expecting would simply not be interested in coming to a league one side. Add to that the wages we would have to offer them would dwarf those of the other players, put our finances in jeopardy and maybe even cause resentment amongst those other players. We have all seen big time players take the cash and play at a lower level...how many of them are then actually prepared to pull their sleeves up and fight day in day out to succeed? Often, they end up as distant figures that see themselves as too good for the team and so don't buy into the ethos of pulling together and slogging away to get the desired result. We need commited sloggers to get out of this league - at least in the metaphorical sense!
I agree with macronate that we appear to be slowly building a side to do the job - it is intriguing to see it all take shape. This may only be one small part.
I won't write him off, I did that when we signed Burton and he turned out to be a great signing for us.
If he is a League 1 Andy Hunt/Deon Burton type player then he sounds like a very good signing and just the kind of foil we need for BWP. If we can get Hayes and proper massive battering ram type striker then we'll have good balance and options up front. Maybe add a raw, fast youngster on loan and we'll be laughing. It would be a similar squad of strikers to the one Parky had in our first season in the division but with that magic ingredient - a goalscorer in BWP.
Well you have pace and goals in BWP. A reasonable all rounder (hold up play, decent in the air, poaches a few goals but not quick) in Benson and Hayes the clever link/target man. Add to that a hulking lump with a smidge of pace (a less fragile Akpo Sodje) and you have a decent set of four. Proabaly a clear first choice pair for a side trying to play passing football but also two decent options from the bench if we need to go more direct.
If we could maybe get a player like Eccelstone, i.e. talented and fast but raw and can play up front or wide then we'd have a decent 5th option and room for all three reserve strikers on the bench.
Don't know if Ansah is that player, I've never seen him play and I don't have any specific suggestions for names of the hulking great lump either but with that general squad make up we'd be able to cover Hayes with Benson, BWP with the fast youngster and throw the lump into the mix as and when the situation demanded.