New signing

[Yeltz7]

I know you could make a case for these players who have left not being good enough because we did not get promotion, but got to be honest it seems some of our better players have left the club at the moment i am a little worried what is going on are there problems behind the scenes or is it just non league players moving on.

[andy]

It's nothing more than we already know I guess. The only mainstays in a club are the fans. Players, managers and owners (not meaning any disrespect to Karen and Keith, just generally) will come and go. The fans, from childhood to the grave will suffer, celebrate and wonder why the hell they do it, and then do it all again. All this kissing of the badge really means nothing once a bigger carrot is dangled. Some may be aware my other love is Cagliari Calcio and the fans there have none of it. No player (Riva and Zola excepted) are ever worshipped, they are all just mercenaries in their eyes, and only the badge and the shirt is revered.

[lutleyyeltz]

I know you could make a case for these players who have left not being good enough because we did not get promotion, but got to be honest it seems some of our better players have left the club at the moment i am a little worried what is going on are there problems behind the scenes or is it just non league players moving on.

Using the term "better players" expresses both a personal and subjective viewpoint.
There are differing opinions as to the abilities of players in the 'gang' that I stand with at The Grove - and that is the nature of fans in general, I would think.
To keep the same players without any change just leads to complacency.
A new group of players with ambition is the way forward, in my opinion.
I look forward to the new season with more new player's names to get used to and the excitement of another "we're going to p**s this league" campaign!

[drummyb]

And theres the dilemma. A few of the players we brought in last season, didnt cut the mustard imho. Always a difficult one to call pre season, with so few names committing. I know on paper it looked a good season, but ...well you know the rest.

[Noggin]

We wouldn’t have been in the playoffs if it wasn’t for the fact that we lost 4 games at home, we wouldn’t have been in the playoffs if we had held on at Carlton and at Corby.

It was not a single moment of madness that cost us promotion, it was the fact that we failed to deliver on a number of occasions before that.

We have another chance that starts in August. Keep the faith.

[piearce9]

Agree with Noggin’s post. Carlton and Corby were the ones that killed us - had the game at our mercy and conceded cheap goals late on. But it’s all in the past now.

In terms of the signings, I’m really quite happy. The acquisitions are impressive and will help to shake up the dressing room. I wouldn’t expect any more before the friendlies now - we won’t put a whole squad on contract and will use pre-season to check out some further additions. The one player we desperately need to keep is Evans, but I don’t think he’s ever been on contract here.

There’s more work to be done but I’m actually very pleased with how this is panning out, rather than having any concern.

[fairweatherfan]

Agree with Noggin’s post. Carlton and Corby were the ones that killed us - had the game at our mercy and conceded cheap goals late on. But it’s all in the past now.

In terms of the signings, I’m really quite happy. The acquisitions are impressive and will help to shake up the dressing room. I wouldn’t expect any more before the friendlies now - we won’t put a whole squad on contract and will use pre-season to check out some further additions. The one player we desperately need to keep is Evans, but I don’t think he’s ever been on contract here.

There’s more work to be done but I’m actually very pleased with how this is panning out, rather than having any concern.

Evans was on contract last season I believe. He’s probably the only one I’d be worried about leaving now (with McCone gone, I’d like Morris to be retained as well), but based on (probably bad) inferences from Twitter, think he’s staying but without contract (which at 32 is probably sensible).

Imagine the others will all be at pre-season and then offered non-contract terms dependent on fitness, attitude etc. Would be a hell of a stretch to put, for example, Redhead on contract, but hopefully he’s fully recovered and can play a meaningful role.

[Seamus]

The Stratford vision in the national press.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... d-27273878

[Seamus]

They have also signed the powerful forward from Sutton Coldfield who impressed me at the Grove last season.

[HalesowenHarry]

The Stratford vision in the national press.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... d-27273878

fair enough, let's revisit this in 6 months time................