MelvinBragg

I think we might find Clarkson harder to replace. Hughes has more natural ability than the others, but in terms of effectiveness in a team unit others were more pivotal. He was our "creative player" who was left way, way behind our left back in terms of assists...

The Foran debate is pointless, he's re-signed at Inverness. We hadn't shown the slightest interest. All I would say is that I thought that Foran would have been an excellent signing last summer when we lost McCormack, if McGhee wanted to continue 4-3-3. He would have been a different type of third forward than McCormack was, but playing on the left of a front three, his defensive frailties would not have been as exposed as they were in a 4-4-2. But that kind of discussion is for another thread. We've moved on from Foran and he's moved on from us, and if people want to debate his qualities, start a thread about it. This is for potential departures and arrivals...

I still would consider Murphy not s first team player but a young player. The point about Darren Smith is that he's been in the squad for some years. He may make an impact this year...

McLean and Hughes leaving doesn't break my heart. Are Motherwell fans seeing Brian McLean line up against us next season really going to think "Aw, naw, we'll never get past him..."? Hughes, unless Gannon can give him fresh impetus, probably needs a move. he's become too comfortable simply being the big fish at Motherwell. I suspect we might see another guy called Stephen in midfield for us next season. I'm told that we've made an enquiry about Stephen Gleeson of Wolves although we're competing with MK Dons. I know Beevers is away to Colchester, but what of Patrick Boyle? Or Gary Smith, the young boy from Queens Park? I know the boy Smith would be one for the future, but surely Boyle would be one that should be in contention...

The mention of 5 or 6 signings given how many players we've lost (Klimpl, Hughes, Clarkson, McLean, Sheridan, Malcolm and possibly Quinn) suggests to me that he'll be looking to promote a couple of the younger guys. And maybe use Darren Smith more. I was going to say "the likes of Darren Smith" then realised he's the only player with first team experience we have who has been on the fringe of things. Impressive interview and saying all the right things. Though talk is cheap, it's enough to engender a wee bit of optimism in even this hardened cynic...

I thought we needed another striker before Clarkson left, so I reckon we need 2 strikers at the very least...

Spoke to a Rochdale fan tonight. Stockport beat them in the play off final last year. Phrases I kept hearing were "He'll get the ball on the deck" and "he'll sign young players who all will be able to at least pass a football". Regarding the falling out with his own players, my mate told that there is a story that Gannon fell out with a player after an away game in the south of England. Said player was left to make his own way home. Basically he's seen as an argumentative, moaning get who knows his stuff. A budget Alex Ferguson...?

Sometimes in the Champions Legue games, the TV will flash up the stat as to how much ground a player has covered. Love to have seen Clarkson's stats for that...

I tend to agree, anyone who racks up over 250 appearances for the Well before his 24th birthday deserves a wee bit of a tribute. As you've said, the way he has conducted himself off the field could be used as an example to any young player. And his commitment while on the field never wavered, even when he wasn't the most popular guy around the place he never hid. With the impending sale of Paul Quinn, you can't help feeling it's kind of the end of an era. The four very young bucks of the first post administration season will all be gone. Although the thought strikes me that for a team that finished bottom, we've done well out of them. The sales of McFadden, Pearson, Clarkson and Quinn will have brought the club something like £3,000,000 in fees. Respect to the youth policy. But I digress. Cheers DC. You'll always be welcome round here. A legend at 23...

I was just about to post asking this myself. With that, and the proposed moves for Clarkson and Quinn, there's a lot we're waiting on at the moment. Don't think I've ever known a close season like this one...

Given we're getting closer to the games against Llanelli, and I've heard not a word about TV coverage, I'm working on the assumption there won't be any meaning I won't see the second leg. Even football cameramen get holidays...?

As someone else in this thread has stated, I don't think Gannon would have accepted the job had JB told him that two or three key players were being sold, three or four had already left and he was getting no money at all to replace them...

Good article, although... Also the article continues to perpetuate the myth that the only problem we had last season was the injury crisis in November and December...

Given we are expecting to be without Clarkson, Quinn, Smith, Hughes, McLean, Sheridan and Klimpl from last season's first team squad (I've not mentioned Malcolm because for the last 6 months of the season, he wasn't really in the squad), then 8 would be a bare minimum to add to what was a thin squad last season. Adding 8 players with hopefully the progress of the likes of Saunders, Forbes and Hutchison, will hopefully give us something resembling a squad. The names mentioned are simply evidence that journalists can make the same connections that we on this forum can. Oh, and, was Chris Porter not a league one player before coming here? I think we should try and not judge players on where the manager sources them from...

Aye, wages are one thing, paying fees is another. Not much of that goes on at clubs like Falkirk, Kilmarnock and ourselves...

Is the reputed lack of offers for the likes of Smith evidence that clubs are keeping their hands in their pockets more than ever this summer? Surely this means for us that there are bargains to be had in terms of players out of contract. On a side issue, I'm sure I read somewhere Eddie May saying that Falkirk would be paying fees for a couple of players. Surely this should be an indicator that we should have decent money to spend should the proposed sales go through...?

Correct. Or at least played one player within about 40 yards of Sutton...

I would have thought that although he may favour the one man up top with a couple of attacking midfielders behind, he may be beholden to the players we have at the moment. By that I mean, at least initially finding the formation that the players we have left are most comfortable with. And on the evidence of Nancy away, no, John Sutton is not really cut out for the lone striker role...

I think it's just too soon for Craigan. He has own international career to continue and has to concern himself with his own performances in order to maintain his place there. I know Scott Leitch was assistant manager for many players he played with, but I feel the spell away from the club with Ross County helped make a separation from the rest of the players. Craigan will not have that distance. If he gets it, he will of course get my backing. Just strikes me as the cheap choice, instead of the right one. And I say that with no malice to the big guy (and fully expecting that he will get the job). Leads on to, who takes the captaincy? Lasley? Hammell? I don't think you can be assistant manager and captain so where is Craigan needed more...?

I think Paul Quinn has all the tools to go quite far in the game. Strong, quick, determined, with the right coaching he could come on leaps and bounds...

Still quite excited by this appointment, interesting to hear what Gannon has to say regarding his plans/ambitions for us and what he makes of the squad (or lack of it). Have to say though, that of almost equal interest to me will be who is appointed as his assistant manager. If the name Stephen Craigan is the answer, I will be most disappointed after JB playing such a blinder most of this summer. Nothing against Craigan (in a couple of years, he should be a shoe in for the number two job), but to me, if it is done now, it will smack of the cheap option...

I think speculating as to specific targets that Gannon will have player-wise is useless at the moment until we know for definite which of Hughes, Clarkson, Reynolds or Quinn are going to be here this season (for my money, none of them). Also, if our friends from Stockport are to be believed, Gannon is a meticulous researcher who kept 'lists' of players. That could include players from anywhere and everywhere, not just those who played under him at Stockport. The only thing I would say is that as he is portrayed as an, ahem, rather abrasive character, I don't know how many friends in football management he'll have to call upon for favours (as opposed to Sheepy McShovelface with his contact book that stretched to, em, Alex McLeish and Gordon Strachan). Actually more I think about it, this might be a good thing. He'll rely on his own judgement, rather than taking shite on loan from his pals to do him a favour. You can decide for yourselves which McShovelface signing(s) I'm referring to here...

While I'm not quite as anxious as El Grew about the future (I too think JB has been playing a blinder recently), I think he has a slight point here. Given the situation we've found ourselves in (no manager, players being sold apparently), I've found it very difficult to get excited about a new pitch or a new strip. To me these are the frills, the add ons, which don't really matter that much. The pitch could be a swamp again next season and we could return to the jester strip for all I care as long as we have a decent team. And I know a new pitch will help team performance but not as much as some players would...

Or are we now dependent on DC leaving to fund squad rebuilding? Has Gannon already been promised some cash from the deal? I don't think selling him was necessarily the right move, but have we now painted ourself into a corner where we can't afford to back out of the deal...?