Last season's most important permanent signing

Adam Phillips, signed when the season was already two months old. If that doesn't illustrate why we're not rushing to sign any available player just because the season is 3 weeks away, I don't know what will.

Our second most important permanent deal was James Norwood, signed on July 16th last year. And we'd had a lot longer to prepare last summer, having not been involved in the playoffs.

 

I'd say Luca Connell personally, signed June 22nd.

However, the point you argue re: Philips could equally illustrate how not signing players early enough leaves them taking longer to bed in and get up to speed, ultimately to the team's detriment. How ever good Adam looked after that he didn't find his feet at all in Duff's system until into November.

Similarly Norwood only really came into his own some time into the season when he sharpened up his fitness after missing much of pre-season.

I don't get the seeming accepted wisdom that a good player can't also be signed early on. I don't think anybody mainstream is saying just go and get bodies for the sake of it but equally there aren't many I talk to who don't think we should be further on the route to having got at least some of the right people in at the right time. Plymouth managed it last season and were off and running from game 1, which ultimately led to the gap to them in an outright promotion place being unsurmountable.

 

Luca Connell for me by a distance, signed 17th June.

 

So what you're saying is signing key players too late was why we started the season slowly, thus playing catch up probably cost us the top two, so we should get a move on

 

Wasn't Phillips only signed as a response to Luke Thomas getting injured?

Either way, I guess the point that's being made is that you can only sign players when they become available or you recognise where you have a gap to fill.

 

Whilst I agree with your point you're making, I too disagree with the player - for me, Connell, all day long. Incredibly important for us. First full season in a semi-decent league, so hopefully he's even better for us. On a long contract too, an immensely important figure for us

 

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

 

I thought it was Michael Duff

 

Forgot about Luca! However, if you look at his stats, Adam Phillips was also absolutely vital to our success last season.

Cadden was also signed reasonably early in the summer, but didn't really start to show his true worth until Christmas time. New players always take time to bed in. Luckily, I'm still of the belief that we don't need to make as many radical changes this summer as we did last, so hopefully that should help us get off to a better start.

 

Plymouth lost 3 of their first 5 games?

 

If Philliips was the most important signing we are well and truly doomed, weighed in with some cracking goals but often goes missing in games

 

It’s also a desperate attempt to defend this disaster of a pre season and lack of incoming activity

 

Look at his assists as well. If he didn't go missing in games, he'd be playing in the Premier League, not for Barnsley. And I'm not trying to "defend" anything. I just remember a similar amount of bed wetting last close season. It's absolutely ridiculous. If we don't sign anyone else and we're struggling in September then fine. But I'm pretty sure that neither will be the case.

 

I get that to a point but minimal activity at this point 12 months ago has absolutely No baring on this season and the current mess we are in!
How can so much positivity ebb away like it has post Wembley? Players and managers moving on all part of the game, we do however need at some point get out of this cycle f improving them losing what made us better then being even further back, some of what’s happening is hardly likely to improve our appeal to potential signings is it ?
There maybe lots happening behind the scenes with recruitment and a strategy and we are behind due to being in the play offs but it just screams of a mess.
We massively over achieved last season and I really thought we’d struggle and the league looks like it will be weaker this season but our squad was relatively weak in terms of back up and we have lost a significant part of that number, I just hope we have some good ens coming through because potentially starting with Moon, Marsh etc doesn’t fill me with confidence.

 

Correct, which is why it's vital to wait for the right deals to become available

 

Isted & Thomas for me & they were signed in january , we suddenly tightened up & managed to see games out .

 

Nice easy one...Duff.

 

I think you could also make the point that he delay and late signing meant we were playing catch up all season and ultimately we couldn’t keep the pace up.

 

We’re a month behind in preparation. I explained all this last week. In some ways,relegation actually advances prep, as decisions are made sooner, often before the season ends.
If someone like me can understand this, when others can’t, then we really are in trouble. The fans that is.
Club’ll be fine..