Duff had a squad with a combined Championship experience of 605 games, Collins squad 278. In Championship (or above ) games the current top 6 read like this... Portsmouth 715 Derby 3,067 Bolton 887 Peterboro 364 Barnsley 278 Lincoln 253
Think we need to aim for players who are good enough, doesn’t matter where they are from. When players like Nigel Lonwijk goes to Wycombe and Macauley Gillesphey goes to Charlton who both won the title with Plymouth, but we continue to play Williams at centre half cos we have no one else, it’s the ***** recruitment we continue to proceed with. Get players with that winning experience. There are plenty of players with resale value who have been part of successful sides. It’s about the balance. If I’m going to defend anything about those non league recruits, I do expect to see Lofthouse, Shepherd and Lopata all to be given the chance next season if still in League 1.
a mix is usually good, players with less experience bring the hunger and a point to prove, older experienced players steady the dressing room and set an example
I backed the signing of Cosgrove but yeh, doesn’t always work but I’d rather sign someone like that than Dallas and Oli Shaw who have literally done nothing in the Football League. I’m not sure Oli Shaw has actually done anything in football full stop.
More to the point, how exactly are we going to offload Shaw and Dallas. Apart from Dallas on the opening day neither have scored a single goal all season. That's in Scottish football and the National League. We're stuck with both.
I feel a bit of a mixed bag with Cosgrove, we signed him to replace the type of player the we wanted in Tedic, a target man for long ball scenarios for a 2nd striker and a 3rd man midfielder to run off of or to hold the ball up in the final 3rd but time and time again Collins substituted him late in a game when legs were tired and couldn't capitalise so often it left him scanning the entire front line alone. When we set up and played the long ball approach early on, often it was Cole up there alone who isn't the greatest in the air by a large margin and then we'd bring Cosgrove on whilst then opting to play the wide men or on the floor through the 3rds. He's definitely not up to championship football which is why he was let go and Plymouth didn't want to go in for him but when he was in league 1 he provided a fair few game winning goals last season because they played to his strength.
Cosgrove is an interesting one. Couple of PLymouth fans I spoke to when we signed him said he was a good player for them. If we don't go up I think it'll be interesting to see if a different manager can get him playing well.
I think he's best signing since Woodrow. He'll do alright if we don't appoint another w@nker as head coach.
Bit early to determine any of that surely? Appreciate the stats doesn’t look good but there might be reasons for it, perhaps they don’t play to their strengths? Take Shaw as an example 14 goals season before we signed him.
Not sure TBH, just trying to make the point there might be reasons and a bit unfair to write them off already. Edit just checked wiki and shows 20!goals in 51 over 2
I just think he looks useless personally. Doesn’t look to have an ounce of footballer in him. I’d say Motherwell will prob get him permanent in the summer but not sure he’s impressed.
Just need to get rid for me but that won’t be easy and will likely cost us more money. Recruitment has to improve….