Onwards and Upwards

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It’s a tough one to call but my opinion is no, we should be looking forward. We had a very narrow escape last season and that is something that I believe we can build on and learn from. Look at the ‘old heads’ that we bought in last summer – they were probably decent players in their day but they didn’t do much for us did they? The ‘old boys’ had their day and most of them are probably best remembered for that. I’m sure that the odd one could do a job for us but it seems almost any ex-Swansea player that gets released begs the question "we should get him back he was great in 1991" – just remember – so was John Williams!

We have to be realistic on what we are expecting and remember as well that to many of these players we are viewed simply as a side that was too close for comfort to being a Nationwide Conference side next season. Will the players being linked want to come to us?

We know this club has potential. Our board knows it has potential. Brian Flynn believes he can deliver that potential. But to many players we are viewed as a struggling third division side. It hurts me to say it but take someone like Leon Hylton. Released by Aston Villa and naturally we are talking about signing him. But at the same time he is also being linked with first division clubs – there’s a pretty good chance that he will choose any of them over us. Despite the welcome he had last year.

And wages become an issue. Again, we have to go back to perspective. A wage bill estimated for next season to be around Â£650,000. Doesn’t go very far if you are talking a squad of 30 players. Â£700 per week for these players would bust that budget. Reality strikes? As I started of, this is an interesting time of year and I love it. Seeing all these names linked by the fans puts a smile on my face but sadly we have to accept that with most of them it is a pipe dream.

John Robinson is another one. Welsh international released after 10+ years with Charlton. Linked with first division clubs and Cardiff City immediately. But we should have a go. Maybe we should, but have we really got any chance of competing with the money they can offer. And then there was the one about Matthew Jones, I think I’ll stop at that point.

We have to face facts here on what we can offer. Flynn has a limited budget which is set by the rules this year. Not by the board but by the rules. It’s a cap – we cannot go above it. We can offer one year contracts. It will be players like what we have seen at the moment that it appears are in our range. Martinez was a gem – question is can we afford him next season? That has to be one that we try desperately for but we can’t break the bank for it unfortunately or we will have a squad of around ten! Britton was another gem, again we want to keep him but whether we can remains to be seen.

What worries me is past that. Are we destined to pick up more players along the lines of Keiron Durkan and Brad Maylett or is there better out there? Judging by general opinion on these two there better had be or we will be struggling. But we have to remember that it is second and third division players that we are looking at permanently in the main. The Premiership team players are likely to be the loan signings and I have no objection in one or two arriving in August for the season but let’s not leave that much too late?

But come on folks. Forget the names of Matthew Jones and John Robinson, they are well out of our league at the moment. A season of comfort in mid-table or pushing for the bottom end of the play-offs is probably the best we can hope for. Once that is done then we are no longer a team that narrowly missed the worst drop in football.

The way is forward, it will be a long process made with players of calibre and graft with the odd gem thrown in. Within a restricted budget. But keep them links coming, they give us all a smile 😉

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