Player News

[pmh9800]

Ryan Brunt, Ross Stearn, Adam Mann, Andy Watkins, Connor Riley-Lowe and Jordan Simpson all leaving.

Fresh attack for next season then!

[Bridgeyate]

Gutted to see all these players leave and surprised.I hope we have suitable replacements lined up as we will have another season of loan players . The signings it seems have not been great over two seasons as we are left with only a handful of players to build around .This is going to be an important season for Jerry as 3rd chance at promotion so this will be a test now of who he signs and success.
Still trying to understand the team selection for the play off eliminator, but I see most of that bench are leaving !!!!!

[Luton Roman]

How many heading to Chip??
Clear the decks for that striker (3rd summer lucky !) and for more athletes.

[Steve Whites Missus]

Apart from Watto... I think they were all Jerry’s signings

[Bridgeyate]

And Bower and Harper !!!!

[stillmanjunior]

And Bower and Harper !!!!

Might have missed the context here but don’t get this posting. They were Jerry signings, yes. So were a whole host of other loans that people are randomly against who have been excellent players and will have good careers.

[stillmanjunior]

A list of players who were initially on loan and how many appearances they made for us:
Jack Batten 155 and counting
Andy Gallinagh 172
Billy Murphy 73
Tom Smith 111 and counting
Ross Stearn 84 (he rejoined on loan in Jan 18, counted apps from there)
Marley Watkins 65
Miles Welch-Hayes 60

And ones we've had before for half a season-full season. The likes of Luke Southwood, Antoine Semenyo, James Morton, Max O'Leary and Liam Kelly.

Most of these players have outlasted permanent signings, they're not stop-gaps. Do people think the theory isn't working? We've finished 5th and 4th, that's quite good isn't it? Crowds are up massively, that's also good. If we were spending the whole season using 70 players and constantly getting in players for a few weeks I'd be a bit critical but we don't do that. Sure, we still sign some short-term initially. If they don't work out they go back, if they do they often stay with us. At least we have that option, sometimes it might not be easy to shift a player we've signed on a one-year deal that doesn't fit in for whatever reason. These things happen. Look at how well most of those players have done since leaving us, that's something to be proud of and means good clubs will keep loaning us players as they obviously develop.

I would have foreseen a couple of those leaving that were announced today but not all. I don't know how many of them were the club of player's decision so I won't speculate, only one confirmed either way is Brunt as he's having a break, and good luck to him. Remember that last year all our loan players went back and we also saw players like Cundy, Straker and Rigg depart. We coped fine and I'm sure we will again. Plenty of time to get players in and if they're young and/or loans I'll be fine.

[2weirdtown]

Very well put that. Watto and Stearny probably past their best. We never saw much of Simpson did we.

[tovid]

I think the fear with loan players is that when you are up against it they aren't going to be as committed as players who have more invested in the club. For the simple reason that if the club is relegated it won't affect them.
But I think this underplays the personal desire to win that every player will naturally have. And there is also the fact that their clubs will be having them watched to make sure they are developing. So they need to be seen to be doing well.
I think if a player is easy going they will be easy going whether they are a loanee or a permanent fixture.
But as you say Mark a long term loan is vastly preferable to a quick fix. For instance Hartridge and Bowry this season.

[tovid]

I think Watto has had a lot of injuries this season which has counted against him because quite frankly his worth was demonstrated amply when he came on against Dorking. He changed the impetus of the game. I think Stearn is also a loss because he contributes a lot of goals even from/especially from the bench, but it can't be good for him. Manny I feel is not a lone striker and has sacrificed himself for the team. When he first arrived he was a revelation but that was in the Tom Smith role. He could come back to haunt us.

[Bridgeyate]

Let’s hope then for some good signings in the coming weeks with more physicality/experience to match the stronger teams we have struggled against this season , including the play off game , backed up with a minimum number of younger/loan players .We need the this balance to succeed.

[Midsomer-steve]

Just maybe there has been a reason quoted in this thread for most of the players that are leaving but it is only speculation. We need, and deserve (in these days of openness), more details for their departure. The guts has been ripped out of last year's contracted players.

Besides Sterny, I am particularly astonished that Adam is going. He has come on in leaps and bounds since he joined us - he has always appeared to enjoy playing for us - he is skilful and tenacious - and he possesses the physicality that manager and fans alike will be looking for in new signings (his goal against Hungerford for example). Unless he is leaving for personal reasons I am utterly shattered - he was definitely a firm favourite of mine.

[stillmanjunior]

backed up with a minimum  number of younger/loan players

But why a minimum number? For years people complained that we only signed older players, then we sign some younger ones and other people complain (social media largely)! You can't win.

In an ideal world we'd have a situation like the two sides for us that won promotion. A large core stuck around for 4/5 years and it proved successful. But that rarely happens at this level now. Every time we play teams like Concord, Hemel or Welling I have to change my player notes massively. I'm lucky if three from the 16 a year ago are still there, and that's not because it's loan players that have gone back.

Just to clear up about players leaving:
Brunt - taking time out of the game to concentrate on business interests
Mann - similar to above, works with/for Brunt
Stearn - said he wants a new challenge
Watkins - not sure if it's his call/our call/mutual but as expected he's been very complimentary about his time at the club.
Don't know re other two.

Wish them all well.

[Luton Roman]

As always its the right mix needed. Loanees will be young, generally lightweight, certainly if a forward ( part of the loan experience is to come up against tougher, more uncomfortable, more uncompromising opponents than at tikky takky u23 level) so the contracted players need to be the balance. Physjcal but athletjc, and not too dear !

Clear we need another ball winner in midfield with/ instead of Frankie. And goals. Lowest scorers in top 8 doesn't lie. JG has tried for the last 2 summers to get the striker. If we had, who knows, Mann might have increased his return of 5 from 29 league starts, others might have increased too. Smith heroics covered up the issue.

Sense JG sees it a final shot at it. Keep an eye on Yeovil. Under pressure to go up next year. Certainly favourites if Notts County get back. If they start to falter where will they look.......

Anyway, strangely looking forward to the season now. Fascinating to see who will come in.

[stillmanjunior]

You could argue he did get the striker last year - Tyler Harvey. What happened with him was out of our hands. I think he would have been that prolific scorer we needed then the goal tallies of the others would have complimented it well.

We haven’t had a 20-goal striker in the league since Dave Gilroy. Darren Edwards got 20+ across all comps 10 years ago as well.

[comrade powell]

I sent a message of thanks on behalf of fans to Andy Watkins. Here’s his reply...

Hi Martin,

Thanks very much for your kind words.
I loved my time at Bath and it was made much easier with everyone being so supportive.
Pass my best wishes on to everyone and we will get up at some point to catch a game.

Best wishes,

Andy.

[LB]

Not really too surprised that Ross went, as don't imagine he fancied another season of warming the bench and coming on late (although this was often effective and always raised the crowd), nor Simpson who hardly got a look in and always seemed to slip down the pecking order when loanees came in.

If Frankie and Dan Ball both re-sign that gives us 7 players as the nucleus of next seasons team, the only attacking one being Tom Smith, although depending on what defenders we bring in Joey Raynes could perhaps revert to the wing-back role.

Jerry has certainly set himself a task by potentially needing to sign 10 players, and as others have said we need to find that elusive 20 goal a season striker (and with the departure of Ross and Watto others who can weigh in as well). As Mark said, we thought we had solved the problem with Tyler Harvey last season, and the season before John Mills was apparently the answer, so perhaps it will be third time lucky.    

It will be an odd start to the season with virtually every other league starting before us - assuming the FA agrees to the NL proposed start date - but it is a long time to the beginning of October so who knows what the effect of the virus might be by then.

[comrade powell]

And Ross Stearn has also replied to my thank you message....

Martin,

Thanks for e email and kind words. Gutted not to finish the job we started but all good things come to an end.

Like you said hopefully get the chance to play at Twerton park again soon so I get to say goodbye properly.

Thanks for all your support.

Ross

[stillmanjunior]

Ross Stearn provided me with one of my most difficult interviews in a good way. Was after his hat-trick at Wealdstone and he started talking about Anthony Straker's own goal, which he described as going in off his 'slick bald head'. Had to stifle the giggles for the next few minutes.

[Dodgycarpet]

Ross is the sort of player i pay my money to watch. Its that simple! If someone can pass that on via twitter great, as im not on it!

[LB]

I see that Connor Riley-Lowe has signed for Truro.

[Luton Roman]

WSM has signed Dayle Grubb on a 4 YEAR deal. Only 29, previous player for them and went on to do well at FGR. Someone must be putting money behind that, sort of player that we would have been after I would have thought but must be way too pricey.

[stillmanjunior]

Putting a player on a four year contract in this current climate is utter, utter madness. I hope for Weston’s sake they know what they are doing. If they end up in financial difficulties I’ll have little sympathy. I get that they want a fee if he’s to move again but it’s a massive risk.

[2weirdtown]

Yes indeed. Dover have made their whole squad available as they did not accept a pay cut. . Chairman says if they cant find a solution by end Aug, it will be curtains. We'll see.
(I'd post the link to that story but can't figure out how on my tablet)

[comrade powell]

http://www.doverathletic.com/news/statement-from-chairman/

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