Potential signings in the summer

Sweeney has done a good job for Dundee in the Scottish Championship this season. He's their Captain an all.
Jakobiak plays there too.
Both scored the other night,at Dens Park v Ayr United.

I don't know if it's a good idea to have Sweeney back.

Personally I would'nt have Sercombe back or Jakobiak.

Alfie May is the only one of those I'd want here. Rather have Ollie Clarke back if we are looking at ex-players.

Top of my list would be Connor Taylor. Nick Haughton from AFC Fylde and/or Josh Benson who isn't getting game time at Barnsley would be on my watch list. I also like the idea of Callum Camps. Maybe a raid on Morecambe trio Connor Ripley, Jensen Weir and Caleb Watts (latter two are on loan there). Unrealistically Macaulay Longstaff at Notts County, who is surely destined for a bigger club than us, and Paul Mullin at Wrexham.

I'd also be getting Ryan Jones back in the building from his loan at Hungerford to see if he has what it takes at this level.

The easy bit is that anyone can spot a player with good technique. The hard bit is getting a squad together that are more than the sum of the parts. I've no idea if any of the above would suit our squad plans or have the necessary temperament and character to fit well here, save for what I've seen of Ripley he is a grounded and genuine bloke with an excellent sense of humour. I think he would do well here but whether he is any better than Belshaw is open to question. 

Paul Mullin: Wrexham sign former Cambridge United striker..

ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/9596/production/_119549283_gettyimages-1309472341.jpg

Forward Paul Mullin has joined Wrexham after he turned down a new contract with Cambridge United.

Mullin scored 34 goals in 50 games for Cambridge last season as they secured promotion to League One.

The 26-year-old had joined Cambridge from Tranmere Rovers last summer following a loan spell at the club in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign.

"The ambition of the club attracted me here," Mullin said of his Wreham move.

Paul Mullin career stats: Age Now 28 - Played 392 - Goals 158

Connor Taylor I would definitely revisit. Not really working for him at Stoke.

Kasper Lopata who’s just gone to Woking on a short term contract after cancelling his Southend one, has Barnsley sniffing but he knows the area having been brought up in Horfield.

I wouldn’t sign May or Mullen. May is the other side of 30 and Mullen is not a L1 striker, L2 at best.

Longstaff would take a huge fee as he’s under contract, probably £500k+ to prise him away and at 26, having never played league football, would be a huge risk.

If we were buying a striker then Sam Nombe at Exeter would be top of my shopping list.

Ryan Jones is having a very good season at Hungerford and will defo great a pre-season with us.

Wouldn’t say no to Luke Thomas coming back from Barnsley either, always been a fan of his since his Coventry days and I think he would thrive here.

Javani Brown has an assault charge hanging over him and looks to have played his last game for Exeter for this season. Who knows what’s going to happen there.

Nombe is a brilliant natural finisher and I was hoping we would be in for him before he signed for Exeter. 17 goals this year I think we would be looking at £500k for him. It would only be if we sold Collins that we could even contemplate it now.

Reuben Rodrigues, Longstaffs strike partner is out of contract at the end of the season. That could be an intelligent, low risk free transfer and at 26 coming into his peak.

😏
JB has contacts on Merseyside,North East,London and Lancashire.Infact most of England.

No doubt some decent players to be found in these establishments.

Scottish championship is about the equivalent of the Conference so I wouldn’t get overly excited.

Having watched a bit of Scottish football over the years having family up there, it really is an awful standard.

I know that is the standard response to Scottish football but I guess it depends upon the actual game you see. The last two Friday nights I found myself in a waiting room, killing time for a couple of hours and went onto the BBC website and watched a couple of Championship games. This Fridays match was Arbroath v Ayr and it was a very good match. (The other one was Inverness v Patrick Thistle) The quality of the play was at least as good as League 1, the 2 Arbroath goals were good, coming at the end of clever moves and good passing. Can’t say if every match is as good but I enjoyed watching two teams playing attacking, pass and move football and not just booting it anywhere.

Its an easy stereotype to run down Scottish football, and some may be correct but the teams I saw, Arbroath, Ayr, Inverness CT and Patrick all looked to play the right way.

Unfortunately, most Scottish players we’ve picked up direct from those leagues haven’t exactly sparkled. Gavin Reilly was ok but never established himself. I suspect the transition from Scottish league football to League 1 is a quite difficult esp in a very different environment. And it’s that point that I would think would stop us recruiting much from those leagues.

UTG!