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Yellow Tree wrote:Really would love to see pokey back, however I feel this is highly unlikely! Does any1 think lingy may consider going after another clubs first choice keeper and therefor spending some of the funds from Bobby's transfer?

I know lingy spoke about doing everything possible to replace Eunan with someone of equal quality,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18422671" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

so will he try to replace bobby the same? (will be very difficult I know!) or are we going to have to rely on the free bee market? I just feel the replacements mentioned so far that would be quality replacements on a free (Pokey & James) are way out of our reach!

If it's a choice between the two I would rather see money spent on a quality replacement for Bobby and find a free bee to replace Eunan. The 'keeper is in my opinion the most important player on the pitch, followed closely by the centre-forward. There are always decent midfielders about for cheap, look at the number we have had over the last 10 or 20 years. Apart from the relegation season I can't remember not have some quality in the middle.

Yellow Tree wrote:Really would love to see pokey back, however I feel this is highly unlikely! Does any1 think lingy may consider going after another clubs first choice keeper and therefor spending some of the funds from Bobby's transfer?

I know lingy spoke about doing everything possible to replace Eunan with someone of equal quality,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18422671" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

so will he try to replace bobby the same? (will be very difficult I know!) or are we going to have to rely on the free bee market? I just feel the replacements mentioned so far that would be quality replacements on a free (Pokey & James) are way out of our reach!

It would all depend on motive for DJ. Poke I don't know what his plans are in terms of location. I remember chatting to his Dad when he was on loan last time and he said MP had a place in Paignton and he loved it down there. Obviously that was 2 years ago and circumstances change.

I've said it already with regard to DJ but if money was his motive he would have never signed for Bristol City. Both Sunderland and Celtic offered him contracts when he left Portsmouth but he wanted to play nearer to his home in Exeter. He was on good money at Bristol city but now at 41 IF he wants to continue playing and IF location is such a key thing then he has to be realistic about his choices.

I don't think anyone in the Championship now would sign DJ as a first choice keeper and I'm not sure he'd bother putting all the work in to be a backup keeper at this stage of his career. You then look at Yeovil as a possible but from what I understand they have either signed or very close to signing Chris Weale so that then rules them out. You then look at maybe someone like Bournemouth and their keeper just got their player of the year, they also have 2 keepers under contract still.

so then you look to League 2 and Exeter City would be the obvious one but they have just signed a keeper to be backup to Krysiak (LOL @ them), Bristol Rovers have big Bev who finished the season well and is under contract, Plymouth have Jake Cole as their number one keeper and a young lad they like as backup, so the only team in the South West after a first choice keeper within DJ's location boundaries is us. So IF he wants to continue playing for a year or two and location is still more important than money (he's made his fair share over the last 20 years anyway!) then suddenly it doesn't seem so ridiculous as a short term solution for a year possibly 2.

Just looking through the other keepers on that list fills me with little hope unless Ling has soemthing up his sleeve like he did with Olejnik, maybe Alan McGregor this time! LOL, other option of course is maybe re-investing some of the transfer money to buy a keeper but again you have to look at quality keepers that we could afford and crucially would want to come here over their current club. A lot harder than signing somebody without a club.

royalgull wrote: Poke I don't know what his plans are in terms of location. I remember chatting to his Dad when he was on loan last time and he said MP had a place in Paignton and he loved it down there. Obviously that was 2 years ago and circumstances change.

he lives up here just outside London. he's shacked up with his mrs and their little'un, and from what i've heard (via a work colleague who knows them very well) a move away from the area isn't in their plans. i have asked my friend to get on his case though, see if we can persuade him to come back

Looking at potential recruits and another name to throw in the hat is Stuart Nelson who was rather surprisingly released by Keith Curle at Notts County despite being first choice in what was a successful season for them , with a late run to the play offs and only just missing out in the end.

Nelson is 30 years old and has good experience (he was first choice at Brentford for three and a half years) including significantly a year spent as 1st choice keeper for Lingy at Leyton Orient in the 07/08 season, where coincidentally the second choice keeper was Glenn Morris who could also be a target and like Nelson is now a free agent having been released by Southend. I suspect that wages could be an issue as he (Nelson) would no doubt have been on a decent whack at Notts County, but then again I don't suppose Bobby was particularly cheap in terms of wages and being a free agent at least Nelson wouldn't cost us a fee but he would inevitably have to take some sort of pay cut to join us I would imagine.

Having said all that though, he was effectively dropped by Ling for the last third of that season, with Morris stepping up and Nelson left the O's "by mutual consent" that summer, with the club citing relocation issues and his family being unable to settle in the area as the reason behind the move.

CP Gull wrote:Looking at potential recruits and another name to throw in the hat is Stuart Nelson who was rather surprisingly released by Keith Curle at Notts County despite being first choice in what was a successful season for them , with a late run to the play offs and only just missing out in the end.

Nelson is 30 years old and has good experience (he was first choice at Brentford for three and a half years) including significantly a year spent as 1st choice keeper for Lingy at Leyton Orient in the 07/08 season, where coincidentally the second choice keeper was Glenn Morris who could also be a target and like Nelson is now a free agent having been released by Southend. I suspect that wages could be an issue as he (Nelson) would no doubt have been on a decent whack at Notts County, but then again I don't suppose Bobby was particularly cheap in terms of wages and being a free agent at least Nelson wouldn't cost us a fee but he would inevitably have to take some sort of pay cut to join us I would imagine.

Having said all that though, he was effectively dropped by Ling for the last third of that season, with Morris stepping up and Nelson left the O's "by mutual consent" that summer, with the club citing relocation issues and his family being unable to settle in the area as the reason behind the move.

Actually Nelson is a half decent shout, annoyingly it won't let me on the transfer list on my work comp so I was trying to remember all of them, he was one I obviously forgot.

Where is this transfer list?

http://www.thepfa.com/transferlist" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

david james lives in chudleigh

What about Matthew Glennon? Ex Carlisle and Huddersfield keeper I believe, Could be tempted? Would be a solid signing.

deemed surplus to requirement by Stockport. Would be a Tisdale esque signing

knh31667 wrote:david james lives in chudleigh

amen. In the massive house on Exeter Rd! When he was playing for Pompey I saw him and Benjani in the post office.

four names that popped up and got my attention. Steve Collis. Now out of contract. A good solid goalkeeper or one just released by Watford who may yet still have quite a few years in him as he is only 27 by my maths,Rene Gilmartin.
Andrew Coughlan released by Tranmere or Conrad Logan released by leicester City. Although I doubt he would drop 2 divisions. All solid keepers.

Glostergull wrote:four names that popped up and got my attention. Steve Collis. Now out of contract. A good solid goalkeeper or one just released by Watford who may yet still have quite a few years in him as he is only 27 by my maths,Rene Gilmartin.
Andrew Coughlan released by Tranmere or Conrad Logan released by leicester City. Although I doubt he would drop 2 divisions. All solid keepers.

Rene Gillmartin was terrible for Crawley. Conrad Logan would be a good signing. Did well at Rovers and I think he was decent enough at Rotherham last season.

Interesting bit of confirmation on the Herald Express site this morning (no name attributed, but presumably written by Dave Thomas) that, as well as an offer for Craig Easton and a bid for Billy Bodin on the cards, Michael Poke is one of the players under consideration for our new keeper. Really good to see us aiming high! Article is here:

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/Torqu ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Easton's experience could be key for a young side and would love to see Billy back. If we get him for the amount we get for Ellis (should he leave) then I think we would be very happy.