Player to bring in (suggestions)

Richinns · Post by **Richinns** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:00

The thing this years squad will hopefully bring is that (in most positions) no-one will just walk into the team. You will have to earn your place otherwise there will be someone ready and waiting to replace you. Can only be a good thing.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:05

mozika will be signing, he is due to be here for the start of the season.

CP Gull · Post by **CP Gull** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:06

Personally, I think Harding is a very good addition. Always rated him from his time in the BSP when him and Chalmers were a very effective partnership and we shouldn't forget that, to a large extent in my opinion, it was the signing of him and his midfield partner Guttridge that turned Northampton around from relegation strugglers the previous season to Play Off Finalists this one.

As others have pointed out, both Harding and Guttridge were offered new deals at NTFC, albeit most likely on reduced wages, but turned them down as Boothroyd decided he couldn't guarantee either of them a starting berth. Given Boothroyd's preferred way of playing (very direct!) I'm not sure that Ben Harding, who is a good passer, would necessarily be best suited to it, but hopefully will be under the Alan Knill way of playing.

I really hope that this doesn't mean an end to the Damien Mozika rumoured signing as I think he would also be an excellent addition and would give REAL competition for places in central midfield. In reality, perhaps the departure of Ian Morris might allow us to bring two quality players in, such as Harding and Mozika as let's face it, Knill found fit to make his first loan signing (Labadie) a centre mid last season, despite the fact that he had Manse, Damon, Morro, Easton and Craig at his disposal - all of whom it seems would make centre mid their preferred position. We have since "lost" Easton and Morris so maybe there is room to bring another one in at a later date. I know Mozika has been troubled by injury in the recent past, and Knill did suggest that his visit to Paris was a successful one but that it might not produce results for a while.

exiledgull · Post by **exiledgull** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:14

If we want to play 3 in the midfield we could accommodate Mozika/Mansel/Harding.

There will be some serious competition for places. With Knill wanting 4 strikers, and bogging up Yeoman in the press shows that you can easily be 4th choice striker if your not producing.

Same for all positions really apart from centre half/right back. However if the young lads are producing the goods then there is some scope for them to press for places.

I would ideally want 2 more defenders to come in to put real competition but not the end of the world.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:23

yes he has had a hamstring problem which he is now over and has been in france working on his fitness during the summer and will be joining once he is up to speed.

Richinns · Post by **Richinns** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:38

Harding is a decent passer of the football and was something which was very lacking last year.

If Mozika does sign as suggested then then I can see either Craig or Lathrope leaving on loan but this is just a guess.

Post by **exilegull** » 12 Jul 2013, 10:59

exiledgull wrote:If we want to play 3 in the midfield we could accommodate Mozika/Mansel/Harding.

There will be some serious competition for places. With Knill wanting 4 strikers, and bogging up Yeoman in the press shows that you can easily be 4th choice striker if your not producing.

Same for all positions really apart from centre half/right back. However if the young lads are producing the goods then there is some scope for them to press for places.

I would ideally want 2 more defenders to come in to put real competition but not the end of the world.

Would we play 3 in midfield though? That takes us back to 4-3-3/4-5-1 from under Ling. Benyon wouldn't work as the single striker but he also clearly needs regular games to be sharp

yellowforever · Post by **yellowforever** » 12 Jul 2013, 11:25

Mozika, Mansell, Harding, Lathrope and Craig are some seriously good options in the middle, far better than last season.

Does seem like overkill though? Craig definitely needs game time so I'd hope we'd look to send him out on loan.

SteveDeckchair · Post by **SteveDeckchair** » 12 Jul 2013, 11:30

True 4-3-3 with Benyon and any two of Chapell, Cameron & Bodin would be good!

Knill seems to like traditional 4-4-2 though, so it will be interesting to see how this works out.

Yellow4life · Post by **Yellow4life** » 12 Jul 2013, 11:42

SteveDeckchair wrote:True 4-3-3 with Benyon and any two of Chapell, Cameron & Bodin would be good!

A short front line though? Perhaps passing football is around the corner this season

exiledgull · Post by **exiledgull** » 12 Jul 2013, 11:43

Maybe 352? I've no idea.

With us wanting to sign 4 strikers, I cannot see us only playing one.

Post by **exilegull** » 12 Jul 2013, 11:54

I can't see 3 at the back - we haven't got the players for it as both Nicho and Tonge are traditional full backs and not centre backs.

SDYellow · Post by **SDYellow** » 12 Jul 2013, 12:02

I guess we will find out what formation we will be aiming for this season tonight. Knill said on the OS "The best way to do that is by winning the game, while also looking at the shape of how we want to play" He also mentioned that everyone will get a game so it will be good to see the whole squad and I'm guessing by the way the article was written we are going to see the style of play we will playing for the following season.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 12 Jul 2013, 12:12

striker will arrive next week.

teeboo100 · Post by **teeboo100** » 12 Jul 2013, 12:33

is he any good roadrunner

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