Squad for season 2023/4

[Reading Rebel]

4 minutes ago, Curtis said:

It was officially announced yesterday that Elliot Benyon has signed.

As Scott said he's not getting any younger but he's a great character to have around the club and a role model for the younger players. 

[Curtis]

That’s all good if he’s with us as a mentor, but otherwise he’s a centre-forward that is another year older (36 next month) that isn’t going to score goals:-

Stats

35 appearances (24 starts, 11 subbed in)

2,213 minutes played

4 goals

 

[Mark44]

Plenty of times in the second half of the season when he was the best player in the team.....may not be the end product in terms of goals but i'm not sure that's ever been his game to be honest if you look at his career.

For me he is a real asset and the fact that he wants to be at the club as per Scott's interview we have a real all rounder both on and off the pitch...great signing

[3spirit]

12 hours ago, Mark44 said:

Plenty of times in the second half of the season when he was the best player in the team.....may not be the end product in terms of goals but i'm not sure that's ever been his game to be honest if you look at his career.

For me he is a real asset and the fact that he wants to be at the club as per Scott's interview we have a real all rounder both on and off the pitch...great signing

I think Elliot is a tad fortunate to be staying with Slough this season. Scott needs to have a core of players to build around for continuity and stability. As good as Elliot played last season it could be argued that he effectively played between the front forward line and the midfield and was more like a midfielder than a centre forward.

To me he's sticking around because Scott likes and trusts him. I wouldn't have rushed him out of the door but I would view him as being on the periphery of the first eleven. If we have 4 strikers at the club he would be my 4th choice !

Sentiment is fine but Scott will have to make tough decisions on players at the club if Slough don't get the desired good results, as the season progresses. Slough carried Ben Harris for two seasons when with Bakes and Unders, so what's the difference with keeping Elliot?

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by 3spirit

[GlenSTFC]

15 minutes ago, 3spirit said:

I think Elliot is a tad fortunate to be staying with Slough this season. Scott needs to have a core of players to build around for continuity and stability. As good as Elliot played last season it could be argued that he effectively played between the front forward line and the midfield and was more like a midfielder than a centre forward.

To me he's sticking around because Scott likes and trusts him. I wouldn't have rushed him out of the door but I would view him as being on the periphery of the first eleven. If we have 4 strikers at the club he would be my 4th choice !

Sentiment is fine but Scott will have to make tough decisions on players at the club if Slough don't get the desired good results, as the season progresses. Slough carried Ben Harris for two seasons when with Bakes and Unders, so what's the difference with keeping Elliot?

 

Totally agree with you, I’m not his biggest fan but obviously Scott sees something in him to retain him. Yes I fully expect he won’t be first choice especially if we sign another striker (probably a young hungry trialist with potential from step 4/5). 

[Scott Davies]

Ben, Guy and Wellsy were my mates so please don’t think for one minute Elliot is staying just because he’s now a friend of mine. 

Elliot is on a non-contract this coming season, whereas last season he was one of the contracted players. He realises that game time could be limited, but he’s a great option to have in certain types of matches.

Coupled with the fact that he’s desperate for play for the football club for another season, sometimes when you put that together it’s worth more than an unproven young player coming from a lower level who could cost a similar amount in wages.

[3spirit]

3 hours ago, Scott Davies said:

Ben, Guy and Wellsy were my mates so please don’t think for one minute Elliot is staying just because he’s now a friend of mine. 

Elliot is on a non-contract this coming season, whereas last season he was one of the contracted players. He realises that game time could be limited, but he’s a great option to have in certain types of matches.

Coupled with the fact that he’s desperate for play for the football club for another season, sometimes when you put that together it’s worth more than an unproven young player coming from a lower level who could cost a similar amount in wages.

Heaven forbid to suggest he's your mate,Scott. To be honest I couldn't care less if he was. As long as you don't tell me you're bringing Ben back ! ha ha !

I've nothing personal against Elliot or Ben but this is a football forum and supporters have opinions on players they watch perform.  

I can appreciate both of those players and their merits but I'm not a bloke that will agree with everything that you will do,Scott. This time around I can see the point of keeping Elliot but I'm not spinning cartwheels about it. I agree,though,that Elliot's experience at National South level is worth having within your new look squad and that going into the season he can be a worthwhile option especially if you need to alter the shape of our formation or need to shuffle the line-up, if on a bad run of form. I thought Elliot put in several decent performances last season but he also went missing in quite a few,too.

Starting the season with a player is a whole lot different to finishing the season with a player. I look at alternatives throughout a season. Pre-season and summer form is not the same as winter form, or spring form.  'Horses for courses' as they say.     

   

[Scott Davies]

17 minutes ago, 3spirit said:

Heaven forbid to suggest he's your mate,Scott. To be honest I couldn't care less if he was. As long as you don't tell me you're bringing Ben back ! ha ha !

I've nothing personal against Elliot or Ben but this is a football forum and supporters have opinions on players they watch perform.  

I can appreciate both of those players and their merits but I'm not a bloke that will agree with everything that you will do,Scott. This time around I can see the point of keeping Elliot but I'm not spinning cartwheels about it. I agree,though,that Elliot's experience at National South level is worth having within your new look squad and that going into the season he can be a worthwhile option especially if you need to alter the shape of our formation or need to shuffle the line-up, if on a bad run of form. I thought Elliot put in several decent performances last season but he also went missing in quite a few,too.

Starting the season with a player is a whole lot different to finishing the season with a player. I look at alternatives throughout a season. Pre-season and summer form is not the same as winter form, or spring form.  'Horses for courses' as they say.     

   

Don’t worry, I’ve realised you won’t agree with everything! 😀 but like you said, that’s the beauty of the forum and I’ll never take anything personally. I’ll definitely get things wrong and hopefully get things right as well.

If you look at the squad at the beginning of last season compared to now, last seasons has a lot more experience and age, so to keep experience in and around it, for anyone that has been involved in football knows that it’s extremely important. It’s all well and good with me recruiting younger players, from a lower level who will hopefully adapt but if you take me and Elliot out it the side I think our oldest player is 31.

The year that we had massive success and got to the playoffs we had bundles of experience and some older heads which throughout the season are worth their weight in gold on and off the pitch. 
 

Anyway, let’s see! 🤞🏼😀

[3spirit]

14 hours ago, Scott Davies said:

Don’t worry, I’ve realised you won’t agree with everything! 😀 but like you said, that’s the beauty of the forum and I’ll never take anything personally. I’ll definitely get things wrong and hopefully get things right as well.

If you look at the squad at the beginning of last season compared to now, last seasons has a lot more experience and age, so to keep experience in and around it, for anyone that has been involved in football knows that it’s extremely important. It’s all well and good with me recruiting younger players, from a lower level who will hopefully adapt but if you take me and Elliot out it the side I think our oldest player is 31.

The year that we had massive success and got to the playoffs we had bundles of experience and some older heads which throughout the season are worth their weight in gold on and off the pitch. 
 

Anyway, let’s see! 🤞🏼😀

Thanks for the reply,Scott.

Any squad needs experienced campaigners and younger men's exuberance,and youthful aspiration, to balance out successfully. Obviously getting together a squad of players willing to step up to the plate and to try their very best to help their manager progress is no easy feat. It can take a few years to actually get it working perfectly. It can never happen and lead to the manager getting the sack, I think you will be alright on that score! Last season looked the real mountain to climb given what you were faced with and I thought you handled it with aplomb.

Bakes and Unders are a hard act to follow as they built squads on trust/friendship and team spirit but were clever with finding players to fit in with their group. No manager/supporter/human will see everything the same.

I'm pleased with the acquisitions you've made so far but neither of us know how well we will do until the football season has well and truly started. Having watched football through all levels over a good number of years it is never predictable [with the exception being the Premiership's money rich elite clubs].

I enjoyed watching the Scott Davies/Yella/Lee Togwell set up last season in most of the games I saw. I found it refreshing to what we getting offered at the end of Bakes and Unders reign. No slight on them as they would have gotten Slough high up in this league if given the funds.

This season I don't see Slough challenging near the top but to me that can be a good thing, as Scott you need to establish what this group of players will play like together and who will come through for you when the going gets tough. Also what they can do to win you games and contradictory lose you games.

Last season we built comraderie through the adversity of the situation Slough found themselves in and that certainly helped bring the squad together. This season, pardon the pun it's a new ball game,we're bringing in a lot of new players who many won't know other players well or even at all and trying to blend them into as a cohesive unit. This is why I think Elliot is worth keeping,as he has witnessed what playing for Slough was like under both Bakes/Unders and yourself and has a wide experience at different levels. By the sound of it he's a good egg off the field too. Something we supporters don't take into account much when we watch players play. 

Anyway best of luck for the season. I like pre-season games and am looking forward to seeing the new players in action and what they bring to our club.

[ben28383838]

Any news on ogo obi?

[GlenSTFC]

1 hour ago, ben28383838 said:

Any news on ogo obi?

I guess we’ll see tomorrow night if he’s still around as he’s been invited back for pre-season to earn a deal. Just thought he would have signed elsewhere by now, maybe he’s still considering his options or maybe he’s happy to fight for his place with us, I guess time will tell…

[Curtis]

Anybody having any guesses on who the new loan goalkeeper soon to be announced is?

[Reading Rebel]

13 minutes ago, Curtis said:

Anybody having any guesses on who the new loan goalkeeper soon to be announced is?

No idea but it sounds like he's coming from a top club.

Going by what Scott said everything has been agreed between the player and the two clubs so not sure why we're having to guess who the mystery keeper is.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

By top club I'd guess at least a premiership club and possibly top half. 

[GlenSTFC]

8 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

By top club I'd guess at least a premiership club and possibly top half. 

‘Top club’ doesn’t necessarily mean league position based, could be how the club and staff operate and the values they hold.

[Scott Davies]

It’s been verbally agreed, paperwork has been written up so it’s just a case of signing it. He also needs to sign a new contract before leaving his parent club to come on loan so that’s the hold up.

Once it’s done we’ll be sure to let you know. 👍🏼

[Reading Rebel]

Bit past his best but definitely sounds like Hugo Lloris  😅

[Mark44]

I'll throw a guess in......

Jack Bycroft - spent last season on loan at Taunton and received all the plaudits whilst there....his parent club is Southampton and a quick google search suggests he hasn't gone anywhere yet. BTW that would be a hell of a signing

[Curtis]

OK, I’ll throw a guess in too….

Eddie Beach from Chelsea, and a Wales U21, was at Chelmsford for the second half of last season.

[Reading Rebel]

1 hour ago, Mark44 said:

I'll throw a guess in......

Jack Bycroft - spent last season on loan at Taunton and received all the plaudits whilst there....his parent club is Southampton and a quick google search suggests he hasn't gone anywhere yet. BTW that would be a hell of a signing

That's a decent guess Mark.

Voted players player of the season at Taunton and kept 14 clean sheets and would be an exceptional signing.

The only two things against him being the keeper is that his current contract runs until 2024 (unless he's having it extended) and of course Scotty did say a 'top club' 😏

Edited July 11, 2023 by Reading Rebel