Big job for Eddie this summer

[Matt]

Will be keeping the squad together. Let's see... the first player to leave is Boot, who has gone on to bigger and better things. Good luck to him. It's amazing he didn't leave last summer when he had those various trials. Hodges, we gather, will almost certainly follow, what with him having trials with Oxford and Yeovil. Again, I've said before that you can't begrudge him the chance to test himself at a higher level. I think he could play regular football in Division 3, and who's to say how good a player he could be.

 

But what then? What's to stop clubs coming in for Glen Harris, Ryan Spencer, Alex Haddow, and others? None of them, I assume, are on contract. People on other forums are already joking about it. And who is going to replace Hodges and Boot? I know we have Miller, Seedal and Deaner, but are they really going to do anywhere near as well as this year's partnership? OK to be fair if we'd dropped down to Step 4 the job of keeping key players would be much more difficult, but we'll be playing some very good, well-supported teams next season and I'd dread to think what could happen to STFC if the heart of this seasons' squad was ripped out. Eddie MUST try and keep the nucleus of the defence and midfield, and try to bring in players of similar quality to Boot and Hodges if we are to be competitive next season.

 

I don't mean to sound too pessimistic - after all, coming out of a summer break with a football club, let alone players, has been an achievement in itself in recent seasons - but I don't think the club can afford to lose too many more of its inflentual players this summer. Eddie himself said on the boat that he's building something at STFC, and the team will mature together, with the ulitimate aim of Conference football. I just wonder how possible this will be if some of the aforementioned players leave this summer.

 

What do you all think?

[GarySTFC]

I think should we lose Hodgey, Seedel could become the next to follow in his footsteps (after Winston & Hodges) in becoming a 30 goal a season man. Would be really happy to see Seedel lining up for Slough next season and being given a fair run in the first team alongside Miller.

 

As long as we can keep a nucleus of the side together (and seeing how they celebrated together and the continual references to team spirit, why not?) we will have a very good building block of young, progressive players with which to move forwards.

 

We've got excellent training facilities set up at the Polish Club which will help us recruit/retain, we've got a great set of fans which have been behind the team this season (Keep up the support everyone!) and the possibility of the new ground is in the horizon with the feasibility study (sp?) now having finally started which will give us a home of our own once more (fingers crossed!)

 

Onwards and upwards Rebels!

[Matt]

I'll have to take your word about Seedel Gary, as I've only seen him whenever he's played as sub in the first-team, but admittedly he did look impressive vs Worthing. It's just that, initially, thinking about a Seedel/Miller partnership doesn't fill me with as much confidence as this years' strikers. Of course though, a lot can and will happen between now and September.

[GarySTFC]

Who were you talking about when you mentioned the other clubs 'having noticed'?

 

The Seedel and Milfer partnership could be ideal if they are utilised correctly....

[Matt]

I'm sure I read something on the Dagenham forum but it wasn't a case of the club noticing, just someone saying that they rate Ryan Spencer and Ian Hodges too. Hopefully they were just being cheeky <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> And I'm sure I read somewhere about Hornchurch being interested in Harris but that might be a joke, or rubbish - I hope so anyway...

[Guest]

Bet Eddie has players ear marked to come in and take the place of those leaving do'nt forget there's a lot of movement between clubs during the summer especially conference players who don't make it just like Hodge at Hayes last season but who drop down to regain their confidence and find out how good they really are.

The management have contacts and players know of the reputation of Slough Town and what great fan base they have

[Guest]

Speaking of the Summer - have any friendlies been arranged or is it too early yet?

[Ian]

This time last year I remember being gutted at losing Sammy, thinking who were we going to replace him with. We had Hodgey, who to be fair had looked very average, and not much else other than Booty . If you then look at the squad Eddie assembled and how they performed, it is significantly better than the one that finished last season.

 

We have good connections with clubs at a higher level through Eddie, Mickey Lewis and also Gilkesy so that's a good base to attract players. We've also got a thirty goal a season player in Matty if we can find the best way to play to his strengths. Seedel looks useful and that's without bringing others in.

 

Whilst it's disappointing in one way to lose players of the calibre of Booty, we will survive and bring in others to replace them I'm sure.

 

Be positive. Come on you Rebels.

[Guest]

You need to get realistic, Miller is never going to score 30 goals in a season. Seedel is a better player allready. I think as long as we keep the solid midfield, especially Hakki and Wilko then we will be okay. Daly will stay and I hope the other long standing defenders will too. Boot and Hodge have already gone, so good luck to them!

[Dominic]

Quote:

Anonymous said:
You need to get realistic, Miller is never going to score 30 goals in a season.

Well he can because he has!

In 2001/2002 he scored 30 in all competitions and in 02/03 he netted 29 goals. Millers a quality striker who CAN score 30 goals a season.

Miller scored 11 goals this season and then he was forced out the team. For what ever reason things did dry up at the end but theres no doubt in my mind that this time next year we'l be fighting to keep him too!

[Radders]

In the first three months of the season, Miller did look a quality player and he was scoring goals at a faster rate than Boot at that time, I remember posting a message asking whether people thought Miller and Hodges would get more than Winston and Boot last year. For whatever reason the goals dried up although to be fair Eddie stuck by him until he missed the game at Maidenhead (not by Eddie's choice but by Miller being unavailable). Since that game he never got back into the team permanently and visibly seemed to lose confidence. I've said to people before that one of his problems may be that when Hodges really started to fire, the team tried to find him at the end of all the moves so a lot of high balls were coming into the box. The reason Boot scored more was that he has slightly more pace than Miller and so can get away from defenders easier. Not taking anything away from Boot a lot of his goals have been penalties and one on one's this year. He doesn't often create that many chances for himself. I am sure that Miller, if we play to his strengths and he regains some confidence over the summer, will start scoring regularly again, his previous record shows that he is too good a player not to. If we have Miller and Seedel next year that could well be a very productive partnership if both find their feet early on, but I still think we'll need to bring in another 1 or 2 forwards to back them up. There is no doubt that Eddie will be looking for players over the summer, just think Boot and Hodges weren't exactly household names at this level when they joined us but they have now come on leaps and bounds. Hopefully, future signings can do the same. Even if Hodges does leave, most likely, it is important we hang on to some of the other young talent such as Riddell, Harris, Haddow and Steer as all four have shown the fans that they really do have something to offer the club. Just think if the following players are around next year there is still a healthy competition for places in other areas and with another couple of strikers we will still have a decent chance.

 

Foster

Riddell

Steer

Daly

Murphy

Moller

Gyoury

Hakki

Barrowcliff

Harris

Haddow

Spencer

Wilkinson

Seedel

Miller

 

As well as that having Gyoury and Spencer back will be like having two new players which will be good.

 

 

[BFR]

I would have thought a few more players will leave but we will retain a healthy nucleus of the squad that can be built on next season.

[Barry Scott]

has Hodges definitely left then?

[BFR]

Not yet, but would be very (pleasantly) surprised if we see him playing for Slough next season - the man is class and should be playing at a higher level than Isthmian/Southern League Premier.

[Barry Scott]

i trust Eddie completely as he turned round what was looking to be a complete disaster of a season to a successful one, and like he said, if we can keep the group of players we have together and unearth a few more diamonds in the rough, we'll be fine

[evadne]

The advantage that STFC has compared to others is that with a higher fan base and (especially) Martyn Deaner's backing, we can attract players by paying a reasonable amount. So we don't hear whinging about "not being able to pay the number nine's wages" as the Boreham Wood chairman has done.

 

What about other forwards we've played against this year? Any of them worth considering? (As a behind the goal watcher, I tend not to notice the opposition's forwards).

 

I notice from last weekend's results that someone called Campbell scored 5 for Yeading. Anyone seen him? If he's good and he's local, he could be worth stealing.

[Dominic]

I saw DJ Campbell the other day and he didn't do much but he was the 'Ian Hodge' of the North league and he scoed over 30 goals so he may be woth a look.

[Martin]

What you mean his name was actually DJ Campbells, just everyone got it wrong?

[BFR]

DJ Camp-bells!

Always keep scoring .....etc

[Guest]

Nah, he's the Yeading manager's Nephew I think so that's why he's playing at this level, otherwise he'd probably be playing Conf South at the very least. Omari Coleman of Dulwich could be worth a look at?