SQUADWATCH - Summer 2026

[stealthpapes]

Since Smith left, we’ve signed at least three forwards, plus have had Wareham and Kelv on our books.

Letting Wareham go now looks like a mistake*, at least in our valuation of him as a starting striker. His record post-Smith, when he played a lot more, holds up.
We never quite knew where to play Kelv.
Bodin disappointed, don’t think he even started too many games.
O’Mahoney just didn’t work.
Keane started OK but faded hard after injury.

At the time, the club realistically couldn’t turn down the Smith money. But he’s certainly proved to be irreplaceable, so far.

*I think he wanted to leave, get a fresh challenge, so I’m not sure he’d have ever signed a new contract tbf tbh

[Hound]

But it's very frustrating that one of the key positions we're waiting on as we approach the deadline is a striker AGAIN. We sold Smith over 18 months ago. It was the key position in the summer, then we got a last minute deal for Marriott. He was great but injury prone, so arguably it was a priority in January but we didn't get anyone. Now it's a key priority again.

Why are we incapable of going early for a striker when it's been such a glaring problem for so long?

Well because it’s everyone’s priority pretty much. A decent striker is very hard to find and therefore the selling club will hold on as long as possible to get as good a deal as they can

Marriott did well last year but that was still a big gamble really, hadn’t scored many goals or played many games for years

Really wasn’t ideal having to sell Kelvin but I guess we couldn’t turn the money down

[Doc]

But it's very frustrating that one of the key positions we're waiting on as we approach the deadline is a striker AGAIN. We sold Smith over 18 months ago. It was the key position in the summer, then we got a last minute deal for Marriott. He was great but injury prone, so arguably it was a priority in January but we didn't get anyone. Now it's a key priority again.

Why are we incapable of going early for a striker when it's been such a glaring problem for so long?

Well because it’s everyone’s priority pretty much. A decent striker is very hard to find and therefore the selling club will hold on as long as possible to get as good a deal as they can

Marriott did well last year but that was still a big gamble really, hadn’t scored many goals or played many games for years

Really wasn’t ideal having to sell Kelvin but I guess we couldn’t turn the money down

This, plus there seems to be less true number 9s than there used to be (more ‘forwards’), which makes it competition for an even smaller pool.

[stealthpapes]

That’s the follow on

If we can’t replace like for like, what attributes can we replace most effectively? What best fits the current plan.

[Doc]

That’s the follow on

If we can’t replace like for like, what attributes can we replace most effectively? What best fits the current plan.

If the plan is to get it wide quickly for pacy wingers, a forward that makes darts into the channels for threaded passes or one who arrives late for cutbacks?

[Extended-Phenotype]

A significant proportion of clubs complete their squads within the last week of the transfer window. It’s not just us. A lot of deals end up taking place near the end because other deals fall through while players/agents hold out for better offers. It’s just the nature of the beast.

The fact we are looking for a striker - which is the smallest, most expensive and competitive market - makes it all the more difficult and likely to drag on into the final stages of the window.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I don't get it. On the school playground, most kids wanted to play up front and get the glory. So why don't enough professional footballers want to play there?

[stealthpapes]

Since Smith left, we’ve signed at least three forwards, plus have had Wareham and Kelv on our books.

Letting Wareham go now looks like a mistake*, at least in our valuation of him as a starting striker. His record post-Smith, when he played a lot more, holds up.
We never quite knew where to play Kelv.
Bodin disappointed, don’t think he even started too many games.
O’Mahoney just didn’t work.
Keane started OK but faded hard after injury.

At the time, the club realistically couldn’t turn down the Smith money. But he’s certainly proved to be irreplaceable, so far.

*I think he wanted to leave, get a fresh challenge, so I’m not sure he’d have ever signed a new contract tbf tbh

I do appreciate I don't include Marriott, who has been an astonishing success but also injury prone.

I still chuckle at the ITK-wannabe who described him as "having had a goalectomy".

The reality, at least for me, is that we're not going to get a complete package, so what flaws can we tolerate and what strengths do we need to really search for.

[stealthpapes]

TBF, the little I saw of Bodin made me think we'd gone like for like with Smith and that he'd do alright.

[Uke]

I don't get it. On the school playground, most kids wanted to play up front and get the glory. So why don't enough professional footballers want to play there?

Competition for place, short career (even for a footballer), chances of injury, fickle fans, etc.

[stealthpapes]

I don't get it. On the school playground, most kids wanted to play up front and get the glory. So why don't enough professional footballers want to play there?

"it's been a long time since you've been in the school playground"

[Extended-Phenotype]

I don't get it. On the school playground, most kids wanted to play up front and get the glory. So why don't enough professional footballers want to play there?

Competition for place, short career (even for a footballer), chances of injury, fickle fans, etc.

It's also a numbers game. Since everyone pretty much plays with one striker these days, there are fewer starting spots for that position. I suspect for the career footballer, it's also better to focus on flexibility than to overly pigeonhole yourself.

[Hound]

All the best kids want to play CAM nowadays from what I’ve seen in youth football

[Fezza]

With Long Kelvin gone I wonder if we have enough height in our forward line and midfield, and continue to lack a plan B. It seemed to me that we found it hard to hold the ball up and clear our own box last year.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Long Kelvin is the only person I know who gets shorter when he jumps.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I don't get it. On the school playground, most kids wanted to play up front and get the glory. So why don't enough professional footballers want to play there?

"it's been a long time since you've been in the school playground"

Tbf, I was the one made to play in goal, which is probably still what kids do with their weakest player.

[Sutekh]

Wareham could move this summer for a decent fee, and we don’t have a sell on as he was ooc

[Clyde1998]

Wareham could move this summer for a decent fee, and we don’t have a sell on as he was ooc

I think we might do, as we offered him a contract and he was 24 or younger when he left. I'm fairly certain we got some sort of compensation fee for him (and Michael Craig, for that matter). Both were negotiated (unlike Mbengue, which went to tribunal), so could well have sell-on clauses as part of them.

[linkenholtroyal]

So with the Femi Azeez sale potentially going for 20 million. And a reported 20% sell on we could be looking at a 4 million pound cash injection into the club. Much needed.

With Leam making it very clear he needs players. Where would you spend the let’s say £2 million he may invest and on who?

I would go Jodi Osei Tuto on a free, he can play left or right back and then we are job done there.

Daniel Kanu centre forward circa 1 million is the fee reported, 16 goals in league 2 last year played as a lone striker so would fit the system.

Mark Helm attacking central midfielder, highly rated and young, had 2 good season in league 1 for burton and 2 in league 2 for Fleetwood. At 24 has time to progress and would be a great utility player in the middle or as back up to Stokes. 4-500k reported and low wages.

Finally the centre back…. I would go somewhere, where they have a lot of options at centre back at the moment and look at a player we wanted before in Joe Low, they have 5/6 centre backs on the books with Bowat now.

All Spaculation and just what I would do….

[Sutekh]

So with the Femi Azeez sale potentially going for 20 million. And a reported 20% sell on we could be looking at a 4 million pound cash injection into the club. Much needed.

With Leam making it very clear he needs players. Where would you spend the let’s say £2 million he may invest and on who?

I would go Jodi Osei Tuto on a free, he can play left or right back and then we are job done there.

Daniel Kanu centre forward circa 1 million is the fee reported, 16 goals in league 2 last year played as a lone striker so would fit the system.

Mark Helm attacking central midfielder, highly rated and young, had 2 good season in league 1 for burton and 2 in league 2 for Fleetwood. At 24 has time to progress and would be a great utility player in the middle or as back up to Stokes. 4-500k reported and low wages.

Finally the centre back…. I would go somewhere, where they have a lot of options at centre back at the moment and look at a player we wanted before in Joe Low, they have 5/6 centre backs on the books with Bowat now.

All Spaculation and just what I would do….

Tuto was released? Why isn’t he here already? Class player.