For new signings, ask the man from the Pru

[BWFC_Insane]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

[plymouth wanderer]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

Ameobi is 6ft 4. Massive for a winger

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

Ameobi is 6ft 4. Massive for a winger

I used to play left wing...though it was that long ago I was probably a bit under 6ft then

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So...Parky obviously doesn't like the name starting with W then!!

<Wilson comes out from behind the sofa>

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

Ameobi is 6ft 4. Massive for a winger

He also has asthma problems... hopefully our backroom staff can make sure he's on the right meds.

Anyway, here’s the Parky height index…

6’ Howard
6’ Alnwick
6’1” Buxton
6’5” Wheater
6’4” Beevers
6’ Thorpe
5’10” A Taylor
6’1” Henry
6’4” Ameobi
6’ C Taylor
5’9” Anderson
6’2” Proctor

[Worthy4England]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

7 players 6ft or over have won the Ballon D'or since its inception in 1956 - two of them were goalkeepers. That's 60 years.

Short. Term. Plan.

[BWFC_Insane]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

7 players 6ft or over have won the Ballon D'or since its inception in 1956 - two of them were goalkeepers. That's 60 years.

Short. Term. Plan.

Yeah but Messi has won the last 50 years.....

[BWFC_Insane]

Very happy with the deals on the most part, but it doesn't sit well with me on this short term approach of getting rid of young players on long term contracts to fund short term deals that will leave us short at the end of the season.

Suppose that's where we are as a club and I'm very happy that the Andersons are keen to get us back up and backing it with transfers. Bet the Supporters Trust were gutted when they saw these deals coming through last night

Is it short termism or is it a manager deciding he didn't rate a player all that much?

I assume we didn't need to sell him as we could have kept him instead of signing Anderson. And presumably that was Parky's call as the cash involved doesn't seem huge...

Or it is possible that Woolery wanted to go when a championship club enquired?

[Little Green Man]

I trust Roald Dahl had a ghostly hand in making James Henry a Trotter.

[Prufrock]

[Prufrock]

In the bi-annual event of Transfer Window threads it seems this is the most successful, on paper at least, in 10+ years. Price deserves plaudits.

I'm too petty minded to offer them to him however so will someone please take up this role ?

Price?!

[Bruce Rioja]

I trust Roald Dahl had a ghostly hand in making James Henry a Trotter.

That's a peach, and a giant one at that. Well done, Sir

[plymouth wanderer]

Twits!

[bobo the clown]

In the bi-annual event of Transfer Window threads it seems this is the most successful, on paper at least, in 10+ years. Price deserves plaudits.

I'm too petty minded to offer them to him however so will someone please take up this role ?

Price?!

couldn't quite bring myself to use your name (or fckg auto check couldn't).

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

Ameobi is 6ft 4. Massive for a winger

He also has asthma problems... hopefully our backroom staff can make sure he's on the right meds.

So do Beckham, Scholes and Paula Radcliffe - just to show that it can be managed, and for extended periods of exertion. Shame to hear that it impacted his performances at Cardiff but, providing that it's not too severe, there's no reason it can't be managed and he can further improve as you say.

To be clear, TAB, I wasn't criticising (some of my best friends etc etc), just mentioning. Obviously it can affect a player's ability to perform, but I trust our medics to be on-point with it.

More on Thorpe:

Born on the same day in January 1993 that Bruce Rioch’s team won at Anfield,


Has represented England at U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 & U21 levels. Was in the U17s that won the 2010 Euros, then captained the U19s at the 2012 Euros. Also skippered the Rags to the 2011 FA Youth Cup and 2013 FA U21 Premier League. A loan to Birmingham in early 2014 was disrupted by ankle injury which restricted him to just six appearances, but when Louis van Gaal took over that summer and started promoting youth players Thorpe seemed sure to be among them. However, to the surprise of those who regularly watch Warren Joyce’s shadow side, he was overlooked except for a single-minute sub appearance against West Ham. That made him the 13th

Released along with Ben Amos and others in summer 2015, he was snapped up (on the same day as our erstwhile trialist Danny Collins) on a two-year deal by a clearly delighted Rotherham boss Steve Evans:

“This young man has everything that is good with the modern day footballer. He has height, strength, speed, awareness and technical ability. There is no doubt that this lad for me is exceptional, and we are delighted to be able to attract a player who has had multiple options to sign for clubs in the Premier League, Championship and Scottish Premiership. Young Tom comes with a fantastic recommendation from some very serious people within football, and when the likes of Ryan Giggs and Warren Joyce at Manchester United tell you to move quickly to sign this lad, then you know he is a talented individual.”

But after Rotherham, with Thorpe at centre-back, lost their Championship opener 4-1 at home to MK Dons, Evans played him only sporadically, often in defensive midfield.

In late March, Parky took him to Bradford on an emergency loan and picked him in defensive midfield at home to Millwall, then centre-back at Crewe, then benched him for the remainder of the campaign bar the last minute of a 1-0 win at Southend and the second half of the play-off second-leg at Millwall (where, again, he played in defensive midfield).

He has the pedigree; seems to me he needs nurturing, and he also needs to prove he can come good on his promise. He might also need the right combination of arm-round-shoulder and boot-up-arse. Stepping down a division might have come as a necessity but maybe it’ll only be temporary, for him and for us.

[bobo the clown]

Very happy with the deals on the most part, but it doesn't sit well with me on this short term approach of getting rid of young players on long term contracts to fund short term deals that will leave us short at the end of the season.

Suppose that's where we are as a club and I'm very happy that the Andersons are keen to get us back up and backing it with transfers. Bet the Supporters Trust were gutted when they saw these deals coming through last night

The instinct is correct and it always hurts to lose ones we've nurtured. But game #1 was to steady the ship. #2 is to then return, with some capability, to the 2nd division (old money) and be off the ropes at last.

Get the money situation at the very least stable and have Anderson kick on, or sell on to someone with a bit of spare available.

We're finally showing willing. I do hope if can be sustained.

[BWFC_Insane]

Think Thorpe is here as cover for DM, RB and CB. Which is good. Derik interestingly seemingly also provides cover for the same positions.

Looking at the players signed, Ameobi can play up front or out wide. Henry IIRC can play out wide or more inside as a midfield player and Thorpe can play in a few.

Not sure on Anderson but presumably he's one of those forwards who can play up top or out wide from what I've read.

Parky did say the other night he needed versatile players as we were numbers limited. Squad looks pretty strong now. Only potential gap for me is in midfield with the two injuries we suddenly seem a bit light on box to box and attacking midfield players. Wonder if Chris Taylor could be converted to provide some cover in there?

[Worthy4England]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

7 players 6ft or over have won the Ballon D'or since its inception in 1956 - two of them were goalkeepers. That's 60 years.

Short. Term. Plan.

Yeah but Messi has won the last 50 years.....

Go have a look see...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

7 players 6ft or over have won the Ballon D'or since its inception in 1956 - two of them were goalkeepers. That's 60 years.

Short. Term. Plan.

Yeah but Messi has won the last 50 years.....

Go have a look see...

There is definitely something in having a physical presence. Allardyce and Mourinho certainly believe in it, and (in conjunction with the right training) it can help you maximise set-piece returns – scoring more and conceding fewer. Obviously a team of basketballers who couldn't kick straight would get relegated, but football is a team game and the Ballon d'Or is an individual award...

On Parky's predilection for beanpoles - it might be worth noting that Twardzik, Finney, Holding, Wilkinson, Amos and Newell are all 6ft+, while Woolery and Walker are only a shade under that mark. Of the players Parky has waved away (I'm not including the batch released in May before he took over), only Pisano (5'8.5") is what you might call short. Footballers tend to be 6ft+ these days...

[BWFC_Insane]

So is Anderson our only sub 6ft signing then?

7 players 6ft or over have won the Ballon D'or since its inception in 1956 - two of them were goalkeepers. That's 60 years.

Short. Term. Plan.

Yeah but Messi has won the last 50 years.....

Go have a look see...

There is definitely something in having a physical presence. Allardyce and Mourinho certainly believe in it, and (in conjunction with the right training) it can help you maximise set-piece returns – scoring more and conceding fewer. Obviously a team of basketballers who couldn't kick straight would get relegated, but football is a team game and the Ballon d'Or is an individual award...

On Parky's predilection for beanpoles - it might be worth noting that Twardzik, Finney, Holding, Wilkinson, Amos and Newell are all 6ft+, while Woolery and Walker are only a shade under that mark. Of the players Parky has waved away (I'm not including the batch released in May before he took over), only Pisano (5'8.5") is what you might call short. Footballers tend to be 6ft+ these days...

I'm being a bit tongue in cheek of course. But Parky has definitely made us more combative and physical, which was desperately needed.

[Little Green Man]

PSG for Keshi (source: his agent's Twitter)

Pitch, Shirt, Grin, Spin and Win