Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
Creating this one so discuss new signings through the Summer (Although I imagine most will be announced in the next few weeks).
Marc said in an interview today that a new young defender will be announced in the next few days. He arrives from a National League South side and has EFL experience.
He also mentioned about rebuilding the physio department over the Summer and that they are close to announcing a new first team coach to replace Ross.
Who else would you like to see come in?
@dorking-raider I heard this the other week as well.
Eastbourne published their retained list today and his name was in the list of players who "decided their future lies elsewhere" so looks a very likely signing now.
@ethant Yeah, saw that. I would be surprised if we re-signed Sam Beard considering Norville-Williams has already come in for the same position.
With Male and Slav both leaving, we surely now need to sign 2 keepers. Slough announced that Dan Lincoln is leaving so I wonder if we could see Lincoln and Foulkes both come in.
@calvertskans Really great news. Indicates the direction that Marc is focusing for the team. I'm sure it entices Carter to want to stay to be given that distinction.
Good news that Carter is staying as captain.
But not great news for our hopes of promotion or the defensive performances that he is keeping the two 40 year olds in defence. Both TC and Fuller will be appearing in the same back 3 next season folks for half the games. I can see the better teams tearing us a new one on the break.
The plan at this stage is to play Fuller for half the games and the new lad Williams in the other half.
Whyte really does not like letting go does he! Seriously I hope he doesnt bullshit his way through that issue and acts to resolve it. As it would be good to bounce back.
@jacksonfairweather I think Fuller is more likely to rotate with Francomb than JNW.
I do still think we need another centre half though because I can't see who else who play there if we ever played a back 4. It would probably be Gallagher but I would love to see us try and get Cian Harries who just left Aldershot as he really suits the way we try and play football.
So the retained/released list is now out:
https://dwfc.co.uk/2024/05/squ/
I would say the only real surprise for me is Kennedy signing a new contract; would have thought for sure he was one of the ones leaving.
I think the only real mistake is losing Tom Blair as he would have been great in the NLS. Glad to see Philpot sign a new deal as I thought he might have been off. He will be great cover in the NLS.
Would have liked us to have kept hold of Black as well as I think we're very short of young defenders. Can only assume another centre half will arrive at some point.
Big surprise for me is giving Fuller a new contract, to keep him AND Craig (Craig has another year to go on his contract to be fair) is a shock
That said the clue was there yesterday in the Dorking Ad interview (that he wanted to keep them both)
He says Fuller prob won't play twice a week but what happens when the usual injury plague happens?! It's all very well saying lessons have been learned, but the 3G pitch is still a killer, and that press release included SEVEN injured players already lol
Tom Blair looked disinterested to me a lot of the time last season, (as did Pybus)
Marc is obv confident that the NLS will be a lot 'easier' than the NL, and therefore last years squad will perform stronger.
In Marc we trust after all! COYW.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
@dorking-eagle I agree that personally I would have let Fuller go (or keep him as a coach) but at least Philpot is also there so we do have coverage in case Francomb and Fuller are both injured. Both Fuller and Philpot can play left of the back 3 as well and Philpot can also play centrally in a 3 or 4.
Keeping Kennedy suggests that another defender probably won't arrive, especially with Bobby-Joe and Norville-Williams. I think that is a mistake and we will end up having to make signings a few weeks/months in to the season again.
Marc mentions 2-3 new signings still to come in and you would expect a GK to be at least 1 (probably 2) of those. Will he sign a winger to replace Blair or will BJT/JNW/Rabbetts fill that void? Do we need more compeition up top considering we have lost Ottaway and McShane probably won't play until closer to 2025? The only area I don't see us making any signings for is centre-mid as we have 6-8 players for those positions.
@dorking-eagle I'd say Marc views both Craig and Fuller more than capable of another season at least, they both have good fitness levels, clearly look after themselves and are inspirational players. Seems to me players carry on much longer than they used to - and of course we're step 2 now, both those players are proven EFL level at their peak.
With Blair I think it's the attitude thing - just doesn't fit the Wanderers model. Great player though and will be missed.
2 or 3 signings incoming tho....
@calvertskans I've got a feeling one of those new signings might be a striker. We may be ok on the wings with BJT, Briggs, Bowerman, Muitt.
@adeb I hope its a winger/striker type player as that is one of the few types of player that we just don't have. Muitt is probably the closest to that sort of player that we have.
Would still like to see Daniel Ajakaiye from Horsham come in, especially as they now haven't come up.
