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?
Good to see he has released Ottoway and Hollis, neither lad looked good enough for NLP let alone NLS.
Offering Kennedy a new deal is bizarre beyond bizarre. Why you would use up part of your annual budget on a lad you have zero faith in to actually play or even use as a sub.
We will clearly see a GK come in probably Harrison Foulkes and a striker...As Ottoway leaving and McShane out injured means we are short. Also JP9 is another in the 35+ age bracket, cannot relied upon to stay fit.
I think the new GK and the new Striker will probably be about it.
Looking at the retained list, there are too many players who are 30+ there for my liking and the squad has 7 players injured as it is at the moment...
Squad depth as of now (3-5-2):
GK:
RCB: Francomb / Fuller / Philpot
CB: Craig / (Gallagher)
LCB: Norville-Williams / B.Taylor / Kennedy
CDM: Pybus / Kuhl / Gallagher
CM: J.Taylor / McManus / Moore
CAM: Carter / McShane
RW/RWB: Briggs / Muitt / (B.Taylor) / (McManus)
LW/LWB: Bowerman / Rabbetts / (Norville-Williams) / (B.Taylor)
ST: Prior / (McShane)
ST: Rutherford
Obviously, more than anything, we need at least one GK.
Striker coverage definitely looks a bit short, especially with the McShane injury. I wonder if we look at a 6 month loan deal for some young EFL striker? I'd like to see young Will Lankshear at Spurs (brother of Alex) come in but I doubt that happens considering how it went for Alex here...
LW/LWB could be an issue with Bowerman injured and Rabbetts unproven at this level, although both Bobby-Joe and JNW can cover in that area. Again, maybe a short term loan as a solution?
I still think we could do with another CB as I see Gallagher as more of a CDM than a CB. Also we don't know how well his hernia issue will heal before the season starts (see Muitt last season...).
I expect the Francomb/McManus/Pybus injuries to clear before pre-season and we have adequate covers in those areas anyway.
I feel that we need a minimum of 1 GK, 1 striker and one younger, pacier CB, based on above. I agree with Jackson that we have too many players over 35 (5). Marc said he wanted to reduce the age but mainly offered contracts to older players. A couple offered contracts hardly played last year.
Feel particularly light up front as all our strikers have all had injury problems and not back to their best of two years ago. Also concerned about the number of long/mid term injuries .
Pity we didn't offer Harrison a two year contract. Looks an error now.
Squad looks okay, but not title winning, or even top 3, quality as far as I am concerned . Might make the playoffs, but would need complete overhaul if we went up again next season.
I'm very optimistic about this squad (but then I usually am) - the vast majority have shown they can actually cut it at NL level, so should thrive in NLS. Injuries are an issue admittedly, but we have to remember there is a BIG difference between the divisions.
With a couple of additions (as others have said, pacey, young) I wouldn't be at all surprised to finish as champions, or play offs at the very least.
@crawleysth agree with you on squad requirements and with others on the loss of Blair. He was so much more effective than Bowerman, at least going forward, even if his body language was poor at times.
Next season certainly won’t be easy. My concern is that clubs will have watched our games and learnt how to play against us, with the press and pace up front. May not be as physical but against pace, even in lower leagues, we have struggled. But hopefully another signing at CB will help to counter that.
@crawleysth agree with you on squad requirements and with others on the loss of Blair. He was so much more effective than Bowerman, at least going forward, even if his body language was poor at times.
Next season certainly won’t be easy. My concern is that clubs will have watched our games and learnt how to play against us, with the press and pace up front. May not be as physical but against pace, even in lower leagues, we have struggled. But hopefully another signing at CB will help to counter that.
If you look at the squad we are likely to have next season, then unfortunately we will be finishing around 10th-16th in the league next season.
Perhaps the fact we did dominate the league during the covid season, and then the following season was up there in the top 3 for the entire season has given the club a bit of a false sense of superiority. However, this is far off the level of squad we had in 2021-2022 season or even 2020-2021 season which was the best we have ever had in my opinion.
I fear teams with less quality will have a lot of success against us on the break and using pace.
Only one of the signings is defensive and addresses the glaring weakness the side has and a weakness nigh on every manager will look to exploit next season. Not buying 2 young first choice defenders is a glaring error in my view. We will still be extremely weak when the ball is turned over, and opponents are breaking on us attacking at pace.
@jacksonfairweather Can't agree. I think the squad is as good as, perhaps even stronger than when we won in the play offs. Charlie Carter (and hopefully Norville - Williams) add real quality.
Added to that a fit Alfie, hopefully Briggs back, McShane, Jimmy Muitt, Josh Taylor and Seb Bowerman (fully fit) as well as one or two new signings gives us a potentially title winning side.
Already see quite a few on 'X' tipping Dorking next season. Won't be easy by any means but I'm confident and looking forward to it.
We shall see of course!
@crawleysth agree with you on squad requirements and with others on the loss of Blair. He was so much more effective than Bowerman, at least going forward, even if his body language was poor at times.
Next season certainly won’t be easy. My concern is that clubs will have watched our games and learnt how to play against us, with the press and pace up front. May not be as physical but against pace, even in lower leagues, we have struggled. But hopefully another signing at CB will help to counter that.
If you look at the squad we are likely to have next season, then unfortunately we will be finishing around 10th-16th in the league next season.
Perhaps the fact we did dominate the league during the covid season, and then the following season was up there in the top 3 for the entire season has given the club a bit of a false sense of superiority. However, this is far off the level of squad we had in 2021-2022 season or even 2020-2021 season which was the best we have ever had in my opinion.
I fear teams with less quality will have a lot of success against us on the break and using pace.
Only one of the signings is defensive and addresses the glaring weakness the side has and a weakness nigh on every manager will look to exploit next season. Not buying 2 young first choice defenders is a glaring error in my view. We will still be extremely weak when the ball is turned over, and opponents are breaking on us attacking at pace.
I am certain we will do better than 10th-16th next season.
In the Dorking Ad last week Marc said he is looking to get a striker to provide Jason and Alfie with some competition
We are also going a bit more full time
The coaching dept is having an overhaul plus some real resolve in terms of the injury plague we have suffered over recent years
And of course at lease 1 new GK
I have no doubt that if things don't start off right that Marc will throw the kitchen sink at it and tweak as necessary/supplement what we have, in order to get if firing on all cylinders
COYW
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Interesting that Marc said 3/4 more signings on Twitter last night. Suggests a few more area will be strengthened. My guess would be:
2 x GK
1 x LW
1 x ST
"I am certain we will do better than 10th-16th next season.
In the Dorking Ad last week Marc said he is looking to get a striker to provide Jason and Alfie with some competition
We are also going a bit more full time
The coaching dept is having an overhaul plus some real resolve in terms of the injury plague we have suffered over recent years
And of course at lease 1 new GK
I have no doubt that if things don't start off right that Marc will throw the kitchen sink at it and tweak as necessary/supplement what we have, in order to get if firing on all cylinders
COYW"
1. We could do better than 10th-16th next season but I am not certain of it. Not with the age profile and physical condition of the squad we have. NLS is a long punishing season. There will be 16-18 clubs all believing they can finish in the top 7. I think the best we can hope for is top 7 if I am honest, and that would involve us having a great season, making the right signings and the right decisions along the way.
2. We in actual fact need a replacement for JP9, a target man aged around 24-28 preferably. This is key given JP9's age and his physical condition as a player who is 35+. With our game based on wingers and balls in the box this is key. Alfie is a very different type of forward and ideally suited to our style when we play two up top but not as a lone Forward. He plays better in the hole and can be a good replacement for McShane as he recovers from injury.
3. Other teams in NLS have hybrid models, going full time does not magically give you an advantage. Perhaps it did 5 years ago but times have changed now.
4. More advanced physio methods / training methods does not magically reduce injuries if you are carrying players with long term injuries or in severe physical decline due to age. Sorry to say it but we have too many players in that category that have been retained. Not enough players in the 23-28 years old peak athletic prime which the professional clubs are very much aware of is a key.
5. Yes 1 GK is a given.
6. I am not sure what throwing the kitchen sink at it involves. I think we have been missing a trick not using the loan market so far. I hope Marc treats any future loan players extremely well, as if the club is to progress from this point then loan players from League 1 and League 2 are the key here. We cannot be continually binning off loan players at first sight and expecting to progress as a club. In terms of purchasing new players if we start poorly, then I am not sure what the budget is. But when we were free falling last season heading towards relegation, Marc did not buy anyone. So its clear that funds are limited.
I sincerely hope I am wrong about the outcome of next season but I have been around the block a few times and am a realist.
Interesting that Marc said 3/4 more signings on Twitter last night. Suggests a few more area will be strengthened. My guess would be:
2 x GK
1 x LW
1 x ST
The four is including Norville-Wlliams from what I've heard.
From what I've heard it is a goalkeeper, a forward and a defender (cb/rb).
3 new signings to be announced this Thursday and Friday.
Given those who have left, there must be one goalkeeper and one centre forward among those 3.
Very interested to see the profile of forward that we bring in. Will it be a taller/target man style striker in the mould of Prior or more of a Rutherford off the shoulder type player?
Confirmed in the Dorking Advertiser as Harrison Foulkes from Eastbourne and defender Brennan Camp from Eastleigh
Focus was on bringing the average age down!
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Had a feeling we would go for Camp once he was released from Eastleigh. We do now seem to have a lot of players who can play that 'right of the back 3' role though - Francomb, Camp, Fuller, Philpot and even Gallagher can all play there.
The only concern is that both Camp and Murphy are very injury prone players...
