McKeown's Future

Just got thinking about the possibilities of what would happen if we don't go up. I was wondering whether Macca will want another year in the Conference when he could probably get into a League 1 club.

Its not so much a question of whether he would 'want' another year
in the conference, that i doubt very much, its whether there are any offers
on the table from league clubs to  make him their first choice - i think there
probably will be, but reckon if we go up he will want to stay here.
Very good keeper, tremendous potential, but not the finished article yet IMHO,
most keepers are at their best in late twenties/early thirties, so he has prob
got 3 or so years improvement  left in him yet.

Quoted from petethemariner

Its not so much a question of whether he would 'want' another year
in the conference, that i doubt very much, its whether there are any offers
on the table from league clubs to  make him their first choice

Well there's been some scouts at recent games, so I imagine there will be offers in the summer, but not sure whether they'd make him first choice.

Isn't there a similar thing to Pearson's renewal last year going on? I've read somewhere (on here I think) that it's pretty much done but hasn't been announced yet.

Quoted from Tom13

Isn't there a similar thing to Pearson's renewal last year going on? I've read somewhere (on here I think) that it's pretty much done but hasn't been announced yet.

hope so, we would do really well to hang on to him

I seem to be in a minority of one but he doesn't control his box enough for me. There are times when you need your keeper to come and take the pressure off the back four and he doesn't do it. This leads to the back four droping too deep.

Still learning and not sure he is good enough as first choice for a league club.....

Quoted from StiggsGTFC

I seem to be in a minority of one but he doesn't control his box enough for me. There are times when you need your keeper to come and take the pressure off the back four and he doesn't do it. This leads to the back four droping too deep.

Still learning and not sure he is good enough as first choice for a league club.....

He is young for a keeper though, and better coaching at a higher level would probably help him develop in this area.

Quoted from StiggsGTFC

I seem to be in a minority of one but he doesn't control his box enough for me. There are times when you need your keeper to come and take the pressure off the back four and he doesn't do it. This leads to the back four droping too deep.

Still learning and not sure he is good enough as first choice for a league club.....

Fair point, i agree to a certain extent, but you see that at a much higher
level as well, keepers seem far less dominant these days to me, maybe its
the modern footballs i d'ont know, but every time i see Petr Cech concede
a goal its  seems to be him allowing his back four to drop far too deep and him
dithering  around in his 6 yard box - and he is far from alone in that, even at
the top level.
Macca  still has room for improvement IMO, but he has the ability to do it i feel,
hope it's with us..

Being a second choice keeper can be a soul destroying place, probably only made bearable by the higher wages of a league club. Macca might get a number 1 slot in league 2 somewhere but any higher and he is likely to be second choice. If Town go up I think he will stay, but leave if not. I seem to think it has been said that the club have made him an offer at present, which he is thinking about. Agree with other posters, he has room for improvement but will probably do so.

Quoted from StiggsGTFC

I seem to be in a minority of one but he doesn't control his box enough for me. There are times when you need your keeper to come and take the pressure off the back four and he doesn't do it. This leads to the back four droping too deep.

Still learning and not sure he is good enough as first choice for a league club.....

Said this , last season , was sat with friend who had brought his golfing partner , turned out he was ex Derby County goal keeper in the 60's . Really nice chap , pointed it out immediately to us , also that he was young to be first choice , decent shot stopper  .

Again what sort of coaching ?  Nothing against Croudson but he should be learning now after 3 seasons .

Not many clubs in League 2 have a full time goalkeeping coach but I agree his current Achilles heel is coming off his line for crosses.

He is though currently a 5th tier keeper, nobody at his level or a few levels above are the complete article.

I hope he stays, we won't get a better keeper to replace him IMO

The better players will probably wait to see who else signs for us before they commit themselves. Everyone wants to play in a competitive side in whatever division they are in. Making one or two big signings early on will persuade others to follow. We're in a position where nearly all the team are out of contract this summer. Given we are losing money at the rate we are as well, the budget for next season will probably be smaller if we're still in this division. There are so many unknowns it is difficult to say about one player.

I'm ambivalent to players leaving the club. It's an unsure time when a good player leaves, because you don't know if his replacement will fill his boots, so to speak, but players moving on is part and parcel of the game and it's better when they are coveted by others, leading to a fee for the club.

Hope he stays, but if he goes, then so be it, we move on. Hedge seems more than capable to play in this division.

Quoted from GrimRob

The better players will probably wait to see who else signs for us before they commit themselves. Everyone wants to play in a competitive side in whatever division they are in. Making one or two big signings early on will persuade others to follow. We're in a position where nearly all the team are out of contract this summer. Given we are losing money at the rate we are as well, the budget for next season will probably be smaller if we're still in this division. There are so many unknowns it is difficult to say about one player.

Very concerned about the points you have made about budgets . A club our size in this division with the crowds we get should be able to attract players . What are our big overheads ? Was said some time ago about partime football , that is my fear . Geographically we are in the wrong place .

Big overheads? Just 900k a year!

Quoted from Mariner21

Big overheads? Just 900k a year!

And then  you see Scunthorpe , on tv today , showing the new 12000 seater stadium . With their crowds of around 3000 , at the top of their division . Rather sickening .

Quoted from GrimRob

The better players will probably wait to see who else signs for us before they commit themselves. Everyone wants to play in a competitive side in whatever division they are in. Making one or two big signings early on will persuade others to follow. We're in a position where nearly all the team are out of contract this summer. Given we are losing money at the rate we are as well, the budget for next season will probably be smaller if we're still in this division. There are so many unknowns it is difficult to say about one player.

The 'better' players are who? Most are out of contract and will be looking for the best deal they can get as would we all in the same situation. Regarding the budget, I'm sure I heard Big Chris say on Radio Dull that next years budget wouldn't be much different to this years - 'with a few tweaks' I believe was the phrase used.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

The 'better' players are who? Most are out of contract and will be looking for the best deal they can get as would we all in the same situation. Regarding the budget, I'm sure I heard Big Chris say on Radio Dull that next years budget wouldn't be much different to this years - 'with a few tweaks' I believe was the phrase used.

You heard correctly. I am told that if we are in the Conference next season the budget will be slightly lower but when you consider we have paid Liam for the last 2 yrs and if you strip his costs out of the budget we are virtually on par with this yrs spend.

I would stress that nothing is cast in stone but that is one scenario at present, the other, which I hope applies, is a league 2 budget!

Hope that helps. There will certainly be no part time move as some have suggested nor a 'slashed budget'

Quoted from StiggsGTFC

I seem to be in a minority of one but he doesn't control his box enough for me. There are times when you need your keeper to come and take the pressure off the back four and he doesn't do it. This leads to the back four droping too deep.

Still learning and not sure he is good enough as first choice for a league club.....

Sort of agree with this, one of Aidan Davisons qualities was the relationship with the defence. This contributed to a lot of clean sheets above and beyond his goalkeeping ability

Yeah, in the playoff final he was superb at dealing with Northampton's cultured hoofing.

Macca is for me the best keeper in this league and could certainly play league 2 or even league 1. Even now. Look at Sam Slocombe at Scunny- he has had scouts from higher leagues looking at him and i would put Macca on par with him. He is still relatively young and should get even better.

Really hope he is here next season be it conference or hopefully league 2. If we are still stuck in this league and he gets a (better) offer to join a league club (rather like Connell did) you could hardly begrudge him the opportunity. I get the impression he is quite happy here and is not seeking a move.

imo we have a pretty good keeper sat in the stands every week. Hedge hasnt had a look in this season but he is a proven goalie in this league. I thought he was a good 'keeper at Cambridge & Tamworth- capped by England C and is only 25 himself. If Macca did go we could do a lot worse than offer Hedge a new deal.