Kieran Green signs for undisclosed fee

Quoted from devs

Good point and just shows what a problem PH has - but a nice one
Totally depends on formation IMO - I can't see Clifton being used out wide when we now have three specialists in that role and what about CM? I think he may lose out to Green and Morris who may be better all round footballers

Harry possibly paying price for being too versatile but not as good as specialist players?

Having said all of that Harry is perhaps fittest player at club and will be flying at start of season so will probably be in first team - see what happens as season develops

To be fair, we had just as many wide players last season and Harry still played the majority of the season in that left-sided role.

Sousa, Scannell (who was fit for most of the season apparently) and then Bapaga/Maguire-Drew.

I can't see Hurst changing from the 4231 that served us well last season. We just need either a good alternative to McAtee or a better plan B for if he gets injured again.

Might be wrong but I get the impression from the player interviews that Wearne or Khan could play the McAtee role if he's injured or banned for a few games

Quoted from Tommy

To be fair, we had just as many wide players last season and Harry still played the majority of the season in that left-sided role.

Sousa, Scannell (who was fit for most of the season apparently) and then Bapaga/Maguire-Drew.

I can't see Hurst changing from the 4231 that served us well last season. We just need either a good alternative to McAtee or a better plan B for if he gets injured again.

This is the crucial bit for me. I do wonder if we're maybe still in for Andrew Dallas who could replace McAtee or operate across that three. I know someone quoted JS from the Clee game as saying that there would hopefully be a couple of signings that got the fans excited and I wonder if Green was one and perhaps Dallas as the other. Total guesswork from me but would seem to fit an area we need and we know that Hurst likes and values players that can play in multiple positions. We're also evidently not scared of paying a fee for the right player either.

Clearly I’m an idiot so do allow me this, but I just don’t see where a no.9 fits into the system that we played last year, unless he’s a better version of Taylor and going to be ahead of both him & Orsi? Hurst has said he’s after one, so obviously he has something in mind, but I just had Orsi down as that fox-in-the-box poacher type. I suppose we did have Taylor, Mani & Abrahams last year which could go 4-4-2 at times and Abrahams could play out on the left, but if we ended up with a classic CF type I just don’t know where they’d slot in?

Quoted from ska face

Clearly I’m an idiot so do allow me this, but I just don’t see where a no.9 fits into the system that we played last year, unless he’s a better version of Taylor and going to be ahead of both him & Orsi? Hurst has said he’s after one, so obviously he has something in mind, but I just had Orsi down as that fox-in-the-box poacher type. I suppose we did have Taylor, Mani & Abrahams last year which could go 4-4-2 at times and Abrahams could play out on the left, but if we ended up with a classic CF type I just don’t know where they’d slot in?

Totally agree with this we seem set up for a hold up style forward,  don't they call them false 9s these days. A Mark Hughes type (him being my favourite in this position).  Now that is Taylor, unless  as you say we find a better one.

Quoted from ska face

Clearly I’m an idiot so do allow me this, but I just don’t see where a no.9 fits into the system that we played last year, unless he’s a better version of Taylor and going to be ahead of both him & Orsi? Hurst has said he’s after one, so obviously he has something in mind, but I just had Orsi down as that fox-in-the-box poacher type. I suppose we did have Taylor, Mani & Abrahams last year which could go 4-4-2 at times and Abrahams could play out on the left, but if we ended up with a classic CF type I just don’t know where they’d slot in?

Another idiot here too. I don't see this obsession with needing a free scoring centre forward. Chesterfield are an example of how this backfires when they get injured for a long time.

The 3 players directly behind Taylor are all capable of scoring a decent number. Sousa had plenty of chances last season and his wastefulness is probably why he was released but JMD and Clifton had a decent goal return.

I'm interested to see how Orsi fits in, last summer he would have been that goalscoring centre forward we all crave but it didn't work out for him last season.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Another idiot here too. I don't see this obsession with needing a free scoring centre forward. Chesterfield are an example of how this backfires when they get injured for a long time.

The 3 players directly behind Taylor are all capable of scoring a decent number. Sousa had plenty of chances last season and his wastefulness is probably why he was released but JMD and Clifton had a decent goal return.

I'm interested to see how Orsi fits in, last summer he would have been that goalscoring centre forward we all crave but it didn't work out for him last season.

I would have thought you have different types of striker to give you different options to change shape. Mani and Abrahams were totally different to Taylor and Orsi looks different again.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Another idiot here too. I don't see this obsession with needing a free scoring centre forward. Chesterfield are an example of how this backfires when they get injured for a long time.

The 3 players directly behind Taylor are all capable of scoring a decent number. Sousa had plenty of chances last season and his wastefulness is probably why he was released but JMD and Clifton had a decent goal return.

I'm interested to see how Orsi fits in, last summer he would have been that goalscoring centre forward we all crave but it didn't work out for him last season.

I don’t think we’re necessarily looking for a free scoring centre forward, nor do I think we’d be likely to find one within our price range anyway. But looking at things completely objectively, for all his obvious class, Taylor scored 9 in the National League last season and has averaged about 3 goals a season in his recent previous seasons in the league.

Factoring in that he’s now 34, in an ideal world I think Hurst would want a younger and more free scoring version of Taylor, and I suspect that’s precisely what he’s looking for. Not someone who is going to trouble the golden boot award, but someone capable of holding up the ball and linking up play as well as Taylor, only capable of reaching low double figures in terms of goal return.

Whether that player is out there remains to be seen.

We have very capable options in many positions now. On another thread someone suggested  a starting 11 for next season.  This selection had 6 regular or occasional first team players only as squad players. Plus Pearson.  

Whatever the team that Hurst picks, it is going to be a significant improvement on last season.  And with more players expected to come in.

I think we will go for a Taylor type player, but younger and fitter to battle it out between them. I think Orsi will be part of a plan B in the Abrahams/Mani mould.

Green will be a definite starter but not sure that Morris will. I think Holohan will be down the pecking order and was signed with an eye to this season and still being in the National League. JMD also falls into this bracket unless he can seriously up his work rate. Clifton has the required work rate and is better than people give him credit for in that left sided role. I expect he will keep that role myself.

I think that some of last years team will be spending time in the stands.