Smithers99 wrote:The numbers don't make pretty reading. We may be about to play our fourth loan of the season. In contrast we have played just three new permanent faces this season; Bassett, Natoli and Stock. That's the grand total of the successful recruitment.
On 1st November Eccles said "“We’re close to striking deals with several players currently playing in the World Cup, We’re hopeful we’ll be in a position to have those names announced in December.”
On 10th January: Eccles expressed the importance of recruiting the correct calibre of player, adding that he will not be rushed into signing players simply to make up the numbers. Conversations are being held daily and he hopes to confirm some new recruits later this month. “We’re having conversations every day,” said Eccles. “We did miss out on a few names, but we’re making progress on bringing in some more bodies."
Since mid October there has been ONE new signing that has made the team; Ethan Natoli. That's three and a half months. Most of the off season plus the first month of the new season. It's fair to say they certainly haven't "rushed into signing players" !
I suspect for the stats they would say Davis, who we lost to York, through our 2021/2 retention failings, and then came back and Walker, who had a go at SL then Championship up North, and then came back are ‘new’ signings. On that PR spin the efforts don’t look so bad. In reality an absolute failure. All this means we need to have an early, cogent retention policy in place so we can at least finish 9-12 next year. My take on it is for most of these PT players staying in London makes more sense than leaving for sunny Widnes or Bradford. But that would have been the case in 21/22 so clearly our approach/offers or general club ‘culture’ led many to roll the dice. It remains to be seen where we are compared to that situation. Eccles certainly seems to have clarity of thought and isn’t afraid to be ruthless, but as others have pointed out, the much vaunted support doesn’t appear to be there. I saw him on the pitch with the players v Sheffield but didn’t see any other coaches. On the touch line I see the lady medic but not really anyone else. It looks to me like it’s a one man band.
