Ben Mackey signs for Hemel

I prefer to take the longer view. As I said, we've improved our position each year and so next season it must be top spot! Trust the management team to do their job and bring in the right players.

Another interesting position to be filled will be the goalkeeper ? We all like Lewis and a stour legend but after last season with his injuries etc wonder if he got another season in him? Dean did a good job but common knowledge he plays for the highest bidder!

Thats us out then Baz! Were happy to have money just sat in the bank for a rainy day. Trouble is if we dont take a small calculated risk the rainy day will never come.
As for Lewis being a legend, a good keeper yes, but legend? No.
Dean is a good young keeper with lots if promise, and could be our keeper for many years to come if we look after him.

Would like to see Dean stop but money maybe the issue! Maybe legend is a bit of a strong word for Lewis and gets said a lot about these premiership players on pop star wages but anyone who has turned out in a stour shirt a few hundred times,gone to work after a match in Kendal and had to raise a family,my hat goes off to to them

brockmoor wrote:As another poster mentioned, Mackey guarantees 25-30 goals a season (barring injuries of course), he is arguably the best striker in this league. I believe he finished highest goalscorer last season?

Are we likely to get someone from a higher level? I doubt it.

Playing 4-5-1 (or a pretend 4-4-2)for around 5 months and we were hanging on to a play-off place.

Reverting to a 4-4-2 results started to pick up and the tide was turning. We then signed Mackey the picture was complete.

Fingers crossed we dont fall in to the same trap next season, just because we havent got two quality strikers.

Maybe we could break the bank for Dovey?

Why stop at Linden? Let's get Marcus Palmer back as well!

Who knows what we offered Mackey to stay? It might have been an increase, it might have been less than last season, we might not even have wanted to keep hi.

Maybe Gary took the view that he didn't dovetail all that successfully with Luke and we're better spending a bit less on a different type of striker and maybe using the bit left over to "top up" another player's wages that we feel we can't do without.

That's the thing with budgets - you have to balance it round the whole squad. Unless you're going to go for the "bottomless pit" approach then every penny extra you pay one bloke has to come off somebody else's money.

To those who would fritter away our "nest egg" willy nilly, be careful what you wish for. Would you rather overspend on players, win promotion and then find that we can't afford the necessary ground improvements, or a good enough playing squad, to prevent instant relegation/enforced demotion again, or would you prefer to build the best squad you can (from 1 to 18) within your means and know that if we are good enough to go up at the end of the season we will have the funds to be able to do what it takes to stay there, both on and off the pitch?

One other thing I will say about signings and last season generally...

It's just my gut feeling but I think some of the problems we had in the Autumn time last season came because we were complacent in strengthening the squad over the summer. We had a good start to the season (20 points from the first nine games) and that papered over it to a certain extent, but when things started to go wrong we were left trying to put it right "on the hoof".

As I say, it's just my feeling.

I don't think the squad needs that much work.
Keeper/Defence is fine.

I've never really got this whole needing bite in midfield. We've got a great work horse in Leon and when he wants to be, the best passer we've had in a long time in Sean.

Rocky&Ben are class. That's that.

You've then got Benbow who is a very good player.

Drew, Wurzel and Jordan, personally I don't feel are what is needed for us to be getting promoted.

On that basis, a CM an out an out winger and then a couple of Strikers for me.

Jack wrote:I don't think the squad needs that much work.
Keeper/Defence is fine.

I've never really got this whole needing bite in midfield. We've got a great work horse in Leon and when he wants to be, the best passer we've had in a long time in Sean.

Rocky&Ben are class. That's that.

You've then got Benbow who is a very good player.

Drew, Wurzel and Jordan, personally I don't feel are what is needed for us to be getting promoted.

On that basis, a CM an out an out winger and then a couple of Strikers for me.

We haven't got a proper natural left back,Oliver can't be faulted for effort but he's more of a central defender in my opinion,we need someone comfortable on the ball who can pass and who has the ability to support the attack and help with team width.

Nathan is the player of the decade in my opinion but he can't go on forever,we need to find someone capable of challenging him.

Football is a matter of opinion,how Aaron can be dismissed so lightly and Rocky praised to the hilt is beyond me,Aaron is a quality player with a great football brain and capable of quality passing,scoring great goals,crosses to dream of and a great engine for getting up and down the pitch,personally i'd like to see him tried over a long period at fullback.

Rocky is capable of magic at times but is inconsistent,well worth having in the squad but not a "shoe in" for me.

Leon comes close to Nathan in legend status and work's his nut's off but he is not a snarling ball winner in midfield and his goal's tally has dropped a lot in the last two seasons,again though,a terrific squad player.

Ben is our best player in my opinion but plainly he doesn't like it out on the wing.

Drew is another good squad player as well.People need to remember that player's like him and Dyse have been extremely loyal to Stour even with a severe lack of games at times and this loyalty need's repaying in return,i don't want to see the Dudley Sport's way of doing thing's with three new squad's per season with a constant revolving door.

Evolution not revolution is important for Stourbridge,it would be nice to see maybe three or four decent signings before the season but hopefully people who will stay around and who are not just chasing the top Dollar.

I hope we also use pre-season to give some of the promising youth team a decent chance to shine.

It's all about opinion,i expect that given the squad we'd all pick a slightly different team but i have to say that the squad as was at the end of the season ( barring Mackey ) do seem like a good bunch and i don't see the need for anyone to be waved bye,bye at this time.

We have some cracking youth team players but in my opinion not ready for first team league matches,maybe minor cup matches though,most have another year in the youth team,not sure if the management have looked at craig Tibbets who was in youth team and got a few goals for Dudley sports?

DA, disagree entirely about Wurzels footballing brain. The one Stour moment that has wound me up more than any was down to him away at Merthyr a couple of years. We'd battered them and going into stoppage time we were 2-1 down. We had a Free kick about 25 yards out. Everyone bar Lewis had gone forward and he's had a shot. Not only did he have a shot but it went miles over the bar. Granted, that's one isolated example, but he did multiple things like that. When he's on form, he's a handful. However for every excellent ball there's a few duffs imo.

As for Rocky. I don't get that either. I'd actually have him over Ben tbh. How is inconsistent? 2 seasons ago straight after Ryan left he went what? 7 games? Getting MOTM? He was arguably the only reason it kept together in that spell after Rowey. He then also started the season scoring goals, that one at Totton, for example.

Devil's Advocate wrote:We haven't got a proper natural left back,Oliver can't be faulted for effort but he's more of a central defender in my opinion,we need someone comfortable on the ball who can pass and who has the ability to support the attack and help with team width.

Nathan is the player of the decade in my opinion but he can't go on forever,we need to find someone capable of challenging him.

On these two points I don't have too much of a problem with our defence on the whole. A bit more cover might be useful but it's not easy finding players at this level who are happy to be "bit parts".

Devil's Advocate wrote:Football is a matter of opinion,how Aaron can be dismissed so lightly and Rocky praised to the hilt is beyond me,Aaron is a quality player with a great football brain and capable of quality passing,scoring great goals,crosses to dream of and a great engine for getting up and down the pitch,personally i'd like to see him tried over a long period at fullback.

Wurzel is never a full-back in all my life. I remember him playing right back at Brackley a couple of years ago. He got caught out endlessly by their left winger and was on the verge of a red card before we subbed him. Far better on the wing where he can cause damage. As a player who is capable of taking on and beating a man he gives us somethinhg we lacked a bit last season due to his and Rocky's injuries.

Devil's Advocate wrote:Rocky is capable of magic at times but is inconsistent,well worth having in the squad but not a "shoe in" for me.

The further we go up the pyramid the more I am inclined to agree with this. Sadly his injuries are not going to help his effectiveness, much as I love him to bits for what he can do.

Devil's Advocate wrote:Leon comes close to Nathan in legend status and work's his nut's off but he is not a snarling ball winner in midfield and his goal's tally has dropped a lot in the last two seasons,again though,a terrific squad player.

Much more than a squad player - this is the bloke who has just won the Players' Player of the Year, remember. Leon is never going to score the goals he did at a lower level as the quality of opposition means he can't afford to charge into the box at every opportunity without risking us being caught on the break. Perhaps he's not quite the player he was six or seven years ago, but he's still a manager's dream to me. Totally reliable on and off the pitch.

Devil's Advocate wrote:Ben is our best player in my opinion but plainly he doesn't like it out on the wing.

Agreed, although he's done well out there. For me, he's best playing as an attacking midfielder just behind the forward(s). Trouble is if we're going to play 4-4-2 with Ben in that role and Geddes as our other central midfielder I think it leaves us too exposed.

Devil's Advocate wrote:Drew is another good squad player as well.People need to remember that player's like him and Dyse have been extremely loyal to Stour even with a severe lack of games at times and this loyalty need's repaying in return,i don't want to see the Dudley Sport's way of doing thing's with three new squad's per season with a constant revolving door.

Again, agreed. Without being patronising these kinds of players are invaluable in the loyalty they show. I'd like to think that Dyse in particular will stick with the club in the long term as I think he has a lot to offer behind the scenes. I know some of our younger players say he helped them tremendously when they first came into the team a few years ago.

Devil's Advocate wrote:Evolution not revolution is important for Stourbridge,it would be nice to see maybe three or four decent signings before the season but hopefully people who will stay around and who are not just chasing the top Dollar.

Totally agree.

Devil's Advocate wrote:I hope we also use pre-season to give some of the promising youth team a decent chance to shine.

No issue with giving them a chance pre-season but it shouldn't get in the way of establishing a solid squad of players who are ready for the SLP. It's tough for lads to step straight out of U18s football into the SLP. It's a physical league. Only Rocky has really made the transition, and he didn't come into the first team at this level, remember. Wardy might get there in time, but none of the other youth teamers who have had the occasional run-out have looked ready yet (I stress YET!)

Devil's Advocate wrote:It's all about opinion,i expect that given the squad we'd all pick a slightly different team but i have to say that the squad as was at the end of the season ( barring Mackey ) do seem like a good bunch and i don't see the need for anyone to be waved bye,bye at this time.

Dead right - we have a very good team spirit and I know some will say that alone doesn't win you Trophies. But I do believe it can give you a bit of an edge over "better" sides witout the same togetherness. It shouldn't be underestimated.

Jack wrote:I've never really got this whole needing bite in midfield. We've got a great work horse in Leon and when he wants to be, the best passer we've had in a long time in Sean.

Look at our midfield - with everybody fit we've got four "flair" players (by which I mean skill rather than physicality is the key to their games) in Geddes, Billingham, Drake and Rock. They can't all play together without some kind of "insurance" - Leon may be a "workhorse" and he's the most disciplined player in the squad (in every sense) but I don't see him as an "enforcer".

brockmoor wrote:Thats us out then Baz! Were happy to have money just sat in the bank for a rainy day. Trouble is if we dont take a small calculated risk the rainy day will never come.

Have you got any evidence for us prefering to leave the money in the bank than spend it on the team? Didn't we just sign Mackey to try and get us up?

I'm as impatient as the next person to see what we're going to do over the summer, but it's still May - surely we have to give them time to do something before we start criticising?

Jack wrote:DA, disagree entirely about Wurzels footballing brain. The one Stour moment that has wound me up more than any was down to him away at Merthyr a couple of years. We'd battered them and going into stoppage time we were 2-1 down. We had a Free kick about 25 yards out. Everyone bar Lewis had gone forward and he's had a shot. Not only did he have a shot but it went miles over the bar. Granted, that's one isolated example, but he did multiple things like that. When he's on form, he's a handful. However for every excellent ball there's a few duffs imo.

As for Rocky. I don't get that either. I'd actually have him over Ben tbh. How is inconsistent? 2 seasons ago straight after Ryan left he went what? 7 games? Getting MOTM? He was arguably the only reason it kept together in that spell after Rowey. He then also started the season scoring goals, that one at Totton, for example.

I'm not going to argue,it's my opinion.

TRM wrote:

Jack wrote:I've never really got this whole needing bite in midfield. We've got a great work horse in Leon and when he wants to be, the best passer we've had in a long time in Sean.

Look at our midfield - with everybody fit we've got four "flair" players (by which I mean skill rather than physicality is the key to their games) in Geddes, Billingham, Drake and Rock. They can't all play together without some kind of "insurance" - Leon may be a "workhorse" and he's the most disciplined player in the squad (in every sense) but I don't see him as an "enforcer".

This is correct TRM,i said in previous posts that Geddes would be helped by having a "snotter" alongside him,this isn't to denigrate Leon in any way and i agree with everything else you've said about Leon.


With regards to my earlier point about Aaron,players can be taught a position,i played my 20's as a striker and in my thirties i became a right back albeit that it wasn't at the Stour level of course.I just think that with his engine and skill he could be taught the position but thats just an opinion of course,i except other people don't feel that way.

I think it's very harsh on Leon to call him a work horse - I prefer to think of him as a midfield dynamo.

I think we need Leon, Sean and a snotter (whatever happended to Ryan Mahon?) - maybe we should think about playing 4-5-1

or perhaps 3-5-2 - put Jamie at CB and Wurzel at wing-back?

I have to be honest i also dont get this infatuation with Rocky?

Not good in the air.
Cant tackle.
Rarely makes a successful pass forwards.
Runs in to trouble to often.

Around five games per season he is unplayable, but this is usually down to him being against a poor left/right back. I dont believe we missed him last season, my only worry is that this season we will try to accommodate to many midfielders and go back to the dreaded 4-5-1 (especially at home).

However sure his a smashing lad.

First of all i think the ones who say we should give youth players a chance ought to realise what league we are in. For any of them to make a serious impact at this level then they have to be seriously outstanding at youth level. Baz mention Tibbetts who scored a lot of goals was given a few minutes in matches at first team but didn't look good enough at that stage. Ward has done well but what will he be like when totally fit if he recovers. Took players on when he came in but at Chippenham certainly didn't want to take players.

Think last season we did miss Drake and Rock just to give us some width. Billingham does his best but he has to beat the player at least twice before he achieves anything. Certainly Fitzpatrick out wide is a non starter he is a central midfielder. Sean Evans isnt the same player and i think every can understand why after serious injury he had.

Still think we need a ball winner in midfield more than we need any other player. Who you put alongside is anyone from a number of players.

Points made about Rock by Broockmoor can't head a ball bit unfair i think as we aim some kicks from the keeper to him like Ben. If you are making that statement then Luke or Mackey have to be in the same brackett. Agree he can't really tackle but Rocky was a forward to start off with and how many of them can tackle. Perhaps doesnt pass as well as everyone but to me most perple go overboard about Geddes passes. Perhaps he does run into trouble too often but we need players who can beat players and thats something they will do more often than not.

In my opinion both Drake and Rock have potential its whether our management team can realise that.

With regards to our defence I personally don't see that we've really got a problem in that department, after all we did have the best goal difference last season. Our main problem is as everyone has said, we need someone who knows where the back of the net is

Ben seemed to be that person, but obviously when it comes down to money he'd sign and play for a team on Mars if it meant earning more. And now he's gone we need someone to take his place, I feel that we spent too long relying on Ryan Rowe for goals without thinking about the long term if and when he decided to leave.

As to players in the youth team, then yes there probably are some that could play in the first team and the friendlies would be a good chance to test them. After all isn't that what the youth team is for in the long term, or should we have a reserve team in between for them to move up to

Dont mention a reserve team round here 'smiler'!

Wonder how many teams have a reserve side? Think Lye did a few seasons ago,not sure if it worked for them

Lye are in the West Midlands Premier League, not Southern Premier! We should have a reserve team end of story, a place where youth team players from previous seasons can ply their trade under the Stourbridge banner. This would allow them to develop instead of us losing good young players year in year out. We have so many junior teams i dont understand the thinking of not having a reserve team.......
Well i do know the reasons but wont go into it.

I love starting a heated debate

Also hearing McCone is off