Realistically

[Branton Rover]

I like the rest of the fan base would love us to sign Adelakun when his current contract expires at Lincoln. However, in my opinion he’s not going to come to us. I’d love to be wrong, but the fact is the only thing that would attract him is McCann & how he plays under him. I think the one thing the Facebook kids fail to recognise is that Hakeeb is a working man and he will go to whoever pays him top Dollar & that’s highly unlikely to be us.

I can see another kids meltdown looming & the young’uns turning on the chairman again and moaning about him not spending his money the way they want him to do.

Imo we will make Hakeeb as good an offer as we can & then it’s in the lap of the Gods. Hopefully he values his game over money but he is a professional and they only play for the money.

[Colin C No.3]

Tommy Rowe was offered more money elsewhere when he came back to Rovers.

[Branton Rover]

That maybe true but I get the feeling Tommy Rowe makes his own decisions, he doesn’t or hasn’t moved under the whim of an agent.

[KingKendrick]

Being honest he is 28 in the summer when the contract is up so probably has one big money move left in his career. I would love for him to stay but think a low end league 1 could take a gamble on him. Only thing that we may have  going in our favour is the McCann link and how well he’s done here and the majority of his clubs have all been relatively local to here so I would assume he is settled in the area.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I like the rest of the fan base would love us to sign Adelakun when his current contract expires at Lincoln. However, in my opinion he’s not going to come to us. I’d love to be wrong, but the fact is the only thing that would attract him is McCann & how he plays under him. I think the one thing the Facebook kids fail to recognise is that Hakeeb is a working man and he will go to whoever pays him top Dollar & that’s highly unlikely to be us.

I can see another kids meltdown looming & the young’uns turning on the chairman again and moaning about him not spending his money the way they want him to do.

Imo we will make Hakeeb as good an offer as we can & then it’s in the lap of the Gods. Hopefully he values his game over money but he is a professional and they only play for the money.

Agree and I think Rovers will do everything reasonably possible to sign him, but as we know, it's not a simple as that with other parties involved.

Yes, there'll be those ready with the knives out should he not sign, but I think McCann will shut them down and tell it like it is.

I wouldn't like to call it one way or another but McCann has expressed how much Adelakun is enjoying his time here which will count for something.

There's also other fish to fry and we wouldn't want to put all our eggs in one basket and miss out on other key players.

[TonySoprano]

Tommy Rowe was offered more money elsewhere when he came back to Rovers.

Probably by clubs at the other end of the country.
He signed for us because he was thinking "holistically' . I.e. we're close to where he lives.

[Branton Rover]

The Facebook kids don’t see it that way they want a goalkeeper plus  Hakeeb Adelakun

[roversdude]

Peoples funding campaign anyone ??

[graingrover]

Did you all see the wage bill at Wrexham …9 million?Now divide that among a squad of 30 and that equates to a third  of a million per player for a season ! They will see HA on Tuesday but even with the promotion in their pocket they cannot replicate what  GM has done for this player and TB will support GM in my view .

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The best thing fans can do is turn up in numbers, sing and shout our heads off from start to finish. Sing his name and make him want to sign!

[ncRover]

We have to remember that Lincoln were a mid table league 1 club when they let him go. He also scored ZERO goals in 21 games for Gillingham at this level last year. So at 27 turning 28 he could be a risk as a potential signing for a decent L1 team.

Hakeeb has said that he the geography of our club was favourable for him. He is from London but looking at his former clubs they are mostly Yorkshire / Lincolnshire. His moves down south haven’t been productive for him - see Bristol and Gillingham. I don’t know if he has a young family or anything.

He has also suggested that this coaching team knows how to get the best out of him. Hakeeb says playing as a striker at Lincoln (in a front 2) didn’t suit him. I think this is also helped by the 4-3-3 system McCann likes. In this system, the centre forward is a focal point / hold up player / general dog’s body to occupy centre halves. Ironside (7 out of 9) and Biamou (4 out of 7) won so many headers yesterday. This allows for a goal scoring wide player like Hakeeb to get in to dangerous positions.

The tactical trend in the EFL at the moment is some sort of variation of 3-5-2 / 3-4-2-1. Winger-less formations.

I think in looking at potential transfers it’s best to identify a role that compliments the system and the other players and then to look at the numbers and stats.

So if we look at L1/L2 clubs that are in a better position than us the Yorkshire / Lincs / East Midlands region we have:

Derby - getting promoted to the championship.  Won’t be interested.

Barnsley -  don’t play with wingers

Mansfield - also don’t play with wingers

Rotherham - could be a potential risk with dropping down to L1. Looks like they do play with wingers under the current manager. HA played there on loan but didn’t score in 9 games.

That being said, I think if Rovers want his signature it probably isn’t best to attract too much attention and inflate his ego by putting up posts such as “Hakeeb Adelakun and his one man show”.

[andyst79]

Be interesting to know what Close or Taylor are on , both out of contract and will free up a decent amount of £ to offer to new signings if both released.

[Avsuptem]

Peoples funding campaign anyone ??

I have a cunning plan for this. Will only cost a tenner. It only takes 100 of us from this forum to put a 10 Quid on winning promotion, currently at 150 - 1  with the winning proceeds going to the sign him up Fund.   

[drfchound]

The best thing fans can do is turn up in numbers, sing and shout our heads off from start to finish. Sing his name and make him want to sign!

Do we have a song for him?

[Northants Nomad]

Be interesting to know what Close or Taylor are on , both out of contract and will free up a decent amount of £ to offer to new signings if both released.

You can write Close’s wages out of that formula.

[Padge_DRFC]

Taylor and Rowe combined surely enough to get him?

[GazLaz]

The more I think about it the more I think it’s not impossible he signs. Less clubs dive in on players that over perform over short periods these days. 5/6/7 years ago most clubs in L1 would be willing to fall into that trap. Clubs are much smarter these days.

[Jonathan]

The more I think about it the more I think it’s not impossible he signs. Less clubs dive in on players that over perform over short periods these days. 5/6/7 years ago most clubs in L1 would be willing to fall into that trap. Clubs are much smarter these days.

I’m hoping we make the mistake of signing him up.

[Campsall rover]

Be interesting to know what Close or Taylor are on , both out of contract and will free up a decent amount of £ to offer to new signings if both released.

Both be on between 2.500 & 3.000 per week would be my estimate. Those 2 and Tommy Rowe will be our highest earners.
Think all 3 should be released this summer as out of contract so that should free up around 8.000 + in wages.

[Campsall rover]

Just seen the Ben Close thread and that he has signed a new 2 yr contract.
So much for my previous post. 

[dickos1]

The more I think about it the more I think it’s not impossible he signs. Less clubs dive in on players that over perform over short periods these days. 5/6/7 years ago most clubs in L1 would be willing to fall into that trap. Clubs are much smarter these days.

Much smarter ?
I hope we’re really stupid and sign him

[Colemans Left Hook]

The more I think about it the more I think it’s not impossible he signs. Less clubs dive in on players that over perform over short periods these days. 5/6/7 years ago most clubs in L1 would be willing to fall into that trap. Clubs are much smarter these days.

Cole at Barnsley has totally gone the other way he has finally refound his true form ?

[Chris Black come back]

He’s had a surprisingly good season definitely although has tailed off dramatically - 1 in his last 12.

[nice one rovers]

I don’t know much about football money stats.
What would be good money from us , vs other interested clubs?

[Campsall rover]

Apart from Wrexham I don’t think there will be many players in League 2 on 3.000 + a week.
Bradford City, Stockport County & Notts County will have a few, possibly Mansfield a couple I would guess.
The others on that kind of money will be few and far between.

Coming down Carlisle & Fleetwood, and then 2 of either Cheltenham, Port Vale, Cambridge & Burton.
Don’t expect any of those clubs will be paying out big wages next season.
Chesterfield coming up I would imagine will have a few on decent money.

Assuming Stockport, Mansfield and Wrexham go up then the biggest wage payers in League 2 next season will be Bradford City, Notts County, Gillingham, MK Dons, Swindon Town, Wimbledon and hopefully
& I expect to be Doncaster Rovers. Tranmere will be top 8/9 also.

Swindon though I think are not in a very healthy financial situation.
One or 2 others may not be also!!! 

Given I believe we have possibly the best manager in League 2 then I fancy us for top 3 next season even if there were 7 clubs with a higher budget than us.
It is quite possible TB will push the boat out and give GM a top 3/4 budget but to be honest I am not bothered about the budget as long as it is competitive.
It’s what the manager and coaches do on the training ground which is transmitted to performances and results in the matches that counts.

[Campsall rover]

Following my above post.

Look at Barrow, Crewe, Crawley, Newport, Harrogate
Budgets at all those clubs will be bottom 7/8 in this league.

Budget is not be all and end all. But it does help.

[ncRover]

Carlisle got a big money takeover I believe Camps.

[Campsall rover]

Carlisle got a big money takeover I believe Camps.

Right didn’t know that.

Yes they may be a threat next season. Difficult to assess.
I am really surprised they have struggled so much this season after promotion. They have a good manager in Simpson as well.
Struggle being an understatement. 23 points from is it 39 games. That’s shocking

[NigelJ]

Carlisle got a big money takeover I believe Camps.

Right didn’t know that.

Yes they may be a threat next season. Difficult to assess.
I am really surprised they have struggled so much this season after promotion. They have a good manager in Simpson as well.
Struggle being an understatement. 23 points from is it 39 games. That’s shocking

27 from 40. Must have got 4 points from their last game!!

[ForsolongaRover]

As I said at some length on another thread some time ago, he has not had sustained 1st team football anywhere else for a long time and never been so successful as he has been here.

Moving on that can't be guaranteed, so will he opt for job satisfaction. We can hope!