Every signing since Grant returned

[Bailey Vickerage]

Seen it mentioned a lot recently about the signings we’ve made this season especially and whether they’ve been good or not.

My opinion on whether each player that McCann has signed has been a hit or miss since returning to the club.

Summer 2023

Joe Ironside ✅
Deji Sotona ❌
Richard Wood ✅
Jamie Sterry ✅
Ian Lawlor ❌
Jack Senior ✅
Rory Watson N/A
Owen Bailey ✅
George Broadbent ✅ 
Tom Nixon ✅
Mo Faal ✅
Tyler Roberts ❌
Louie Marsh N/A

8/11 ✅

Gonna be mixed opinions on Broadbent but underrated for me is improving all the time.

Can’t really comment on Watson as was brought in for the preseason to cover Jones’ injury, Marsh got injured early on so same with him.

January 2024

Jay McGrath ✅
TLT ✅
Hakeeb Adelakun ✅
Billy Waters ❌
Conor Carty N/A
Matty Craig ✅
Maxime Biamou ✅

5/6 ✅

Carty same as Louie Marsh unfortunately. 

Summer 2024

Jordan Gibson ❌
Billy Sharp ✅
Joe Sbarra ❌
Harry Clifton ✅
Tom Nixon ✅
Teddy Sharman-Lowe ✅
Patrick Kelly ❌
Ephraim Yeboah ❌
Brandon Fleming✅
Josh Emmanuel ✅

6/10 ✅

Gibson very inconsistent but overall so far has to be ❌, has it in him to change that.

Don’t think any Donny fan expected Billy to play as much as he has and he’s got 10 goals so far this season which is 2nd to Mols.

Sbarra in and out of the side so could change if gets more game time.

Clifton underrated imo with the work he does off the ball and pops up late in the box, miss him at times when he’s not there.

Teddy splits opinion but think ppl judge him harshly because of how good TLT was.

Struggled with PK so could argue either way with him.

Fleming and Emmanuel both came in to cover injuries and did that job well, neither set the world alight but did what they were brought in to do and kept the squad competitive whilst Nixon and Maxwell were out.

Haven’t included the 3 players signed in January as too early to judge imo.

Remember seeing somewhere that if 40% of signings in a window turn out to be good then it’s a good window so based on that each window since he’s come back has been a positive one, would like to know what everyone else thinks and who u disagree on.

[Reg of the Rovers]

Good post Bailey, agree with 99% of that. Sbarra and Yeboah need a double-cross. Slightly harsh on Gibson maybe, and slightly generous on Sharp as well?

For the three newbies I think Street and Crew will prove to be decent. Ennis has looked really bad so far, Yeboah level bad, but two out of three ain't bad, I hear.

One things for sure, we can't knock the investment on the playing side looking at that.

[NickDRFC]

Agree with some of that but think some is quite generous. Tom Nixon has played the equivalent of less than 3 full games this season, how can that be a hit? Fleming was pretty poor. Should also probably include renewals in that, where I’d say we’ve seen a few (big) misses as well.

[DonnyOsmond]

Agree with Nick, include renewals. Personally think there's a few more unsuccessful ones than you've got Bailey but opinions.

[GazLaz]

Biamou played 250minutes for us. Has to be a poor signing after his injury record.

Wood has missed nearly a full season after getting a contract at 39 yo. Has to be looked at as a poor decision.

Billy Sharp surely a poor signing. High profile (likely huge wage) marquee summer stinker signing. Looked awful.

Emanuel, not really contributed.

[Bailey Vickerage]

Will reply to all above in one.

Gibson was the main one we all expected a lot from and haven’t seen it consistently enough.

For me and a lot of others we expected Sharp to come in and be a sub for the last 15-20 mins and pop up with the odd important goal to win us points and I also said when he signed that if he got double figures in goals for us it would turn out to be a successful signing, he already has that.

Nixon has been injured for the majority of this season so if it was just based on that he’d be in the same bracket as Marsh and Carty but he was good last season while we were poor and is still young with a lot of potential.

Biamou served as a great short term backup for Ironside with 2 goals and an assist in 252 mins and a lot would’ve taken him back this season had he recovered from the injury.

Wood was huge for us going on that winning run to get into the play offs hence why he gets a ✅ from me.

As for contract renewals:

Molyneux ✅
Bailey ✅
Maxwell ✅
Close ❌
Westbrooke ❌
Wood ❌ (understood at the time because of how important he was for the run).

[roversdude]

Good write up in the main Honestly don’t know why people have such a downer on Lawlor, he’s never going to be number 1 long term but a steady 2nd choice who has probably aided Teddy’s development
Love Billy Sharp ….but feel at times he has hindered us

[andysly]

I’d still give Wood the thumbs up, based on his undoubted input in the training ground.

[mpc123]

It's funny on opinions isn't it.

Your all asking for a solid 11 one that is picked every week.

Yet ones that are not playing you are saying they have only played 3 games.

Now if you have a solid 11 and a back up squad that's exactly what is going to happen.

Find it strange, but we all have opinions, the only one that counts is the club.

[RoversInSpain]

I’d still give Wood the thumbs up, based on his undoubted input in the training ground.

Totally Correct!
Central Defence used to be a disaster…. Not now

[Bailey Vickerage]

Good write up in the main Honestly don’t know why people have such a downer on Lawlor, he’s never going to be number 1 long term but a steady 2nd choice who has probably aided Teddy’s development
Love Billy Sharp ….but feel at times he has hindered us

agree on Lawlor being a decent number 2 but he was brought back by McCann to be the number 1, that’s why it’s a ❌

[Nudga]

32 players in 20 months or so, incredible.

[DRFCTom]

How can anyone say sharp was a poor signing? He’s scored some important goals for us this season, not always his fault if the service to him is poor, he’s a poacher

[Prez]

Very harsh on Kelly hes a good player.

[Bessie Red]

Biamou played 250minutes for us. Has to be a poor signing after his injury record.

Wood has missed nearly a full season after getting a contract at 39 yo. Has to be looked at as a poor decision.

Billy Sharp surely a poor signing. High profile (likely huge wage) marquee summer stinker signing. Looked awful.

Emanuel, not really contributed.

Billy won't be on a huge wage!

[ncRover]

How can anyone say sharp was a poor signing? He’s scored some important goals for us this season, not always his fault if the service to him is poor, he’s a poacher

McCann’s teams usually have a pest or physical nuisance up top. If this version of Sharp isn’t scoring he’s not really offering much is he?

More important to look at the effectiveness of the attacking unit as a whole than at his 7 league goals. He’ll always score a few, like Ronaldo did on his Man U return, but he made them worse.

Perhaps if someone quick and direct like Haks had been signed to play on the left he’d have had a bit more luck, as Ironside would have.

[Chris Black come back]

What has made a notable difference this season is that in previous seasons he has nailed the loan market - Kane and Wilks, and Adelakun and Craig. This season TSL has been solid but the rest of the loanees haven't matched those previous lads in terms of transformational impact.

[Michael Shaw]

32 players in 20 months or so, incredible.

How many of those remaining would perform well in league 1? Just so we can analyse how the recruitment planning is going.

One step at a time, we are not yet out of this league. We need good league two players right now.

As for Billy, many thought we would not be lucky enough to sign him this season, but beyond all expectation we do have him and he has scored some critical goals.

[Michael Shaw]

How can anyone say sharp was a poor signing? He’s scored some important goals for us this season, not always his fault if the service to him is poor, he’s a poacher

Agreed, and bear in mind that Billy has not played 90 mins in every game this season and still racked up so many goals.

[GazLaz]

Biamou played 250minutes for us. Has to be a poor signing after his injury record.

Wood has missed nearly a full season after getting a contract at 39 yo. Has to be looked at as a poor decision.

Billy Sharp surely a poor signing. High profile (likely huge wage) marquee summer stinker signing. Looked awful.

Emanuel, not really contributed.

Billy won't be on a huge wage!

Surely he will be one of the top earners.

[Chris Black come back]

I think that’s the issue. Nobody is saying that Sharp is going to be on colossal amounts of money. What has to be true though is that he is among our higher earners. The same must also be true for Wood, Close and Westbrooke. All very experienced league players who have played higher than League Two. That’s a decent chunk of our wage bill that hasn’t been available, has been frozen out or has played intermittently between bench and pitch. There will be no resale value for any of those lads. Lot of money being spent.

[Padge_DRFC]

Street is showing what a poor signing Sharp is already

[Bessie Red]

Biamou played 250minutes for us. Has to be a poor signing after his injury record.

Wood has missed nearly a full season after getting a contract at 39 yo. Has to be looked at as a poor decision.

Billy Sharp surely a poor signing. High profile (likely huge wage) marquee summer stinker signing. Looked awful.

Emanuel, not really contributed.

Billy won't be on a huge wage!

Surely he will be one of the top earners.

Well all I know is that Scunny were looking to sign him at the same time as us and he nearly signed for them and I can't imagine them paying decent money.

[Michael Shaw]

Wood and Sharp are partly here to give some maturity to the younger players. We have picked up 7 red cards this season, but not Wood or Sharp.

Street won’t be with us next season, but I wouldn’t say he shows up Billy. Both have been good.

No mention of Joe’s 20 goals last season and only 4 this season.....

[Draytonian III]

Street is showing what a poor signing Sharp is already



Different sort of forward, I can never remember Billy Sharp making forceful runs down the wings, either playing for us or at his other clubs. Sharp is more of a box player

[Michael Shaw]

I think the criticism of Sharp comes from the expectation that he is on a huge salary. His salary is just speculation unless someone can come on here and list all the players salaries so we can compare. The fact is he has often come on late as an impact player and still is our second highest scorer behind only Mols.

[Michael Shaw]

Agree Draytonian III. Sharp doesn't run all over the pitch, he hangs around the box, and nicks the ball in when needed.

We shouldn't be too critical of a club that is 2nd in the table, and we shouldn't be too critical of our 2nd best goal scorer.

Good original post though.

[GazLaz]

Biamou played 250minutes for us. Has to be a poor signing after his injury record.

Wood has missed nearly a full season after getting a contract at 39 yo. Has to be looked at as a poor decision.

Billy Sharp surely a poor signing. High profile (likely huge wage) marquee summer stinker signing. Looked awful.

Emanuel, not really contributed.

Billy won't be on a huge wage!

Surely he will be one of the top earners.

Well all I know is that Scunny were looking to sign him at the same time as us and he nearly signed for them and I can't imagine them paying decent money.

I’m also looking to sign Jenifer Lopez.

Regarding Sharp, he just doesn’t fit the profile of striker that suits the way we play. That’s obvious to see.

[keith79]

One thing for sure he signed a lot of players