(That long since we've had any, couldn't find the thread)

Alan Nixon: "Top Liverpool starlet Cameron Branagan will Ben allowed out on loan in Jan.

Bolton lead the race for the 20 year old midfielder"

Edited December 11, 20169 yr by Ratwhite

2 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Ian Wright 

Jason McAteer.

Muhammadu Faal...Oh hang on a minute. 

3 hours ago, deeane Koontz said:

He's fantastic at it. And wins his fair share of tackles. I'm convinced it goes unseen by some because he's not a big lump steaming about like a demented bull in a china shop

Its definitely missed by quite a few judging by the comments that he's only any good with the ball at his feet and in games that don't involve any physicality or on pitches that aren't perfect.  

3 hours ago, deeane Koontz said:

He's fantastic at it. And wins his fair share of tackles. I'm convinced it goes unseen by some because he's not a big lump steaming about like a demented bull in a china shop

He's miles better than most people give him credit for.
I think he's by far our "best" (hard to quantify, I know) player.

I'm not sure Schuey fancied him at the start of the season, but he ended with 41 appearances after forcing his way back in.

I think he'll thrive up a division, regardless of "well, if he's that good, why has nobody bought him?"

4 hours ago, Big E said:

He’s also played for Warrington Rylands. He is not what we need for championship football. 

 

Fort William

Nairn County

North Shore United

Nairn County

Yeovil Town

Elgin City

 

McGinlays career before latching on at Shrewsbury at age 25-26.

He didnt do too bad for us.

Just now, ZiggyStardust said:

 

Fort William

Nairn County

North Shore United

Nairn County

Yeovil Town

Elgin City

 

McGinlays career before latching on at Shrewsbury at age 25-26.

He didnt do too bad for us.

i stand corrected. please mr harkin do not recruit from higher as non league as they are brilliant (i mean they are not but there are a few examples out of the 1000's of players we have had)

 

6 hours ago, Big E said:

 

the lads played mainly dog and duck. if we aim that low we may as well give up. 

Well Dog & Duck or not he’s reportedly been on our shopping list twice already so maybe you ought to share your obviously better knowledge with Schu and Fergal?

2 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Ian Wright 

Jason McAteer.

Roy Race

5 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Well Dog & Duck or not he’s reportedly been on our shopping list twice already so maybe you ought to share your obviously better knowledge with Schu and Fergal?

who said he was on our list? missed where SS came out and said he was a missed target. Also if someone is going to stockport over us then they are not who i would want at bolton

 

8 minutes ago, Big E said:

who said he was on our list? missed where SS came out and said he was a missed target. Also if someone is going to stockport over us then they are not who i would want at bolton

 

I don’t think he did go to Stockport over us just that we seem to have chosen not to sign him after showing interest. Maybe if we hadn’t got Kenny though it would have been Sidibeh? Who knows but from what I’ve seen I think he could be a very worthwhile signing, just saying. 🤷‍♂️

20 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

I don’t think he did go to Stockport over us just that we seem to have chosen not to sign him after showing interest. Maybe if we hadn’t got Kenny though it would have been Sidibeh? Who knows but from what I’ve seen I think he could be a very worthwhile signing, just saying. 🤷‍♂️

On the 15th July a few years back, a young forward signed for a third tier midlands club after being released by his former club having scored 8 goals in 104 league appearances (including going out on loan twice).

He went on to score 11 goals in just 26 league appearances up to the January window where he was snapped up by another club for half a million.

 

That young man was Victor Adeboyejo

 

Fwiw Adama Sidibeh scored 7 league goals for Stockport in 16 games following his signing in the January 2026 window.

Adama Sidibeh Career Stats - EFL League One - ESPN (UK)

 

Caveat emptor

2 hours ago, kent_white said:

That's literally his job in that position. And he does it adequately if not spectacularly in League 1. There's a huge question mark for me about whether he can do it adequately if not spectacularly in the Championship. 

We'll find out one way or another come the new season. Big year coming up for him. 

Be honest, he could play like prime Pirlo and Gattuso combined, and you'd still think he was shit.

2 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

What non-league club did he come from ?

He was with us aged 16.

Ellesmere port

20 minutes ago, wakey said:

Be honest, he could play like prime Pirlo and Gattuso combined, and you'd still think he was shit.

He hasn't said he was "shit".

Moreover, he was that good, he would never have been anywhere near us.

9 hours ago, Rizlar said:

I was never a fan of Sheehan but he’s proved me wrong after watching him more in each game he does so much tracking back and helping the defence which he does well personally I think he will do well in the championship putting his skills against better players happy he signed a contract extension. 

I think Sheehan had a season of two halves, much improved since Xmas. That could be down to the forward options that Kenny and Dalby brought, the tweaks to the system to accommodate them or SS simply telling him to stop trying to spray floaty passes and crosses all over the shop so much. He certainly kept it simpler and stepped up his work rate and the defensive aspects of his game which I suspect is good coaching. Whatever the reasons, he has improved. The question for me is how he will perform with another change in team structure and playing against better opposition - I suspect he’ll be fine as he has already shown he can adapt.

Edited May 28May 28 by Wanderlust

23 minutes ago, Hoppy said:

Ellesmere port

No. He lived there & played schoolboy football for EP schools.

He was educated at Ellesmere Port Grammar school, where he was spotted by a Bolton scout; as were Barry Siddall and Neil Whatmore.

2 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

I think Sheehan had a season of two halves, much improved since Xmas. That could be down to the forward options that Kenny and Dalby brought, the tweaks to the system to accommodate them or SS simply telling him to stop trying to spray floaty passes and crosses all over the shop so much. He certainly kept it simpler and stepped up his work rate and the defensive aspects of his game which I suspect is good coaching. Whatever the reasons, he has improved. The question for me is how he will perform with another change in team structure and playing against better opposition - I suspect he’ll be fine as he has already shown he can adapt.

Isn’t that because of the emergence of one RR.  We were so reliant on Sheehan for moments of quality so he had to be everything in one.  Now we have RR who can create so not much pressure on Sheehan all the time.  

8 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

I think Sheehan had a season of two halves, much improved since Xmas. That could be down to the forward options that Kenny and Dalby brought, the tweaks to the system to accommodate them or SS simply telling him to stop trying to spray floaty passes and crosses all over the shop so much. He certainly kept it simpler and stepped up his work rate and the defensive aspects of his game which I suspect is good coaching. Whatever the reasons, he has improved. The question for me is how he will perform with another change in team structure and playing against better opposition - I suspect he’ll be fine as he has already shown he can adapt.

I can't understand the dislike of Sheehan (I still laugh at you wanting Sheehan to be transferred away from the club and his place in the team to be taken by by signing Jay Matete who was on loan with us at the time).

Like Masi you both opined that Sheehan had a bad first half to last season (and of course you are entitled to your views) but back in the real world FV rewarded Sheehan with a two year extended contract on the 20th February this year, not bad considering how badly people like you believed he had been playing in the months preceding then.

And I doubt that the signing of Rodrigues had much to do with the contract extension either as he was signed just 3 weeks earlier on the 30th January.

Whether Sheehan can make the step up to Championship level we will have to see but he's been without doubt one of our best player over the last few years and I can only think that you and others must have been watching different games and be more knowledgeable about football than Harkin and Schumacher, being the ones who signed him up for a further two more years with us, after his first half (shit performances) of that season.

 

(Bye the way I loved your brilliant analysis of (Player of the Season) Sam Dalby too!).

12 minutes ago, Sluffy said:

I can't understand the dislike of Sheehan (I still laugh at you wanting Sheehan to be transferred away from the club and his place in the team to be taken by by signing Jay Matete who was on loan with us at the time).

Like Masi you both opined that Sheehan had a bad first half to last season (and of course you are entitled to your views) but back in the real world FV rewarded Sheehan with a two year extended contract on the 20th February this year, not bad considering how badly people like you believed he had been playing in the months preceding then.

And I doubt that the signing of Rodrigues had much to do with the contract extension either as he was signed just 3 weeks earlier on the 30th January.

Whether Sheehan can make the step up to Championship level we will have to see but he's been without doubt one of our best player over the last few years and I can only think that you and others must have been watching different games and be more knowledgeable about football than Harkin and Schumacher, being the ones who signed him up for a further two more years with us, after his first half (shit performances) of that season.

 

(Bye the way I loved your brilliant analysis of (Player of the Season) Sam Dalby too!).

I must be living rent free.......Where have i mentioned Sheehan had a bad start to the season????

2 hours ago, ZiggyStardust said:

 

Fort William

Nairn County

North Shore United

Nairn County

Yeovil Town

Elgin City

 

McGinlays career before latching on at Shrewsbury at age 25-26.

He didnt do too bad for us.

Hope the Nairn County manager got fired for selling him twice

1 hour ago, Hoppy said:

Ellesmere port

Alan Stubbs was at Everton until released at 14. We immediately snapped him up for our youth system, at the same age. Never anywhere other than those two clubs, apart from schools football.

4 hours ago, kent_white said:

That's literally his job in that position. And he does it adequately if not spectacularly in League 1. There's a huge question mark for me about whether he can do it adequately if not spectacularly in the Championship. 

We'll find out one way or another come the new season. Big year coming up for him. 

He's better suited to the champ than league 1. His game, his style, his technical ability will be suited to the championship when he's surrounded by even better players. For me there is no question mark on him succeeding in the champ

5 minutes ago, Arrested development said:

He's better suited to the champ than league 1. His game, his style, his technical ability will be suited to the championship when he's surrounded by even better players. For me there is no question mark on him succeeding in the champ

100%

It's no coincidence his game improved massively this season with better players around him.

He's our whole heartbeat.

2 hours ago, wakey said:

Be honest, he could play like prime Pirlo and Gattuso combined, and you'd still think he was shit.

If he was half the player either of those two were I'd be over the moon. But he's not is he. If you can point out the games where he's been magnificent - I'll revise my opinion. But they've been few and far between.

I just think he's one of those players who's given unwarranted kudos because he's easy on the eye. He's been a 6/10 player in most games I've watched him in this season. 3 goals and 4 assists in 46 appearances. Ruben Rodriguez has managed 4 goals and 3 assists in 12 games (albeit playing further forward). I'm sorry, but for me, he just doesn't offer enough from that position. Not when we're stepping up.

I've nothing against the guy personally - and I really want him to do well. I just think he flatters to deceive. 

He's going to need to do a lot more than 'keep us ticking over' on the Championship. And he's 31 now and I'll be really surprised if he's a regular starter for us next season. Bit part player for me. Coming on with 20 minutes to go to slow down a game maybe. Still a role at the club - but much reduced. 

Hope he proves me wrong and absolutely storms the league of course.

18 minutes ago, Arrested development said:

He's better suited to the champ than league 1. His game, his style, his technical ability will be suited to the championship when he's surrounded by even better players. For me there is no question mark on him succeeding in the champ

Maybe - I made this point the other day. I'm not sure - but we'll see. 

Like I mentioned - the best game I've seen him have for the club was against Luton when he was up against Ross Barkley I think. And he ran the shop. So there's a possibility. Can he do it over a full season. Jury is out for me. Realise I'm in the minority. 

16 minutes ago, gonzo said:

100%

It's no coincidence his game improved massively this season with better players around him.

He's our whole heartbeat.

If he was then we wouldn't have had our best run of the season when he was out of the side! 

Honestly - I think you've all been hypnotised by Ian Evatt 😉😁