New signing?

Did I hear rightly in Jerry’s post match interview with Mark yesterday that we have signed a player from Bristol City?

There is nothing about it on social media or the club website so I am starting to think I must have been hearing things!

He did, it’s a striker by the name of Freddie Hinds if I recall correctly. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Hinds.

Assume he’s on loan rather than signed permanently for us but don’t think Jerry said in the bar.

He was sat in the stand with Brian Tinnion on New Years Day. Couldn’t have failed to be impressed!

I wonder whether one J.Raynes is doing himself no harm in raising his profile with higher level clubs.

Just googled Freddie Hinds and apparently at the start of the season he joined Wrexham on a season long loan but doesn’t seem that he played for them much at all so presumably has been recalled. I assume he is on loan as apparently has a 3 year contract with Bristol City.

If we are signing another striker then the writing must be on the wall for John Mills. If he was part of Jerry’s plans then yesterday would have been the ideal opportunity to give him 20 minutes as there must have been every chance he could have scored against Chippenham. Seems to be a repeat of the Stuart Fleetwood situation of a couple of seasons ago.

It may well be our style of football doesn't suit him. He just hasn't looked like a 50 goal a season merchant at any stage and it is difficult to work out how he has been so prolific. It is difficult to justify his inclusion if he isn't chipping in with regular goals because his all round play isn't up to the standard that, say, Mann offers.

Unfortunately the style of football at Banbury didn't seem to suit him either since the loan spell there did nothing to regenerate his form - he scored no goals, spent a lot of time on the bench and they were happy to release him early, since the loan apparently extended up to and including 5th January.  I agree that Mann is by far the better option on current form - it's for Mills to step up a gear and show everyone that he can still play a part in the manager's plans - but as LB said it looks as though a decision may have already been reached in that regard.

Mills has gone on loan to Westfields for the rest of the season.

tovid wrote:It may well be our style of football doesn't suit him. He just hasn't looked like a 50 goal a season merchant at any stage and it is difficult to work out how he has been so prolific. It is difficult to justify his inclusion if he isn't chipping in with regular goals because his all round play isn't up to the standard that, say, Mann offers.

It is a shame that it's not worked out for John Mills with City. I think from the word go it was clear that Jerry preferred to play one up front and this initially suited Ryan Brunt, and then Adam Mann, much more than Mills. Maybe if he'd gone with a more traditional two up front (which I think was the formation at Hereford) then a Mills and Brunt partnership could have flourished, but we are never likely to know that now. I suppose it is slightly ironic that we have played two up top in the last two games but even then you wouldn't really call Mann and Ross Stearn a front pair in the traditional sense that Brunt and Mills could have been.

And if you consider the other signings made in the summer, Ryan Clarke, Brunt, Mann, Robbie Cundy, Joe Raynes and Stearn, Jerry's record in this area must be as good as any City manager has ever produced. One miss and six hits (one of which I am sure will be player of the season) is as near perfect as you are likely to get at any level.

Begs the question why sign him in the first place

2weirdtown wrote:Begs the question why sign him in the first place

Fair question, but if a striker with his record (albeit at a lower level) is available it doesn't seem unreasonable to want him. I also think that Ryan Brunt became unexpectedly available after he'd signed which may have altered the thinking about how the team would be set up.

It didn’t help Mills that he went on holiday soon after signing so was playing catch-up from the off. He missed the first training, few friendlies and that weekend thing. He’s one of very few players I’ve actually had zero correspondence with this season.

Thing is, he got into some really good positions in games but couldn’t score. And some of the chances he missed were real openings. Had just one or two of them gone in we would have had real competition up front. Whether he would have got in ahead of the others is another question, but would have been a useful option. As soon as he didn’t come on against Chippenham I knew the writing was on the wall. That would have been an ideal chance to rest someone in the last 5-10 minutes. Now it’s clear he wasn’t brought on in case he was injured and we’d be lumbered with paying for someone on the sidelines. At least now he has the chance to enjoy his football again, starting with a goal today. Good luck to him.

yuffie wrote:

2weirdtown wrote:Begs the question why sign him in the first place

Fair question, but if a striker with his record (albeit at a lower level) is available it doesn't seem unreasonable to want him. I also think that Ryan Brunt became unexpectedly available after he'd signed which may have altered the thinking about how the team would be set up.

I wonder how that affected Mills’ confidence too. He was signed as a marquee striker but then we got Ryan Brunt. Some players would’ve been buzzing to play with another high quality striker and others perhaps see it as a threat to them, perhaps Mills was the latter.

I think if you are going to be successful in life you have to see it as a challenge to prove you are better.

I saw Mills on a few occasions at the start of the season and the first thing that jumped into my head was 'this guy doesn't look like a footballer'. This is a cliche I know but he doesn't look strong or quick, seems to lack a bit of tenacity and generally looked a bit nervous.

Let's celebrate what we have got! We've scored 13 goals in this 5 match unbeaten run with 7 different players finding the net.

pete44 wrote:I saw Mills on a few occasions at the start of the season and the first thing that jumped into my head was 'this guy doesn't look like a footballer'.  This is a cliche I know but he doesn't look strong or quick, seems to lack a bit of tenacity and generally looked a bit nervous.    

I know what you mean. I thought the same about Nat Jarvis but apparently you don't need to look like a footballer to be one.

I see that we have signed Joe Romanski (great name) on loan from Swindon until the end of the season. He is a central defender so possibly cover for Big Kev.

He started ignominiously but grew into the game. I think it was a good workout for him and he will get better.