Joe Burnell

Joe Burnell has re signed and should be able to face Havant on Monday

Welcome back. We've desperately missed a holding midfield player.

Sounds like an excellent (re)signing

Personally I wouldn't want to see any of our midfield displaced by Joe. But he has been very effective as a sweeper in the past and would help organise the defence.

Agreed. A good organiser, but not the dominant man at the back which is Wlashy at his best.

Maybe he's been brought in as a striker...

comrade powell wrote:Agreed. A good organiser, but not the dominant man at the back which is Wlashy at his best.

Firstly, Walsh isn't available which, I am sure, explains this resigning. Secondly, while Walsh didn't play at Concorde, he played at the Basingstoke debacle so maybe he hasn't been at his best. Anyway, it looks like the management have made a positive move.

I agree that Walshy hasn't been at his best so far, but we had plenty of proof last season what he can offer. And while it can be seen as a positive to bring in a player to replace him (if that was the intention), I'm not sure it's a positive when that replacement was released only a few months ago! Perhaps no other players were available...

Good sweeper - welcome back Joe - but at what extra cost? (I am assuming we are still paying Walshy?)

I would have thought that Burnell is fairly obviously a cover for Walsh but, fair play to him, he now has a second chance to prove himself.

Perhaps Addlesbury could be converted to a centre-back, they said when he arrived he was 'going to give us a physical presence', or words to the effect, and he really hasn't made his mark as a midfielder.

Personally I felt that Burnell was a useful player when he played. But it is the when he played bit that always concerned me. Rarely able to play more than 2 or 3 games before he was injured again. I imagine he was one of the better payed players so with the amount of games he was injured he represented poor value for money, hence his release.
Assume he is now on a reduced wage and non contract so he can easily be moved on if thngs do not work out. Could do a job either as sweeper of in midfield giving a bit of protection to the back line.

Yes I agree with Steve, fitness a problem. Hope I am wrong though.

Marc Monitor wrote:I would have thought that Burnell is fairly obviously a cover for Walsh but, fair play to him, he now has a second chance to prove himself.

I would expect Keary to be given his chance to start on Monday, with Burnell on the bench.

It feels like a backwards step to me.  What message does it send to Keary?  If we signed him (Keary), then I assume he is good enough.  If he is good enough then when the first choice centre half gets injured then play him.  Let him prove himself.