WELCOME BACK WALSHY

I had to jump in fast and hopefully be the first to welcome back Phil Walsh.
A man of passion, a popular player, maybe not with everyone,but they will have thier reasons, wrongly.

This really has cheered me up and yet I can see no mention of the departure of the management team.
So who has made this very good move in bringing back a player who has now proven that he is capable of playing front or back.

This is good news as I'm sure (some) of you will agree. For those who don't, let us wait and see.

i could almost reclaim my back seat on Pinkbus.

Well I suppose the fact that yet another on the endless conveyor belt of loan signings is at least here until the end of the season is a positive. And he is Margate's top scorer, albeit at a lower level. But have we really released Preece for Wlashy? I suppose if he plays like he did that day for Dorchester against us, it could prove a shrewd signing, but I never rated him. Still, if he could get his brother in law down, he could pack out Randall's...

But wakshy didn't play in defence for us, that was a smart move made by dagenham as I recall

So have we signed him as a replacement for Mark Preece, or for his goalscoring ability? I don't see that he fits into the category of "big, ball winning centre half" that we were apparently looking for, and the fact that he is Margate's leading goalscorer doesn't really prove anything.

When he played for City before nobody could fault his effort, but it is hard to see that signing a 30 year old on loan from a Ryman League club is exactly a move forward.

He had a reasonable game today without providing anything defensively which Preece didn't offer. He certainly played with more intelligence than the headless chicken of his earlier times with us. He only ventured forward on a couple of occasions and was unlucky with a powerful header in the 2nd minute which was blocked with an arm. But the incredibly lenient ref was never going to award a penalty for that.

I thought he should have scored. He was in front of the defender and didn't seem to catch it at all. I didn't see the arm, probably because i was burying my head in my hands at that point. He did mop up most things that came down his channel quite well, and probably adds something in distribution terms, although not many of his Beckhamesque cross field balls found their man. He also potentially offers some options as a front man if we are chasing a game, but otherwise I would agree he is not so different from Preece that the events of last weekend can easily be understood.

"You can't step in the same river twice" Heraclitus. This has been a good maxim to live by in my experience. Let's hope Wlashy bucks the adage so to speak. It will be a pleasant surprise.

Surely this was a financially motivated decision and not a footballing one?! Still nice to see the blonde bombshell back

Neither player was on a contract so I'm not sure what financial implications there are. One definite plus are his booming kicks from the back. In fact I wonder if there's a case for him taking Mellor's goal kicks. I can't remember such a good keeper in other respects constantly put a ball out of play. And the management really need to have a word with him over his reluctance to wear a cap. The sum was blinding him in the 2nd half and yet he continually guarded his eyes with arms....

Yes a great signing, Welcome back Walshy but still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of how Preece was dealt with.