Not something you'll read on the club website's blog!

In practice most clubs settle on a squad for the season and make a few tweaks here and there, dependent on injuries and/or suspensions. Sometimes if a club is lacking firepower upfront then a new striker might be brought in, sometimes a more experienced leader to provide some added leadership, etc. Also, add to that a few decent loan signings too. Major changes in personnel throughout the course of the season are unusual though. Town appear to be the exception, always willing to bring in players and dispose of them. So is the Club sure about the type of players that are needed over the course of the season and how best to manage them? If not then do the players have any confidence in the manager’s ability to do his job and is this reflected on the pitch? Should some players even have been released in the first place?! Note how quickly the vast improving FC Halifax snapped up one of our latest released players.

And what about the timing of the announcement that the club is going full time next season? Are the current squad meant to think that they’re not good enough and they’ll be replaced? And if so, what impact will this have for the remainder of this season? So, the club looks to the example of Stalybridge who have a full time squad made up mostly of promising young players released from league clubs. Stalybridge Celtic have been developing this policy for a couple of seasons, and it’s success is in large part due to the ability of their manager, Jim Harvey. That might be the difference?

Pre season we signed 3 key players from Blyth Spartans, including their leading goalscorer over a number of seasons. The contribution of these players enabled Blyth to comfortably finish in the top half of the table 2010/11. Not surprisingly, this season Blyth have struggled since those players left and they are currently bottom of the league. Was it unreasonable for our fans to expect that together with these signings and one of two others, we had good reason to be optimistic for the season ahead – a top 8 finish at least perhaps? Not likely!

As I've put on another thread, I'm losing track of who we've signed and who's gone (in total that is).

I don't particularly like it as I think a squad needs time to settle - even changing one player changes the dynamic of the team. My impression is that we seem to change players more often than other teams under Weaver's management.

Sound words from Town Supporter. If I get bored over the Christmas season (an absolute cetainty) I might try and count up how many players have pulled on the 'yellow and black' (if only!) shirts since SImon became manager, must be well over a hundred!

One of the problems Ive had the last couple of seasons is simply feeling able to identify with a constantly changing team wearing (This season) shirts that have no real link (silly diagonal band aside) to Harrogate Town's history. It all matters.

Dan_Gleebitz wrote:As I've put on another thread, I'm losing track of who we've signed and who's gone (in total that is).

I don't particularly like it as I think a squad needs time to settle - even changing one player changes the dynamic of the team. My impression is that we seem to change players more often than other teams under Weaver's management.

Exactly as with past seasons we are using the ”Revolving Doors” method yet again. This has never worked in two and half years of W#@vers reign. I can’t believe we have arrived at this situation again. Last season we finished in a League position we deserved, in fact we started playing some good football toward the end of the campaign, we kicked off well this season then, it’s all déjà vu. Fans Forum should prove to be interesting in January!

paulstreet wrote:....If I get bored over the Christmas season (an absolute cetainty) I might try and count up how many players have pulled on the 'yellow and black' (if only!) shirts since SImon became manager, must be well over a hundred!

I did this last year. From Sep 2009 to Oct 2010 (13 months) I made it 57.

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