TUFC 23/24 Squad

Forgive my scepticism, but 17 to 18 first-team players is his target? A few injuries and we'll either be packing the bench with youth players or there will be plenty of room to spread out. I trust he means that he wants 17 to 18 first-team players by the start of the season with a few loanees coming in once the big boys' transfer window has shut on Sept 1st and there are players available to be borrowed.. 

Maybe there is still room for Olaf Koszela, Jack Winsor and Alex Moyse (for example) ... 

Both Olaf Kozsela and Alex Moyse have signed permanent deals with Dorchester.

He's under contract, isn't he? At least, I though that was what GJ said a few weeks ago.

Unless there is a relegation clause, or he makes it clear that he doesn't want to stay, then is there any logical reason why Jarvis won't be with us next season?

I could very well have missed it if there is!

Having 16 signed up before pre-season training starts would appear to be good.

Top up with three or four trialists and three or four loanees.

BUT four of those sixteen are only here due to contractual obligation. We would be delighted to see the back of Crowe, Marshall, Hanson and McGavin if anyone will have them. This time last year, we had O’Connell and Rogers under contract but not for long.

You would hope that the infamous four are not on enough money for them to want to stay stranded a long way from home with no appearance bonuses to add to what is hopefully not an over-generous basic wage.

That would leave a reserve goalie and a starting XI which (with the exception of Tomlinson - a “work in progress”) does look fit for purpose. BUT that is if Hall, Lapslie and Moxey are all up to making 40+ starts - which they clearly are not.

We need some decent recruitment to make a squad capable of winning this league. We will need to do better than last summer’s disastrous recruitment.

I note Johnson is still banging on about how five subs should be allowed. Funny that - he never managed to have three effective replacements on the bench last season let alone five.

His argument was that five replacements would reduce injuries. Possibly so, but he was very lucky that Jarvis did not break down last season forced to play ninety minutes every game because Johnson’s poor recruitment meant we had nobody at all on the bench to afford him a rest.

I'm an old man who struggles with implied meanings and mixed messages, and the OS seems to delight in both.

Is the club saying that Callum Thomas has signed a professional contract with Torquay United for at least one year, possible two years?

Or is the club saying that Callum Thomas has joined the first team squad for pre-season training with an eye to him being picked in some of the (behind-closed-doors) pre-season friendlies but returning to the youth team squad, on his existing youth team contract, from 5th August?

I demand clarity, but the Torquay United media team think otherwise.