Waterford FC Thread

Boooourns

Was delighted to see Seargant re-sign though tbf, he impressed when he came in.

StringerBell

He's a great personality too, very good to have around the squad next season I think.

The squad finished way off Galway, true, but it was inconsistency rather than lack of talent throughout and then a stumble towards the finish line keeping the best performances in the tank for the playoffs when the league was gone.

We need to improve, no doubt about it. I think we will, Roland is also gone now and we are going to need to improve the attack no matter who stays but seeing himself go along with Cantwell at the back is an indicator they are going to improve those areas which is welcome.

We are short everywhere right now in fairness but plenty of time, and I'm happy with what has been resigned or confirmed as seeing out their contract (Parsons, Power) so far.

Boooourns

Yeah shame to see Roland go, read somewhere that he's off to Shrewsbury town?

Best of luck to him if so, he's a talented player

PTH2009

Will we miss out of transfer money from the departing players ?

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466339#Comment_121466339

I could be wrong but I'd say those types of lads are only coming to Waterford on the basis that they can take up an offer in the UK if one comes up - i.e. they'll only sign a contract that'll run until the end of the season (at which point they'll be a free transfer) or they might even have a clause that they can go for a certain price which isn't prohibitive if an offer comes in (e.g. Sobowale).

StringerBell

Yeah most of them sign one year deals, some two - like Parsons for example last year.

It helps them to keep their options open I suppose and for the club, especially previously it was a way of not committing too much financially toward a player, to able to completely evaluate the squad year on year. Drawbacks of course being we don't get transfer fees generally.

Some signs of change though over the past 12 months with that, even Romero signing a 3 year deal (though I expect him to depart next summer we will at least get a decent sum for him you would hope)

decies

Jersey definite improvement on last years effort , while the sponsors logo is better integrated into shirt, still think it’s way to big and better if it was just across the jersey not a big circular logo . Will buy though .

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121481039#Comment_121481039

Very nice jersey tbf

Prefer polo shirts and the like but will definitely buy something for the new season

PTH2009

50 year contract signed for use of the RSC

Guess we'll be there til our final days

StringerBell

I was also slightly disappointed with that news, but then again I guess there are no realistic alternatives in the near future.

decies

Well it’s like the old Walsh park argument but the only thing really wring with rsc is running track between pitch and stands .

StringerBell

Thats the biggest issue yeah, hurts the atmosphere.

PTH2009

Tough start and finish but great to be back

StringerBell

Brilliant opener imo

Place will be jammed and who knows could catch one of the bigger lads cold

decies

It’s not a tough finish if you examine it even the last fixture probably rovers have it won by then but the ones before that have fallen nicely for them .

greenspurs

6 games in May !!!! Thats tough going !

Boooourns

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121501810#Comment_121501810

Typo there, surely you mean WE'LL have it won by then?

decies

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121502879#Comment_121502879

We have to settle for European football lol

greenspurs

Elverys store is selling the Umbro jerseys (home and away) for €40 .

dk1982

Was in the club shop yesterday morning. Great buzz about the place, all home jerseys sold out as well as all adult New Balance hoodies etc. Very impressive set up and great to see the response they're getting.

Dunmoreroader

Anyone know how many season tickets taken up to date?

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515526#Comment_121515526

1100 sold last season and they had broken that record two weeks into the sales so who knows at this stage.

Squidvicious

Coughlan's gone to Fleetwood, I see. Not wishing to be cynical, but what do we get out of the tie up with Fleetwood. We see our good players going over there. Have we got anyone any good come in the other direction or have we got any other benefit?

jimbojazz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121569000#Comment_121569000

Was he a free agent?

Squidvicious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121569090#Comment_121569090

I think he was. Apparently, he had been offered another contract. I'm relying on Wikipedia for that but I'm sure it's true, it would be bizarre if they didn't try to keep him. So, yes, I suppose that you can argue that they haven’t stolen him and he might have gone anyway. However, Fleetwood clearly wanted him. And if Fleetwood decided that they wanted him, then surely there was always going to be a limit to how far Waterford could go to keep him. If some other struggling League 1 side offered to take him, Waterford might have been able to persuade him to stay. But once Fleetwood come in, it's curtains.

This is a genuine question but is the link with Fleetwood of any benefit to the club? Getting Beggley in exchange for losing Patterson, Quitorna and Coughlan doesn’t look like a good bargain to me. Are we going to lose every decent player that we find? Do Fleetwood care whether we even survive in the Premier division or are they happytouse us as some kind of reserve team?

jimbojazz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121569206#Comment_121569206

Great questions, and I'd love to know the answer.

What I do think, though, is the squad as it stands is still very weak to be competitive in the Premier division. They're back in training at the moment and the season starts next month, so hopefully they get some quality on, but it's gone very quiet on that front at the moment.

With regards to Coughlan, he'll be a loss. But I think his girlfriend is English, so that may have swayed him to move over.

Also, do we even know who the club owner is at the moment, given the Pilley situation?

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121569000#Comment_121569000

I think, apart from the loanees, you get the next Coughlan.

Why else would he have dropped down a division to play with Waterford other than a good wage and an opportunity to play in the UK if things go well?

3-4 ex Waterford players were togging out in a league one fixture the other week, and that won't have gone unnoticed by players and agents.

Squidvicious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121570966#Comment_121570966

But is the mere possibility that they might be taken to Fleetwood(a side at the foot of League 1 and probably bound for League 2)enough of a carrot to entice players to come to Waterford? I can't say why Coughlan decided to join Waterford but I'm not at all convinced that the Fleetwood tie in was what did it.

Even if I'm wrong, is that enough to justify losing all our best players? Admittedly, some of the 4 might have gone anyway. However, with Fleetwood in charge of recruitment, we have no chance of keeping any player that Fleetwood want.

At the end of the day, the proof will be whether they are prepared to sign players who can compete in the top division. Time will tell, I suppose.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121571448#Comment_121571448

Do you expect Waterford to be in a position to retain players like that any time soon when much bigger clubs in Ireland can't?

The Fleetwood link might have been a little bit tenuous for Coughlan (even though he's just signed with them), but I think it would be very relevant to a UK based player who wondering what the LOI and Waterford are like.

If Waterford can continually sign players capable of playing at League One standard they'll be in decent enough shape.

I also think it'd be good to have a reputation for developing young lads in Ireland (e.g. Sobowale) who are capable of playing at a higher level.

Squidvicious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121571920#Comment_121571920

Yes, in the longer term perhaps it will work out. It just worries me that Waterford's needs will always be second fiddle to Fleetwood's. Yes, our players will always be vulnerable to approaches from other clubs. But a small town team(at least small town compated to the big Dublin clubs)like Dundalk managed to prosper. Potentially, we can do that too but I just fear that we are now just a feeder club and that may be a cap on what we achieve. That said, I have to accept that we've not achieved a whole lot as an independent club for decades at this stage either so we'll just have to see what happens. If a decent attempt is made this year to assemble a team capable of staying up at the very least, then okay. But if a decent attempt isn't made.....