Thetownend.com

Just been announced on SSN that Betsy has agreed a financial pay off from Bristol City. It looks almost certain we wil be in pole position to sign him now!

still hope we can get Marshall as one for the future

I'm sure we'd already agreed terms with him, it was just the pay-off that stood in the way. Should sign today then hopefully.

Whilst I think this could be a good signing, I do wish we'd stop signing ex-shitheads.  I know he's not a real shithead who's been there for years but even so.

I dont like it either, but their reserves is an obvious place for us to go looking for players at the moment

it would be nice to sign non-shitheads, but in reality, as much as it sucks, they're the biggest local club. it could be worse, it could be murray...

Think he'd do a good job for us,but i'm still not sure we'll get him though.I've got a bad feeling he'll get a better offer somewhere else.Hope i'm wrong!

What difference does it make if they play for City or not?
If they do the job then I couldn't give a shit where they come from.

As long as he is 100% commited to Swindon when he signs he could be from Poxford I dont care, if hes good enough then thats fine in my books.

I think a lot of the reasons why players dont wish to sign for us is due to the current economic situation with players not willing to move far from home IMO.

Would you rather we sign players from Yeovil/Bristol Rovers/Poxford/Shitty or Reading.....then the highest level of player is usually the better player which is Shitty and Reading......not a problem to me.

Dont think we are going to get him looks like it could be marshall now

Rather have Marshall if ooh betsy is fucking us around.

At least Marshall wants to play for us......

Marshall wouldn't be a bad thing tbh.

Ricky Shakes mk2.

 :nod:

Another 'one for the future' rather than the now I feel. Not sure when such a player has worked out for us. Maybe he'll be the first, or maybe he'll be Lloyd Oparah/Kiad Mohammad/etc/etc..

He's only going to be back up anyway and then Roberts will be fit again. On a 12 month deal it's worth a gamble.

Wouldn't be against it in the slightest on a 12 month. I have only see him play once.

Roberts, will he ever play for us again. I really hope so but I have my doubts. Anyone heard anything on the rehabilitation.

still sober batch

I've been told Betsy is in talks with Yeovil tonight, again like the other post could be bollocks.

He just wants the best cash deal dont he, cant blame him can you

I'd prefer to get Betsy in the team rather than Marshall.

Really Si? Betsy will just sit on the bench taking a big wage where as Marshall could do the same for cheaper

My point was, if JPM is injured (or Malpas finally realises he isn't very good), then can Marshall step up to the challenge? It's quite risky. If Marshall turns out a bit poo then you'd have to get Easton on the right, who can do a job there but is not an out and out winger by any stretch of the imagination. Betsy would be a safer option and I think in terms of squad strength that would be better. He's a proven player, not saying he'll be amazing but solid.

Of course I could be talking complete bollocks if JPM continues to improve in the way he has in pre-season. He seems to have worked on his weaknesses a but more, although his corners are still shit. Or if he doesn't get injured. A lot of people are talking about a lack of strike power and getting Barry Corr fit. In truth, I can see just as much problem (or bigger problems) if the wingers get crocked.

Marshall is the sort of player I'd like to get in as an additional option to develop as a player, not rely upon. I just can't help but feel he isn't as (potentially?) good as some people are making out, otherwise Malpas would have signed him by now.

Yeah i can see your point Si my only worry is the cash side of things

Part of the advantage of Betsy has to be that he a big lad and with Manatee crossing from the left flank there surely has to be plenty of chances for Betsy to get in at the back post. Esp in Painter keeps missing them... After all JPM missed plenty of easy enough chances last year.

I have a sneaky feeling we could miss out on Betsy, I've no beef with the guy looking around for the best deal for him but I doubt Starnes at Yeovil will offer better terms. I hope not anyway.

Thinking long term... I am guessing that Betsy would come in as one of the higher earners at the club, as would JPM, as would Christian Roberts. And only one of them could play meaning around £3k of weekly wage is sat on the bench or not even in the squad.

I think this position could be filled in with a loan signing.

Betsy would be a good signing....cant see why we cant get Marshall as well...surely his wage wouldnt put us in the mire,we need all the players we can get....Marshall should be here now before someone else gets him and he does the buisness.

He's signed for Southend.

Oh well. His loss.

and as I said in the other post - Southend fans will be smug.

http://www.southendunited.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1360638,00.html

Fuck him

I concur.

Twat......Marshall may be happy though.

Southend have also paid some kind of fee too.

Why would they have paid a fee when Bristol City released him?

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~1360598,00.html

Probably a contribution towards his pay-off. Given that we wanted him on a free, it's probably fair to say that we weren't really in the hunt for him then?

I had already convinced myself that we didn't need him anyway  8)

 Agents fee ? Maybe we weren't prepared to pay that.

Me too - I wanted my prediction of Joe Anyinsah to be right so I wasn't keen from the off!

I'm sure we'd have  paid a nominal fee. More likely Southend offered him more money.

Meh, his loss.

He's closer to home there too. B'ah we can and will make as many excuses as we want - he didn't want to join us... We move on.

Not really fussed, upwards and onwards, get someone who wants to come here, like the others MM has bought in.

I hope nothing but bad times for him and Southend.

Next...

Not whilst there are dogs in the street!

Accepting that we all look for the best deal for ourselves, it said on the OS he spoke to MM this am and told him nothing had changed. Why didn't he have the balls to say "I'll make a decision later today"?

Let's get on with it with the players who want to play for Swindon.

Standard practice of footballers who can't handle decisions. Hence agents being the major players in football.

meh hes shit anyway

He's dead to me.

Given his age I guess Marshall is a better prospect.

Except that by the time MM gets round to doing something about Marshall (after QPR Tuesday) he may well have signed elsewhere.

I don't get this desperation to sign Marshall. We had a chance to sign him and we didn't take it up. That must say something about whether he meets our current needs.

If we don't get anyone in, there is still the loan market.

My exact thoughts as well Batch

To be honest I'd rather MM concentrates on the match than fannies about with potential signings today.  Let's get three points tomorrow and then worry about signing someone Monday.

Agree with the last few posts.

If we are after someone to compete with JP for the right wing position, then surely it would make more sense to get a loanee in til Christmas to cover Roberts injury.

We also have enough fit players in all positions to cover the next 2 games so dont think there needs to be and wild panic signings. I'd rather tha manageement concentrated on the 2 games in 4 days.

Has Amankwaah not played right wing in the past? If we were that desperate like, couldnt you play him wide right ahead of Jack Smith...

I think we have a few people that far from being ideal could at least do a job there until we get the right man.

Easton is more than adequate cover on the wing

But he's not a winger!

I don't like Easton on the right at all.

I don't mind him out there, especially as he makes an effort to get in on the back stick.  Okay it's not a natural position for him, but he pulls it off well.  Easton on the wing is better than JPM in the middle.

No he is not a winger but in our current squad he is more than adequate that is what i am saying.Wasnt he top scorer from the wing last year in what 5 games?

From the Western Daily Press, bit more detail than before plus some interesting titbits:

 http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/wdp/sport/Malpas-steps-attempt-sign-winger/article-258672-detail/article.html

SWINDON TOWN boss Maurice Malpas will step up his attempts to land a “promising” young Championship winger after Kevin Betsy snubbed a move to the County Ground.
Malpas offered a two-year contract to Betsy, but the player last night signed a similar deal with Southend, having also held talks with Cheltenham and Millwall.
“It is always difficult when a number of clubs are chasing the same player,” said Malpas.
“We pitched Kevin an offer based on what we felt he was worth and it was virtually take it or leave it.
“It was obviously not what he was looking for and that is a player’s prerogative - we will just move on to our next target.”
Malpas may have to wait until the end of the month before getting his alternative target, a young wide player on loan from a Championship club. 
“We have been tracking this player all summer,” said Malpas.
“He has done well for his club in pre-season and we are waiting to hear what the manager in question wants to do with him.”   
Malpas could also resurrect a move for Eastleigh winger Mark Marshall. A deal for Cambuur left-back Yinka Casal, 20, was finally completed last night, when he signed a two-year deal.  The transfer almost collapsed earlier in the week after several rounds of failed negotiations.
 
Malpas said: “Yinka is the sort of player we want to bring here – young and coachable with plenty of room for improvement.”
Casal is unlikely to make his debut against Tranmere in League One
tomorrow, despite a knee injury ruling Jamie Vincent out of contention.
Malpas is expected to  temporarily switch skipper Hasney Aljofree from the centre of defence to left-back.
Meanwhile, the manager will decide next week which players will be moved out on permanent or loan deals and is hoping trim his squad by off-loading ‘two or three’ fringe members of his squad.
One unnamed player was in talks with a League Two club but Malpas said:  “We’ve pulled the plug on that one because we didn’t think it was right for the club and the player didn’t think it was right for him.”

It'll be Jennison Myrie-Williams .... or Joe Anyinsah!

rich, bravo on the sig. she's tidy! that is all.