Thetownend.com

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/9115198.Lucas_to_train_with_Rochdale/

I'm still annoyed about Doughlas, but it will be kind of refreshing having no ex-Lids players in the side!

I think we've been expecting this one.

Official Twitter has also said Smith was with Kate Cady as he's injured so doesn't look like he's off (yet)

another big wage off the books. Smith has performed adequately anyway

No hard feelings with Lucas (presumably) leaving, equally not disappointed either. Good luck to him.

Says it's for family reasons, so can't blame him really.

Can't say i'm too fussed. I just hope this Italian dude is good as Smith isn't the best of goalies in my opinion.

That'll be the 9th player to leave this summer and get a league one club. They must all have excellent agents.

Did last season really happen? Because it would seem the 'buying' clubs have forgotten it and are going off the back of 09/10.

Not really a problem - one was going to leave and Smith was fine last time we were in league 2.

Lucas was probably on a far whack, so at least that's another wage off the books - plus he was quite injury prone, not known a goalie injured in so many pre-match warm ups. It must have happened to him at least 3 times this season alone

I think Fred had quite an interesting angle on that

I will be disappointed to see him leave but wish him all the best & thanks - 'saved' us many times but we move on i guess........

Started well ahead of Smith but then ended up with a fag paper between them. Not really sorry to see him go just, ahem...

 Maybe he just wanted to play at a higher level :eek:

Is the thing about Charlie Austin and his wife actually true?
I asked another unnamed player a few months ago and they didn't exactly say no. Didn't directly say yes either.

I'll always remember that ridiculous save he made at home to Orient when we won 3-2. Never seen anything like it.

Was never going to stick around with all the members of his gang gone.  I'll be suprised if he plays more that half a season.  He was extremely injury prone last season and he's not getting any younger. 

Certainly true in this case. Different player to 12 months ago.

Not sorry to see him go. But at times he was sensational in 09/10.

Also, I expect that agents will talk up their positives (no shit) and brush any bad seasons under the carpet.

For the most part when a club looks like signing and player/manager the fans will always look at the positive.

When George Burley was linked here - we had fans wetting themselves over the accolade of 'Manager of the Year' from 2001! fuck the fact he's ding nothing since but drink, fall out with players, get sacked and lose games.

The same way I expect JPMs agent when to Carlisle with the 09/10 assist chart. Douglas agent went to Brentford with the STFC Player of the Year 09/10 trophy. Pruttons agent went to Sheffield Wednesday with 25 under 21 caps and his old £2.5m price tag etc etc

Part of the reason I like the idea of managers and players with little to no previous.

Di Canio has to make it work here for himself otherwise he'll probably never get another job. Jonathan Smith has to make a go of it here or he'll drift back in non league and so on...

That he wasn't injured at all.

Just too much of a bottler to be on the pitch.

I see, good theory it would explain a lot.

 Can't see there being too many keepers in league 2 with the experience Smith now has after a successful promotion from div 2 along with a wembley playoff final and of course last seasons relegation. Still think he will be one of the better keepers in league 2. Good to have the young Italian lad pushing him for the number one spot though.

Why are people here and on Thisis assuming that the new Italian keeper will be the one pushing Smith for the no1 jersey, rather than Mark Scott?

Not having a go  just a question. I haven't seen much yet about the career so far of the Italian lad.

Yeah fair point wiggy, just thought why bring the Italian in if we then have him down for third or fourth keeper. It's another one of those we will have to wait and things.

Sorry, meant to say wait and see things !

Struggling to find anything about the carrer to date of this Mattia Lanzano. What do we know??

Has played for a club in the 4th tier of Italian football.  Given that the 3rd tier is split into 2 regional divisions and the 4th has 4 regional divs, this can't be any higher than Conference level, so likely to be a bit of a step-up for him even if he has been 1st choice at his previous club.  Scott playing at Supermarine could well have been at a similar level!

Just spent 10 minutes on Google trying to get some kind of career stats - he is like the invisible man!

He's like Milan Misun?

No football manager stats or youtube clips yet?

the only stats i can get are from 2009 in serie C2/B he made 19 appearances for Poggibonsi

Based on attendances (which I reckon are a rough indication of the money available and in turn player quality) it would sit between the Conference and Conference North / South. Average attendances in the 4th tier of Italian football is around 1,000 compared to the Conference at 2,000 and Conference North / South at 600.

sounds like a pokemon