Post by Finnish Gas on Jul 19, 2014 20:33:55 GMT
Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clarke closes in on sixth summer signing
By JamesMcNamara | Posted: July 19, 2014
Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clarke is set to unveil his latest summer signing at the Memorial Stadium on Monday morning.
Speaking after Rovers lost 1-0 to Bath City in a pre-season friendly at Twerton Park earlier today, Clarke revealed that he had a verbal agreement in place from an unnamed player. Should a deal be completed, it is understood that the player in question would add a considerable amount of Football League experience to Clarke’s squad.
Should the deal go through without any hitches it would prove a considerable tonic for Clarke, who has been turned down by a number of players this summer.
The latest of those was England C international midfielder Dan Bradley, who last week rejected a move to the Memorial Stadium in order to find a club closer to his home in the Midlands, and Clarke will now turn his attentions to securing the signatures of the three players he says he needs to complete his summer recruitment drive.
Clarke is also set to have another look at former Plymouth Argyle defender Neal Trotman and former Portsmouth youth team striker Dan Thompson at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night after both impressed during this afternoon’s defeat.
The manager is also set to make decisions either way on the other two trialists – Pierce Mitchell and Ryan Higgins – early next week.
Clarke, meanwhile, defended his decision to field a second-string team in the game at Twerton Park that was decided by a goal off the head of former Rovers defender Pat Keary, who is on trial at Bath after leaving the Memorial Stadium at the end of last season.
Clarke rested nine first-team regulars, but he said: “We’ve had to play the youngsters because we have only got 14 senior professionals within the squad at this moment in time.
“The last thing I want to be doing is picking up injuries before the new season. If I was desperate to win the game I’d have taken my first-team, but I have to be mindful of the squad.
“It is always going to be difficult when you put out a team that has never played together before, but the youngsters have to learn pretty quickly and these sorts of experiences will help them.”
Clarke also confirmed that there had been no new developments on the situation regarding full-back Michael Smith.
Peterborough United tabled a bid that was well short of Rovers’ valuation of the player earlier this week, and Clarke said: “There is nothing new to report on that situation.
“Michael has had a minor problem with his knee over the last week or so, but I’m hopeful he will be fit enough to train on Monday and may play some part for us at Yeovil on Tuesday night.”
Read more: www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rovers-bosss-Darrell-Clarke-closes-sixth/story-21661729-detail/story.html
By JamesMcNamara | Posted: July 19, 2014
Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clarke is set to unveil his latest summer signing at the Memorial Stadium on Monday morning.
Speaking after Rovers lost 1-0 to Bath City in a pre-season friendly at Twerton Park earlier today, Clarke revealed that he had a verbal agreement in place from an unnamed player. Should a deal be completed, it is understood that the player in question would add a considerable amount of Football League experience to Clarke’s squad.
Should the deal go through without any hitches it would prove a considerable tonic for Clarke, who has been turned down by a number of players this summer.
The latest of those was England C international midfielder Dan Bradley, who last week rejected a move to the Memorial Stadium in order to find a club closer to his home in the Midlands, and Clarke will now turn his attentions to securing the signatures of the three players he says he needs to complete his summer recruitment drive.
Clarke is also set to have another look at former Plymouth Argyle defender Neal Trotman and former Portsmouth youth team striker Dan Thompson at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night after both impressed during this afternoon’s defeat.
The manager is also set to make decisions either way on the other two trialists – Pierce Mitchell and Ryan Higgins – early next week.
Clarke, meanwhile, defended his decision to field a second-string team in the game at Twerton Park that was decided by a goal off the head of former Rovers defender Pat Keary, who is on trial at Bath after leaving the Memorial Stadium at the end of last season.
Clarke rested nine first-team regulars, but he said: “We’ve had to play the youngsters because we have only got 14 senior professionals within the squad at this moment in time.
“The last thing I want to be doing is picking up injuries before the new season. If I was desperate to win the game I’d have taken my first-team, but I have to be mindful of the squad.
“It is always going to be difficult when you put out a team that has never played together before, but the youngsters have to learn pretty quickly and these sorts of experiences will help them.”
Clarke also confirmed that there had been no new developments on the situation regarding full-back Michael Smith.
Peterborough United tabled a bid that was well short of Rovers’ valuation of the player earlier this week, and Clarke said: “There is nothing new to report on that situation.
“Michael has had a minor problem with his knee over the last week or so, but I’m hopeful he will be fit enough to train on Monday and may play some part for us at Yeovil on Tuesday night.”
Read more: www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rovers-bosss-Darrell-Clarke-closes-sixth/story-21661729-detail/story.html