Post by Cantankerous Gas on Jul 19, 2016 10:41:35 GMT
BRISTOL Rovers boss Darrell Clarke will bide his time in a bid to make "two or three" quality additions to his squad before the summer transfer window deadline.
Clarke set out at the summer with the ambition of adding "five or six" players to his squad in readiness for a crack at League One.
With three new arrivals already secured in the shape of Peter Hartley, Byron Moore and Luke James and only one player – Tom Parkes – leaving, almost half of Clarke's summer recruitment plan has already completed.
Clarke has also been boosted by Matty Taylor's decision to pen a new deal at the Memorial Stadium and is in no rush to put the final finishing touches to his squad before the window for business closes at the end of August.
"I don't think wholesale changes would have done us any good on the back of what we achieved last season," Clarke said. "I'm sure there will be two or three new faces before the end of the deadline, so we will see what develops over the next five or six weeks.
"I have 22 senior players and seven young professionals so we are not too badly off in terms of squad size. With another two or three I think we will have a very competitive squad.
"It was always my intention to keep the majority of the squad together because the lads who got us promotion deserved new deals for their efforts. It is up to them to see if they can rise to the challenge.
"I'm pleased we have only lost one player and we have also added three new players of real quality. It adds good competition for places and nobody is guaranteed a start here. Players have to produce or they will be sat with me on the bench or they will be sat in the stands."
Clarke set out at the summer with the ambition of adding "five or six" players to his squad in readiness for a crack at League One.
With three new arrivals already secured in the shape of Peter Hartley, Byron Moore and Luke James and only one player – Tom Parkes – leaving, almost half of Clarke's summer recruitment plan has already completed.
Clarke has also been boosted by Matty Taylor's decision to pen a new deal at the Memorial Stadium and is in no rush to put the final finishing touches to his squad before the window for business closes at the end of August.
"I don't think wholesale changes would have done us any good on the back of what we achieved last season," Clarke said. "I'm sure there will be two or three new faces before the end of the deadline, so we will see what develops over the next five or six weeks.
"I have 22 senior players and seven young professionals so we are not too badly off in terms of squad size. With another two or three I think we will have a very competitive squad.
"It was always my intention to keep the majority of the squad together because the lads who got us promotion deserved new deals for their efforts. It is up to them to see if they can rise to the challenge.
"I'm pleased we have only lost one player and we have also added three new players of real quality. It adds good competition for places and nobody is guaranteed a start here. Players have to produce or they will be sat with me on the bench or they will be sat in the stands."
