Post by Finnish Gas on Jun 10, 2014 8:25:10 GMT
Darrell Clarke wants 'young and hungry' players for his Bristol Rovers squad
By The Bristol Post | Posted: June 10, 2014
MANAGER Darrell Clarke says the days of journeymen players signing for Bristol Rovers because they see it as an "easy pay-day" are over.
Clarke has already confirmed he is predominantly targeting Conference Premier-experienced "young and hungry" players between the ages of 21 and 24 in an attempt to rebuild a squad that suffered relegation at the end of last season.
Free agents are expected to be the order of the day to comply with a playing budget that has had to be reduced after the club slipped out of the Football League for the first time in almost 100 years, but Clarke, pictured, said: "I know I'll have the support of the board and that we'll have a competitive budget.
"I can tell you it is unlikely we will have the highest budget in the league because you only have to look at what is happening elsewhere to come to that conclusion.
"It is not always about the size of the budget – it is how you use it and then how you manage your playing resources on the training pitch and in games. The people we bring here have to be coming for the right reasons and gone are the days where players are coming here for an easy pay-day."
Clarke says he has been inundated with potential signings through contact with agents, but is keen, whenever possible, to meet with players face-to-face before bringing them to the club.
"It is important for me that we investigate a player's background thoroughly and then speak to them before we commit to signing them," said Clarke. "I want to know something about the players I am signing. What are their ambitions? How do they feel about the way I want us to play the game? Are they confident they can fit into the way we want to do things?
"I'm not interested in anybody who comes through the door and firstly wants to talk about wages. These sorts of guys are not for me. I need to know what they can offer me before we can even consider offering them anything."
Clarke says he is not surprised by midfielder John-Joe O'Toole's decision to activate a relegation release clause in order to pursue a move elsewhere.
O'Toole scored 15 times during the first 12 months of a three-year contract, but came to a "tough" decision to leave the Memorial Stadium in order to remain in the Football League for the benefit of his career.
"It is not something that came out of the blue," said Clarke. "I was expecting John-Joe to activate his clause and I can understand the reasons behind his decision to do that.
"It is probably something that is in the interests of all parties. There would be no point in having a player of John-Joe's quality here if his heart and mind wasn't really going to be in it."
Read more at www.bristolpost.co.uk/Darrell-Clarke-wants-young-hungry-players-Bristol/story-21210174-detail/story.html
By The Bristol Post | Posted: June 10, 2014
MANAGER Darrell Clarke says the days of journeymen players signing for Bristol Rovers because they see it as an "easy pay-day" are over.
Clarke has already confirmed he is predominantly targeting Conference Premier-experienced "young and hungry" players between the ages of 21 and 24 in an attempt to rebuild a squad that suffered relegation at the end of last season.
Free agents are expected to be the order of the day to comply with a playing budget that has had to be reduced after the club slipped out of the Football League for the first time in almost 100 years, but Clarke, pictured, said: "I know I'll have the support of the board and that we'll have a competitive budget.
"I can tell you it is unlikely we will have the highest budget in the league because you only have to look at what is happening elsewhere to come to that conclusion.
"It is not always about the size of the budget – it is how you use it and then how you manage your playing resources on the training pitch and in games. The people we bring here have to be coming for the right reasons and gone are the days where players are coming here for an easy pay-day."
Clarke says he has been inundated with potential signings through contact with agents, but is keen, whenever possible, to meet with players face-to-face before bringing them to the club.
"It is important for me that we investigate a player's background thoroughly and then speak to them before we commit to signing them," said Clarke. "I want to know something about the players I am signing. What are their ambitions? How do they feel about the way I want us to play the game? Are they confident they can fit into the way we want to do things?
"I'm not interested in anybody who comes through the door and firstly wants to talk about wages. These sorts of guys are not for me. I need to know what they can offer me before we can even consider offering them anything."
Clarke says he is not surprised by midfielder John-Joe O'Toole's decision to activate a relegation release clause in order to pursue a move elsewhere.
O'Toole scored 15 times during the first 12 months of a three-year contract, but came to a "tough" decision to leave the Memorial Stadium in order to remain in the Football League for the benefit of his career.
"It is not something that came out of the blue," said Clarke. "I was expecting John-Joe to activate his clause and I can understand the reasons behind his decision to do that.
"It is probably something that is in the interests of all parties. There would be no point in having a player of John-Joe's quality here if his heart and mind wasn't really going to be in it."
Read more at www.bristolpost.co.uk/Darrell-Clarke-wants-young-hungry-players-Bristol/story-21210174-detail/story.html
