Always the Marriott, never the Toney

[vonwright]

So-called 'lower league gems'.

Who was the last really good player we signed from a domestic league below us? Holmes (didn't work out)? Keogh (but weren't Coventry relegated that season, so technically not from a league below)? Byrne was is a somewhat similar situation. These gems do exist but they seem few and far between and seem to miss the better ones. Is that fair?

[mwram1973]

Just now, vonwright said:

So-called 'lower league gems'.

Who was the last really good player we signed from a domestic league below us? Holmes (didn't work out)? Keogh (but weren't Coventry relegated that season, so technically not from a league below)? Byrne was is a somewhat similar situation. These gems do exist but they seem few and far between and seem to miss the better ones. Is that fair?

It's all about your recruitment team, if it's substandard you will never pick up "gems".

[Nuwtfly]

If we get relegated, the answer to this question might be: next season’s Jack Marriott 

[YouRams]

Madness Marriott is only 26, with some good man management he could still do a job for us. 

[Half Fan Half Biscuit]

Looking at their message board, there’s an attempt by some Wednesday fans to get Jack voted their POTY. 

[roboto]

28 minutes ago, vonwright said:

So-called 'lower league gems'.

Who was the last really good player we signed from a domestic league below us? Holmes (didn't work out)? Keogh (but weren't Coventry relegated that season, so technically not from a league below)? Byrne was is a somewhat similar situation. These gems do exist but they seem few and far between and seem to miss the better ones. Is that fair?

Clarke had only played in League 1 before he came to us, but do you count loans.

[Anag Ram]

8 minutes ago, YouRams said:

Madness Marriott is only 26, with some good man management he could still do a job for us. 

Put him up front with Cybulski and we can have Jack and the Beanstalk. 

[Duracell]

I think Holmes gets unfairly criticised. He underperformed this season, but it's not like his exit has reversed our fortunes. He did a decent job for the fee we signed him for. Perfectly fine player at this level - but not a gem.

Nigel and Simon Clough had a real eye for these. Brayford, Buxton, Bryson, Moxey, even Pringle went from serious non-League to a very good upper-EFL career. 

There's two cheap ways of signing players - scout lower and scout local, or scout abroad. We've been hemorrhaging money in the Morris era as we haven't done either. We've signed almost always from other Championship clubs or the Premier League.  

[Anon]

Kris Commons?

Would Bogle count? We signed him from Swindon, but he hadn't made his professional debut.

[abertawe_ram]

I was gonna throw Steve Howard as a suggestion but he had just played a championship season before we signed him. 

Brayford, Buxton and Moxey were all great pick ups. Helped then that Nige knew them well from his time managing further down the pyramid.

Coutts and Davies I think both came from a league below and were very nearly great signings if it wasn't for bad luck with injuries. 

[Duracell]

9 minutes ago, Anon said:

Kris Commons?

Would Bogle count? We signed him from Swindon, but he hadn't made his professional debut.

Surely he's even more of a gem if he hadn't played? Good shout.

[one_chop]

Phil Gee 

[one_chop]

Malcolm Christie 

[vonwright]

22 minutes ago, Anon said:

Kris Commons?

Would Bogle count? We signed him from Swindon, but he hadn't made his professional debut.

Commons is a good one - didn't realise he spent two full seasons in League One before we picked him up.

[Anag Ram]

There are some good players in Leagues One and Two at around 25-26 years old who could easily do a good job in the championship for hundreds of thousands rather than millions. 

We just need a manager who can get them doing what they do best. 

[vonwright]

25 minutes ago, abertawe_ram said:

I was gonna throw Steve Howard as a suggestion but he had just played a championship season before we signed him. 

Brayford, Buxton and Moxey were all great pick ups. Helped then that Nige knew them well from his time managing further down the pyramid.

Coutts and Davies I think both came from a league below and were very nearly great signings if it wasn't for bad luck with injuries. 

During his heyday here I was sure Brayford would end up playing regular Premier League football. Davies too, to some extent. 

[CornwallRam]

43 minutes ago, Half Fan Half Biscuit said:

Looking at their message board, there’s an attempt by some Wednesday fans to get Jack voted their POTY. 

I saw that too. I wonder if we can get both club's fans to vote for him? Now that would be amusing. 

[duncanjwitham]

1 minute ago, Anag Ram said:

We just need a manager who can get them doing what they do best. 

That's the big thing for me.  How many players have we signed who did well at previous clubs and then used them completely differently? Marriott played in a 2 at Peterborough, Lawrence played centrally at Ipswich, Blackman played a sort of inside-right for Reading, Johnson played almost up front for Norwich, Butterfield played further forward with a mobile striker in front of him for Huddersfield and so on. We buy players with no understanding of why they were successful at previous clubs, use them completely wrongly until they've no value left, then pay them to go away. Rinse and repeat.

[JoetheRam]

Dean Moxey cannot seriously be touted as a good pick - he was dreck. Bought from league 2(?) and played like it.

Commons and Christie are the shouts...

Buxton, Barker, Brayford... Good/Excellent Championship players sure but not really gems.

Edited May 4, 2021 by JoetheRam

[mike93rh]

This thread became null and void after the first post describing Dean Moxey as a good signing/football player/not a complete and utter fraud.