I’m not put off by what his former clubs’ fans say. Yes, it can be interesting, but it’s a fresh start. We have a feel-good factor. Support might bring the best out of him and we have a very good goalkeeper coach.

It’s good to have another permanent option in goal. Tiernan Brooks may still get his chance, but Aidan Stone looks to be a handy backup.

I can’t say I know much about Aidan Stone, but I do trust the club’s recruitment policy. I had hoped that if we were to sign a goalkeeper, they would be close to the ability of Sam Slocombe. Aidan Stone might be a good backup and ready for the first team when Slocombe moves on or retires.

I don’t pay much attention to what away fans say because I don’t think they would always have positive things to say about every player. I prefer to form my own opinion based on what I see.

Not sure what people were expecting for what's not a guaranteed starting spot. The Vale fans I've read online acknowledge that he was a key player when they were promoted, not least for his performance in the playoff final.

And let's not forget he's only 23, which is really young for a goalkeeper. Yet he's already got lots of first team experience as part of a team that won promotion out of L2, and in the division above. Now he'll have to push on, but there's plenty of potential to grow and improve.

17 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

Not sure what people were expecting for what's not a guaranteed starting spot. The Vale fans I've read online acknowledge that he was a key player when they were promoted, not least for his performance in the playoff final.

It’s a valid point, but I believe fans were hoping for a more settled keeper. One who comes in after helping a team gain promotion, only to be let go due to poor form, doesn’t instill the same confidence as the other signings have done. It’s natural, but fans need to give Stone a chance and support him.

The signing makes sense, but one would hope he’s ready to step in and perform well, especially if his confidence was knocked at Port Vale. Our fans won’t take kindly to the occasional mistake; we can be very critical. I believe fans wanted someone who could easily fit in if Sam Slocombe became injured or was in poor form. Nonetheless, it’s a decent signing.

I'm curious to see how Stone will perform in goal for the team. The compliments about him have been mostly encouraging, so I have high hopes for his contribution.

No idea on how he plays or will fit into our squad, but time will tell. Brooks does deserve to get a chance tho.

I can’t say I have heard the name, but he’s young for a goalkeeper, so let’s see what he can do.

Edited June 27, 20232 yr by ExiledPie

We have to keep in mind that there will be signings like Will Randall, who is not guaranteed to get time, although he does seem more likely than a backup keeper. I think the main thing to remember is that we haven’t seen any of the new players, so there’s always the chance that Aidan Stone fits in well with us. He’s quite likely been signed because he can play the sweeper-keeper role well.