Could Crawford and Patching's have been signed to fill the inevitable departure of O'Conner?

Well it’s starting to look that way ... youth over experience by the looks of it. 

Edited June 20, 20187 yr by super_ram
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I'd get them involved in the first a lot this season. I was surprised Patching dropped down to League 2 level. Crawford is highly rated and is a good signing too. Both were being chased by Championship clubs. There is some definite quality there but I still think we need an experienced CM. All four teams who went up last season had an experienced centre mid. 

Accrington - Scott Brown

Luton - Alan McCormack

Wycombe - Marcus Bean

Coventry - Michael Doyle

The way Alan Hardy described Will Patchings it suggested to me that he wasn't seen as so much as someone "for the future" but ready and able to contributed from the off. Tom Crawford has a good reputation as an upcoming player, so I would have thought the club had Michael O'Connor's departure in the back of their minds when they signed these two young players.

4 minutes ago, The Heff said:

The way Alan Hardy described Will Patchings it suggested to me that he wasn't seen as so much as someone "for the future" but ready and able to contributed from the off. Tom Crawford has a good reputation as an upcoming player, so I would have thought the club had Michael O'Connor's departure in the back of their minds when they signed these two young players.

Looking at it from that angle I’ve got to agree ..! But O’Connor I thought may return but .. reading Whst u put I think I was in la la land there good call mate

Here we have all been saying 'Notts have too many midfielders', only for one depart and now it seems like we have a massive hole to fill.

At the time I didn't think so much about Michael O'Connor's departure, however with Alan Hardy's tweets it would seem that it may not have been so crystal clear but I would have imagined Kevin Nolan did sign the two players in mind that they could contribute now rather than later. Honestly, I don't feel we should worry about this. Surely the clubs prepared to find a good experienced midfielder if they deem Michael such a major loss?

Give the lads a chance to impress and see from there, we have Liam Noble collecting dust - it might be worth giving him a chance.

We have to hope that they can fill in the void, I just hope we sign someone else with leadership qualities because that is what we will miss about Michael O'Connor.

None of these two will offer that at all.

It would seem that Alan Hardy has changed his feelings about Michael O'Connor leaving.

Seems his "other" tweets are now gone too.

I think Tom Crawford and Will Patching has been signed for now, rather than later. I think he's just upset that someone didn't want to get on board with his low contract offerings.

ah would make a great politician me thinks. 

i think they have been signed to progress into good players, so i think o connor leaving may have been a factor why we signed two. less of a gamble that one may need more time then.

It would look like we made the signings with the thought that Micheal O'Connor wouldn't signed, but I think they would have been saved more for the future. They need to play, so I wouldn't worry to much and I think we can reflect on if we need another CM after seeing the lads train.

We have to move on from the departure of the clubs former captain.

I am still of thought that me need an "experienced pro" in Central Midfield. Recalling the time when Bishop left, we were bullied in midfield and we need to avoid that scenario again. Maybe rumours of playing a back 3, allow Toots and Jones to provide the width and experience... However we do need a midfield king-pin, so Husin needs to man-up quickly.

 

I would agree that we now need someone with experience in the middle.

And I would have thought the signings made would cover any occurring problems, both Patching and Crawford will need game time. I would like to see more energy in there but we can't skimp on experience.

I think Nolan said in the Facebook live after the fixtures were released that we might be looking to replace O'Connor