I do understand the slight concern given the Will Patching signing, but he was younger, we were his first move away from City and he didn't fit KN style or system. Looking back you can see why it didn't work out.

Francis is a bit older, has moved abroad and played in L2 last season with Harrogate. And he's suits how IB wants to play. Doyle’s role is a big one to fill, but from what I've read about him he should be capable of taking over. 

By all accounts he’s a good player (a bit like Miller) but just not that suited to how Harrogate wanted to play, hence he didn’t always play in midfield for them.

This is a bit about why Francis wasn’t offered a new deal at Harrogate:

On Francis, who impressed in both his natural position in the centre of the park as well as in an auxiliary left-back role, Weaver added: "It was certainly another difficult call.

"We were actually discussing a longer deal with Ed earlier on in the season, but he put a pause on those talks because it was at a time when he had just come out of the team, which was understandable.

"When we've looked at it again, we just felt that Josh [Falkingham], Lloyd [Kerry] and Thommo [George Thomson] were the players who have excelled in the middle of the park this term.

"I think Ed is best suited to a 4-3-3 or when we played the midfield diamond and obviously we usually tend to go with the 4-4-2 system.”

Edited July 20, 20215 yr by menzinho

Promising signing, I am liking the mixture of youthfulness and experience. It should be the right balance.

Ed Francis does look a promising addition, on paper he looks to have a bit more about him than Will Patching did. Francis has experience of playing and seems to want to start, Patching looked content to warm the bench.

I always feel recruiting a few unknowns or younger players, that does have some form experience is always beneficial to have around the squad. What I like the most about this signing, is how Ed Francis wants to commit himself to the club and grow into his position.

This combined with Michael Doyle watching over him, it ticks all the boxes.

It's time the club tried harder to develop younger players.

Sensible signing for Notts, the more new signings buy into the beliefs of promotion the others already here will want to do one better.

Signing a player who could've easily signed for a League One or Two team, it easily feels like somewhat of a coup for the club. It's the type of signing the club could sell season tickets with, as it shows intent.

It will be interesting to see how a left back adapts to playing as a defensive midfielder, working alongside Michael Doyle will be useful to the lad but I can see Frank Vincent starting ahead of him.

I would say it looks to be a promising signing, I think he's capable of playing 30 games but I see him as more of one for the future.

He's clearly had a good football education, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. All the stuff about his England youth appearances sounds impressive, but so many players with a back story like that just end up drifting into the local leagues or out of the game altogether. Patching is one example but there are plenty more. However, Francis has more senior experience and I expect that our recruitment team have done their homework on him. Looking forward to seeing him in action.