Tisdale: Signings and Sales, part 1, 2006-7 season.

This is the first installment of my appraisal of the transfer dealings of Paul Tisdale in his time at Exeter. I should point out that this is entirely based on my own opinion and I have rated each signing on the following,

The Midas Touch?

All signings are free transfers unless otherwise stated.

Ratings

10 – legendary

9- brilliant

8- very good

7 – good

6 – decent

5- average worth having

4- probably a mistake but some good points or under used

3 – poor signing or was not given the chance

2 – cost us badly

1 – seriously rubbish

0 – think Torres’ value for money (from  a Chelsea perspective) (so far).

Categories,

Ability: How good a player they are for the level they were signed at, performance, and how suited to role they were signed for and used in. In certain cases this reflects the potential rather than actual ability.

Contribution: How often and how well were they used, basically what they offered the club. e.g

Character: This is more important than people realise. How well has the player represented the club, suited the ethos of the club, behaved, how well have they served as ambassadors and created a bond with the fans. How long will they stick in the memory? Think Flack, Bertie, Logie and Tully for high scores and Buckle (with the best will in the world) for low.

Value: Obviously the fee (although only Troy cost us money) and their wage (bit of interpretation and guess-work on my part) but also how much did we get back for signing them including sell on fees etc.

Years: Ho long were they or have they been with us.

Overall: The sum of the above divided by five, simples.

Player’s Sold, will be given a rating based on how good I think the deal was for City, simples.

Signings

When Paul Tisdale became Exeter City manager in 2006 he had no knowledge of the current squad and very little of the conference in general. However, he had been at City on loan in the 1997-98 season and had the experience, knowledge and contacts of Paul Buckle the incumbant assistant, Paul Buckle, and director of football, Steve Perryman. Together they made a quick assessment of the team and identified areas where we were weak on cover and moved to bring in four trialists. Tisdale had been very quick to announce that everyone at the club would be given their chance and he was not looking to replace anyone. In a very unique manner Tis’ way of making his mark was to take the current squad and mould it to his philosophy and way of thinking and playing, rather than to be a disruptive influence and bring in ‘his’ players as so many managers do.

The four trailists were,

1) Jefferson Louis

Louis was a striker who had recently been at Woking. I think he played in the first friendly away to lowly Holsworthy a small village team based in North Devon and, although we won five nil, Jefferson was clearly not an improvement on the squad or young strikers we had waiting in the wings like Jamie Mackie.

2) Jon ‘Rico’ Richardson

Rico was destined for big things as a youngster after coming through the ranks at Exeter and being sold on for criminally small fee of £5,000 to Oxford United in 2000. He had made over 250 appearances in six years for City and had even been named captain for a few of them. Unfortunately his career had stalled mainly due to a change in manager who brought his own players in apparently rather than to do with his own performances. He was released in 2002 and joined conference side Forest Green Rovers. The previous season he had returned to the Park with Forest Green and singlehandedly won them a 0-0 draw.

He still had the quality and played well for us during the season when called upon and was in my opinion underused. He even turned out as a makeshift striker for us in an injury crisis. I think Tisdale rated him but didn’t want to upset the balance of the team and continued to play a dreadful Chris Todd who was the inherited Captain. Rico was turned 30 in August and my impression was that he was always signed as temporary cover while Tis thought through his plans for the following season. In light of this Rico was an extremely useful signing I think given the chance he would have been a very good player for us again and as a rare successful youth produce from the nineties and former captain it was great to have him back at the Park.

Ability: 8

Contribution: 5

Character: 8

Value: 7

Years: 1

Overall: 5.8

3) Bertrand Cozic

Viva la Bertie, the man is a legend his unique style (see here). As an attacking midfielder capable of playing some decent passes and very rarely if ever giving the ball away but above all being a tough tackling battering ram that has given us real drive at certain times when sorely lacking. Bertie has through injuries and promotions been forced to spend much of his time sitting on the bench however, at very important times he has been called upon by Tisdale to great effect not least at the end of the League Two promotion winning campaign. Following injuries to Stewart and Russell, Bertie made the 1 in our 3-4-1-2 formation his own and helped drive us to second place. He is technically good as well and showed what he is capable of by being te best player on the pitch bar Beckford away at Elland Road on the season opener in League One. He has since bench warmed and while many people have derided him and complained he has been willing to sit in the wings and produced whenever called upon not least at Yeovil this season. he has announced his decision to retire this season bringing an end to a five-year career which has seen unprecedented success. After opening his Crepes Cafe Gourmandine in Exeter last year he has, as so many do, naturalised and become a true (French) Exonian.

Ability: 8

Contribution: 7

Character: 9

Value: 8

Years: 5

+ 1 bonus point for opening a Crepe cafe in Exeter and working there dressed up like a proper Frenchman.

Overall: 7.6

4) Patrick Ada

Patrick Ada was a right back who could play at centre back although always looked slightly clumsy for that role. He was powerful full back who had a lot of potential adn skill but didn’t really get the chance to play much and moved after one season. He spent two years at Histon before signing for Crewe Alexandra and breaking into League football where he has been successful for the last two years but has recently been released.

 Ability: 7 (potential)

Contribution: 5 (would have been a four but simply for that game away at Woking, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Character: 5

Value: 5

Years: 1

Overall: 4.6

Tisdale had been sniffing around a centre-back who was capable of playing in defensive midfield but had been turned down initially. However, after the right option failed to materialise this player re-thought and signed for City.

Rob Edwards,

Where to begin other than to say he is a true legend.  Rob was 33 when he signed for us but the former Welsh international had been playing regularly for Blackpool in the previous season but was released by manager Simon Grayson. Edwards proved a rock at the heart of defence in his first season. He then moved further forward into a defensive midfield role as his legs began to give a little. It was in this season’s play-offs he wrote his name into the record books by taking on the entire Torquay side with some neat play with Ryan Harley before setting Harley up for the goal which kick started our last twenty minute comeback from 3-1 down on aggregate to win 5-3. As if it was not enough Rob popped up to score a beautiful header to give us a 1-0 win over Cambridge United at Wembley in the play-off final and win promotion to the football league after five long years: hense, his chant,

He tore apart Torquay,

He scored at Wembley,

Rob Edwards, wooooooaaaaaaahhhhhhh

Rob Edwards, wooooooaaaaaaahhhhhhh

He continued to produce the goods in League Two but has taken more of a back seat since promotion into League One but has been called upon in some difficult situations the best of which was filling in for the newly departed Danny Seaborne as we obliterated Leeds United 2-0 at the Park in January 2010 allowing Rob to get a personal victory over Simon Grayson, who is also a Leeds fan! Rob, like Bertie, has announced his decision to retire from the playing side this season and will take up his role as coach full-time and I would not be surprised to see him take up the mantle after Tisdale finally decides to move on in 2055.

Ability: 9

Contribution: 9

Character: 9

Value: 10

Years: 5 (+ although only as a coach)

Overall: 8.4

In January our big spending neighbours from Dorset suddenly collapsed financially and following Steve Tully, Richard Logan and Lee Elam taking part in our defeat at the Wessex stadium he moved quickly to sign up the trio.

Lee Elam

I have to be honest at the time Lee Elam was the player I was most excited about joining and he he scored a hat-trick on his debut at home to a weakend Weymouth side. he continued to play a big part on in our play-off push that season before being relegated to a bench role in the following season and being released with little impact. A player capable of being a magician on his day was simply too inconsistent but I will fondly remember him ripping a part Kidderminster away although his theatrics went a little far for Kiddy manager Mark Yates who found it necessary to run 60 yards at the final whistle to chin Elam in the face…ouch!

Ability: 6

Contribution: 6

Character: 7

Value: 7

Years: 1.5

Overall: 5.5

Steve Tully

Steve has been an anomaly in so many ways a good conference right back was solid for us and scored that winning penalty at Oxford before swearing repeatedly on Setanta. He quickly grew to live and breathe city a vocal character who has always given 110%. While there were serious doubts over his capability when we were promoted to League Two due to a tendency to lapse in concentration and even more last season when he would play well for four games before having a shocker every fifth game. However even at the age of 30 going into this season we have seen him progress year-on-year like a promising teenager and he was my second choice for player of the year this year. He has been the embodiment of consistency he has only had one bad game that i know of all season at Swindon when he was done for pace on a large pitch. never the most threatening on the attack but always eager and his partnership with Duffy (right-centre-back) has been watertight. He has been involved leading the new ladies team to three back-to-back promotions as manager and is I believe keen to progress his coaching side to stay involved after he retires which given recent seasons I hope is still a few years away.

Ability: 8

Contribution: 8

Character: 9

Value: 9

Years: 4.5+

Overall: 7.7

Richard Logan (Logie)

When playing for Weymouth I dubbed him lumbering Logan as he seemed a little overweight and slow. In that first season he showed some skill at times. However, it was the promotion winning season where he came into his own scoring 19 goals including the beauty of a header which put us ahead at Plainmoor after wining the penalty that allowed us to equalise in the play-offs. He was then limited to 19 starts and four goals as his fitness (or lack of was shown up) as well as being used as a wide man to hold up the ball more than as the target man he naturally is but still as always managed to score the all important goal a header at Rotherham or more accurately the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield in the 1-0 win that secured second place and automatic promotion. Logie ever a regular supporter of the local nighttime culture has always been approachable and friendly with city fans although has this year cut out the laxness and knuckled down the increased fitness has paid dividends. Forming a prolific partnership with veteran Jamie Cureton in which Logie has contributed 11 goals.

Ability: 9

Contribution: 10

Character: 10

Value: 9

Years: 4.5 +

Overall: 8.5

PLAYERS SOLD

1) Danny Woodards

Fee: 30K (+20% sell on, void when he left on a free)

Club: Crewe Alexandra

Sale Rating: 9

 Danny was a right back who had come through the youth ranks at Chelsea as a striker. He initially looked very promising he was quick, strong, powerful, had a cracking shot but never quite scored, he attacked players and was not afraid to run with the ball. However, it quickly became apparent he had absolutely no positional sense, concentration, or work ethic without the ball. All to often he would tear off up field fail to cross past the first man or give the ball away find himself stranded up the wrong end or even the wrong side of the pitch. He was quite simply the most overrated player I have ever seen in a city shirt and yes I am very much in the minority here but when Crewe were prepared to pay money to take him off our hands I was delighted.He also looked a bit like Paul Jones……….