Does anyone think we’ll struggle to attract players?

Scrug

Scrug

Well-known member
Now that Carrick has gone?

Does Edwards have the same pull?

Could that be why it’s quiet?

Food for thought.
 
I think there’ll be a flurry of activity in the coming weeks.

Looking at most of of the transfer business done in The Championship so far, the majority have been free transfers.

A few clubs have been busy - Birmingham jump out, and Norwich have done a combination of deals too.

We’ve definitely been delayed with the change in management I would say as we’ve obviously lined up targets which needed rubber stamping once Edwards came in.

As for the attraction side of it, it’s hard to really know. It could have an impact but I wouldn’t put it down to the slow start to the window.

I think the strategy is really important. No point signing players for the sake of it. We’ve got to sign the right players with the right attributes and skill sets.

As players start returning from summer breaks, I think we’ll see activity accelerate over the course of July.
 
I asked ChatGPT out of sheer curiosity and **** it, I’m on board.

Short answer: Yes, probably — but not necessarily for long.

Let’s break it down:

⚽ Carrick vs. Edwards – Perception Game
  • Michael Carrick: Big name, Man United pedigree, elegant communicator. For young Premier League loanees or flair players looking to be ‘coached up’, Carrick carried a certain prestige. You can picture a call from Carrick swaying a hesitant prospect.
  • Rob Edwards: More Luton graft than Man United class. To most players outside the EFL bubble, he’s “the guy who got Luton promoted playing three centre-backs and vibes.” His profile is lower, and that might make it harder to attract technical or ambitious signings in the short term — especially loanees from top clubs.
🧠 But Context Matters
  • Carrick’s pull only matters if the club can close deals — and Boro’s budget and location were still limitations. It’s not like Carrick was ushering in a Champions League squad.
  • Edwards, for all the lack of glamour, has actually managed in the Prem and Championship under tough conditions. Some players might value a manager who’s been in the trenches rather than another ex-pro in a cashmere jumper talking about “philosophy”.

💸 Money Talks

As always, if Boro offer decent wages, a clear role, and a real shot at promotion, players will come. It just might take Edwards a bit longer to get people to answer the phone.

🏁 Final verdict:

Yes — initially, a slight downgrade in “pulling power” for glamour signings. But Edwards has a good reputation with honest, hard-working pros and a track record of squeezing performance from unfashionable squads. If results come quickly, the perception will shift — fast.





So, maybe fewer fancy Dan loanees. But maybe also fewer bottle jobs when it matters.
 
Wouldn't much fancy any player that signed for a club just because Michael Carrick was manager.

Our wages and performances will be the main factor.
 
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Its not like we've signed many "wow factor" players under Carrick is it?

Would we have been able to sign Morris, Conway, Burgzog, Borges etc without Carrick being here? I'd say so.

The biggest name signing we've made was probably Iheanacho......
 
Wouldn’t surprise me if some players we were interested in looked at Luton’s style of play and didn’t fancy it as much.

We’ve certainly lost a bit of pull compared to under Carrick. Probably more so from young premier league talent in the loan market.
 
Cany - some posters on this site seem to enjoy the negativity and actively go out to find it. Its like people who scratch their scabs.

If we pay solid or good Championship wages we will attract players. Edwards is a known and players see him as personable with reasonable experience but someone who can relate to them.

When we offer the same wages as other clubs we can lose oiut because we are away from London which is a draw for wealthy people like footballlers on £20k a week.

For young players who need experience I think we have a good reputation with say Premier League Clubs.
 
No not at all, we have a lovely new shirt and a lot of players are well into their fashion , plus we have great training kit too, so these things alone will have them queuing at our door to get in here with the 'in' crowd
 
I don't think players are attracted as much by managers now.

Sign a 4 year contract for a manager and there's a good chance he'll be gone in your first 6 months.

Players sign for:
Money,
The competition they'll play in
Where they'll be living

More or less in that order
 
Judging by our activity in the current market, hell yeah!
Everyone else appears to be acquiring targets.
Dunno what Boro are up to, unless they're waiting to pounce on loan deals for premier League players who haven't got a first team place this coming season
 
Scrug said:
Like who and why?
Click to expand...
Like those on the earlier post about "getting left behind".
Im sure there stuff happening in the background, linking nobody through the door yet to us being unattractive is a bit tenuous. There's so many possible reasons.
 
Frozen Horse said:
I don't think players are attracted as much by managers now.

Sign a 4 year contract for a manager and there's a good chance he'll be gone in your first 6 months.

Players sign for:
Money,
The competition they'll play in
Where they'll be living

More or less in that order
Click to expand...
I do think that playing for a club that have a certain expectation level and fan base is a factor too.
 
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