croft signs

[Finchley Seagull]

Will wait to see how good he is before going mental over his signing.

A lot of the comments seem similar to those made when we signed Thomson.

Fingers crossed he settles in and does a job mind. Just don't see him being the game dictating centre midfielder we are lacking.

Still, in Slade we trust.

Slightly off topic, how the RUDDY hell can anyone on here say with such authority that Croft is a class player? Surely most of those posting will have seen him play all of ONCE or TWICE.

It is SOOOOO NSC to build him up. Give it a month into the season and everyone will be calling him shit for not being as good as Frank Lampard.

I agree. None of us know how it will turn out. Livermore on paper was a fantastic signing while Bas Savage for example had been rubbish before. It just goes to show we shouldn't expect too much but there is no way anyone should be writing him off yet either.

 

[Iamapen15]

Great signing a real box to box midfielder. Well done RS. Keeper next please!

 

[Sir Norman Gull]

Last time the Gills were at Withdean he stood out as man of the match-he's definitely been mentioned on the board before as a potential signing.

 

[dougdeep]

Great news. We might have a team soon at this rate.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Given his record perhaps he is seen as a player who may not be in the first team from day one, which is no bad thing.

He doesn't seem like a Forster type signing, he was pretty much guarenteed to be in the first team from the off.

Mind you, I'd rather have a 12 cap Welsh International coming into the team for an injured team mate than Tommy Fraser or Doug Loft.

 

[Fred Oliver - Legend]

he's gotta be better than that other welsh midfielder we signed last season

 

[Napper]

sort of signing that would be a good squad player. Hoping we have a couple of head turning signings still in the locker

 

[dougdeep]

 

[grummitts gloves]

thought BHA were after championship players not Kentish rejects.

He's seen the light, must have been a tough decision.... stay with a tin pot club in a tin pot ground, in a shite Kent town, no prospects, or come to the Albion, nearly out of a tin pot ground, cool city and a club poetentially going places. Welcome aboard young man, nice one Big Russ

 

[Horses Arse]

DEAN SAUNDERS has lured Wales star Andrew Crofts to the Racecourse – but the midfielder couldn’t prevent Wrexham slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Burton Albion last night.

Crofts, who has 12 international caps, made his debut in the Pirelli Stadium loss after completing a whirlwind loan switch from League Two side Gillingham hours before the game.

The signing provided Saunders some consolation after watching his side throw away a 1-0 advantage against the league leaders, with Jefferson Louis opening the scoring on 23 minutes.

And the manager believes Crofts has a glittering career ahead of him, having watched the midfielder at close quarters while on international duty with Wales.

In dispute with his club Gillingham, where his contract expires at the end of the season, the 24-year old has joined the Dragons until

the end of the season in order to play regular first team football.

And the Racecourse boss is delighted to have secured the player’s services for Wrexham’s bid to bounce back into the Football League at the first attempt.

“He’s coming to help us in this final push for promotion,” said Saunders.

“I know his qualities from working with him at Wales and this boy could end up playing in the Premiership. He played against Holland last summer, where he made a good impression on the coaching staff.

“This is a major coup for us and shows the ambition of the chairman and myself in trying get Wrexham promoted out of this league.

“Andrew’s presence brings experience and strength to the squad and he will bring the best out of our younger players. He is a good, solid character and certainly no fancy-dan player because he rolls his sleeves up and gets stuck in.

“Andrew will definitely move onto better things. But it shows the boy’s character that he is will to come and help a Welsh club in the short term. He really is doing us a big favour.

“Both John Toshack and myself advised the player that a move to Wrexham would be a big help to both him and Welsh football.”

Crofts has also won under 19 and under 21 honours and was Gillingham’s player of the year last season. He made nearly 200 appearances for the Kent club, scoring 17 goals.



sounds promising to me from Deans statements

 

[Alan Duffys sideburns]

Sounds a very good signing

And heres a piccy....

 

[Turkey]

Remember he was quality for Gills against us a couple of seasons ago.

 

[Rookie]

Another player not really heard of and no one on here had any idea before we signed him. Slade seems to picking up experienced league 1 players rather than splashing the cash on people who have played higher up and just looking for a pay day.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It is SOOOOO NSC to build him up. Give it a month into the season and everyone will be calling him shit for not being as good as Frank Lampard.

As a jorno you should understand the rules - build them up, knock 'em down !

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Just the type of creative midfielder we needed, now a goalkeeper a good left back and a new striker and we'll be sorted.

 

[Marshy]

Starting line-up as it stands is already looking quite tasty...

Kuipers

Tunnicliffe Virgo Elphick Whing (assuming Lynch isn't around)

Wright Dicker Crofts Cox

Forster Murray

Does look good so far, im pretty sure a new left back will sign, and Elphick will find himself on the bench.
A new keeper, another wide player and 2 strikers if Murray goes.

 

[KneeOn]

"But it shows the boy’s character that he is will to come and help a Welsh club in the short term"

I personally think this is going to be on of the best signings we make, or a mis-judgement by Slade, but the guys character can't be criticised as quoted.
If he's good enough for Slade and Bloom to bring him in, he is good enough for me to support. I trust Slade with the Albion totally and fully and he knows what he wants to do with the club.

 

[Sonic The Hedgehog]

From speaking to a Gillingham supporting mate, Stimson didn't like Crofts joining up with the Welsh squad and then not playing. He thought Crofts should have made himself available to Gillingham.

Stimson then rated his replacement in midfield more highly and picked him, although this is not an opinion shared by most Gillingham regulars.

 

[Estonian Seagull]

Just got the following info from a season ticket holder at Gillingham:

He came through the youth ranks at the club and was Young POTY and then POTY in consecutive seasons, around the time we were in the Championship.

He was also a regular in the Welsh U21 side and also gained a number of full caps

He was then given the captaincy of The Gills, and that’s when it all started going wrong

His form dipped, he lost his place, often being a sub and eventually not even in the 16 named for each game

Last season he was farmed out to Peterborough on loan (they didn’t want him) and eventually he ended up on loan at Wrexham (in the Conference) where he did little or nothing (their fans didn’t rate him)

So potentially (if he recovers his form) you have a very good player, but……..

Looks as though it could go either way.

 

[Silent Bob]

I remember his excellent performance against us when we beat them in that strange game a couple of seasons ago. I seem to remember being impressed with him another time as well though I can't recall specifically why or when.

Sounds like a move away from Gillingham might be what he needs to kick start his career, I think he fell out with Stimson there (one of many). I trust Slade to get the best out of him.