Hi Captain Negative here...
It looks like two things have changed in the way the Club tackles the transfer window since Robins first purchases in 2017. Both bear considerably greater risk, particularly for a club that is supposed to be on its uppers financially.
In Summer 2017 Robins purchases were McNulty, Biamou, Doyle, Vincenti, McDonald, Kelly and Grimmer plus Hyam theoretically for development. (for which I would give him 5 out of 7* - pretty good I would say). It was all designed to get us out of League 2.
Four of those were experienced professionals and all (I think with the exception of Hyam) were on two year contracts. If they failed - which given the number of new players is the big risk at L2 level - two year contracts are good. Easier to drop or move on if they don't come up to scratch.
1. Now we are buying from Europe, presumably because of the new man in charge of acquisition = much greater risk. Does the French league 2 or Breda equate to L1 in England. Who knows?
2. We are increasingly giving three year contracts. I understand it for Kelly, we want to keep him and he is a known quantity. But the turnover in players at this level is so rapid that the commercial risk is appreciably greater with longer contracts. Beavon sat on the books going nowhere...
I would feel a lot happier if some kind deal could be found to attract Bright for one more year - he is a known quantity
* Kelly, Doyle, McNulty and Hyam were all successes. MacDonald we had a good half season and Biamou was patchy so half a point. The only real dud was Vincenti