We're baaaaaaack! Did you miss us?

After a well-deserved hiatus, Rhys is joined by Ed and Ian to go through the big headlines of County's close season. We explore:

• How the squad is shaping up
• Fixture release day
• The new kit
• Pre-season games
• The Trust AGM

In the pod, we talk about the importance of building the Supporters' Trust membership and we would urge you to join here if you're not already a member. We also mention that new music is out today (Friday) by all-round good eggs Tinty & The Bucket Hats, so visit their Twitter to find out where you can listen to that.

We'll be back in a few weeks' time with a bumper season preview edition looking ahead to our first few games. In the meantime, you can contact us via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn with any suggestions for topics to discuss or questions for the panel.

Music: Virgo by Sean T.

Enjoyed the podcast thanks.

I’m think I’m with Ian rather than Ed in regard to Priestly. I don’t think he’s ever going to be a centre half who is comfortable on the ball, and I’m not sure it’s something that can be coached into him at this stage of his career. However, in saying that, it’s not always necessary to be composed as a centre half. Back in the midsts of time we had centre half called Grant Davies who played alongside one of the best, if not the best, centre half I’ve ever seen at this level: Keith Oakes. Davies knew his job - if in doubt kick it out - and played a key part in a successful County team.

I think Priestly could fulfil a similar role and be a man for the occasion. The way he marked tall centre forward, Harry Smith, in last season’s tie against Orient changed the game. Smith had been dominating our defence in the air and had scored two goals; Priestly shut him down completely. Farquharson didn’t need to play telling balls out of defence, he just needed to take Smith out of the game, which he did. Therefore, I think there will be games that suit him and games that don’t, but I don’t see him as a regular.

Anyway, it’s just my opinion, and I hope he goes on to have a good season and prove me wrong.

Who cares if players have Cardiff connections? Leave that in the junior school playground.

George Street-Bridge wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 6:48 pm Who cares if players have Cardiff connections? Leave that in the junior school playground.

I agree inasmuch as the school playground attitude is stupid. However for me the problem is in becoming Cardiff City Hasbeens FC. Which has happened too often for comfort.

George Street-Bridge wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 6:48 pm Who cares if players have Cardiff connections? Leave that in the junior school playground.

Yes, players have to come from somewhere and it’s not unlikely that they’ll go to a team in the locality. In fact we’ve had Cardiff City “ leave- offs “ in the past and very useful they’ve been too. I wonder why some are so alarmed, could it be they suspect that our recruitment is not as excellent as claimed and that the SD and JR have taken too many easy options? Not an assertion, merely a suggestion.

IMO the more the manager knows about a potential signing the better. Obviously if they have worked with someone before, they know their weaknesses, and also what they are capable of, even if they don't often reach those highs.

With regard to player recruitment elsewhere, that is why you have a sporting director who has contacts who can assess various attributes for the manager, however first hand knowledge will always trump that. Longer term the local well will dry up more, and the sporting director will be more in demand.

lowandhard wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 7:45 pm

George Street-Bridge wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 6:48 pm Who cares if players have Cardiff connections? Leave that in the junior school playground.

Yes, players have to come from somewhere and it’s not unlikely that they’ll go to a team in the locality. In fact we’ve had Cardiff City “ leave- offs “ in the past and very useful they’ve been too. I wonder why some are so alarmed, could it be they suspect that our recruitment is not as excellent as claimed and that the SD and JR have taken too many easy options? Not an assertion, merely a suggestion.

I can only speak for myself but it wouldn't surprise me those of us of a certain remember Jimmy Scouler's 'Dad's Army' with little affection.

If we do badly this season I’ll be outraged at the over reliance on Cardiff City cast-offs. If we do well, I’ll be full of praise for the recruitment of players that the manager is familiar with. I think that covers it.

The huge difference from Scoular is with nearly all his ex-Cardiff signings, direct or having moved on, their best years were well behind them.

Kevinmoorefellover wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 9:36 pm If we do badly this season I’ll be outraged at the over reliance on Cardiff City cast-offs. If we do well, I’ll be full of praise for the recruitment of players that the manager is familiar with. I think that covers it.

yes I think that’s about it, it’s just that those of us with a long memory of footballing disasters remember only too well Newport McCounty , Scoular and the blue and white not to mention the days when we had seven wingers on the pitch and tripped over the speedway mat when trying to take a corner ( which dribbled inoffensively over the line for a goal kick ). Those humiliations tend to stick in the craw.

George Street-Bridge wrote: July 3rd, 2022, 6:48 am The huge difference from Scoular is with nearly all his ex-Cardiff signings, direct or having moved on, their best years were well behind them.

Their best years behind them is indeed a difference between then and now. Unfortunately players Cardiff City no longer want is a similarity.

Perhaps you have forgotten that Cardiff play at a different level, and like County, need players suitable for the level that they play at.

Bangitintrnet wrote: July 3rd, 2022, 10:11 am Perhaps you have forgotten that Cardiff play at a different level, and like County, need players suitable for the level that they play at.

Not at all. I have no objection to signing players from Cardiff. As I said, perhaps it is you who have forgotten, my concern is being overly reliant on signing Cardiff players. For instance whilst a number of Scouler's signings were disastrous, the late Brian Clark did the business for us in his mid to late 30s, whereas the considerably younger Gary Bell well let's just say, was a disappointment.

Good to see the podcast generating some discussion! I think the Cardiff City antipathy is partly a generational thing. For anyone who has only ever known NCAFC, Cardiff City have always been so far outside our orbit that to consider them 'rivals' in any meaningful sense is just ridiculous, so it's hard to have any logical aversion to borrowing / signing their players. For those of an older vintage, the historic rivalry runs much deeper and so there's more of a visceral antipathy towards them.

For me, I think the situation has already been more than adequately summed up:

Kevinmoorefellover wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 9:36 pm If we do badly this season I’ll be outraged at the over reliance on Cardiff City cast-offs. If we do well, I’ll be full of praise for the recruitment of players that the manager is familiar with. I think that covers it.

Kairdiff Exile wrote: July 3rd, 2022, 11:15 am Good to see the podcast generating some discussion! I think the Cardiff City antipathy is partly a generational thing. For anyone who has only ever known NCAFC, Cardiff City have always been so far outside our orbit that to consider them 'rivals' in any meaningful sense is just ridiculous, so it's hard to have any logical aversion to borrowing / signing their players. For those of an older vintage, the historic rivalry runs much deeper and so there's more of a visceral antipathy towards them.

For me, I think the situation has already been more than adequately summed up:

Kevinmoorefellover wrote: July 2nd, 2022, 9:36 pm If we do badly this season I’ll be outraged at the over reliance on Cardiff City cast-offs. If we do well, I’ll be full of praise for the recruitment of players that the manager is familiar with. I think that covers it.

I'm not sure I agree with that. George who is of my vintage, likewise Highandwide, and anyone who remembers Kevin Moore is hardly a spring chicken, and myself don't seem to have any antipathy towards Cardiff. Some of us are though concerned about becoming over reliant on Cardiff signings.