Stockport County Season Preview
With the 2015/16 season drawing closer, we are going to preview Stockport County on their transfers, key men and media prediction.
Stockport County have reached the Football League once again and with manager Josh Slater in-charge, they hope they can stay here for a long time, however to do this they need to re-build their squad, and that's exactly what they have done;
Transfers IN ![]()
Manager Josh Slater has been very active this transfer window and has totally re-builded his team to try and stay in the Football League for many years to come, below are all the players in more detail;
Terry Gornell
The former Cheltenham forward will offer Slater a good goal scoring threat up front due to his finishing skills and his heading, and getting him for free is a great piece of business for County.
Christian Ribeiro
The former Scunthorpe right-back will add much needed stability to the back-line and with his experience playing in the football league he's a great buy for County.
Alex Eastall
A young winger whose contract expired at Huddersfield. Although he may not feature in Slater's first team this season, he's a good signing for the future and with the right training he can become a world class winger.
Kristian Kostrna
A very good option at right-back, the 23 year old will be a great back-up to Riberio and being the age he is, he's has a lot of room and time to improve.
Brad Walker
The English midfielder will be a good option in midfield coming on loan from Hartlepool. He's signed just for stability and for back-up so he may leave quite soon depending on the amount of games he gets.
Theirry Audel
The experienced centre back joins County on a free transfer. His knowledge of League 1 may be a vital factor to County's survival chances and paired with the right player he could make a very strong defensive partnership.
Genseric Kusunga
Another experienced centre-half who could be Audel's partner. He possesses some great talent and will play a key part in County's survival chances. Although he joins from rivals Oldham, he's had a good reception from the fans.
James Weir
The former Manchester United midfielder joins County on a free transfer and his ability in the centre of the park will be a huge advantage to our attacks. He also has lots of potential which we hope he can forfill here.
Solly March
The Brighton winger's contract expired just as we partnered with The Seagulls and it was a no brainer to pick him up due to the amount of ability he possesses. He will play a huge part on the wingers for us.
Euan Smith
The young forward loans County on loan and will be a great option up front due to his pace and finishing ability. He will undoubtably become a very good player and if he impresses this season we'll hopefully try and sign him up permanetly.
Paulo Jorge
The Portuguese defensive midfielder will be a great back-up for Luke Watson who impressed a lot last season. He has some great tackling and marking skills as well as decent pace to help protect the back four.
Rob Lainton
The former Bolton goalkeeper joins County on a free after his contract with Bury expired. He will give Ross Atkins some stern competition for the number one shirt and he has much needed experience for this league.
Ryan Hall
The former Leeds winger joins County on a free and will be a good back-up for Solly March on the left. He has some very good dribbling skills and pace which can tear any defence apart.
Cameron Park
Our final winger is Cameron Park who was on the free agents list and County snapped him up. He will add some good cover to the wings and has lots of potential which will hopefully come good at Edgeley Park.
Lescinel Jean-Francois
The left full-back has lots of pace and has decent tackling making him our first choice for left-back. He also has lots of experience which will come up good when leading the team from the back.
Zach Clough
The young forward will be just a back-up option to our other forwards. He has some good ability so we know we can rely on him to perform well if he is called upon.
Transfers OUT ![]()
Slater has had to balance the books and offload a lot of players in order to re-build his team, below are all the departures both permanently and loans;
The most notable departures are
Danny Pilkington,
James Marwood and
Josh Brizell, who all had great seasons at County in the Skrill Premier. Slater told the media that they left as they wanted to guarantee first team football and he couldn't promise it to them so they decided to best decision was to leave and seek a new challenge at a different club.
Key Players
Stockport County's key players for the season ahead are following from each position;
Goalkeeper
Rob Lainton
The former Bolton goalkeeper has much needed experience at this league and above. He is an established keeper and his ability to stop shots will be vital to County staying in the Football League.
Defender
Genseric Kusunga
The experienced centre-half will be a huge figure in County's defence. He can defend on the ground and in the air and will be a key man to keep County in the division as long as he plays alongside a good centre-half.
Midfielder
James Weir
The former United youngster will be key in midfield due to his pace going forward and his ability to pass a ball. He will be a huge factor in County's attacks and is more than capable to track back and defend when needed.
Forward
Terry Gornell
The forme Scunthorpe forward has lots of experience in the Football League and is a prolific striker. He can easily finish a ball and has good composure and his mental abilities will be a major factor in how many goals he scores.
The Verdict
Judging by County's signings and management, we think they will finish
19th in the league, narrowly avoiding relegation and giving them the opportunity to build on the season they've had and prepare for the push up the league next season.
