The Sporting Director of Barrow has spoken on the current transfer situation at the club, revealing that the club are still working on multiple deals.
It has been a summer of change at Holker Street with Pete Wild departing the club following a ‘post-season review’ after missing out on their first-ever League Two Play-Off place by the barest of margins. Former Gillingham boss Stephen Clemence has since taken up the reins at the club and brought in six incoming so far.
Their most recent move saw centre-back Theo Vassell move from Salford City on a one-year deal. The 27-year-old was one of The Ammies’ better players in a season which fell well short of their previous play-off ambitions and ended with a relegation scrap which they survived in the final weeks.
Sporting Director Iain Wood said that future signings will take longer, adding that any new player ‘has to be right’. He said in an interview with the North West Evening Mail: “We are still trying to get a couple more through the door, but it has to be right.
“We have to make sure that it’s what we need moving forward. It’s about getting that balance. You can have really good players, but you do need that x-factor.
“I genuinely think we are in a good place and with a couple more signings, I think we will be pretty much there.
“But we might have to be patient to get what we want, and that’s because you are waiting on the parent clubs to make a decision.”
Barrow were fairly successful in their use of the loan market last season, with Burton Albion‘s Cole Stockton being a key figure in the second half of the season, scoring seven goals in seventeen games. Liverpool youngster Luca Stephenson also moved to The Bluebirds and made 34 appearances across all competitions.
The window so far has seen Clemence’s side focusing on free transfers, including reuniting with Gills forward Connor Mahoney following his release from Huddersfield Town. Barnsley striker Andrew Dallas has been loaned in for the entire season.
Wood was happy with how the club’s summer has gone so far, adding: “There’s more work to be done and we will keep plugging away, but everyone is doing their bit behind the scenes, and I believe we are moving forward.
“I’m delighted to have Stephen on board as head coach and I think fans can expect to see a real change in how we play this season.
“I think we have progressed in the two seasons I have been at the club and I think we are well set to do that again.”
Writer’s View
It has been a turbulent spell for Barrow this summer following the departure of well-liked manager Pete Wild. Stephen Clemence did fairly well with Gillingham despite falling short of the play-off expectations the Kent club had last season and is well-placed with a new side that had a similar finish in the league. How it plays out though is a different story.
Naturally, clubs will always be looking for deals up until the deadline and the Cumbrian club will be no different. Midfield should be a focus for the rest of the window following losing Luca Stephenson following the end of his loan and the release of Ben Whitfield to Burton and Tom White to Morecambe. Barrow have not yet recruited in that area, leaving just four senior central midfielders currently in the club. Having one or two more will give them the necessary depth to navigate a physical league.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
