How can Slough Town make the play-offs next season?

Slough Town have finished this season comfortably in mid-table.

It has been a positive campaign for The Rebels, with a strong FA Cup run and they have continued to improve as the season has progressed; they go into the final day of the season sitting in 10th with a top-half finish already assured.

As things stand, they are five points outside the play-off places and so boss Scott Davies will feel that if they can make a couple of smart additions during the summer, they will be able to push for the play-offs next season.

With that in mind, I take a look at some players that they could target recruiting in the close season that could help The Rebels to indeed finish in the top seven next term.

Maxwell Statham

One avenue that Slough Town could look to use during the summer is to take advantage of some of the sides who have been relegated from the National League South, and try to prize players from them. If that is the case, one player who I would be looking at is defender Maxwell Statham.

Given that Slough Town experiment with so many different systems and formations, having someone who is capable of playing in different roles is key. Maxwell Statham is someone who is perfect for this, and as an option to cover the entire backline he ticks a lot of boxes. He is most adept in a full-back role – I feel – with his athleticism, power, pace, and forward-thinking nature to want to get forward and contribute to the play. He showed in 2022-23 that he was indeed capable of getting up and down the flank, and contribute in the scoring charts.

However, Statham has shown during his time at Dartford that he is able to play in any of the defensive roles, either centrally or wide. That allows The Rebels to swap seamlessly between the use of a 3 or 4-man defence, while retaining a comfortability at playing in wide areas, and playing in the way that Scott Davies wants; front-foot, aggressive and brave football.

Statham is on the books of relegated Dartford, and so there is a good chance that he will want to look for higher offers during the summer to at the very least remain at Step Two of non-league; that could be the attraction for Statham to sign at Arbour Park. He has all of the attributes that you would want in a defender – good size, aggressive, strong, decent in the air, committed in the tackle, quick, mobile – and with good pedigree as a former Tottenham Hotspur academy player. He is only 23 years of age, and will only improve.

Paul Rooney

The next player on this list is another to have been relegated with Dartford this term, and one who I similarly expect to get offers to remain in the National League South this summer; former Millwall man Paul Rooney.

Rooney buys into the idea of being versatile. By trade, during his time in at Millwall and in his youth days back in Ireland, Rooney has been deployed as a centre-back given his height and stature. However, when signing for Havant and Waterlooville ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Rooney was highlighted by Paul Doswell as being someone capable of playing in midfield and he has – at times this year – been used more centrally in the engine room for The Darts.

One of the benefits, I feel, of adding Paul Rooney is that he offers Slough Town an additional threat with his height. Slough Town are a side with lots of smaller, nippy and intricate players, and one area that – looking in as an outsider – that I think they could strengthen them is adding some set-piece threat; Rooney can be that with his aerial prowess and ability to attack the ball.

He has lots of experience at this level with various teams, and has spent time in the EFL, too. A great character who will buy into the togetherness of this Slough Town group, regardless of what role he is used, I think he’d represent a useful bit of business.

Charlie O’Connell

One thing that Slough Town have done well this term is make use of the loan market to strengthen their side when they’ve been a little short. One player who would have to sign on loan due to signing a new long-term contract with his parent club in 2023 – and one who I think would tick a lot of boxes – is Charlie O’Connell.

Charlie O’Connell is on the books of Peterborough United, and has spent this term out on loan in the National League with time at Oxford City and where he is currently at Woking. He hasn’t played a great deal of football during that time, but I feel that in the time he has played, he has shown himself to be a well-rounded, diligent player with promise and he most certainly ticks the boxes that Scott Davies wants in terms of versatility.

The youngster is by trade a defender – be it a right-back or a centre-back – but he has been used in midfield during his time with The Posh and out on loan. As such, he has an appreciation for playing different roles.

Having been part of an academy at Peterborough United that are taught how to play football in the right way, likewise at Oxford City, O’Connell is someone who is capable with the ball and in playing out from the back. He is well-aligned with the front-foot, attacking style that Davies has implemented at Arbour Park, and I can just envisage him starting out as a right-back and pushing into midfield or enabling a change to a three with the ball. A useful loan capture.

Matt Buse

In terms of adding versatile players who can play in a number of different positions, there is nobody that epitomises that better than Truro City’s all-rounder Matt Buse. He is available on a free transfer, and I’d be putting myself near the front of the queue to land his signature if I was Scott Davies.

Buse is one who I have watched a lot of given his time in the South West with Truro City and prior to that more predominantly with Torquay United. He is certainly no stranger to being adaptable to different roles, as the hard-working midfielder played almost every position during his time at Torquay United; left back, right back, on the wing, in central midfield (and in both attacking and defensive roles).

One thing that you can guarantee with Buse is his work-rate and humility with which he plays, always happy to get stuck in and do his job for the team. I am a little surprised that he hasn’t more interest for moves in the last few years given that he is so adaptable and a bit of a “Swiss Army Knife” player similar to Jeanmal Prosper. He may not be a 9/10 every other week, but regardless of what role you put him in he is usually a solid 7/10.

I really liked him when he was at Torquay United, with his athleticism, ball-carrying ability and in particular how good he was off the ball in pressuring the opposition and winning it back. He has a fabulous work ethic and hunger to learn, and I’d be snapping him up. You should never underestimate the value to a coach of being so flexible in the role they do for the team, and in terms of the remit Scott Davies himself has set out for what he wants to recruit, Buse fits the bill.

Callum Hall

It is no surprise on this list that I have included a player that is based in the South, such is my knowledge for the local leagues in Devon. And, one possible under-the-radar suggestion for a player that they could go for is Plymouth Parkway’s Callum Hall.

Hall is someone that I have always been a fan of from his days at Plymouth Argyle in the academy, and he briefly came on trial at Torquay United prior to signing permanently for Plymouth Parkway. He has been with Parkway for the last few seasons, and has been of the standout performers for Lee Hobbs’ side. And, I am a little surprised – in truth – that a side at National League South level hasn’t come in for him yet.

In terms of what he would bring to The Rebels, Hall is a left-footed player adept at playing in defence or midfield. He progressed through the Argyle academy as a left-back, but during his time at Plymouth Parkway he has adapted his game to be able to play more centrally in midfield. Thus, there is an underlying knowledge of both positions.

He gets through a lot of work in the middle of the park – always harrying and trying to win the ball back – and when he has it he is cultured and technical. A lovely passer of the ball, a good athlete, capable of creating and scoring goals, signing for Slough Town would be a step-up for him but one that I feel he is capable of.

Will Dawes

One player who I feel may not be an immediate starter for their side next year and thus could be available on loan is Yeovil Town’s Will Dawes. I really like Dawes – I think there is a talented player there – and a season of regular minutes would simultaneously do wonders for his own development and also benefit Slough Town with a top-end, National League South performer.

Dawes has featured a number of times for Yeovil Town this season on their way to the title, and when I have seen him I have been impressed. You can see from the way in which he manipulates and carries the ball that he is a hugely technical player; it is just about being able to “package” him as a player in the right way. If he can improve his decision-making – which he no doubt will do in time – I think he can be a really talented player.

He can play on either wing, and also centrally, and has been used at left-back on occasion with Yeovil Town this year as well. He spent time with Oxford City in their promotion from the National league south and so he does have first-hand experience of challenging near the top of the division; likewise with The Glovers this term. As such, The Rebels would be bringing in a player who has the knowledge of what it takes to get over the line at the top of the table.

Dawes is only 23 years of age, and so he fits into the profile that Scott Davies has worked hard to build at Arbour Park of creating a young, energetic side that can handle the ball and play attacking football. He is a competent dribbler, has a lovely left-foot, and going out on loan for a year with The Rebels is exactly what he needs.

Lewis Collins

The final player on this list is one that is a bit of a marquee addition for The Rebels, but one who – considering the circumstances this term – could be available; Torquay United front man Lewis Collins.

Perhaps one of his biggest downfalls is that he has not been able to hold down a set, defined position in this Torquay United team and has played a little bit of everything during his time at Plainmoor; a striker, left winger, central midfield, even wing-back. In terms of ticking the box for versatility and being able to play in a number of different roles, Collins would represent an attractive proposition for Scott Davies.

Primarily, Collins would be coming in as a striker and in truth that is where I seem him at his best; through the middle with his pace and making runs in behind. However, the recency of him being used in alternative roles would be of use to a Slough Town who are rather fluid in their system from week-to-week.

Collins has found game time hard to come by at Torquay United, and – in my view – fallen foul of the overall shortcomings of Torquay United in that his own personal downturn in form is indicative of that of the team. I still feel there is a talented player in there – that view was maintained in the summer when Torquay United signed him – and so I think this would be a coup. One thing Davies has shown to be able to do is get his attackers scoring goals.

And, while it hasn’t worked out for him at Plainmoor, I have no doubt that in a new environment and with the support of a top coach in Scott Davies, Collins would flourish. So often we have seen players leave Torquay United in recent years after tough spells, but they have gone into sides better-suited to them and teams that provide more positive environments for players and they have done well. I can’t quite put my finger on why Collins has struggled this term, but with a new lease of life in this Rebels side, I think he could be a good striking option at the level.