Ripley reflects on ‘great experience’
CONNOR Ripley has paid tribute to Accrington Stanley after he left the club in order to sign for Championship side Preston North End.
Ripley was on a season-long loan at Stanley from Middlesbrough, but last week his parent club recalled the goalkeeper from his loan in order to sell him to Preston for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old was a fan favourite at the Wham Stadium due to his performances in the first six months of the campaign, and he has thanked everybody who helped him along the way.
“I just want to thank everyone involved at Accrington Stanley. From the minute I walked through the door, everyone has made me feel welcome,” he told the club’s official website.
“The management and the staff have been class with me and I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with all the players here.
“Accrington is a special, unique club and I have loved playing with the lads. Highlights include winning 3-0 at Plymouth and also the 1-0 over Ipswich last weekend in the FA Cup, that was great.
“It’s been a great experience, the lads have been brilliant and being at Accrington has helped me get this move to Preston, which I appreciate. It’s a move I couldn’t turn down, fighting for the number one spot at a Championship club, but Accrington will always be a special club to me and I wish them all the best for the rest of the season.”
Ripley was on the bench during Preston’s 1-1 draw at home to Swansea City on Saturday, and he hopes his performances at Stanley can lead to him becoming the number one choice at Deepdale.
I’ve played at Preston before and I have really enjoyed the stadium, it is beautiful. The fans are good and I’m looking forward to getting started now,” he said.
“It is a special position. Not many people like to be a goalkeeper and not many can be. Unfortunately, there is only one position and we all have to fight for it.
“Declan Rudd is a great goalkeeper and I need to fight for my position.
“I have not come to Preston to do nothing. I have gone to play and to play a pivotal part in the season.
“I will do my best on the training pitch and try and prove to the players and the manager I should be in the team.”
VIEW FROM THE CLAYTON END
GREETINGS and happy new year everybody. What will 2019 bring for Accrington Stanley?
I doubt it will live up to the highs of its predecessor, but new levels of stature and league status are there to be grabbed by this team.
Faces have left us, and we’re now set for yet another transitional period, nothing too new for most Stanley fans.
We’re well versed in having new signings fit in instantly, Luke Armstrong and Liam Gibson will be no different and the young lads are thrown straight into the middle of the Atlantic with barely an arm band between them.
If you were at Peterborough or Valley Parade on New Year’s Day you’ll have seen that this team needed a change.
That change has been forced upon us by transfers, but it could be a blessing in disguise.
Ripley was alright for me, just alright. I don’t think he was half the keeper he thought he was and cost us some serious points to the latter end of 2018.
An improvement on that front is necessary. It’s a long old season and judging by the Bury game in the Trophy we have minimal depth in the side. Non-existent even. Come on John, work your magic.
Being a Stanley fan is a funny old job right now.
When we win, it’s all smiles and everything is dandy. When we lose it all still seems to be brushed under the carpet a little because the club is doing so well off the field.
I understand that, but I can’t help feel like we could be sleepwalking into a bit of a crisis on the pitch and it might be too late and we slither into the drop zone.
I’m not for one second saying I think we will be relegated.
I am, however, saying we could be relegated if we don’t start winning games.
Now, regular readers of this column will know that I can waver onto the worried end from time to time. I just want to remind all you dreamers that we are only the eight points from safety (at time of writing).
There’s so much football left to play and its certainly clear that we’re finding it difficult to stick the ball into the back of the net at the minute.
The lads at the front need support.
Billy has looked better recently but needs a runner. Sean and Jordan have looked knackered in recent weeks and teams have seen that we utilise them a lot.
Could it be time to put our faith in that Italian maestro to offer us something a touch different in the coming games?
Goodness knows the poor lad hasn’t had much chance yet.
The cold hard facts are that we’ve won 2 games since October.
That’s distressing to me, sorry if that’s going to annoy people and label me negative.
I just think that is a bit of a negative run of results. Don’t you?
We’re not converting chances, can always be sure to concede and slowly but surely that bottom four is creeping ever closer to all of us.
Let’s win some football matches. Now, please.
We face our hardest test of 2019 so far with a trip to The Valley on Saturday.
Big ground, noisy fans and the sense that they’re a bit too big to be in this division.
But, we’re here to prove them wrong. A safe trip to all venturing to The Big Smoke for the game. I shall see you in the away end.