AFC Fylde boss Jim Bentley admits January’s transfer window was another learning experience

In his first season outside of the EFL, the AFC Fylde boss has found himself playing a waiting game and having to time his moves, knowing that the January deadline doesn’t affect him.

Bentley has been looking to do business with players and clubs from divisions above the Coasters but has been met with people looking to get the most out of their availability.

He said: “It’s good that we can still sign players but if we couldn’t we would have done all our business in January.

“That’s why it’s important that we don’t just go out and sign someone for the sake of it, we want to get the right ones in that are going to help us.

“It has its pluses and its minuses for me but we do need bodies in, we are stretched.

“I’ve learned more about how the window works now that I’m out of the window, than when I’ve been in the window.

“You have players that wait right until the end, that’s probably why you get the scramble on deadline day.

“I can see why players do it, they try and play as high as they can and hold out to get what they can.

“There are quite a few things like that.

“From our point of view there are things that work in your favour and things that work against you. You just get on with it.

“We’re trying to bring in the right type of player who will improve us.”

As well as getting his timing right, Bentley has to get the right men in.

It isn’t for the lack of trying from the Coasters, who currently have a couple of active bids for players and a trialist.

Speaking ahead of today’s FA Trophy tie at Dorking Wanderers, Bentley said: “We want to get players in, we’ve let a few go out on loan and it’s important that we get enough in, which we need.

“We’re stretched at the minute and we’re a bit more stretched at the minute because of illness and a little bit of injury.

“We have an offer for someone for a permanent, we have an offer for someone for a loan.

“They’re just weighing their options up at the minute, their club are looking into it.

“We’ve got a player training with us, we’ve got other people we’re speaking to.

“We’ve just got to do what’s right and try and get them in sooner rather than later, get them acclimatised to their surroundings and hopefully get them on the pitch, playing well and helping us win games.”