Blue Square North

STOKE City teenagers Tom Thorley and Jimmy Phillips have become wanted men – wanted, that is, by Stafford Rangers manager Steve Bull.

Bully has had both of them on loan at Marston Road – Phillips in fact still has three weeks of his loan to run – and he wants both of them back in the New Year.

Loan deal rules mean that each of them could only have three months with Blue Square North outfit, until the next transfer window in January.

"I'll definitely be getting on to Stoke to ask if we can have them back," said Bull.

"They've both said they've really enjoyed it here and Tom didn't want to leave."

Ironically, Thorley is the only Rangers player to score at home for the club in the league this season. His brace have earned Rangers their only two league home victories thus far.

Rangers did get on the scoresheet again last Saturday, but it was an own goal and in any event, Rangers lost 2-1 to Fleetwood.

That result appears to have finally snapped Bull's patience with his unpredictable team.

Last week, a public apology to the loyal core of fans who have been starved of victories and goals so far this season, in the hope that things would improve on the home front, brought no joy.

"It's doing my head in", was how an exasperated Bull expressed it following yet another home flop. "We have got to change it around."

Bully's reaction has been to move heaven and earth to sign former Port Vale striker Louis Briscoe.

In addition, another loan teenager could be in the Rangers creche by next week – Mark Magee, a striker with Bristol City.

That deal has been held up by the fact that Rangers have an FA Trophy date at King's Lynn this weekend and neither will be eligible to play.

"We need some new faces to freshen things up and maybe they'll help to turn things for us. Hopefully both will be in the squad by the time we go back to King's Lynn next weekend for the league game," said the Rangers boss.

"Louis has been chased by quite a few clubs, but it looks like he wants to come here. He's quick and may be he can help us put our chances away."

Briscoe made only five appearance for Vale during his two years as a trainee there, all of them from the subs bench. Earlier this season he was with Hednesford and more recently with Gresley Rovers.

There was a big set back for defender Nick Amos this week when a recurrence of his knee injury halted his comeback in its tracks. Amos hasn't played in more than two months and it now looks likely he will have to undergo keyhole surgery to find out the root of the problem.