Out of ten, how excited about the new season & why?

For me I'd say a 7 at the moment.

We have a decent squad for this level. I'm excited to see how Stendel gets the lads playing, although I think there may be hiccups in the first few months.

The addition of a keeper who is decent with the ball at his feet and a wide player with a bit of flair & I'd be going up to an 8 or 9. I think it's more likely we buy in January, hopefully to get us over the line, but 2 in now & I think we'll be on our way. Loan Walton to a L2 or even non league till Jan & let Davies battle it out for the jersey. A Harvey Barnes type would be great on loan.

 

I'm not really excited at all as yet. I'd probably say a 3. Not so much because we don't know what's coming, or that we've only signed one player. I think it's down to not having a single connection with any of our team, manager or ownership for the first time that I can ever recall. It's not a dig at the owners, or the manager, or even the players. Time just needs to pass, I hope we have connection with all of them given that.

Just every season before this, we've had someone who was a favourite, or someone we knew (latterly edited to perceived) we could trust and what we would get. I think its fair to say last season, a little longer still, was a repetitive kick in the knackers. Losing every one of our better players, sometimes for free. Losing Norman. Losing Patrick. Then the Heckingbottom incident. To top it all off then not offering Hammill a contract. Summer of silence, no kit for the fans.

I keep thinking back on the phrase when Conor and Winnall went. Time for new heroes. All we seem to have done since then is lose them, or have them fall from grace. I want all our players to do well... but as I look at the potential team, it feels like we're starting from scratch all over again despite most of them being at the club over a year.

Hopefully a good start will start to mend all that, but to me, it feels like we're at a very low ebb at present.

 

I can't argue with any of that.

What I would say is the loss of Patrick & Norman (close friend of my Dad), was a massive blow to all of us, as was the departure of Heckingarse.
Winnall too was a lovely person for what he did, but I admire Conor, one of the best players to wear the shirt in my lifetime. Up there with the best.
We couldn't stop those things happening (better contracts when we signed players excluded, maybe Mansford to blame there)?

I still think we have a great squad for L1. I'm sad we couldn't keep Adam. I thought he could have been the perfect holding midfielder. Good at tackling / harrying & great passer & good on the ball.

I hope your 3 gets nearer to my 7 sooner than later, but i get your points. I think it is about us getting some of the youngsters firing this season & that should include a few promoted from the academy.

 

Ten

Why not? This must be about 57 or 58 times that a new season has come round for me and I am looking forward to it as much as any other time. Back in the mid sixties they were desperate times and I had no good reason to expect anything good but I went along anyway. But now I'm as excited as a new puppy seeing snow or a kid running on a beach for the first time - I know that sounds a bit cheesy but what the hell!

Lifestyle/career choices have kept me too far away from Oakwell to be a regular attender in the past forty odd years so. But now that I can get to every home game I can't wait for another new season to get under way. It might be a good one, it might be totally underwhelming. I don't care which - I'll keep going now for as long as I can manage it. Some will call me irrational or, that STUPID expression, a happy clapper but I don't think either of those labels apply to me. I'm just a lifelong supporter and there's no cure for that.

 

Gonna go for 8....

On the basis that I think we have the players to gain promotion, positive about the new coaching staff and style of play...

I always like to see new signings, always adds to the excitement somewhat, that bit of unkown have we signed a new fans favourite.

So far we have only signed one magic roundabout character (who does look like he will be a good un), but come on Mr Stendel, deliver another couple and I'll give you an extra point for each one.... For those not happy working with figures, that will equate to a new score of 10....

 

I’d have been a 10 if the new owners had shown intent by bringing 3 or 4 exciting prospects into the club.
Because they haven’t done that I’m a lowly 9.

 

1 point deducted for 3 or 4 exciting prospects... Very generous Nudger. I deducted 1 per player, expecting to see 2 more through the door.

 

WOW. Do you believe in the second coming?
Ronnie Glavin of course.

 

10 for me.

Think we’ve an excellent squad for this division. We bought good young prospects last summer and asked a hell of a lot of them to compete with clubs such as villa spending there millions.
Confidence is one of the main things in football, we are second faves for the league, the lads are making all the right noises unlike last season.
Why go out and rebuild a squad that’s more than capable.
Lindsay has been tipped for bigger clubs, mowatt once player of the year at Leeds, Moore and Bradshaw know what they can do at this level.
Too much criticism of the new owners, thinks take time, I’m sure come jan if we’re up near the top and we need reinforcements to get us up then they’ll put there hands in there pockets.
Careful what you ask for asking them to throw there money about and maybe jepordise the clubs future.
I’ve got a feeling this is going to be some season!!

 

5. Not missed it during the off season. A few early wins will change it. Weaker squad, lower league, no replica kits and owners gone quiet.

 

Kits / club shop I'm fully in agreement with.

@Dartonred1990 is a 10.

He has more faith. I still think 7 is reasonable.

If Evans was 5 and Winnall was 6 then Ronnie is 7.

 

10. Because I'm sick in the head.

 

Being an insect can't be the easiest. At this time of year you usually end up in my pint, which is a lose / lose scenario.

 

10 because I genuinely think we can mount a very serious challenge this season. And because I like Bo Derek.

 

10, because I'm an excitable, giddy, dopey, old bugger!
Oh, and just for Mario.

 

8 - would’ve liked a couple more signings and the only pres season friendly I’ve seen was disappointing (Salford) but optimistic for another season like the one we had the last time we were in league 1.

 

I think the pressing style of football suits our players and will be difficult for a lot of the teams in this league to cope with. A few of our players will shine and we will go back up stronger than we where when we started last season. I'm excited big fat 10 bells.

 

Bo Derek Parker?

 

Ditto. Agree with all that. The club riled me anyway with the farce of penalising us for not committing to a Season Ticket before we knew what league we'd be playing in and they've done nothing to win me back round over the summer.

I fail to understand why many argue we have a great squad for League One etc when the same group were so abysmal when it mattered last year. Stendel has a big job on coming into a new country and league and I hope he can get it right.

But then, what's the point in following a football team if you can't dream on August the 1st?! Setting my expectations low means I hopefully be in for a pleasant surprise if things start well