With 9 days to go until first league game we are still in a state of flux. Players we expected to be gone are still here. We are in the mode, still, of moving players out. Some we have are not match fit and the young uns may not be quite ready. I always fear a poor pre-season in terms of building the squad and developing fitness and team gameplans. It looks like that's exactly what we have got. I was hoping that we would have the core first team ready to go and having played 2-3 pre-season games together. I believe we are still at least 3-4 first team starters away from a top half table squad and it is more likely players will still be leaving. Hopefully the season gets off to a good start but it looks like we are behind the teams we expect to compete with at this stage.
I'm really not expecting any more than a steady mid table season at best, Icer. I don't think a serious promotion push has ever been on the cards this year though I'd love to be wrong. We're right back at square one I'm afraid. All the work from years ago starting off with Horihane, Roberts, Mawson etc has to begin again. Next season, hopefully, we should be competitive.
I think the spine looks o.k now we have Norwood. Walton, J.Williams, Cundy, Mccarthy, Kitching, Cadden Connell, Kane, Benson. Norwood, Iseka. It's depth of "talent" we need. I'd like us to sign a new right back, attacking midfielder and Striker. To be honest I'd like to see us sell or loan out some more.
With a topic title like that I expected a song link That team wouldn't be challenging for promotion. A keeper who never keeps clean sheets, a right back who spends too much time injured and a striker a league rival let go for nothing and hasn't played either friendly since signing for us.
Yeah, going with my expectations of being somewhere around mid table I reckon we're not far off. I'd like a right wing back, centre mid and striker. It will certainly be interesting to see how some rise to the challenge this year, or not.
I think we'll flirt with a Playoff push at different points in the season but ultimately come up short. They'll be some sides more stable than us in terms of preparing that first XI, but going through upheaval and needing new signings/players to leave isn't unique to us. There's other supporters out there waiting for their club to sign a striker or replace someone who has left. The season long loans from the Prem are difficult to land right now until all their business is done, but expect a couple of those to drop in mid-August to supplement the squad. Plus 1/2 others to sign through the more traditional route.
The starting point, just like last and every season before it is to stay in the division as a minimum. Last season should tell us that the season before doesn't always count for a great deal, but also that disruption takes it's toll. It's a new start, new ideas, new personalities and a high turnover of players. Though I'd love us to bounce back at the first opportunity, job one is finding 50 odd points to build from.
I think this disruption was impossible to avoid, we can only sell when clubs bid an acceptable amount, we can’t control that. The clubs doing the best they can imo, we’ve made 6 signings already and moved high earners on for reasonable fees, the fax machine must be on its last legs It was always going to be a crappy time, getting excited by one signing and then a kick in the teeth with the next sale, but it has to be done. They way to avoid this would be to have a sustainable L1 wage bill while in the championship, so that if your relegated there’s no need to sell, but I’d rather we roll the dice in the championship, spend every penny we earn on the squad and should we be relegated deal with it, sell those high earners and do our spreadsheet magic all over again
Just this! The fault lies with all those who were involved with last season`s disaster. The fact that we don`t like tasting the medicine that is now being doled out won`t change reality - which is hard to take but necessary for long term survival. I would not like us to spend what we haven`t got and risk our long term future.
That's the bit I don't get. The owners are millionaires. It's their fault. They plug the gap. If they don't their investment goes down the toilet. They're hardly going to pull the plug and lose money. No they'll sell players and rely on season ticket sales instead. Money grabbing charlatans the lot of em'.
no you’ve got it wrong these are brand new owners nothing to do with those other charlatans who ran the place not the ground.
At the minute the only hairy arseholes in our team are Noorwood and Kitching. They're the two I wouldn't mess with. For me you need one of those type players at full back. Possibly a new right back with grit and bo llocks and central midfield too. A Scowne type would have been ideal. Also someone up front proven to take the burden off Norwood.
