Good evening Townies, It's a while since I visited you board, so I thought as the season draws ever nearer, I would pop on to wish you the best for this coming season of nervousness, hairpulling out, ecstacy, bewilderment etc (for both our clubs). I asked last year what your hopes for the forthcoming season were, and there were a wide range of answers. The question for this season reamins the same, but will the answers? I look forward to yor replies. Regards Maestro
Well my expectations are really for another disappointing season. We haven't really (and we won't) strengthened nearly enough to compete at the top end. I think we'll make progress, but top half is the best we can hope for. It is season two of project 'build the squad', at the current pace of adding a couple of players a season it'll be 2013-14 before we can think about a play off spot.
I'd pretty much agree with Hamps but I don't think it will be a dissapointing season. I reckon we'll have another indifferent start but come on strong again after Xmas and after 3 years finishing in the bottom half I think a top 10 finish will be seen as decent progress. I think we are still 2 signings off to have a squad capable of that this season, 1 CB and 1 Striker but we can still improve in every position really. Though our small squad could work in our favour, we've got a core set of players emerging now, this is something we have not had in a while. I just hope this season is the proof that the tide has turned and we are now going in the right direction with a top 10 finish, something we can build upon and then push on the following season!!
Top 10, agree with PTC we are still at least a CB & Striker short of having a squad able to challange for a top six finish.
My head is telling me we'll be 12th-15th as there are a lot of teams all of similar/not much difference to ourselves and we'll be hard pushed to maintain the required level of consitency to be in the top 10, I'm hoping we are more of a win one, lose one, draw one team instead of lose 7 followed by 9 match unbeaten run etc. I think with a new winger, CB and (finally) sign Davies then we could be at the top end of the group of average mid table teams and find ourselves around 10th.... Or we could just smash the league and be promoted by February!
Top 10 is something we have to hope for, anything less and we haven't progressed. Also we need to stop going on the crap runs like we have done the past couple of seasons where we don't win for 7 odd games. all in all we just need a solid season and that will do for me. Also, Norwich to cock up big time and bring the ****er element of their supporters down to earth with a huge bump!
Im a bit confused. We have definately tightened our purse strings and understandably so but quite a few other clubs in the division appear to be splashing out money. Is everyone else going for 1 last big push for promotion before the financial regulations tighten up and will either succeed or crash and burn? On us then I hope top 10 but am not convinced currently. We haven't really lost any talent and have made a few interesting signings but I wouldnt say we have a decent squad and still lack strength in depth. What could be dicisive for our season is whether Chopra can consistantly score and get involved in games. I wasnt impressed at all last season and thought his workrate was poor. Off the field issues didnt help and it is obvious he can be a talent at this level. He could be the difference between an acceptable season and another of obscurity.
I think we all agree that a top 10 finish is the best we could realistically wish for, although it would be nice if we can still have a decent chance of the play offs come march/april. We need to be consistantly consistant, if that makes sense. This is always a funny league, and there are always one or two teams that generally punch above their weight...hopefully it's our turn this year.
Good question - I'm going to raise a few pointers, then try to work out my view of the season, starting with the positives. 1- Can the defence be as horrific as it was at the start of last season? That's very unlikely! I think we'll have a much more settled / able backline right from word go. It won't be anywhere near the best defence in the league, however I certainly feel we'll improve on conceding the 23rd most goals in the league ( a lot early in the season ) 2- No more Grant Leadbitter. That to me is brilliant! I never rated Grant whatsoever, and despite him being brilliant ( when he needed a new deal somewhere else ) I really feel he offered ZERO in midfield. 3- JET fit from the start. It took the lad ages to be anywhere near fit / ready last time. However, in theory at least we have him ready to go right from word go. He really could have a brilliant season this time around, and I expect a lot more. Big plus. 4- Chopra is likely to have less issues this season. That can only be a good thing for us. Both goals vs Cambridge were fantastic striker goals, and he's said himself he's a lot fitter at this point ( bleep test LOADS of levels up ). I think he'll score more than last season and repay us, I have a lot of faith in him. 5- Loach is a more solid option than loaning Stockdale ( personally what was the fuss about ??? ) then having ALB ( poor ) and Wright ( completely over the hill ) in goal. Should make a more solid backline. 6- We'll use the loan system better this time around. Last time, Stockdale was not the brightest signing, we had Collins ( not a fan ) and Andrews ( likewise ) in for short term spells. If your going to loan a player, do it for the season, or in January ( like Unsworth ) if we need class to push on. Otherwise simply don't bother. 7- massimo luongo. He will make most people completely eat their words, and will be fundamental in midfield. This boy has ability, and for everyone who moan that " it will hinder Luke Hyam's progress " - bla bla bla, he's a good good player and I'd rather have him than not. If Hyam is good enough, he'll play also. 8- Bullard. I think he'll have a far better season also. Maybe not amazing, but he'll feature. Negatives. 1- We're still short in key areas. Lacking at centre back / wing / and striker. 2- Will Lee Martin sign a new deal? Should he go, that's a huge hole for us to sort out. I hope he stays and carries on his form from last season. 3- Quality of other clubs in the division. Where do we rank among other sides? 4- Transfer fees / wages. Other sides may get targets due to being more attractive options. 5- Jewell. Just how strong a manager is he? He's made some very VERY basic mistakes at times. We can ill afford 7 games with 0 points this season, simply embarrassing that spell! After considering the pro / cons, I feel we'll have a stronger campaign this time around. The last few seasons, I always held high hopes we'd make the playoffs. I'm not going to make any such forecasts this time around, this league is simply so unpredictable. I think it's one of the only leagues in the world where it's plausible any one of 18 sides could gain promotion. Also, until our summer transfer activity has been concluded, and the same with other clubs it's difficult for me to have judgement.
Good summary there, I think you've put me to shame!! I can't see us going on as bad a run as last season tbh, I'd just like to see us have a consistent season looking like we are building something. I'm fairly pleased with who we have in our squad we just need more players but we aren't quite in the same position as we were last season where we need to get players in over night through desperate need. More players seem to be settled at the club than they were last season and have for the first time in a while show some kind of form, we have pretty much got the same team as the one which went on the good run last year with the exception of Murphy. But it is very hard to call this season and looking at other teams I think they would say the same thing!! With regard to the other clubs now seeming to spend big tractorbhoy, are you talking about clubs like Palace and Burnley and Derby? It seems that these clubs have had sales Burnley and Palace but also I would say these sort of teams have been tightening their belts for a few years and perhaps now they are able to spend more because they've already got their books into shape??
PTC, Leeds are rebuilding the whole squad, Hull spending £2.5m on 1 striker, Cardiff and Middlesborough seem active. Obviously the relegated teams are spending their parachute payments. Blackburn especially. Its not so much the amount of players being signed but the fact that the likes of Hull can spend that kind of money on 1 player. I must admit I havent seen a list of championship transfers so it could be my mind playing tricks on me and Im letting transfer gossip get in the way of fact but I find it hard to believe we are near the bottom of the pile when it comes to both wages and transfer budgets (unless of course Keane spunked our full promotion budget but that is a totally different story)
Westlake makes a good point... Leadbitter has gone, so I'm going to plump for 2nd and automatic promotion.
you have as much chance of finishing top as you do of finishing bottom, and that is why the championship is such a brilliant league
