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Post by aucklandaddick on Aug 9, 2024 11:58:37 GMT
Genuinely the most excited I’ve been in many years for this season. I think 7-10th place as this is the most competitive L1 I remember seeing in many years, but the characters we have should give us plenty to cheer this year. COYR That’s a really interesting assessment and pleased you are excited don’t get me wrong but you think we are a 7th -10th side…..I wouldn’t disagree with you at this present time as I would put us down as a 8th placed side as we stand….and I would be really interested to know if other fans would be happy for us to finish 7th -10th….? Are fans happy just to see us improve year on year or are they disappointed that we haven’t done enough in terms of investing quality to challenge for top 6? Or do our fans think we have got a good enough squad for top 6? As much as I was really quite excited when the first 7 came in I must admit I don’t think we have done enough to really compete for top 6 especially as this will be the most competitive league one in years in terms of the standard of teams…….hope I am wrong obviously but would be keen to hear what others feel as we head into our first game….. |
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Post by valleyfaithful on Aug 9, 2024 12:12:30 GMT
Genuinely the most excited I’ve been in many years for this season. I think 7-10th place as this is the most competitive L1 I remember seeing in many years, but the characters we have should give us plenty to cheer this year. COYR That’s a really interesting assessment and pleased you are excited don’t get me wrong but you think we are a 7th -10th side…..I wouldn’t disagree with you at this present time as I would put us down as a 8th placed side as we stand….and I would be really interested to know if other fans would be happy for us to finish 7th -10th….? Are fans happy just to see us improve year on year or are they disappointed that we haven’t done enough in terms of investing quality to challenge for top 6? Or do our fans think we have got a good enough squad for top 6? As much as I was really quite excited when the first 7 came in I must admit I don’t think we have done enough to really compete for top 6 especially as this will be the most competitive league one in years in terms of the standard of teams…….hope I am wrong obviously but would be keen to hear what others feel as we head into our first game….. Yeah I'd be happy with that. I think we need to lose this mentality of 'we're a big club so anything lower than promotion isn't good enough' (not saying you have that mentality, but some do). Ultimately we finished 16th on a -1 GD last year, we have gutted most of the squad and replaced them with what I consider to be, a step up in quality. Lots of what I didn't like watching last year was various budget managers trying to play pep-ball. AMB/Isted always looked likely to concede from a set piece, and everytime we cleared the ball, Alfie wasn't a hold-up man so it was coming straight back at us. Even scoring 2-3 goals a game because horrible to watch because chances are, that lead will be thrown away. Nathan has come in and got a robust, athletic and competitive unit from what I can see so far so I'd be more than happy with 7-10th this year, then hopefully throw £2-3mil next year at a better goalscorer (Godden will be touching 33) and possible even a better attacking mid (like an Aaron Collins type) - as it will be the first time in years we won't be rebuilding from the ground up. I'm also really excited to see how the new pitches and investment into sports science help out on the injury front. I know it's probably a 5% possibility, but if we have a fit Chuks and Miles for most of this season, I think we could even sneak playoffs. |
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Post by aucklandaddick on Aug 9, 2024 12:23:54 GMT
That’s a really interesting assessment and pleased you are excited don’t get me wrong but you think we are a 7th -10th side…..I wouldn’t disagree with you at this present time as I would put us down as a 8th placed side as we stand….and I would be really interested to know if other fans would be happy for us to finish 7th -10th….? Are fans happy just to see us improve year on year or are they disappointed that we haven’t done enough in terms of investing quality to challenge for top 6? Or do our fans think we have got a good enough squad for top 6? As much as I was really quite excited when the first 7 came in I must admit I don’t think we have done enough to really compete for top 6 especially as this will be the most competitive league one in years in terms of the standard of teams…….hope I am wrong obviously but would be keen to hear what others feel as we head into our first game….. Yeah I'd be happy with that. I think we need to lose this mentality of 'we're a big club so anything lower than promotion isn't good enough' (not saying you have that mentality, but some do). Ultimately we finished 16th on a -1 GD last year, we have gutted most of the squad and replaced them with what I consider to be, a step up in quality. Lots of what I didn't like watching last year was various budget managers trying to play pep-ball. AMB/Isted always looked likely to concede from a set piece, and everytime we cleared the ball, Alfie wasn't a hold-up man so it was coming straight back at us. Even scoring 2-3 goals a game because horrible to watch because chances are, that lead will be thrown away. Nathan has come in and got a robust, athletic and competitive unit from what I can see so far so I'd be more than happy with 7-10th this year, then hopefully throw £2-3mil next year at a better goalscorer (Godden will be touching 33) and possible even a better attacking mid (like an Aaron Collins type) - as it will be the first time in years we won't be rebuilding from the ground up. I'm also really excited to see how the new pitches and investment into sports science help out on the injury front. I know it's probably a 5% possibility, but if we have a fit Chuks and Miles for most of this season, I think we could even sneak playoffs. I think that is a really accurate assessment, thanks for your feedback…. I look at how teams like Bolton go about their recruitment business and must admit more then a tinge of jealousy with their ambition but you have to appreciate they have had a few decent recent recruitment windows and we are sort of starting from scratch again…..not for the first time that is I wonder though about what the owners feel, are they happy with just year on year improvement or are they expecting us to go up this season with the budget they have provided…..Would be interested to hear from them on where they stand on this…. |
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Post by aaronaldo on Aug 9, 2024 12:49:21 GMT
That’s a really interesting assessment and pleased you are excited don’t get me wrong but you think we are a 7th -10th side…..I wouldn’t disagree with you at this present time as I would put us down as a 8th placed side as we stand….and I would be really interested to know if other fans would be happy for us to finish 7th -10th….? Are fans happy just to see us improve year on year or are they disappointed that we haven’t done enough in terms of investing quality to challenge for top 6? Or do our fans think we have got a good enough squad for top 6? As much as I was really quite excited when the first 7 came in I must admit I don’t think we have done enough to really compete for top 6 especially as this will be the most competitive league one in years in terms of the standard of teams…….hope I am wrong obviously but would be keen to hear what others feel as we head into our first game….. Yeah I'd be happy with that. I think we need to lose this mentality of 'we're a big club so anything lower than promotion isn't good enough' (not saying you have that mentality, but some do). Ultimately we finished 16th on a -1 GD last year, we have gutted most of the squad and replaced them with what I consider to be, a step up in quality. Lots of what I didn't like watching last year was various budget managers trying to play pep-ball. AMB/Isted always looked likely to concede from a set piece, and everytime we cleared the ball, Alfie wasn't a hold-up man so it was coming straight back at us. Even scoring 2-3 goals a game because horrible to watch because chances are, that lead will be thrown away. Nathan has come in and got a robust, athletic and competitive unit from what I can see so far so I'd be more than happy with 7-10th this year, then hopefully throw £2-3mil next year at a better goalscorer (Godden will be touching 33) and possible even a better attacking mid (like an Aaron Collins type) - as it will be the first time in years we won't be rebuilding from the ground up. I'm also really excited to see how the new pitches and investment into sports science help out on the injury front. I know it's probably a 5% possibility, but if we have a fit Chuks and Miles for most of this season, I think we could even sneak playoffs. Very good assessment for me and aligned to my thoughts. I think it takes a few seasons, with a limited budget, to realistically challenge for promotion. Ipswich even had that with their very high budget. We had a lot to do from last season and I feel it's likely too much to ask to get it resolved in a single summer window. I'd be happy if we are in and around 7th-10th. Who knows what could happen then. You hit some form at the right time and end up in the play-offs. There is always the potential of Miles having a great season (and staying fit). I'm hoping to see us much tougher to beat this year. I want to see us battle against teams. We seemed to have a soft underbelly last year. Note: I'll move these posts to a new thread as it's not really related to this match. |
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Post by wellingaddick on Aug 9, 2024 13:46:32 GMT
I'm hopeful that we can mount an outside challenge for the play-offs. Of course it remains to be seen whether we have replaced Alfie May's goals as well as addressing the woeful lack of scoring from midfield. The signs remain uncertain at this point. Defensively, the club has rid itself of the calamotous Hector and Thomas and so should be a much tighter unit than last season.
At the moment I reckon between 8th and 10th.
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Post by manikin on Aug 9, 2024 14:04:36 GMT
Birmingham and Bolton clear favourites, but when you have a couple of teams vying for top spot its not uncommon for one to implode. Hoping we can sneak through the middle. Still need two or three signings though.
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Post by aaronaldo on Aug 9, 2024 14:29:22 GMT
We should remember to compare apples with apples. I.e. Our squad at the start of last season vs the squad at the start of this. Reminder of the squad we had this time last season: (Apologies for the reminder)
For me, there is a significant upgrade in our squad this year compared to the squad we had at the start of last year. Hopefully that shows on the performances and results we see!
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Post by sittingbourne11 on Aug 9, 2024 15:01:42 GMT
It will be all doom and gloom on this site if we lose tomorrow you can bet your life on that.
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Post by kings hill addick on Aug 9, 2024 15:04:11 GMT
Remember that we don't need to be able to beat the very best teams in this division to finish top six. We just need to be too good for all the lesser sides.
The only time we need to beat a top six side is in the playoffs and, technically, three draws and two penalty shootout wins would be good enough.
With the top sides being much better than previous seasons that should equate to the also rans losing more games - which in turn could make the required points to get into the top six slightly less.
Last season was a disaster for a number of reasons, none of which I anticipate happening again this season. We started off so badly, last season, that we were seven points off the top six by the time Holden was sacked, after five games, and the team looked so much less fit than the rest of the division it was embarrassing.
Had we not managed to lose four of our opening five games, and had we had a proper fitness regime pre-season, it could have all been very different. That, in my mind, makes the transition less than 'jumping ten places' as I don't think we were the 16th best side in the division by the end of the season.
The three teams that came down are going to be good, as are Bolton, but other than that I don't see much that we should be too worried about. We have recruited well and we have better players than we had at the start of last season. Dobson has been replaced with much better so Alfie May's goals are the only loss but, let's be honest, we have a better selection of strikers this season, even if we don't have one that is likely to score 20 goals. I, also, don't think that Alfie would have got close to 20 goals playing in a side set up like Nathan Jones intends us to play.
I can't remember when, but I'm sure that Man Utd won the Premier League one season and they had the worst set of results against the top six, of those top six sides.
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Post by pardew123 on Aug 9, 2024 17:03:04 GMT
If we don’t get top 6 I’d deem it a failure of a season again personally.
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Post by DFT on Aug 10, 2024 7:17:13 GMT
Promotion, I expect nothing less!
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Post by ExeterAddick on Aug 10, 2024 7:20:52 GMT
Play-off absolute minimum.
I expect fans to rapidly have a meltdown if we don't pick up a win in our first couple of games.
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Post by garrynelson on Aug 10, 2024 8:40:22 GMT
Champions - unbeaten - BSM trophy winners - FA Cup semi-finalist
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Post by Mundell on Aug 10, 2024 8:49:39 GMT
Really looking forward to the season and will be very disappointed if with around ten games of the season remaining we aren’t still fighting for a playoff place, or potentially even better.
A positive approach requires us to distinguish between a central expectation, possible outcomes and the critical role of uncertainty.
A team with an expected points total of say 70 (not enough to make the playoffs) will likely get somewhere between 60 and 80 points two seasons in three. A team expected to finish 8th will definitely challenge for a playoff place even it’s out of the hunt before the season is over.
It’s all to play for. We travel in hope. Promotion is a definite possibility. Disappointment is ultimately more likely. That’s the beauty of the game.
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Post by dartford36 on Aug 10, 2024 9:56:37 GMT
Always look forward to a new season irrespective of what league we’re in and what the playing personnel are. We’ve recruited well and the team is stronger in many areas compared to last season however is there still a question in Jones mind over the keeper position? His apparent long winded pursuit of Begovic would indicate Jones isn’t entirely happy with what he’s got. Hopefully Mannion will step up to the plate and grab the number 1 slot for himself. This afternoon will be interesting. The league is much stronger than last season making promotion all the more difficult. Ultimately I fear we’ll fall just short of a play off position, I hope I’m wrong. And at the end of the day I hope the club, and Jones, don’t rue the fact he couldn’t fit Alfie May into his plans (and get the player to accept what he, the manager, wanted of the player) because I suspect the sale of that player more than anything else will get the juices flowing if things go wrong on the pitch this season. Here’s hoping for more of this  and less of this  in the coming months. |
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Post by yorkshireaddick on Aug 10, 2024 10:53:59 GMT
I expect the team to win every game I attend. Starting today COYR!
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Post by grapevine49 on Aug 11, 2024 8:50:11 GMT
A pleasing performance last weekend saw perhaps the sense in easing back on the ongoing squad debate. That said no matter the clarity within the positive Portsmouth result it was still pre season. So now, as of this weekend, I had no expectation of this season. I still don’t.
No pre season is ever the same. You never know who is going to emerge from close season to progress or regress. It is pretty much a voyage of discovery (often a costly one) and for us before last Saturday for 2024/25 someone had pretty much pulled down the blinds. The Portsmouth “reveal” was welcome but if the intent is to deliver a team greater than the sum of its parts then the 25/ 26* player Jones template (of more later) largely appears to be in place. 24 players (excluded Ness & Fraser) have shirt numbers with Dixon, a new keeper and Potts as likely additions.
Even after yesterday, with any rush to a judgement in either direction we are in danger of tying ourselves in knots based on very limited evidence.
Welcome to your 2024/25 squad. (Shirt Nos included. Keepers & those born post 01/01/2003 indented.)
1. Shirt No 2. Kayne Ramsay
2. 3. Macaulay Gillesphey
3. 4. Alex Mitchell
4. 5. Lloyd Jones
5. 6. Conor Coventry
7. Tyreece Campbell (a)
6. 8. Luke Berry
7. 9. Gassan Ahadme
8. 10. Greg Docherty
11. Miles Leaburn (b)
9. 12. Terry Taylor
10. 16. Josh Edwards
11. 17. Tayo Edun
18. Karoy Anderson (c)
19. Nathan Asiimwe (d)
20. Zach Mitchell (e)
21. Ashley Maynard-Brewer (gk)
12. 22. Chuks Aneke
13. 23. Rarmani Edmonds-Green
14. 24. Matty Godden
25. Will Mannion (gk)
26. Thierry Small (f)
15. 27. Tennai Watson
29. Daniel Kanu (g)
Further Additions
Kaheim Dixon (h)
New No 1 Goalkeeper
16. Potts
Excluded Hylton, Ness & Fraser
Under EFL Rules excl. goalkeepers (3) and those born post 01/01/2023 (8) denoted (a - h) even with 3 additions it is 16 registered outfield players against the EFL cap of 22. Any “one out” before “one in” restriction is self imposed.
(Arguably there is scope for any of Asiimwe, Z. Mitchell, Kanu & Campbell to go out on short term loan)
In terms of change, of the 24 « shirts »;
⁃ 1*joined in 2022
⁃ 4** joined in 2023
⁃ 12 have joined in 2024 (with potentially 3 to come)
⁃ 7 have come through the development pipeline
*Aneke has been on “Player unable to perform list” for most of the past 2years
** Taylor was injured most of 2023/2024.
(As an aside it meant, beyond the youth of Asiimwe, Anderson, Kanu, Campbell, for 2023/24 only Maynard-Brewer, Ness, Jones, Watson, Edun competed for the shirt for more than 3 months of a season.)
Going forward the 12-15 new arrivals will have much to deliver. As a squad on any given match day it has talent, structure and balance and is entirely worthy of support. I must contend however for a 46 League 1 highly competitive, physically demanding on occasion intense campaign it is light. From a risk perspective and a grown up perspective it is very light.
There is going to be a need for an awful lot of growing to be done.
As a postscript
I confess further analysis sadly gives me the shudders of the 8+8+8 framework nonsense. As a PowerPoint financial bullet point it is fine. As a headline business statement it should never see the light of day. As an operational platform in the heat of a professional football changing room it is bilge.
It again presents as business theory over operational excellence. We lived through the Sandgaard, Roddy, Gallen, Avery Development Pipeline. It was/ is a fine theory IF you have the business strength & status to carry it. We didn’t. Stumbling around League 1 carrying 60 contracts has consequences.
It is probably why Bowyer walked, Adkins should have and we have had 4 Head Coaches since. Where is the common sense? I am reminded of Harrison Ford once asking George Lucas on the Star Wars film set he sit down and actually speak his written dialogue. Great on paper speaking the lines was Impossible.
Football despite all the noise about individuals is a team game. It is not about divisions. It is not about labels. Come a match day there is one match day squad, one team, and one shirt.
There is no space for an elite label, a journeyman 2nd class ticket or an L plate.
As a headline if you are electing to construct a senior squad of just 16 players. with 2 of those keepers your outfield options reduce to just 14. In any given season you will have 2 long term injuries, 2 short term injuries, illnesses, domestic issues etc., to reduce your outfield options to 10.
You seriously expect 10 senior players to maintain form across 9 months and 50 senior appearances. On such a basis you have no margin to carry any injury profile whatsoever. We, with Aneke and Taylor already have 2. (Leaburn is not a senior). If the intent is to deliver a team greater than the sum of its parts it is about competition, competition and competition……..with 10 seniors for 10 outfield positions?
We are in the honeymoon period where everyone is still getting used to everyone else. Promotions are not won in August but in the grunt of November, December and January. If you don’t think during when the seasons fatigue starts to kick in most senior pros, will look down the team sheets and around their match day dressing room and know who can and who can’t be relied upon to do their job, think again.
This is there living. This is their pay packet.
We have no margins. We are relying on 8 development youngsters mostly 19 & 20 to know their job, deliver the mental discipline and physicality to compete week in week out across 46 League 1 games. Not one of the 7 soon to be 8 players born post 01/01/2003 can lay claim to one full season of EFL starts.
(Scoham challenged my comments on Bowyers squad but Phillips was 23, Fosu was 22. Those 2 or 3 years in and around the senior game make a difference physically and mentally. I will happily concede Lapslie. I always liked him but Morgan, Hackett-Fairchild and Stevenson made 10 starts between them.)
I have faith in Jones. He is very far from perfect but in our circumstances, with our business model he fits in a way he will never have at Stoke or Southampton. He is a builder. He is a project man. He has a shelf life but right now he is the man for the task in hand.
I doubt it will be pretty or even excessively exciting but people League 1 football was never, is never and will never be TV entertainment. It is in large part attritional with moments of suppressed individual skill breaking out.
As stated above we have a deal of growing to do.
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Post by earlpurple on Aug 16, 2024 8:49:17 GMT
I reckon this season we will be better defensively, but see us probably more lacking with attack. In the later half of last season we relied a lot on the introduction of Chuks Aneke for the last half hour of the game so we had to "stay in" the game long enough then when he came on we could try to get him to win it or rescue a point, quite often the latter.
The last 3 months of last season was all about survival, staying up, and we managed that.
I reckon that last season the standard of the league was far lower than it is this season. None of the 3 teams relegated from the Championship were serious contenders, 2 of them had points deductions and Blackpool were possibly playoff contenders but no more and they didn't manage that. The teams that had got promoted the previous season also offered no real threat at getting a second promotion.
That is not the same this season with 2 of the 4 promoted teams potentially quite strong and all 3 relegated teams, as well as Bolton who have failed twice in the playoffs.
I think this season is a stepping stone, moving away from the disaster of last season but with the real promotion challenge more likely to happen next season, especially since the last few of the players we want to shed will presumably have ended their contracts.
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Post by Mundell on Aug 19, 2024 10:48:07 GMT
Really looking forward to the season and will be very disappointed if with around ten games of the season remaining we aren’t still fighting for a playoff place, or potentially even better. A positive approach requires us to distinguish between a central expectation, possible outcomes and the critical role of uncertainty. A team with an expected points total of say 70 (not enough to make the playoffs) will likely get somewhere between 60 and 80 points two seasons in three. A team expected to finish 8th will definitely challenge for a playoff place even it’s out of the hunt before the season is over. It’s all to play for. We travel in hope. Promotion is a definite possibility. Disappointment is ultimately more likely. That’s the beauty of the game. For now at least I’m sticking to this. However, the bookmakers have already become a little more optimistic. On SkyBet we’re 6/5 for a playoff place (behind Birmingham, Bolton and Huddersfield) and 7/2 for promotion. |
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Post by surridgecobbler5 on Aug 27, 2024 19:10:07 GMT
Well , given the transfers in and the set up NJ is persuing. I'll stick my neck out and say an automatic place
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Post by earlpurple on Aug 28, 2024 20:16:15 GMT
The expectation now after beating Bolton seems to be a clear playoff place but with Birmingham and Huddersfield going straight back up automatically.
Then we're in the mix with Wrexham.
Rotherham were a pre-season favourite but have dropped away.
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