leezyverpunk Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I put 'No' but have been taught if you expect the worse you can only be pleased if your expectations are bettered!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I'm quite looking forward to losing the first game of the season...always seems to be those teams that end up promoted!! ps. no stats to back this up just seems to happen. Well I'd rather lose our first game and then win the next four than the other way round... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Break The Silence Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Every August I expect us to get promoted! If i'm honest, and I pray that i'm wrong, my answer would have to be a resounding NO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoytonBlueLad Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 I do every season. Pre season signings fill me with optimism and then the rollercoaster starts from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mighty_bosh Posted May 3, 2008 Author Share Posted May 3, 2008 (edited) After mulling it over, I've decided to go for no. I expect us to be dark horses for next season, there are other teams who have more money to spend than we do who will be ahead of us in most people's mind's. But it has proved in recent years that lower expectations have propelled the eventual league winners above the more fancied teams. Take the last five seasons, did anyone predict at the beginning of the season that Plymouth, Luton, Southend and Scunthorpe would win this league? Even Swansea were by no means favourites to take this league by storm this year. So in summary; We certainly have the potential to win promotion next year, but we need to be smart. Edited May 3, 2008 by the_mighty_bosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footy68 Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Not really, at least not for champions anyway.......but playing us seems a good way to do it 08 Swans L (at BP) 07 Scunny L 06 Southend L 05 Luton W (Latics 2-1) 04 Plymouth D 03 Wigwam W 02 Brighton D 01 Millwall W 00 Preston W (1-0 at BP) 99 Fulham W 98 Watford W An interesting point.........would it be possible for us to play ourselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Well, let's look at what we need to do to bridge the gap. 9 more points and the associated goal difference improvement would have got us in to the play-offs. Luton Away (3); Port Vale Home (2); Luton Home (2); 10 man Gillingham Away (2). A further 6 points would have taken us to the same number of points as Forest. I'd say 10 man Southend at home (3) and Bristol Rovers at home (3) were obvious examples of this earlier in the season. The last minute points dropped against 10 man Brighton (2), Leeds (1), Bristol Rovers away (1). The shocking displays at BP against Swindon and Hartlepool where 5 points were dropped. 76 points is relatively high for the play-offs, so most seasons an extra 6 points would have been good enough, not 9. We were exceptionally close to that. Why did we drop so many points against the bottom 3? Motivation. Surely Shez should hold his hands up on this one and say he needs to learn as a manager. Why did we drop so many points in the last minute of games? Fitness perhaps? New physio may help with this. Yes, we'll have the chance to see how the squad changes over the summer months. McDonald leaving isn't the end of the world (blocking that 'creative midfielder' slot that so many here want filling). Defensively we've been strong and Gregan can add to that. The midfield has been unbalanced (3 central players in a 4 man midfield is doomed) and not supported the strikers well for large chunks of the season. Smalley maturing on the right, Liddell fit again and Taylor returning to form will improve this. Up front our strikers have failed to gel. Hughes and Davies are class individuals who should be able to work well together, but never did. Alessandra/Hughes up front is a mouth watering thought, with Davies coming off the bench to provide pace when it's not going to plan. We are 20 goals light of being a promotion winning side. 10 of these should have come from midfielders, the other 10 from strikers. This squad of players, fit and motivated, is good enough. The manager is responsible for getting them to deliver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forte_Baby Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I would not say get promoted but expect us to be up there mounting some sort of challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadam Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Well, let's look at what we need to do to bridge the gap. 9 more points and the associated goal difference improvement would have got us in to the play-offs. Luton Away (3); Port Vale Home (2); Luton Home (2); 10 man Gillingham Away (2). A further 6 points would have taken us to the same number of points as Forest. I'd say 10 man Southend at home (3) and Bristol Rovers at home (3) were obvious examples of this earlier in the season. The last minute points dropped against 10 man Brighton (2), Leeds (1), Bristol Rovers away (1). The shocking displays at BP against Swindon and Hartlepool where 5 points were dropped. 76 points is relatively high for the play-offs, so most seasons an extra 6 points would have been good enough, not 9. We were exceptionally close to that. Why did we drop so many points against the bottom 3? Motivation. Surely Shez should hold his hands up on this one and say he needs to learn as a manager. Why did we drop so many points in the last minute of games? Fitness perhaps? New physio may help with this. Yes, we'll have the chance to see how the squad changes over the summer months. McDonald leaving isn't the end of the world (blocking that 'creative midfielder' slot that so many here want filling). Defensively we've been strong and Gregan can add to that. The midfield has been unbalanced (3 central players in a 4 man midfield is doomed) and not supported the strikers well for large chunks of the season. Smalley maturing on the right, Liddell fit again and Taylor returning to form will improve this. Up front our strikers have failed to gel. Hughes and Davies are class individuals who should be able to work well together, but never did. Alessandra/Hughes up front is a mouth watering thought, with Davies coming off the bench to provide pace when it's not going to plan. We are 20 goals light of being a promotion winning side. 10 of these should have come from midfielders, the other 10 from strikers. This squad of players, fit and motivated, is good enough. The manager is responsible for getting them to deliver. Personaly I think Davies and Hughes work well together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astottie Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Its got to be a YES as its a YES every year. But this time a definate YES injuries permitting. A full season from Hughes, Gregan might make the difference. Always love your posts Greganator! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfatjoe1 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 If we do lose our first game of the season then we can prepare ourselves for the knee jerk reaction and call for Shez's head from some on here. Three months!! No way. I'm not waiting that long. I have frustrations to vent. For me, if he doesn't choose the right holiday destination then that's it - he'll have to go. Spain - tacky, totally lacking ambition. Italy - touch of class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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