Thetownend.com

Something to while away a few moments...

Surely, by definition 'success' must equal achieving something better than before.

So, on that basis, anything better than 8th!

Top half/playoffs and no word of Jedward.

Given the fucking shambles over the summer so far with that chancer prick Jed, I'll take mid table obscurity and be pleased with it. Any more would be a bonus.

We were in the Prem 20 years ago.

Don't think Champions League qualification is possible this season!

 No more off field crises, just to be able to concentrate on football.....not much to ask, but somehow can't see it happening.

I have a feeling that this will be the season of regroup, essentially what many thought last season would be.

Although having said that, I might change my mind depending on who comes in/goes.

The margins between success and meh are so narrow, last year had Ranger stayed fit or if we'd have Troy and Stephens together a month earlier we'd have made the POs.

So, with the squad as it is, I'd say mid table would be a realistic aim but one or two canny additions and we could challenge for top 6.

Staying out of relegation trouble and not getting beat by fucking Macclesfield in the cup.

Conversely if we didn't have Ranger then we would have been relegation material.

It is such a fine line between success and failure as you rightly state.

Any team that can get 2 high scoring players (15+) in either midfield/winger and striker or both striker will have a good season. Goals win games.

We need a good pairing up front to have a good season, a pair of players that work well together like Paynter and Austin, Mooney and Parkin, Allison and Finney, Maskell and Mitchell, Mayes and Rowland etc.

Ranger will be very difficult to replace on the pitch he brought goals as well as many assists.

He won't be so hard to replace off the pitch though :)

A nice quiet season with no adverse headlines would do me. That and winning the FA cup.

This league seems very equal/mediocre with no really big teams. I really think it could go either way. I would be happy to see similar football to last season and pushing for the play offs but feel we need to be more  adventurous.

Top half finish, good run in the fa cup and a win in the JPT final (Yes, I'm going for the tin pot cup win once again!)

Not getting relegated and a decent cup run

Getting knocked out of the FA cup by someone who isn't Macclesfield... or in the conference.

And a midtable finish.

JPT JPT JPT JPT JPT

Please. It's about time we got some silverware.

Playoffs would be great, but I'd expect us to be milling around the 10-14 spots if we have a similar style of play and player pool as last year. Unless we somehow miraculously pull a Leyton Orient.

The same style of play and players that got us close last season?

The squad is pretty strong, but missing some key players. We need a new defence and a replacement for Ranger. If power and Cooper do well filling these positions then I can see us making a challenge for the playoffs this season. If they manage to get us  a strong defence then we could o on to do better as our defence was a weak spot.

If they don't..... can you say mid-table obscurity?

Top half would be good.

Yes, except for the fact that unlike last season we've got no proven striker, and our defence is weaker than an osteoperoic pensioner's little finger.

I do think we could get playoffs if we make a couple of important signings though, as you say - Central Defence (and get Stevens back on loan to partner whoever it is) and Center Forward. If Williams is up for playing and comes back like he was at the start of his tenure at Swindon, but with a bit more luck, well we'll have that centre forward position all tied up.

We need two decent centre backs who can play together, and a striker. Get it right and maybe we can make the  play offs. Survival would do me as things stand. And a good cup run please.

Mid-table

It's usually at around this time that I allow myself some optimism.  I keep telling myself that it has to be our turn soon.  If Blackpool, Yeovil, Brentford, Millwall etc. can manage the step up to Division Two, then why can't we.  We're better supported and resourced than most Division Three clubs...and sooner or later, that will have to tell.

After sending McCrororororory on his way (if the fucker can't be bothered to spell his own name correctly, then neither can I), Power will have a decent amount of personal capital with the fans.  I hope he uses it wisely, and I think he will.  Upper mid-table, building a squad that will challenge for the play offs this season, or automatic promotion next.

Difficult to predict at the mo'. Last season was way more successful than I thought it would be, so huge credit to Cooper.

All considering, staying in touch with a play-off spot until the last couple of games, and a cup run that includes a full-house at the CG would be great.

A better atmosphere at the CG would be a measure of success too.

As long as we don't go down and have a club to support that'll do me. This season is going to be another one of transition. Hopefully the dust settled on Ged and Power's action against him and Murrell is successful - not only for Power but it would be more evidence of wrongdoing and keep Ged even quieter. I really hope that cunt slithers under a big fucking rock.
On the pitch we've got some decent players and some sellable players. To provide financial stability we may have to accept some will go. Power has articulated quite well that people need to get behind him and I hope they do.
The main thing for me is that we have a good base to build from in 2015-16. I'm prepared to write this one off and anything is a bonus really.

Anything about 21st. I don't mean that to sound negative but given the financial situation staying in this league would be fine. I hope for another upper mid table season again but we will need some decent loans

My first as a season ticket holder so entertaining, attacking football and ideally somewhere around mid-table would be good.

That pretty well sums up last season.

And, yes, a repeat would do me

To be fair, that does sound pretty negative.  But you meant 'above' 21st, so we'll let you off.   ;)

Some people still seem to be going along with the myth that we have a tiny budget.

In relation to recent previous seasons, yes.
In relation to the bulk of league 1, no

Similar end placing to last season I think, and not fucking Macclesfield :)

Impossible to say until there is some transfer activity.

We've lost three key players in Ranger, TAH and Pritchard. Replace those adequately and who knows? 

Fail to replace them and avoiding relegation is enough for me.

TAH and Ranger played less than half our games last season. I really don't think these two will be missed as much as some make out

I haven't checked the results on games they've missed but id be pretty sure we lost more than we won.

And McEveley.

Whilst most of our idiot fans were saying we'd be relegated pre season last time out, I said that we'd finish 11th. I'd be happy with anything above 10th this season.

Check them  :)

Me making it to a game would be an improvement on last season.

We will be starting the season with a fairly settled squad, so could hit the ground running.

In a burst of optimism I voted for promotion, but realistically......

If Stephens returns for the whole season, if we can get a striker or two that are not emotionally challenged by obstinate lift doors, if we can hang on to all the current squad, then the play-offs are a realistic possibility.

But it doesn't matter if we get relegated by Christmas, I'll still be here for 2015/16

Lets hope on the settled squad bit. Rumours out are ramping up

They are? Do you mean the press speculation on bids on luongo and Thompsons, or something juicy?

Nothing new, just the last few days, after nowt all summer. If players do go its a bad time for the selling team, as you end up paying over the odds for replacements or getting left overs. I'm confident of top half at the moment, but lose 2 or 3 and I'd worry, as the money would be pretty near useless.

I'm comforting myself with the view that if any sales were imminent they would not be playing for fear of injury.

If these 4 Premier League loanees do turn up we've got the foundations of a very good squad for the coming season - more than capable of mixing it at the top end of League 1

Depends on the ins and outs over the next couple of weeks. Bring in the players we need and keep hold of the 3 attracting interest then I'd expect us to be top 8 again.

Ha spotted this, you got your wish batch..

Harry Agombar scoring the winning goal to clinch promotion.

Anything less is a failure.

Season isn't over yet.....still approx 33.3% of games to go.  My wish of being able to focus on the football, has, so far just about held up, despite a few tremors....Court  case, winding up petitions, unpaid ground rent etc...fairly routine stuff for Town and hopefully not a portent of a full blown tsunami.

I think we went one better by losing 5-0 to a relegation bound shite Cheltenham side!

Yeah yours was close Reg, just batch's was funnier as BO probably pointed out better!

God can you imagine? An injury crisis sets in, it's the last game of the season - we're level with City on points and they're currently drawing their game and it's 0-0. We've only got three guys on the bench, down to our last sub, and one of our central midfield is injured. Cooper has no option but to bring on the man mystery that is Harry Agombar. We've got a minute left of injury time when he trots on.

Thirty seconds later the stands are in pandemonium after Agombar jinks past two defenders and plants a piledriver into the top right of the goal. We go up as champions.

After the match finishes, Agombar rides off into the sunset, to find those who need him.

Would you like odds on this?

Sounds more like the equaliser than the winner  :)

Promotion or death.

Yes I did.
Next season will be the same, with the addition of fucking Cheltenham.
I dare not dream of a second round game.

Championship teams only come in in the 3rd round!

Thus setting himself up for a UK transfer fee breaking deal to Chelsea.

With 75% of the transfer fee going to his dad.

Too far?... Nah, it could happen..

70%?

That's more like it..

And us getting nailed for 3rd party ownership and demoted to the conference.

At least we would get to play the Pox

You do have to wonder what is in the contracts of the players we signed when Jed was in charge, especially Luongo and Agombar (to a lesser extent). You wonder what kind of money Power would sell Luongo for, as there is probably a 40% sell on clause to Spurs and some other wonderful clause to financially 'compensate' Jed and his cronies.

And God only knows how much we are playing for Agombar, he's basically less effective than one of the Samsung winners.