Thetownend.com

Another couple of signings, with more to come, and the overall vibe looks to be positive.
So what is everyone expecting from this team?

I'll go for a slightly cautious minimum expectation of finishing higher than last season.

Based on the evidence so far, the team looks better than last season in terms of quality.
But the end result of the efforts against Coventry was also all very last season. Hence the caution.

All depends on the striking option that is brought in, so it might have to be a case of trying to grind out some results in August before seeing what's left in the shopping basket at the end of month.

One positive from pre season, and Wellens touched upon this in the phone in, has been just the one casualty with a muscle injury. Hopefully this bodes well with managing the fitness of some of the perceived sick notes.

Oh and a home record of something like W15 D5 L3 would be handy.

Way too soon to tell. Some of our signings look very good on paper, but that doesn't necessarily mean much in terms of performances.

I just want to enjoy going to football again

The home record should be W23 D0 L0

Looks slightly more robust than last season.

Not confident that there are enough goals (currently) in our team.

Every man and his dog could see the problem last season - Wellens said so himself. 2 or 3 great performances, usually away, pissed away by some dreadful home results.

Definitely a mental problem more than anything.

I presume Wellens has recruited with this in mind as well as ability. The quality of the squad is way higher than last season - albeit due to a few ‘fragile’ players.

It wouldn’t have taken much last season to squeeze into the POs with a poorer squad, so I honestly expect top 3 this season.

Get that striker, though!

If we sign a striker or 2 then I will put a prediction in, until then its still a bit up in the air.

Will reassess on Friday and then on deadline day.

Top 7 and better performances would represent progress. After the dire, negative football of both Flircroft and Brown, I think I would take the latter more than anything.

Need the fans/players (me included) to buy into Wellens’ style and a striker or two before either can be possible though.

I’ll be setting my expectations properly about ten games in but would love to say push for a playoff place.

Think we’re just short of an in your face striker and maybe GK after today’s incomings.

This 100%. 

I don't think there are 7 better squads than ours. So top 7. Top 3 if we can add more goals through striker recruitment over the next few weeks.

As we stand, top 7 is the aim (IMO) but I really don't know. We haven't signed anyone I know much about, nor have we signed anyone I think 'great signing on paper'.

We all know we need goals. We all know we have some players who have had their injury woes.

 Every season I run throught the fixtures and see where we might get points, where we never do etc. etc.. The last few seasons have gone:

10/19 - Me 59 Actual 64, 17/18 61 68 16/17 63 44 15/16 61 59 14/15 71 79 13/14 66 66

This season I have only got us on 50 as I can see a whole load of draws as will not concede many but neither will score many.

Want to be proved entirely wrong!

[doom]
Careful what you wish for
[/doom]

14th and above

The aim should be autos..... I don't see it in this squad so far.  Anything less is failure, OK you can be pretty average like Newport last season, and get to the PO's, but not the sort of thing good enough for us in Div 4.

With the sicknote recruitment we're relying very much on luck to get the minimum higher than 13th, that will at least represent an improvement on last year.

Playoffs has to be the minimum expectation.

Promotion has to be a hope and cup runs to bring in dosh has to be another.

Promotion.

Sent from my CLT-L09

Playoffs. Absolute minimum.

Promotion, by any means.  We're starting to look a little too comfortable/at home in this division.

Should definitely get playoffs. Top 3 may be a push but if we get a good striker in and IF we keep key players fit, every chance

This only applies if you have a sniffy approach to Div 4  - I'd be happy to scrape into the PO's a la Newport minus the cup run that got in their way a bit  - which may have stopped them getting Auto's.

Top 7 hopefully for us but who knows,  the bounce of a ball could take it either way

In this league, promotion is the minimum we should be aiming for.

All the so called favourites have question marks against them - it’s why we have just as good a chance as any of them.

Mansfield - rookie boss, first season as a manager

Plymbury - gelling what is essentially 2 separate contingents. Managing the dressing room could be a problem.

Bradford - got no midfield and 2 strikers who have done fuck all for 2 seasons

Exeter - as we know, continually selling your best players catches up with you sooner or later

We’ll piss it!

What's your prediction for this season then Reg? Is it 13th?

Plymouth's defence would concern me as well.

Colchester could go well along with Scunthorpe. Walsall always seem decent at this level. Northampton seem to have recruited well. Who knows with Salford.

It'll be very competitive but I certainly expect us to be up there.

Walsall will be nearer bottom than top, I reckon.

Although, the last time I mentioned Walsall I ended up with the ‘Audrey’ moniker!

Being distant I'm with you - it reads like we should probably be around the play offs, but Isgrove could be as useless as McGlashan for all I know.  Using just the second half of last season as my guide, if the recruitment has at least maintained that, then Play Offs.

5th-9th.

I don't think distance is that much of a hindrance in this case. Needs some league match context.

Need a bit more data before arriving at such an exact prediction.... it was January before I predicted 12/13th for last season.

Well, I'm going on knowing jack shit about any of our signings and not having seen anyone in the flesh to even get an inkling, but you are right.  I doubt Real Madrid get tonked 7-3 by Atletico in a league game this season.

Go on, Reg, have a bit of fun. Spoil yourself!

The TEF was at least this upbeat at the start of last season, on the basis of signing a load of new players we knew just as little about. The Diagouraga signing in particular had people wetting themselves in anticipation. Just saying.

Cold Hard facts and dull old historical stats only for our Reg.

If you can’t get excited before a new season . . .

I agree with Frog.

Honestly I think the first home game, Carlisle, will set the tone for the rest of the season. Can’t ever trust the first game of the season to be honest. Generally a more competitive pre season game for some.

Edit - but basing it off how Wellens has been and how the January recruitment went an example, I think PO minimum

Yes look at Norwich 1-7 Colchester in the first game in 2009.
Norwich finished Champions by 9 clear points and Colchester didn't even make the play offs.

It's not uncommon for a team to lose badly in the 1st game and then go on to go up. There's just nothing that can be read into it either way.

*cough* Gillingham away *cough*

The league usually doesn't settle down into a pattern for at least a month.

But then, didn’t Luton batter Yeovil 8-0 in their first game a couple of seasons back?

We’ve won our first game for the last 2 seasons and it hasn’t exactly worked out well.

Whatever happens on Saturday there will be some who read far too much into it, no reasonable assessment can be made until 10 games in as a minimum

If we lose Saturday, it will be a portent of doom.

If we win, it will be too soon to tell.

Bizarrely we've won the opener for the last 5 seasons.  Even more bizarrely 4 of them have been at the CG....

8-2 but TBF Luton stormed the league that season.

...until about March and then Accrington won it

True, Luton did get off to an absolute flyer and were the best side we played that season.

Winning the opener on the road is relatively rare and usually portends a decent season.... an exception would be something like 90/91, where after the summer fiasco we won at Charlton, but it fell away.  That was always going to be a strange season.

Winning at Scunny would be very impressive, and unlikely.

We've had 5 wins in openers on the road in about 30 odd years.... the aforementioned Charlton and then 3 that presaged a promo season.  2 years ago, the win at Brunton Park, indicated a nearly season with decent away form.

Play-offs for me.

The difference is in the dugout and arguably wider across the club. As you say, on the pitch, it's a bunch of slightly recognisable lower league players.

We won away at Carlisle 2 years ago and it was an OK season.

Swindon winning an opening day game on an away ground has been very very rare.

In fact in 120 years its only happened 9 times!

Carlisle U  2-1 2017-18 finished 9th
Hartlepool 1-0 2006-07 finished 3rd
Hull City    1-0 1995-96 finished 1st
Charlton A 2-1 1990-91 finished 21st
Bolton W   2-1 1986-87 finished 3rd
Coventry   2-1 1952-53 finished 18th
Newport C 2-1 1933-34 finished 8th
Leyton O   3-0 1911-12 finished 4th
West Ham  2-1 1907-08 finished 5th

Scunthorpe away has never really been a happy hunting ground for Town either with just 3 wins and 1 draw in 13 games between the teams at Scunthorpe.

Last win there was in 2006 when Benjamin & Shakes were the scorers in a 2-1 win.

In our last 5 matches there we have won none of them and conceded 19 goals with a 1-4 and a 0-6 being the last 2 results there.

Thew only good thing about our horrendous recent form at Scunny, is that it must end soon...

Hopefully on Saturday...not holding my breath!

That and it's largely irrelevant to most of the side that will play there

Needs to be Saturday, as I've booked a cheap as chips b&b for the Friday. Few ales followed by a bit of northern hospitality, then breakfast & refreshed for a Saturday of football and either a long lonely drive home or a happy drive south.

I think this year we have it in ourselves to go up, albeit via the playoffs. We will reach 5th and miss the autos by 2 points.

Somewhere between 1st and 10th depending on injuries and a bit of luck going for us , more than against us.

The record since 1986 is actually not that bad.  Assuming (can't be bothered to check) that approx half of our opening games have been away from home, to have won 5 of those represents a 30% (approx) win ratio...which is not all that bad away from home.

Most of those 5 wins (Charlton excepted) were northern as well.  If it's omens you're looking for, do try to be positive.

I am pretty sure when I checked that we had a fair few more home than away opening games, certainly in the last 40 years I think.

A quick look and since the 1999 we have played 9 away and 12 home first day matches.

2 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats away.

8 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats at home.

Since 1960 covering 58 years of opening day fixtures we have had 26 away games and 32 home games.

Home games were W 19 - D 7 - L  6

Away games were W 4 - D 7 - L 15

Omens.

Of those listed, I've attended the most recent four. I'm going Saturday and have never seen us lose at Scunny, although I'm expecting a comprehensive defeat this time round.

I'm a natural pessimist so I'll go for an upper-mid-table finish.

Still, I'm looking forward to the new season and like the cut of Wellens' jib.

But not to Scunny who have Kevin Van Veen who's something of a Glanford Park specialist v STFC.

The opposition are allowed to be factored in when considering these things.

Van Veen is on the way out. Scunny’s Anderson.

However he did score a hat trick in their last friendly.... so we'll have to see on that.

And so does our own tonight, marvelous.

Wonder if they regret not accepting the 4 million.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11725/10750066/scunthorpe-united-reject-offer-for-kevin-van-veen-from-chinese-super-league

My expectation - In or very close to (within a point of) the top 7 all season.

Outside of our fan base we're perceived to be dark horses, and a great each way or top 7 bet.

https://twitter.com/Eamonn88/status/1156264670786965504

Like nearly every recent season, where the team has been rebuilt almost totally, I can't base expectations on anything apart from my optimistic outlook. Hopefully that optimism will last longer than last season. Or the season before that. Or the season before that.....

I made a list up of each clubs new signings and pre season results and also where the fans of each club think they will finish and where we will finish. May well post it up but its a huge post.

Basically a fair few teams fans think we will either be low mid table or dark horses this coming season.

I've had a pop e/w. Have no idea or expectations though

Which just makes me feel nervous  :)

Not the Top Twenty (referred to in that tweet) is a really good podcast. Their review of League 2 is almost as good as the LS review! Their prediction seems to be based on Wellens being a very good manager who, based on results during his tenure last year, had us as the 5th best side in the league. Since then, we’ve undoubtedly improved the squad. Add a striker, and we have to be up there.

I don’t see the fuss about Mansfield under Dempster. I do see the fuss about Plymouth and Bradford.

5th, interesting, so he did "OK"?

Haha. My version was ...... well we're not giving up our day jobs. Although there were plenty of similar predictions with NTT20.

NTT20 podcast is good if you can ignore the fact one of the presenters is an Oxford fan.

That is an interesting stat... and a closer look at it confirms OK, insofar as there are a further 7 teams around the 43 mark... that Wellens got in his tenure. So

Franchise 42, Tranny 43, Exeter 40, Stevenage 42, Carlisle 42, Crewe 43, Numb 42.

 So good steady stuff, but when playing catch up sadly you need more for a promo push, and why you end up 13th.

In terms of that weight of points being an indicator for this year, then presumably a case could be made for Stevenage, Carlisle, Crewe or Numb.

Carlisle seem the least likely given their policy on contract lengths appears to have lost them some of their better players.  Exeter seem steady, nothing materially to suggest they'd decline, especially as they were steady over the past couple of seasons.  Cheltenham are the surprise one I guess - can they sustain that?  I never have any idea if Crew are on the up or the down again.

Carlisle seem ready for the basket case every season, but then do quite well and have players who we'd like to sign, or ex loanees no idea what their secret is.  Exeter have the template of a Trust run club developing young players, which seems to suit them... Crewe have struggled in recent years, maybe they've a good crop again so possible good season.

As regards Numb.... Duff is one to watch, and not just because I failed to get him in a quiz. Which Norn Iron international, a manager, played in all 4 Divs, as well as non league? I went Dowie  :(

There could be a bit of Howe about him.... also given they've taken Ince, who many on here reckon the best thing since sliced bread, it could be their first chance to finish above us in the same league.

Most annoyingly Numb picked up Duff, playing for Carterton, once our sort of territory....

I don't think there'll be too much between a good chunk of sides in Div 4 this season....

Bit of an interesting stat.

We have the 3rd largest squad ‘churn’ in the division - retaining only 38% of last season’s squad - and that could go lower.

Strangely, contrary to popular belief, Salford have retained 83% of last season’s squad - whether that’s because of their contracts or choice, I don’t know.

If every player lined to them actually signed then they would have had a 200% turn over of playing staff!

Here is a list of transfers of each club up to 28th July.

Bradford City
Ben Richards-Everton [Accrington - Free]
Tyler French [Sudbury - Free]
Sam Hornby [Port Vale - Free]
Zeli Ismail [Walsall - Free]
Adam Henley [Real Salt Lake - Free]
Clayton Donaldson [Bolton - Free]
Paudie O'Connor [Leeds - Free]
James Vaughan [Wigan - Free]
Matt Palmer [Rotherham - Loan]
9 new signings so far
3 players out
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cambridge United
Luke Hannant [Port Vale - Free]
Harvey Knibbs [Aston Villa - Free]
Kyle Knoyle [Swindon - Free]
Callum Burton [Unattached]
Dan Jones [Notts County -Free]
5 new signings so far
3 players out
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlisle United
Jack Iredale [Greenock Morton - Free]
Christie Elliott [Partick Thistle - Free]
Jon Mellish [Gateshead - Free]
Harry McKirdy [Aston Villa - Free]
Jack Bridge [Northampton - Free]
Byron Webster [Scunthorpe - Free]
Nathaniel Knight-Percival [Bradford - Free]
Nathan Thomas [Sheffield United -Loan]
8 new signings so far
6 players out
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheltenham Town
Charlie Raglan [Oxford - Free]
Tahvon Campbell [Forest Green - Free]
Reuben Reid [Forest Green - Free]
Rohan Ince [Unattached]
Dan Bowry [Charlton - Free]
5 new signings so far
2 players out
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colchester United
Danny Collinge [Unattached]
Luke Gambin [Luton - Free]
Omar Sowunmi [Yeovil - Free]
Michael Fernandes [Farnborough - Free]
Matthew Weaire [Brighton - Free]
Paris Cowan-Hall [Wycombe - Free]
Jevani Brown [Cambridge - Free]
Dean Gerken [Ipswich - Free]
8 new signings so far
6 players out
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crawley Town
Ashley Nadesan [Fleetwood - Free]
Mason Bloomfield [Norwich - Loan]
Nathan Ferguson [Dulwich Hamlet - Free]
Beryly Lubala [Birmingham - Free]
Michael Luyambula [Birmingham - Loan]
Jack Powell [Maidstone - Free]
Jordan Tunnicliffe [AFC Fylde - Free]
7 new signings so far
0 players out
----------------------------------------------------------
Crewe Alexandria
Olly Lancashire [Swindon - Free]
Daniel Powell [Northampton - Free]
2 new signings so far
3 players out
---------------------------------------------------------------
Exeter City
Nigel Atangana [Cheltenham - Free]
Tom Parkes [Carlise - Free]
Lewis Ward [Reading - Free]
Alex Fisher [Yeovil - Free]
Gary Warren [Yeovil - Free]
Jonny Maxted [Accrington - Free]
Nicky Ajose [Charlton - Free]
Robbie Cundy [Bristol City - Loan]
Noah Smerdon [Gloucester - Free]
9 new signings so far
2 players out
-----------------------------------------------------
Forest Green Rovers
Matt Mills [Pune City - Free]
Aaron Collins [Morecambe - Free]
Ebou Adams [Ebbsfleet - Undisclosed]
Adam Smith [Bristol Rovers - Free]
James Morton [Bristol City - Loan]
Kevin Dawson [Unattached]
Liam Kitching [Leeds - Undisclosed]
Dom Bernard [Birmingham - Free]
8 new signings so far
5 players out
---------------------------------------------------
Grimsby Town
Matt Green [Salford - Free]
James Hanson [AFC Wimbledon - Free]
Moses Ugbu [Al-Ain - Free]
Elliott Hewitt [Notts County - Free]
Liam Gibson [Newcastle - Loan]
5 new signings so far
1 player out
------------------------------------------------
Leyton Orient
Josh Wright [Bradford - Free]
Conor Wilkinson [Dagenham - Undisclosed]
2 new signings so far
2 players out
---------------------------------------------------------
Macclesfield Town
Jak McCourt [Swindon - Free]
Joe Ironside [Kidderminster - Free]
Emmanuel Osadebe [Cambridge - Free]
Jacob Blyth [Barrow - Free]
Theo Vassell [Port Vale - Free]
Fraser Horsfall [Kidderminster -Free]
Eddie Clarke [Fleetwood - Loan]
Owen Evans [Wigan -Loan]
8 new signings so far
5 players out
------------------------------------------------------
Mansfield Town
Andy Cook [Walsall - Undisclosed]
Aidan Stone [Unattached]
Nicky Maynard [Bury - Free]
Dion Donohue [Portsmouth - Free]
Kellan Gordon [Derby - Free]
5 new signings so far
0 players out
-------------------------------------------------------
Morecambe
Michael Howard [Preston - Free]
Tom Brewitt [AFC Fylde - Free]
John O'Sullivan [Blackpool - Free]
Joe Lynch [Crewe - Free]
Lewis Alessandra [Notts County - Free]
5 new signings so far
3 players out
-----------------------------------------------------
Newport County
Tom King [Millwall - Free]
Lazar Stojsavljevic [Millwall - Free]
Kyle Howkins [West Brom - Free]
Daniel Leadbitter [Bristol Rovers - Free]
George Nurse [Bristol City - Loan]
Ryan Haynes [Shrewsbury - Undisclosed]
Tristan Abrahams [Norwich -Free]
7 new signings so far
2 players out
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Northampton Town
Matty Warburton [Stockport - Free]
Joe Martin [Stevenage - Free]
Chris Lines [Bristol Rovers - Free]
Harry Smith [Macclesfield - Undisclosed]
Ryan Watson [MK Franchise - Free]
Alan McCormack [Luton - Free]
Steve Arnold [Shrewsbury - Free]
Nicky Adams [Bury - Free]
Reece Hall-Johnson [Grimsby - Free]
Vadaine Oliver [Morecambe - Free]
Charlie Goode [Scunthorpe - Undisclosed]
Scott Wharton [Blackburn - Loan]
12 new signings so far
5 players out
-------------------------------------------------------
Oldham Athletic
Alex Iacovitti [Nottingham Forest- Free]
Zak Mills [Morecambe - Free]
Gary Woods [Hamilton - Free]
Gregor Zabret [Swansea - Loan]
Scott Wilson [Macclesfield - Free]
Marvin Kokos [Gazelec Ajaccio - Free]
Desire Segbe Azankpo [FK Senica - Free]
7 new signings so far
3 players out
----------------------------------------------------------
Plymouth Argyle
Joe Edwards [Walsall - Free]
Danny Mayor [Bury - Free]
Will Aimson [Bury - Free]
Dom Telford [Bury - Undisclosed]
Byron Moore [Bury -Free]
Callum McFadzean [Bury - Free]
Alex Palmer [West Brom - Loan]
Jose Baxter [Oldham - Free]
8 new signings so far
6 players out
-----------------------------------------------------------
Port Vale
Scott Burgess [Bury - Free]
Adam Crookes [Nottingham Forest - Free]
Kieran Kennedy [Wrexham - Free]
Richie Bennett [Carlisle - Free]
Ryan Lloyd [Macclesfield - Free]
Mark Cullen [Blackpool - Free]
David Amoo [Cambridge - Free]
Callum Evans [Macclesfield - Free]
8 new signings so far
3 players out
--------------------------------------------------
Salford City
Richie Towell [Brighton - Free]
Kyle Letheren [Plymouth - Free]
Martin Smith [Swindon -Free]
Cameron Burgess [Scunthorpe - Loan]
Luke Armstrong [Middlesbrough -Undisclosed]
5 new signings so far
1 player out
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Scunthorpe United
Andy Butler [Doncaster - Free]
Kgosi Ntlhe [Rochdale - Free]
Jake Eastwood [Sheffield United - Loan]
Alex Gilliead [Shrewsbury - Undisclosed]
Yann Songo'o [Plymouth- Free]
5 new signings so far
4 players out
---------------------------------------------------------
Stevenage Town
Jason Cowley [Bromsgrove - Free]
Jamie Fielding [Hastings - Free]
Chris Stokes [Bury - Free]
Paul Digby [Forest Green - Undisclosed]
Charlie Carter [Chesterfield - Undisclosed]
Tyler Denton [Leeds - Undisclosed]
Dean Parrett [Gillingham - Free]
7 new signings so far
2 players out
-----------------------------------------------------------
Swindon Town
Tyler Reid [Swansea - Free]
Adam May [Portsmouth - Loan]
Zeki Fryers [Barnsley - Free]
Mathieu Baudry [MK Franchise - Free]
Jerry Yates [Rotherham - Loan]
Rob Hunt [Oldham - Free]
Daniel Ballard [Arsenal - Loan]
Jordan Lyden [Aston Villa -Free]
Diallang Jaiyesimi [Norwich City - Loan]
Lloyd Isgrove [Barnsley - Free]
10 new signings so far
9 players out
----------------------------------------------------------
Walsall
Stuart Sinclair [Bristol Rovers - Free]
James Clarke [Bristol Rovers - Free]
James Hardy [AFC Fylde - Free]
Elijah Adebayo [Fulham - Free]
Jack Kiersey [Everton - Free]
Shay Facey [Northampton - Free]
Cameron Pring [Bristol City - Loan]
Jack Rose [Southampton - Loan]
Mat Sadler [Shrewsbury- Free]
Wes McDonald [Birmingham - Free]
Danny Guthrie [Mitra Kukar - Free]
Gary Liddle [Carlisle - Free]
Zak Jules [Macclesfield - Undisclosed]
Rory Holden [Bristol City - Loan]
14 new signings so far
7 players out
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Not surprising, was obvious Wellens didn't fancy a large portion of the squad so we were always going to have a large turnover once more.  What is encouraging though, is that the vast majority of the new stock were brought in much earlier than other recent years so have been together for a good amount of time.  Even Isgrove had been around for a while now. 

As long as we get that goal scorer we look alright, they don't necessarily need as much 'gelling' time as most of the squad as they know their job, get it over the line, often don't need to worry so much about how the manager wants to approach the game as the rest of the squad.

Perhaps Salford are struggling to actually attract players with XYZ maybe expecting to pitch up and demand 10 grand for their services and the club realising they'll need to cut their cloth more than they expected.

Presumably all those clubs have a CK on social media complaining about free transfers and loans #where'sthemoneygone

One or 2 yes, actually in the main most clubs are optimistic about the coming season with the exception of Carlisle, Oldham and Macclesfield fans.

Interesting thing for me is we pretty much exclusively signed from the leagues above. Scunny, Northampton and Newport have to a large extent as well. Not sure it means too much, but certainly better than punts on below or the french 3rd division i would suggest.

I'm not sure it does mean much.... getting proven Div 4 players is probably a better route.

I don't think we've signed proven Div 4 players, apart from the odd one.  

Lancashire had a League Two promotion as captain under his belt and he was fucking toss

My take is that a proven 4th division player is that. Knows the 4th division. If you want to get out of a league the best way is to get players from the league above. All piffle really as no one knows if they will gel, or we'll get the run of the ball/refs whistle.

I think that signing the best players possible will improve your chances of doing well. But what do I know?

I know what you mean... have players who should be too good for 4, so that should get you up, but there are some players who are Div 4 specialists and probably won't get much higher.... Paul Benson was one such. Devitt who were were so say after is another. Lincoln showed it last season with Akinde, bit of a donkey but did a job.

Thank fuck for that.

If you’re serious about a promotion push, surely you recruit in the hope that the nucleus of your squad could also cut it in the league above.

That applies to a few of ours - injury concerns aside.

You need a mix, a few who you think could play higher and a core of fellas who know their way around places like Morecambe, but can also grind out an unattractive win at a wet CG in November.

Only been 1 match. I don't care- it's our job as football fans to get excited. That's the highs and lows of why we love this game. A new season is new hope.

We still need that 1 striker- just to keep it challenging up top and offer a plan b. But that aside I'm loving this SQUAD. Haven't been able to say that for many many seasons. Strength in depth.

Those goals yesterday were a joy to watch. Our expectations when playing in League 2 should and always have to be promotion.

Or an historical graveyard like Scunthorpe?

Agree with every single sentence of this. Especially the first line.

Judging by the trends of the last couple of seasons in Div 4, it's backing up a good away showing with something at home, that's been the problem.

WB rightly raises the issue of the Boycoitt game, and how we should use it.  I can see his point, but wonder if we might be better off using it as a way of trying to get a win  :hmmm:

Agreed.

From the phone in, the competition is very low on the RW priority list.
I suspect that the competitive juices will still come into play.
Doughty, Woolery and Yates should get the night off as a minimum. But a win is a win and some momentum.

Looking at the scheduling I guess that Chelsea are treating this as a pre season game for whatever the U23 league is called these days.
Hopefully we'll have enough to at least launch a few starlets with funny names up into the evening air.

No injuries on Tuesday is my only wish.

Lots to be positive about this season and I predict an 8th - 10th place finish.

Positive? And that’s the best you can come up with? Another season of failure?

I don't regard that as a season of failure.  I am comfortable with the fact that div 4 (or the lower end of div 3 if we win promotion at some point) represents STFC's place in the football pyramid.  Of course, a change in ownership/investment may change that - but I suspect that this is unlikely happen in the near future.

There's someone on this forum who's going to love you 🤔

Evening Reg!

Presently I think Plymouth, Bradford, Exeter, Mansfield, Colchester, Walsall, FGR, Salford and Newport look potentially more capable of maintaining a challenge over a whole season, which would leave us 10th, but lots can change between now and May.

My pre Doyle and Grant prediction was 10th. We look easily stronger than that now. 4 of our next 5 games are against teams that I predicted would finish above us. A decent haul and auto is on. We coasted past a buoyant, well organised opposition, who made no real mistakes, yesterday. We’ve clearly got a proper team this year. Joyous times at the moment!

10th ha! Really? Who thought that?

A fair few of us were sceptical of success after recent seasons methinks. It’s only after the last few games that unabound optimism has beset our brethren. I believe the capture of the likes of Doyle and Grant are going to be massive factors and they weren’t on fans’ radars back in August. Long may the good vibrations continue!

Still feels life a promotion season, as it did after game 1.

Let's hope that feeling continues

not that unbelievable before we brought in strikers

This was also a reference to my own expectations for the season (see above)

:facepalm:

Yeah I really should read the whole thread before replying. But it's done now.

Fucking hell, there are some optimistic people on this forum    :wacko: :wacko:

There is an irony in your message, you realise  :D

I know its a very old thread but I couldn't really remember what people were predicting pre season.

Now after we have won the league officially I have found a few interesting comments, some spot on and some rather wayward, as all predictions are TBH.

Its easy to see the pessimists vs the optimists, I am and always have been a glass half empty but some the glass is always empty....

I reckon my ‘We’ll piss it’ wins this prediction league. Not too bad with Bradford, Mansfield and Exeter predictions either

I was right  :sherlock:

Spot on....apart from the bit about Bradford strikers being shit.

:D thats like saying top half finish ;) technically correct although it was a 50/50 guess!

I remember going all in on the ‘Wellens is a fraud and we’ll be mid table” take in around September/October 😎

Donaldson and Vaughan? Proper shite, both.

I have to be honest, I wanted and hoped for play offs but thought we were a striker away from the play offs, turns out we were a striker away from the championship!

Doyles goals won us the title, with a lot of help from the rest of the team of course!

When Wellens came I was massively uninspired by his appointment, I won't lie but I thought he was the cheap option with little track record and that we were in for a long struggle with him at the helm. I was willing to give him time but was pretty much against his appointment, not helped by getting stuffed by Carlisle at home 4-0 in his debut game in charge.

I will be the first to put my hand up and say that I was wrong about him, we are playing some great football, as good as any Town team and he has made some amazing signings, long may it continue.

For me this has the feel of Swindon under Macari, 1st season didn't go to plan but we picked up some good results and finished strongly in 8th (we finished 9th under Wellens 1st season).....2nd season we stormed(*) to the title in div 4 (we won the league under Wellens by comparion), in the 3rd season we finished 4rd and won promotion by beating Gills in the play offs in Div 3, 4th season we consolidated in Div 2 finishing half way then the 2 seasons after we finished 6th and 4th getting beat in the play offs by Palace.

I am hoping that under Wellens we can achieve a similar climb up the leagues.

The thing is - and it may just be the usual manager speak - but Wellens has said, more than once, about the potential of STFC - cemented by our home game v Exeter.

We’ll see soon enough if things are not going right behind the scenes as Wellens will be off. From his statements so far he seems unfazed by what’s going/gone on in the boardroom and I presume he must have had some sort of guarantee of future expectations even allowing for Covid-19 throwing a spanner in the works. Players signing new contracts is also a good sign.

Getting my prediction in early for any new season - we’ll piss it!

Happy to collect from the bookies yesterday. I'll do us E/W again next season too.

There's no reason to suggest we wouldn't be at least looking at playoffs next season.
We've got the nucleus of a talented, settled squad and momentum is so important to form.
If we can get Doyle, Yates and Jaiyesimi back next season i'd be confident of a good season.

I am more than happy that my prediction, based on recent seasons, was wrong.  Similarly, I hope that STFC challenge the top half of league one if/when it starts again.

promotion was my great hope.

Agree with JJ that this has a bit of a special feeling to it ref Macari years.

Everybody knew PDC was going to leave...one way or another...

Wellens has done the business.

I wasn’t sold based on his previous with Oldham. I know it’s not an expect science but (as Wellens himself proves) but once most managers fail and get sacked they just go on failing and getting sacked. It might sound stupid but I’d have been more in favour of Wellens if this was his first job...but...I guess the Oldham spell gave him some experience to make a much better go at the second job.

My only concern for next season - is currently a lot of our squad are out of contract / returning to their clubs. I’d have been fairly confident of decent upper mid table finish next season with our current squad but in theory half the team could be gone...if the large majority do come back, then we could be onto something

As per my prediction I fully expected promotion this season.

Wellens has been phenomenal but the real work starts now. I started going regular in 2003 so have never seen us play in The Championship. For me that is the holy grail and where this club should always aspire to be.

Been thinking about it since promotion was confirmed and am getting excited about football again knowing we are potentially a good season away from getting to that level. Can Wellens be the one that gets us there again?

Thank fuck we're out of League 2.

Still does. :-)

I'd agree with that but would add Grant to the list of players we need to see back.

At this point we have no idea how league one (or any division) is going to look or even when next season will actually start. With so many players out of contract it could be the most wide open season for years.

well we got that 1 extra striker! Thank you mr doyle

I wonder how much some of our players have left.

Grant is 33
Doyle is 32
Baudry is 32

Difficult to tell as players stay fit a lot longer now than ever before. But I doubt any of them can do more than 1 or at most 2 more seasons at L1 level IMO.

we got goals, we covered injuries.

eieieio

Fuck consolidation. Play-offs, minimum. The only fly, well albatross in the ointment actually, is the behind the scenes shenanigans. That said, those people with money in the club one way or another ought to be able to see that there is a very valuable asset in the making. Support Wellens and the team with the right back up and you’ll see you investment back handsomely. Just hope it does not got tits up like the Black/Di Canio saga.

Of course I include Grant in next years squad, from his recent Loathed Strangers podcast it's almost certain he'll be here next season. Fingers crossed anyway.

I think one thing we can say with absolute confidence is that Lee Power is no Andrew Black, and nor is Wellens a Di Canio.

Ardiles knew.

And Mystic Tails

https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/from-the-podcasts/swindons-richie-wellens-celebrating-with-tomato-soup-why-doyle-mustnt-work-hard/

Champions sans asterix.

I also would like Rose to stay. Think he's a cracking player just missing out due to the excellent Grant and of course Doughty. Would be an added luxury to retain him but he may be looking for more game time. On the flipside, he also is 32 so could be content with an extra year here as a squad player.

A training ground would be nice

I think it all depends how we line up in L1, we need to be concerned about other clubs coming in and offering money for a couple of our better players and in the current climate we may be inclined to sell, as that would leave us weaker and needing to get more replacements.

It may depend if we can keep those players we cant afford to offer contracts to just yet, they are clearly key players.

Ritchie seems to have an eye for a player judging by those he has brought in but L1 is another step up so we will need players that are a little better than what we have.

All being good I'd be hopeful of having a good mid table season with a brief flirtation with play off places early on.

I would like to hear (as other chairman have said) how we are doing financially and what plans are being made for next season without fans, rather than leaving it to Wellens as really that is not his job to update fans on finances, although he seems happy to.

Looking at the recently promoted clubs from L2 clubs we should be looking at the POs - Luton, Coventry, Wycombe, piss stains etc. I’d be quite happy to go with what we’ve got team wise if we could get a couple of the loanees back.

Have to give Coventry lots of praise as many of their fans boycotted going to St Andrews so massive achievement by them considering they never really had any home advantage

Or a wind tunnel  :)

Champions avec Obelix?

Good work, sir!

:D

That's gauling  :)

More of a Fabala fan ;)

I am being far more Dogmatix about the whole thing.

It is.

We should get a fix.

Who druid think you are?

I see that  Grant is leading Doyle by 50% to 42 % as player of the year. Well deserved if he gets it, though I voted for Doyle.

Shows what a season we had when Doyle with 25 goals in 29 games is not a shoe in for PotY!

This is self evident -  if you win a league / promotion you will have a group of players who have had consistently good performances this season.
Doyle and Grant have been exceptional, and I’m not really surprised the voting is split fairly closely,  but as others said on the other thread (Adver PotY ) Yates and Hunt were very important members of the team too, also Benda.

Also importance to give special mention to Baudry. Not the best player but he was quite the guiding CB (mentor) to a relatively young defence, before Caddis came in. Most times he played, the defensive unit looked and tended to be stronger. Sometimes a simple player in a certain position is all you need; not a multitude of utilisation just does the job. Rob Hunt also fits this bill too.

The fact Doughty is not in the POTY list says it all. On his day, the classiest player in the division and ran games this year.

Thought his late season form was superb, to my eyes his workrate went up and he put himself about a lot more.

That he's not included I think is a combination of others being just a bit more sonsistent, and he was a bit ptachy earlier in the seaon.

The man is a game winner.

I agree, his performances from Christmas onward were far better than his early season games, he was almost a box to box player and looked far better than he did in August.

He was actually going into tackles and breaking with the ball which is not normally his game.

When hes in the final 3rd with the ball at his feet I doubt there is a better creative midfielder outside of the Championship.