Promotion, cuz what’s the point in being in this league, when you aim lower. In higher league you can be satisfied hovering mid table, but this looks like a purgatory. You either plan to go up, or down.
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I don’t really have any expectations. That is a bit sad but I feel it is the best way to be.
As it stands right now, I feel we are in for a bit of a struggle. The reasons have been discussed above by several posters, but basically we have lost all of the goals from last season (Hutch, Draper, Faal) So unless we come up with some good signings and manager to tighten up our defence then I genuinely can’t see any improvement.
I am open to being surprised though, and will be there giving my support every week regardless.
I also completely agree with Geordies post.
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At the moment we will be mid table at best. We need 4 decent additions including 2 forwards who can score consistently. Top 7 if we acquire those 4 players.
Current squad around 18th I would say. if we get 5 quality players in 9th or 10th. The way other teams have strengthened is quite scary and at the moment we are miles off it
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Trivela have been given time; Sadler has been given time. In both cases rightly so, as far as I’m concerned. Now’s the time for tangible success. That’s not " we’re too big for this League" arrogance. Even if you’ve moved up from non-league for the first time, after five years ,you’d be looking to move on.
As others have said, that will take more than we’ve currently got on the books.
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I expect a bare minimum of Top 7, after Trivela confirmed no budget cut and an expectation of progress. Sadler has a so-called settled squad and has had plenty of time to stamp his style on it. Top 3 should be the target. If we are miles off after 15/20 games, serious questions will be asked AGAIN.
only Sadler knows why he signed Josh Gordon. If it dosnt work then I reckon it will cost him his job
Not so I know why he signed him and so do a fair number on here. I would have liked someone better but you get 100% commitment and running from Josh which is useful in the way we try to play.
Were we in for him last summer? I may be misremembering but I thougt we were with the intention of him partnering DJ. If I’m not making that up perhaps that’ll be the revelation for the season with a couple of hopefully Draper or Faal types.
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Wanted him in January permanently, last summer permanently and the January before that too.
Remember Westie saying we wanted him, but he wouldn’t leave Barrow because of Pete Wild.
Based on what’s in front of us currently squad wise then I’d expect mid table.
Average squad, average manager… can’t really expect more.
A few good signings and that may change but currently that’s all my expectations are.
Top 7 - anything else is not progression!!
I think we obviously need to fill a few spaces but overall we look like a side capable of finishing tp 10. There’s lots of talk about how many signings and quality of player we need to sign but first and foremost we should be looking at how we et more out of what we already have. There are plenty who either through form or injury underachieved last season and can improve and another group of the particularly young players who should be better for last seasons experiences being under their belt (and I include Sadler a sa rookie manager in that).
The forward line concerns me and is giving me sleepless nights as it is many others. DJ, if he stays needs to be the key striker we signed him as or we need to come to a mutual agreement on his contract and move on, investing that saved wage on some quality up top.
I think the expectation should be to build on the good work and improvements we made last season. If we talk about incremental progress and in terms of raw points another similar improvement would give us 75 points which will be enough for the promised land of the top 7.
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At times last season we were all over the place at the back, didn’t stop enough crosses and struggled to retain possession.
With the players we have available, they all feel like areas that we could do a lot better in.
Based on last season we should all be expecting a play off push .
Realistically im expecting a 14th to 17th finish cant see us breaking into the top 7 or top 10 this season
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Yep, 14th to 17th as it stands in my view.
We flirted with playoffs last season but the 11th place finish was a more accurate representation of our level.
As it stands the squad looks slightly weaker to me, maybe on a par if I’m being optimistic. So right now it’s hard to imagine us doing any better than midtable again.
Hopefully some promising new players are yet to arrive.
That Kobbie Mainoo chap fits the age profile i think. If we could develop him he could maybe replace Hutch. Big ask of the lad though.
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The absolute lowest expectation from the club should be top 7. Anything outside that is a total failure. We should be gearing up for top 3. I aint interested in a top 10 finish if outside the playoffs.
I think one of the biggest hinderances to us really progressing is that those at the club think last season was a form of success and will therefore not ruthlessly pursue any real improvement such as the playoffs / automatic promotion. Squad movements to date suggest to me that if 24/25 season mirrored 23/24 season the club would be happy.
When the hell are we just going to get out of this division.
UP THE SADDLERS
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Since Trivela came in they’ve tried to sign marquee strikers, DJ, then Matt/Stevens, then DJ permanently, then Gordon/Faal.
My worry is that I think they see Gordon as the big striker signing and a lot of the fans see him as somebody to do the dirty work to create space for the proper strikers.
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