Maintaining being 7th or higher should be the aim this season, no more 17th in November which means we have to play catch up in the second half of the season.
No reason why we can’t do it.
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Back on topic, does anyone have any gossip, inside info, someone’s granny has seen someone at the training ground, Westie hiding in the bushes sniffing Moles hole…etc rumours at all? Lots of posts with nothing to do with the subject matter, again…
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The 50% swing in goals scored was only bettered by Doncaster (59%), although it could be argued from a low bar.
Also have to consider we increased our goals conceded by 49%, so there was a 1% positive swing, yet ironically this delivered a worse goals difference of -4 compared to -3 from the previous season.
The biggest positive swings in 23/24 compared to 22/23 were Crawley (58%) and Doncaster (54%), both finishing in the playoffs, both with positive goal differences, albeit single figures of 5 and 6. I reckon this was low generally for the playoffs as Crewe only had +4. Be interesting to see whether it pans out the same again this season.
Ultimately until we finish a season with a positive goals difference, then playoffs, let alone top 3 becomes an incredibly difficult task in my opinion.
I can understand fans concerns around where goals are coming from as it will be based on what they saw last season and what we are left with in the squad. Think there is a lot of pressure on Lakin to hit the ground running as he is ultimately going to be compared to Hutchinson (fairly or unfairly). I’m probably more concerned around how we stop shipping goals in all honesty, hopefully Simkin and Barrett can help that as in large we are going into the coming season with the same defence.
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Can we just focus on transfer rumours PLEASE
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This!
Someone mentioned Matty Phillips to me, not sure how true but wants to stay in the area…
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Good shout!
Isn’t he a winger??? Good player though
It depends what happens. We both agree 5 ‘good’ signings are needed. If we don’t get those can’t see us being anything more than lower mid table.
Love it how under the Bonser very brief periods in this league we finished 3rd and 1st yet Trivela doing well to get anywhere near the Top 7 
yeh winger/forward/attacking midfielder type
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You keep trying to compare us to what we had 20/30 years ago, football has changed dramatically and the money involved compared to when we were last in League 2 is completely different, nothing wrong with aiming for the top 7.
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your correct on that. How times have changed. 3rd and 1st in league 2 OK for Bonser top 10 in league 2 brilliant for Trivela
When did we finish 3rd?
I believe he’s played wing back too but not sure how defensively strong he is tbh
promotion at bury 92/93 I think. Others may correct
That was 94/95 and we finished second.
Wasn’t Bonser in charge when we came 16th and 15th in the early 90s?
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It’s not that hard to understand.
The bulk of our goals were scored by Hutch, Draper, Faal.
None of those are at the club now.
Hutch has been replaced but I doubt he will match Hutch’s numbers.
Faal and Draper have not as yet been replaced, if we don’t get in someone at least as good then it is hard to see where the goals are coming from. Also bear in mind we have lost our best corner taker where a lot of the other goals came from.
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We literally didn’t have a pot to piss in then. The Club was on the verge of closing its doors.
Not defending Bonser, Hibbitt actually did a decent job overall.
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If you want to go down that route Josh Gordon scored 15 goals in league 2 2022/23 Danny Johnson scored 13 goals in league 2 and Jamille Matt scored 19 goals in league 2 in 2021/22.charlie Lakin 7 goals in 21 games in league 2 in 23/24. All signed up for next season.
The truth is we just don’t know how we will do next season in terms of goals scored, but this constant assumption that we have no goals in the team is somehow 100% fact despite plenty of evidence to the contrary is tiresome