Next Year

[boooothy]

There’s a big difference between the team we have and the team we will have. Like i say it’s all hypothetical if we had this team. We won’t have. We’ll have a much weaker team and as such it won’t we a walk in the park, far from it.

[ldr]

Apr 23, 2024 16:57:31 GMT 1 Moooooy said:

Apr 23, 2024 13:53:06 GMT 1 boooothy said:

We won’t keep this team but if we did, we’d win the league. No doubt about it.

I thought that in 2001, 2 years later we were in League 2.

There’s no way this squad wins the league. They haven’t got the mentality for it. League One teams will want to come and put it on us and this set of fannies haven’t got the strength to stand up against it. We’d finish mid table if we’re lucky.

Obviously we should be aiming to win the league, but realistically I think we should expect to be challenging for top 6. Having said that we’ve seen nothing from the folk in charge to suggest they will get the recruitment right in the summer, so as it stands I wouldn’t be surprised to see us at the wrong end of the table next season.

I agree regarding this squad. To win leagues, you need a style, a distinct pattern of play, bravery, ambition, desire and some luck. We have had none of those things this season. We need a new squad or at the very least, a new nucleus to build around. Our ‘rebuild’ last Summer doesn’t inspire confidence.

[Waterloo Terrier]

Yeah that’s true. You don’t win a league by being good off the ball, which is how we’ve tried to play for every season since we got relegated from the Prem.

[stevvy]

Unless we got rid of half the squad and replaced them with players that are either proven at the top end of L1 or proven, at worst, midtable level in the Championship, the chance of us even getting in the playoffs is slim at best.

I honestly think this squad as it stands today would be at best midtable L1, with no guarantee of even being in the top half

[andyboothscat]

A clear split between people who think it will be a walk in the park and a real struggle.

I can see both points given how some big teams got stuck in there for years. That said I can understand why people think it might not be too tricky given Rotherham smash it every other year.

Think the truth lies inbetween somewhere and with some decent transfer business we would be more than competitive.

The only slight trouble with that is that we have the dream team of Nagle, Edwards and Cartwright picking/signing off transfers.

I’ll prepare myself for the extended league one tour for now in that case…!!!

[goodbet]

Apr 23, 2024 17:34:47 GMT 1 Waterloo Terrier said:

Yeah that’s true. You don’t win a league by being good off the ball, which is how we’ve tried to play for every season since we got relegated from the Prem.

I think that we have ended up playing like that since we sold anyone who could pass a ball and brought players in who could not.
I doubt any of our senior management since we were relegated had any plans to develop us in to be a team that is better without the ball, it is just a result of a very poor set of transfer dealings.

[willo]

Apr 23, 2024 13:12:24 GMT 1 COWSHEDPHIL said:

We're going up as next years champions,,,,,

More chance of plaiting piss mate.

[goodbet]

Apr 23, 2024 18:46:54 GMT 1 andyboothscat said:

A clear split between people who think it will be a walk in the park and a real struggle.

I can see both points given how some big teams got stuck in there for years. That said I can understand why people think it might not be too tricky given Rotherham smash it every other year.

Think the truth lies inbetween somewhere and with some decent transfer business we would be more than competitive.

The only slight trouble with that is that we have the dream team of Nagle, Edwards and Cartwright picking/signing off transfers.

I’ll prepare myself for the extended league one tour for now in that case…!!!

The problem lies with the decent transfer business.

How are we going to manage to bring up our transfer business to decent from the poor we have been running at for years.

[bluebeard]

Apr 23, 2024 13:08:58 GMT 1 andyboothscat said:

I expect we'd be about 3rd or 4 favourites - behind Birmingham/Wednesday, Wrexham, and one of the bigger teams who stay down. Maybe about 7/1 or 8/1?

Many on here woudl obviously disagree with those odds but I expect by default most of the relegated teams from Championship will feature pretty high in the bookies favourites for next season - thats just how it goes usually.

Wrexham, why on earth would they be one of the favorites, when Ryan Reynolds realizes what it takes to get out of league one will he be prepared to spend the millions it will take. I really can't see us being in the top 6 it will take a couple of seasons to build a squad capable of getting us promoted

[tepidterrier]

One thing I'd like is a change back to the darker shade of blue in the kit, whatever happens now. 2009-10 felt like a new era because it was a whole new team wearing a kit that looked nothing like the ones from the previous 3 seasons of League One mediocrity. We have had this lighter shade of blue for 15 years, I like it, but I want this season to feel like it was a million years ago as soon as possible.

[Terrier Ramone]

I've seen far more Div 4 football this season than Div 3 but, should we go down, I'm hanging on to the following 2 facts going into next season:

1) Jack Rudoni scored 12 goals in Div 3 in the season we before we bought him, in a relegated side
2) in what is universally known as an horrendous pre-season, we won 4-0 at Stockport

I'm not saying those 2 facts guarantee anything, I'm saying it's what I'm clinging onto for hope for next season.

[King Curtis]

Apr 23, 2024 19:23:24 GMT 1 tepidterrier said:

One thing I'd like is a change back to the darker shade of blue in the kit, whatever happens now. 2009-10 felt like a new era because it was a whole new team wearing a kit that looked nothing like the ones from the previous 3 seasons of League One mediocrity. We have had this lighter shade of blue for 15 years, I like it, but I want this season to feel like it was a million years ago as soon as possible.

That's your main concern?

[tepidterrier]

Apr 23, 2024 20:34:20 GMT 1 King Curtis said:

Apr 23, 2024 19:23:24 GMT 1 tepidterrier said:

One thing I'd like is a change back to the darker shade of blue in the kit, whatever happens now. 2009-10 felt like a new era because it was a whole new team wearing a kit that looked nothing like the ones from the previous 3 seasons of League One mediocrity. We have had this lighter shade of blue for 15 years, I like it, but I want this season to feel like it was a million years ago as soon as possible.

That's your main concern?

No, but if I think for more than a few seconds at a time about the possibility of having to endure any combination of these gutless wasters for another season I get wound up. So I allowed my mind to wander!

[incognito]

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:14 GMT 1 bluebeard said:

Apr 23, 2024 13:08:58 GMT 1 andyboothscat said:

I expect we'd be about 3rd or 4 favourites - behind Birmingham/Wednesday, Wrexham, and one of the bigger teams who stay down. Maybe about 7/1 or 8/1?

Many on here woudl obviously disagree with those odds but I expect by default most of the relegated teams from Championship will feature pretty high in the bookies favourites for next season - thats just how it goes usually.

Wrexham, why on earth would they be one of the favorites, when Ryan Reynolds realizes what it takes to get out of league one will he be prepared to spend the millions it will take. I really can't see us being in the top 6 it will take a couple of seasons to build a squad capable of getting us promoted

Supposedly Wrexham's turnover for this current season in League Two is expected to end up around the £20 million mark - more or less comparable to Derby's (the highest in League One), and a couple of million more than HTAFC's in The Championship.

archive.is/20230816174501/https://theathletic.com/4655470/2023/07/17/wrexham-usa-tour-ryan-reynolds-rob-mcelhenney/

[andyboothscat]

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:14 GMT 1 bluebeard said:

Apr 23, 2024 13:08:58 GMT 1 andyboothscat said:

I expect we'd be about 3rd or 4 favourites - behind Birmingham/Wednesday, Wrexham, and one of the bigger teams who stay down. Maybe about 7/1 or 8/1?

Many on here woudl obviously disagree with those odds but I expect by default most of the relegated teams from Championship will feature pretty high in the bookies favourites for next season - thats just how it goes usually.

Wrexham, why on earth would they be one of the favorites, when Ryan Reynolds realizes what it takes to get out of league one will he be prepared to spend the millions it will take. I really can't see us being in the top 6 it will take a couple of seasons to build a squad capable of getting us promoted

It’s the way the bookies work. Guarantee you. Wrexham will be in top 3 favourites.

[royrace]

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:14 GMT 1 bluebeard said:

Apr 23, 2024 13:08:58 GMT 1 andyboothscat said:

I expect we'd be about 3rd or 4 favourites - behind Birmingham/Wednesday, Wrexham, and one of the bigger teams who stay down. Maybe about 7/1 or 8/1?

Many on here woudl obviously disagree with those odds but I expect by default most of the relegated teams from Championship will feature pretty high in the bookies favourites for next season - thats just how it goes usually.

Wrexham, why on earth would they be one of the favorites, when Ryan Reynolds realizes what it takes to get out of league one will he be prepared to spend the millions it will take. I really can't see us being in the top 6 it will take a couple of seasons to build a squad capable of getting us promoted

Interested to see what the end game is there. It did seem that they weren't exactly aware of what a money pit it would become. They've done great so far but will only need to pump on more money the more successful they become.

[Deleted]

So.
We lose the loanees, Burgzorg, Edwards & Matos.
Diarra, Rhodes, Nakayama and Bellagambi. Probably Hogg as well. I think we lose Mahoney as well, not sure about Austerfield and High.

Only loss I see there, of the contracted players, is Hogg and it is probably time we replaced him.

Other than Bellagambi, who hasn't had a regular first team run, that is 7 players to replace.

We may get offers for Spencer and Helik, who have one year left and perhaps Rudoni who has 2. Can't see any other players getting much interest.

I know miracles can happen in football, we have seen a few ourselves, but on our current run I don't see us staying up. This means we are building a League 1 squad with 7 players to replace. I think our 2 new strikers, fit, with a full pre season, will do well in League 1, and I hope Wiles will as well. If we can manage to keep more players fit we should be able to put together a decent squad.

Turton & Ruffels fit would be a big boost in League 1, steady but sound full backs. Simpson has played a lot of minutes in League 1 this season. Just 3 goals and 1 assist but he could be a decent bench candidate. Hudlin has done very little so I don't think he will bring much. Harratt is a bit of a wild card and could also be a decent bench option. Loick Ayina has done well on loan nd could be ready at League 1 level.

We need, as we have for years, a ball playing centre mid, should have been Wiles, and a strong replacement for Hogg who can pass. With a stronger midfield we could do OK.

I really want to watch a team who are not one trick ponies, side to side then out to the wing. I do feel we can build better in League 1 than the Championship, we have shown season after season we are not good enough at this level. Whatever happens I will be there next season, hopefully enjoying myself a bit more.

Edit: As someone else has said, and not sure why I missed him, but Thomas will attract Championship suitors.

[willo]

Apr 23, 2024 17:14:14 GMT 1 boooothy said:

There’s a big difference between the team we have and the team we will have. Like i say it’s all hypothetical if we had this team. We won’t have. We’ll have a much weaker team and as such it won’t we a walk in the park, far from it.

How much weaker can our team be?

[ChelmsfordTerrier]

Apr 23, 2024 13:53:06 GMT 1 boooothy said:

We won’t keep this team but if we did, we’d win the league. No doubt about it.

Either deluded or a wind up merchant.

[melbourneterrier]

Way too hard at this stage to say where we will end up.
Factors include, but not limited to

A) We're not even confirmed League One status yet. Scrape a win against Brum, hope West Brom beat Sheffield Wednesday and then suddenly we are out of the drop zone....We're still going down though aren't we, really.

B) We don't know who will stay and who will go player wise. I'd expect we will lose the likes of Helik, Sorba, potentially Spencer and Nicholls. Add to that, Rhodes and Diarra out of contract, as is Hogg. The loans will also depart. I also think some others may get moves (not saying within the Championship). Who we bring in will be crucial.

C) We don't know the make up of the coaching team. AB seemed very non-committal in the recent interview he did. I also suspect, if we do drop then he won't be the only one under question and could leave.

Honestly making ANY sort of predictions at this stage I feel is far too early. I'll wait until a week or 2 before the season kicks off before setting any expectation.

[andyboothscat]

Apr 23, 2024 19:05:14 GMT 1 bluebeard said:

Apr 23, 2024 13:08:58 GMT 1 andyboothscat said:

I expect we'd be about 3rd or 4 favourites - behind Birmingham/Wednesday, Wrexham, and one of the bigger teams who stay down. Maybe about 7/1 or 8/1?

Many on here woudl obviously disagree with those odds but I expect by default most of the relegated teams from Championship will feature pretty high in the bookies favourites for next season - thats just how it goes usually.

Wrexham, why on earth would they be one of the favorites, when Ryan Reynolds realizes what it takes to get out of league one will he be prepared to spend the millions it will take. I really can't see us being in the top 6 it will take a couple of seasons to build a squad capable of getting us promoted

Sky bet have a market for this already albeit obviously they don’t know all participants.

Wrexham 8/1 favourites followed by Rotherham (!) 12/1, Charlton 14/1, Wigan 16/1 and Stockport 20/1.

That’s league winner, not promotion.

[colnevalleyblue]

Apr 23, 2024 20:27:55 GMT 1 Terrier Ramone said:

I've seen far more Div 4 football this season than Div 3 but, should we go down, I'm hanging on to the following 2 facts going into next season:

1) Jack Rudoni scored 12 goals in Div 3 in the season we before we bought him, in a relegated side
2) in what is universally known as an horrendous pre-season, we won 4-0 at Stockport

I'm not saying those 2 facts guarantee anything, I'm saying it's what I'm clinging onto for hope for next season.

Ben Wiles got eight last time he was playing in league one but believe that was before his injury.

[boooothy]

Apr 24, 2024 0:40:20 GMT 1 ChelmsfordTerrier said:

Apr 23, 2024 13:53:06 GMT 1 boooothy said:

We won’t keep this team but if we did, we’d win the league. No doubt about it.

Either deluded or a wind up merchant.

You can’t have seen much of that league. Helik and Thomas are worth more money than any squad in that league added together.

[mosher]

Apr 23, 2024 16:36:04 GMT 1 ldr said:

Apr 23, 2024 16:31:26 GMT 1 utttrooper said:

I'm just looking forward to getting our inevitably sexy home kit and getting the Championship badges on it

I’m getting in early:

Too blue
Too stripey
Too white
Shit collar
Stripes too narrow
Stripes too wide
Needs white socks
Needs fucking black socks
Badge too small
Needs some red piping

You forgot:

Badge too big
Badge in wrong place
That red piping looks shit