Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

[BLUEAWAY TOO]

Expectations: are that we will sign three or four players who prove their worth, hopefully amongst them will be a ‘leader’, that the spends will be modest in terms of fees and wages thus helping to maintain the squad ethos and limit increasing the debt even more and that we will finish mid to lower table, which would still be a step forward.
Hopes: first and foremost that we avoid the relegation scrap. I would love to see us have a good start and be mid table or higher at the end of December with positive transfer choices to make during the window. That the ‘graduates’ and other squad members continue their personal momentum towards being better players.

In terms of playing style I expect it to be similar although not sure that it suits Salech.
My hopes are that we are better at breaking down stubborn defences and that we concede less breakaway goals and are always competitive.

And that we score from set pieces

[Trigger]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

I think the style of play and structure to how we play has now had a full year to bed in and our control of the ball is a massive advantage over where we were two years ago. We maybe won't have quite as much possession in all matches of course but it will be enough to keep us in many.

Predicting a mid table season, we will surprise a few and I do think we will take a few beatings where we aren't quite on our game but overall will be fine.

[binman]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

I'm expecting extremely high tempo high press football

The team needs to improve significantly for this to be successful as a lot of team are direct in the Championship and we are a bit soft in my opinion. There are a lot of 'monster' centre forwards out there like Osmajic, Ivanovic, Riis, Bishop and Kieffer/Sturridge that will try to bully us and christ we were dodgy on defending corners last season so when the centre halves come up I do panic

As always a decent start is required - it will change the way the opposition plays us

At the moment I'm still more looking forward to it than I have been for a while

I think we'll score plenty but concede plenty as well

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

I'm expecting extremely high tempo high press football

The team needs to improve significantly for this to be successful as a lot of team are direct in the Championship and we are a bit soft in my opinion. There are a lot of 'monster' centre forwards out there like Osmajic, Ivanovic, Riis, Bishop and Kieffer/Sturridge that will try to bully us and christ we were dodgy on defending corners last season so when the centre halves come up I do panic

As always a decent start is required - it will change the way the opposition plays us

At the moment I'm still more looking forward to it than I have been for a while

I think we'll score plenty but concede plenty as well

High tempo football may be difficult as we have a huge problem attacking at speed.

[Chris Pontprennau Blues]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

I agree with Phil and co - Winty was let go cos BBM has a better replacement IMO - we will be 8th in final table

[ManBearPig]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

Bit of a nothing season where we finish 12th I recon. Which I would actually be quite pleased with. Keep hold of BBM and push for the play offs the year after.

[BLUETIT]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

Experienced centre midfielder and experienced centre half signed.

Be the first team to put 3 attacking players in attacking positions when we are defending corners and free kicks, thus doing away with all the pushing & shoving in the box

Shoot more when we are outside the opposition’s box and not tippy tappy about looking for the perfect goal !

Oh, and a goalie on the bench

That’s me happy

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

Someone to compete with/complement/substitute for Salech would be novel.

[NYCBlue]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

Thriving not surviving.

[light up the darkness]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

For me. I agree with a lot of what Blueaway says. We need a defensive midfielder who can play football in the BBM mode. A speedy winger who can cross the ball. And as well as the current CBs have played we will assuredly get found out when we’re up against big strikers who know where the goal is. We need a CB in the mould of that twat with the binoculars that plays for Southampton .

Harwood-Bellend…but not him specifically

A back up for Salech and a Plan B for when things go tits up

I predict; A comfortable mid table finish playing the same brand of football but without too much drama

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

I think we could finish the top half; it's really hard to predict as such an even league, anyone can beat anyone, but it's hard to hit the top eight this season with Southampton staying down and so many other good teams in the league.

Even Bulut got us to the top half in his full season with an embargo, painful watch though.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

Experienced centre midfielder and experienced centre half signed.

Be the first team to put 3 attacking players in attacking positions when we are defending corners and free kicks, thus doing away with all the pushing & shoving in the box

Shoot more when we are outside the opposition’s box and not tippy tappy about looking for the perfect goal !

Oh, and a goalie on the bench

That’s me happy

A long throw into the box would be nice in this league.

[Hilts]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

Move on Chambers Willock and Turnbull. All 3 had decent seasons but their performances in the Championship last time were a big reason for our relegation.

Replace with 3 upgrades particularly a dominant CB.

Left back to challenge Bagan. Back up / challenge Salech.

Kellyman returning as long as hes not going to play up front would be good as well.

Realistically we cant move on Chambers and Co so hopefully they are far better this time round under BBM.

[Hilts]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

A long throw into the box would be nice in this league.

Just being able to take a decent normal throw would be nice.

Set pieces need a major upgrade.

[Tuerto]

Re: Early thoughts on hopes and expectations for next season.

We will need better players at championship level, there's not much doubt about that, but as important as being decent with a ball will be their mentality.
We have a fair few players who have pretty much failed at Championship level over the past few years, and that's a sticking point for me.
Being winners at league 1 level can hopefully create momentum and confidence, and having a coach in Barry Murphy who seemingly knows how to handle players and get the best out of them will be hugely beneficial. But here's the but, for the majority of the season just gone, things have gone out way, we were superior to most other sides in nearly every aspect of the game. Next season won't be that way, and plenty of these players have a substantial history of either not being good enough at the next level, being soft, and not knowing what to do when things aren't going their way. That's a concern, because that culture was born over a long period of time, it didn't just happen last season.
Do some of these players have the character and mental strength to be competitive at a higher level?