Optimism/Pessimism

TickTock

TickTock

Well-known member
From where we were at the end of last season, before Critchley had been appointed, the released list had been released, the players arrived and departed etc .. in terms of how you are feeling where +10 would be massively positive and -10 would be massively negative where would you say you are at the moment.

I would say +4 for me.
 
So the end of last season is zero.

+6 I think. Bringing in Critch and signing Thorburn Pennington and Joseph takes us forward quite a long way, even with the loss of Yates. And I now expect us to bring in the players we need, once we play some games and see what is working and what isn't, as the intent is clearly there to do well this season.
 
+3 - better to go in with low expectations .. will go up to +5 pre-season if we get 3/4 more in (including two really good Prem loans) and from there will change as the season goes on.
 
Cable Cat said:
+3 - better to go in with low expectations .. will go up to +5 pre-season if we get 3/4 more in (including two really good Prem loans) and from there will change as the season goes on.
Click to expand...
TBH I would only be interested in loans with an option to buy at agreed price
We got no benefit at all from our loans last season and relying on loans was possibly one of the reasons last season turned into a cluster f*ck
 
I'd say +5. If we hadn't brought in Joseph as part of the Yates deal, then I'd probably say a bit less, +3 maybe. But I think that signing is a really astute piece of business from us. All our transfer business this summer suggests we have a proper plan in place, it's been a world away from last summer it really has. Pennington, Norburn, and Joseph are players that a team destined to be challenging at the top of this league would make. And they provide leadership and experience which are two attributes that we were blatantly lacking last season. We've also been ruthless in releasing players who have been plagued with injury while here. So it all points to the club learning from their mistakes. We've clearly put a lot of thought into what we need, rather than just getting the scattergun out and signing a load of 'one's for the future'.
We still need more, but we have the core of a top six side already in my view, and we now have money to spend. Spend that on the right two or three players and it could make us serious top two contenders I think.
 
Last edited:
I see everyone is positive at the moment ,but I have gone from a minus 4 from about a couple of weeks ago ,to a 0 now. The players we have brought in are all mostly from the two lower divisions and although they are highly rated in these divisions they are what they are . I think it will be all about Critchley's tactics and how the players gel . At the moment we know nothing ,so a 0 seems the right score.
 
+5 as it seems everything that was wrong last season is being rectified.

Edit: Just read the post above this and its everything I would have said but just too lazy to write that much.😁
 
tangysider said:
TBH I would only be interested in loans with an option to buy at agreed price
We got no benefit at all from our loans last season and relying on loans was possibly one of the reasons last season turned into a cluster f*ck
Click to expand...
With better management we would have benefited from our loans. Like we did in previous seasons. Sterling, Ballard, Simms, Embleton. Its a no brainer to add some quality loans. Just not too many.
 
+8

Solid signings so far especially Norburn & Pennington.

Critchley is clearly a draw for players to come with.

Sorting our business early, Yates was never staying and we’ve got a young lad with potential but experience as part of the deal.

Definitely a positive atmosphere in the squad that definitely was not there last season

I have absolutely no doubt we are going straight back up.
 
+7 think we will be in a good position in the league by Xmas too access if we need to add to the squad in the Jan window to push on for auto promotion ,most excited since the Ollie days to be honest, be gutted if we do not at least get in play offs again.
 
2 or 3 Premier League quality loanees and another couple of permanents (one forward and one midfield).
Plus a few going out on loan and it’s a +8 from me
 
Still a minus for me, I'm afraid.
Great that we're feeling more upbeat than at any time in recent months, but this is a hell of a division to conquer.
Injuries, tactics, strength in depth, disciplinary record are all variables which every team will have to manage.
Other clubs have made acquisitions which will enhance their chances and may feel they're better placed to push for automatic.
We'll be a target for many sides wanting to make an impression
One thing's for sure; it's never plain sailing for us
Let's not get carried away until we're 4 points clear of third place with one game to go
 
well we've just been relegated so I would hope to be optimistic for this coming season. No problems with Ctich and it seems we've made some decent signings but still disappointed that relegation has cost us keeping Jerry. i expect a lot this coming season. Let's see if the players,manager and club can deliver.
 
Optimistic for a strong season. Actually getting promoted is a tricky business though. It needs a lot of things to go right as we are not likely to be budgeted beyond top six.
Critch has done it before though so here’s hoping. Get close, some canny acquisitions in January and then just maybe!

PS we still need two or three decent signings before this deadline IMO!
 
Last edited:
Honestly feel very positive at the moment and I’m really excited for the football to get going again.I think the fact the spine of the team has been put in place is very reassuring.Jerry was a sickener but I’d prepared myself for that already plus Joseph coming in straight away has softened the blow.Excited to see what he can do I’ve got a good feeling about him.I’m not overly familiar with a lot of these new players but feels like they were big players at their last clubs and other clubs were chasing them so Im happy to go with that as an early indicator.

Strange situation because we aren’t used to being in the position of expecting promotion.We have always approached these seasons in hope but this one feels very different and the pressure we are going to be putting on the players is something new but we should be getting promoted so I’m happy with that position.I suppose that’s progress as a club in a small way.We expect to be a Championship club now and rightly so.
 
I always have 100% optimism at this time of the year, so it's a +10 from me. ask me again at Christmas!
 
I’d go maybe around a +6. I think the signings are very strong as there’s little ambiguity over whether they’re being signed as squad players or first team starters. Losing Jerry whilst gutting, was inevitable. Bar Thorniley and Keshi I don’t think we’ll miss the released players, even then Pennington may turn out better than Jud and we hardly saw Keshi anyway.

What for me would push the number towards a 10+ is attacking enforcements. I think we need at least another centre forward and a couple of wingers.
 
Losing Yates is a blow and I'll miss Keshi but those players aside, we've kept what I believe is a very good basis of a League 1 squad. Norburn is a big signing because he is exactly the type of player we've been missing. Pennington is a mobile, ball playing centre back and another great signing. Joseph is an exciting prospect and could be a very good bit of business for the club. Morgan is an interesting one, the player I know least about but may have a specific role to play. With Virtue and Dale also returning, who I believe are good L1 players, it feels like 2 new additions. Then we have Trybull, who should be a cut above at this level. I may be over egging the pudding but I just look through our team and I see us being a big threat.

Grimshaw, Gabriel, Ekpiteta, Pennington, Lyons, Trybull, Norburn and Joseph are excellent for L1. The likes of Lavery and Carey need to really step up at this level.

Then we have the return of Critchley and in some ways it feels like he never left, there's a quiet, confidence about his manner.

I'm +7 at the moment, if we can bring in a couple more of attacking players with some experience, it'll move up to an 8 or 9.
 
Last edited:
Well it's +8 for me up to now. We don't appear to have half the squad with long term injuries. If we can hopefully add one or two more permanent signings, and the odd loan signing, we could get promotion.
It was totally out of the question, but had we been able to keep Jerry, I would have put +10, and possibly see us winning the league for once in my lifetime.
AH WELL, I SAY THAT MORE IN HOPE, BUT I CAN DREAM.
🧡UTMP🧡
 
+2 so just on the right side of optimistic. We should do OK defensively now the team have some organisation about them, but we have no idea at all how much of a threat going forward we will be. Joseph is a promising signing, but has a fair bit to do to fill Yates' boots.

Wish we had got Chris Martin, he would have been ideal as the no.9
 
I would go with +2 as I feel Saturday showed our frailties and weaknesses and a big one losing Madine/Yates for me hasn't been addressed.
 
I still think we are a fair bit short of an automatic promotion..it’s a very poor league this year and I would be disappointed if we can’t mount a play off challenge but we have to sign another 4-5 quality players including loans. I think +1 is a fair figure but until Xmas it’s a suck it and see scenario
 
After the weekend I've gone to a tentative +6 - like everything Critch is saying, the players are gelling and most importantly we're scoring. Would just like to see another 3 players in before the opening game.
 
I think with anything like this I give it 10 games and those first 10 games fly by. Would like to think at that stage if not top ourselves that we would be within a win of the top club.
 
Wonder where everyone stands after yesterday's results and performances - I think it's clear we need 3/4 more in and so I'm going +2
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top