Realistic expectations for the season

BFC_BFC_BFC said:
When you say 'you feel' does that just mean you're essentially just making it up or do you actually know that players 'like Josh Bowler' were a bit brassed off ?

It's just that I didn't get the slightest sense at all that the players (including Josh Bowler) were at all brassed off...
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It was just a feeling I had when watching us last season about forwards when they played 4-5-1 instead of 4-4-2, and Josh Bowler in the 2nd half of last season.
I've never been at ease with the Pool changing a winning side just for the sake of keeping a squad happy. The worst instance ever for me was Ian Holloway's eleven changes and watching our last minute 3-2 defeat at the then bottom of the table, Aston Villa.
I didn't go to any friendlies, but the way we came out against Reading was like a breath of fresh air, and long may it continue.
🧡 UTMP 🧡
 
Seainsea said:
A lot will hinge on signing a centre forward who guarantees goals and there are not many of them about and they don't come cheap. The last one we had at this level was Kevin Phillips and that's when we had Parachute payments!
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We got DJ on loan and I think that's the likely route. Someone who won't make the 25 of a Premier league club maybe.
 
Henshman said:
It was just a feeling I had when watching us last season about forwards when they played 4-5-1 instead of 4-4-2, and Josh Bowler in the 2nd half of last season.
I've never been at ease with the Pool changing a winning side just for the sake of keeping a squad happy. The worst instance ever for me was Ian Holloway's eleven changes and watching our last minute 3-2 defeat at the then bottom of the table, Aston Villa.
I didn't go to any friendlies, but the way we came out against Reading was like a breath of fresh air, and long may it continue.
🧡 UTMP 🧡
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Weird…

Josh played some of his best football in the second half of last season. The players had clearly bought into the way Critchley did things and repeatedly said they understood it was a squad game and had a fantastic season (having secured promotion the year before).

Ian Holloway is ancient history, though the comment highlights that this clearly has more to do with your personal dislike of squad rotation than anything at all to do with our players (Josh Bowler in particular)

In all honesty I really didn’t see anything at all in the early performance against Reading that wasn’t there in abundance last season. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a breath of fresh air by comparison. We pummelled Reading twice last year with some of the most free flowing football I’ve seen… Away was one of the games of our season winning 3-2 and at home we won 4-1….

On Saturday we looked all over the show in the second half and scraped a 1-0…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder obviously, but I can’t help thinking at times that we just make stuff up to suit.
 
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BFC_BFC_BFC said:
Weird…

Josh played some of his best football in the second half of last season. The players has clearly bought into the way Critchley things, repeatedly said they understood it was a squad game and had a fantastic season (having secured promotion the year before).

Ian Holloway is ancient history, though the comment highlights that this clearly has more to do with your personal dislike of squad rotation than anything at all to do with our players.
In all honesty I really didn’t see anything at all in the early performance against Reading that wasn’t there in abundance last season. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a breath of fresh air….We pummelled Reading last year with sone of the most free flowing football I’ve seen… Away was one of the games of our season winning 3-2 and at home we won 4-1….

On Saturday we looked all over the show in the second half and scraped a 1-0…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder obviously, but I can’t help thinking at times that we just make stuff up to suit.
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100% correct.
 
voyeur said:
How come?
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There doesn’t appear to be many clubs that really fancy him now to pay what BFC will want except Blackburn and there’s every always a 50/50 chance something could go wrong with that for some reason or they get someone else instead. And the clubs that had shown internet last season have changed priorities and gone up. Maybe just wishful thinking that he stays for a bit longer, but I’d bet on him going in January when we are less likely to be able to negotiate or hold out for a bigger fee and the player really does want to leave (if we aren’t playoff contending or better).

I had a dream that we chanted “Stay Bowler….oooh Bowler” at matches Craig Mclachlan style and he stayed to get us promoted.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
Ian Holloway is ancient history, though the comment highlights that this clearly has more to do with your personal dislike of squad rotation than anything at all to do with our players (Josh Bowler in particular)
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I agree.

Squad rotation works for really good squads against inferior teams and allows below average squads to get results against broadly better teams. For average teams against similarly average teams it tends to nil nil and mid table and disjointed uninspired performances by and large. Critchley did a great job rotating even if he did get it wrong by overly rotating a few times. We’re going to be more solid and predictable under Appleton but whether we get any difference in entertainment and results remains to be seen. Critchley does generally deserve a bit more respect for what he achieved.
 
clappers said:
There doesn’t appear to be many clubs that really fancy him now to pay what BFC will want except Blackburn and there’s every always a 50/50 chance something could go wrong with that for some reason or they get someone else instead. And the clubs that had shown internet last season have changed priorities and gone up. Maybe just wishful thinking that he stays for a bit longer, but I’d bet on him going in January when we are less likely to be able to negotiate or hold out for a bigger fee and the player really does want to leave (if we aren’t playoff contending or better).

I had a dream that we chanted “Stay Bowler….oooh Bowler” at matches Craig Mclachlan style and he stayed to get us promoted.
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Forest are said to be interested now. Bournemiuth allegedly made a cheeky bid a couple of weeks ago. Bowler would be a bargain for someone at about 3m and I think that's quite likely to happen this month, probably on TED. He'd be an impact player for the likes of Forest or Fulham or a parachute club in the Championship. 3m is loose change to Forest. Apparently!
 
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