Are we counting our chickens before they've hatched????

[beerbantam]

Clear favourites to win the league and optimism like never before from the MB masses, are we counting our Chickens before the eggs have hatched?

I am always over optimistic every pre-season and have learned to wait until after the first few games of the season.

Indeed we look to have strengthened in the right area (midfield) so far this close season, but we still have the same question marks around the team that we've had for years..

Forgetting the fact that we have not yet got a keeper for now (anything better than Ricketts has to be an improvement - time will tell), we still look to have the same lack of pace at the back, on paper Lee looks a good signing, but is very much in the same mould as Wetherall and worryingly missed two large chunks of last season with injury, Hecks was steady last year imo though not the player who left us a couple of years before. A fully fit Clarke will be an asset but that has never been seen. Bower will always give his all but kop abuse from the usual suspects because he's an easy target & Arnison at RB looks to end the merry-go-round that haunts the position at VP.
As it stands i think we'll be ok at the back but we will struggle at when we fall foul to the inevitable injuries which will undoubtabley put pay to Clarke & Lee (hopefully not at the same time). What odds on Wethers putting the boots back on before May 09':eek:

As i said above the midfield looks much improved with options allover. The CM positions we have more and better options than in years (assuming McClaren does what it says on the tin and Bollock can get fit) and at rm we have a host of players to choose from. As yet we havent solved the LM position which last year was never sorted & both Omar Daley & Joe Colbeck need to put in consistant performances this year which they have both failed to do previously.
Getting a settled and regular 4 accross the middle is the key for us this season , but will so much choice be a good thing or a bad one for Stu? He needs to decide early and stick with it- which we again failed to do last year imo.

Up front we are in a better position already than we were at the start last season, in the fact that we already know we have a striker more than capable of getting 20 goals in Thorne, keeping him fit is imperative to us or on last years showing we havent got anyone else to bag the goals. I'm still optimistic that Topp will be class, but Fat Barry hasnt got a lot of goals in him and he must start the season as he ended last or he's simply a waste of a wage.

All-in-all, i think we look to have a great chance next year, i think we still need 4/5 more players in to give quality cover, A keeper, another ctr back, a Lm and another good striker. If we get the luck that we've not had in years and manage to stay injury free in key area's we'll be ok, but if the injury jinx continue's with the likes of Clarke, Lee, Bollock, Topp and Thorne and if we see another season where the midfield quartet is different every game i'd expect another season of indifference.

I dont think our favourite status is yet justified in L2, though the bookies are not often wrong. As it stands i dont think we have the firepower to go up as champions but i'd love to be proved wrong..........

[briggus]

Clear favourites to win the league and optimism like never before from the MB masses, are we counting our Chickens before the eggs have hatched?

I am always over optimistic every pre-season and have learned to wait until after the first few games of the season.

Indeed we look to have strengthened in the right area (midfield) so far this close season, but we still have the same question marks around the team that we've had for years..

Forgetting the fact that we have not yet got a keeper for now (anything better than Ricketts has to be an improvement - time will tell), we still look to have the same lack of pace at the back, on paper Lee looks a good signing, but is very much in the same mould as Wetherall and worryingly missed two large chunks of last season with injury, Hecks was steady last year imo though not the player who left us a couple of years before. A fully fit Clarke will be an asset but that has never been seen. Bower will always give his all but kop abuse from the usual suspects because he's an easy target & Arnison at RB looks to end the merry-go-round that haunts the position at VP.
As it stands i think we'll be ok at the back but we will struggle at when we fall foul to the inevitable injuries which will undoubtabley put pay to Clarke & Lee (hopefully not at the same time). What odds on Wethers putting the boots back on before May 09':eek:

As i said above the midfield looks much improved with options allover. The CM positions we have more and better options than in years (assuming McClaren does what it says on the tin and Bollock can get fit) and at rm we have a host of players to choose from. As yet we havent solved the LM position which last year was never sorted & both Omar Daley & Joe Colbeck need to put in consistant performances this year which they have both failed to do previously.
Getting a settled and regular 4 accross the middle is the key for us this season , but will so much choice be a good thing or a bad one for Stu? He needs to decide early and stick with it- which we again failed to do last year imo.

Up front we are in a better position already than we were at the start last season, in the fact that we already know we have a striker more than capable of getting 20 goals in Thorne, keeping him fit is imperative to us or on last years showing we havent got anyone else to bag the goals. I'm still optimistic that Topp will be class, but Fat Barry hasnt got a lot of goals in him and he must start the season as he ended last or he's simply a waste of a wage.

All-in-all, i think we look to have a great chance next year, i think we still need 4/5 more players in to give quality cover, A keeper, another ctr back, a Lm and another good striker. If we get the luck that we've not had in years and manage to stay injury free in key area's we'll be ok, but if the injury jinx continue's with the likes of Clarke, Lee, Bollock, Topp and Thorne and if we see another season where the midfield quartet is different every game i'd expect another season of indifference.

I dont think our favourite status is yet justified in L2, though the bookies are not often wrong. As it stands i dont think we have the firepower to go up as champions but i'd love to be proved wrong..........


V. Good summary - the defence point is one that worries me as well as the balance of the team - short og a natural left footer in the wide LM position. We could also do with an holding midfielder - some one like Doyle (though it will have to be some one else as he deservedly as moved on to greater things) who could also cover the RB and slot in the middle. What a pity JR did not have the readies to sign him! As you say we need goals to propel us up to the next league - so we need another striker who can get in to double figures to supplement a Thorne free of injury all season. Hopefully midfield should contribute more this season.

[Kop Kred]

Clear favourites to win the league and optimism like never before from the MB masses, are we counting our Chickens before the eggs have hatched?

I am always over optimistic every pre-season and have learned to wait until after the first few games of the season.

Indeed we look to have strengthened in the right area (midfield) so far this close season, but we still have the same question marks around the team that we've had for years..

Forgetting the fact that we have not yet got a keeper for now (anything better than Ricketts has to be an improvement - time will tell), we still look to have the same lack of pace at the back, on paper Lee looks a good signing, but is very much in the same mould as Wetherall and worryingly missed two large chunks of last season with injury, Hecks was steady last year imo though not the player who left us a couple of years before. A fully fit Clarke will be an asset but that has never been seen. Bower will always give his all but kop abuse from the usual suspects because he's an easy target & Arnison at RB looks to end the merry-go-round that haunts the position at VP.
As it stands i think we'll be ok at the back but we will struggle at when we fall foul to the inevitable injuries which will undoubtabley put pay to Clarke & Lee (hopefully not at the same time). What odds on Wethers putting the boots back on before May 09':eek:

As i said above the midfield looks much improved with options allover. The CM positions we have more and better options than in years (assuming McClaren does what it says on the tin and Bollock can get fit) and at rm we have a host of players to choose from. As yet we havent solved the LM position which last year was never sorted & both Omar Daley & Joe Colbeck need to put in consistant performances this year which they have both failed to do previously.
Getting a settled and regular 4 accross the middle is the key for us this season , but will so much choice be a good thing or a bad one for Stu? He needs to decide early and stick with it- which we again failed to do last year imo.

Up front we are in a better position already than we were at the start last season, in the fact that we already know we have a striker more than capable of getting 20 goals in Thorne, keeping him fit is imperative to us or on last years showing we havent got anyone else to bag the goals. I'm still optimistic that Topp will be class, but Fat Barry hasnt got a lot of goals in him and he must start the season as he ended last or he's simply a waste of a wage.

All-in-all, i think we look to have a great chance next year, i think we still need 4/5 more players in to give quality cover, A keeper, another ctr back, a Lm and another good striker. If we get the luck that we've not had in years and manage to stay injury free in key area's we'll be ok, but if the injury jinx continue's with the likes of Clarke, Lee, Bollock, Topp and Thorne and if we see another season where the midfield quartet is different every game i'd expect another season of indifference.

I dont think our favourite status is yet justified in L2, though the bookies are not often wrong. As it stands i dont think we have the firepower to go up as champions but i'd love to be proved wrong..........

I'm not worried one iota... as I've said previously, McCall has assembled his own team now, more or less, and on paper it's miles better than last season, so once we have the additional striker it's down to the management team to make it work.
I have every confidence.

[DBantam]

I have to say being promotion favourites' is a nice thing to worry about. If we're there or thereabouts at the end of the season, I'd much rather be getting nervous about whether we win or lose for promotion, than do so for relegation for once.

Stuart's assembled his own midfield and must know what he's doing with it. I don't think we'll be looking at signing a left midfielder, despite people's pleas. However, we do need a good goalkeeper and a decent striker to complete the jigsaw. It's not a strong division, and reckon we probably deserve our favourites tag. Though with 14,000 fan, a high-profile manager and some decent signings, we were always going to be favourites. It's those that have improved "under the radar" that I'd worry about most.

[Kop Kred]

I have to say being promotion favourites' is a nice thing to worry about. If we're there or thereabouts at the end of the season, I'd much rather be getting nervous about whether we win or lose for promotion, than do so for relegation for once.

Stuart's assembled his own midfield and must know what he's doing with it. I don't think we'll be looking at signing a left midfielder, despite people's pleas. However, we do need a good goalkeeper and a decent striker to complete the jigsaw. It's not a strong division, and reckon we probably deserve our favourites tag. Though with 14,000 fan, a high-profile manager and some decent signings, we were always going to be favourites. It's those that have improved "under the radar" that I'd worry about most.

Such as?

[Superfatbantam]

I have to say being promotion favourites' is a nice thing to worry about. If we're there or thereabouts at the end of the season, I'd much rather be getting nervous about whether we win or lose for promotion, than do so for relegation for once.

Stuart's assembled his own midfield and must know what he's doing with it. I don't think we'll be looking at signing a left midfielder, despite people's pleas. However, we do need a good goalkeeper and a decent striker to complete the jigsaw. It's not a strong division, and reckon we probably deserve our favourites tag. Though with 14,000 fan, a high-profile manager and some decent signings, we were always going to be favourites. It's those that have improved "under the radar" that I'd worry about most.

Such as?

Lincoln.

[beerbantam]

It's those that have improved "under the radar" that I'd worry about most.
Like always in the lower league's the threats will be the relegated teams (bar Luton) & the teams who just missed out last season, Chesterfield, Darlo, Rochdale, Wycombe and the newly cash injected Shrewsbury.

Its very much an open league and no-one has made any great strides that would suggest running away with it - it will be tight at the top imo, its a matter of making sure we are up there with em' from the off!!

[Kop Kred]

[quote=Clayton Bantam;222902]

Lincoln.

You should get your radar fixed...


http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/showthread.php?t=19855&highlight=lincoln

[beerbantam]

[quote=Clayton Bantam;222902]

Lincoln.

Lol, Jacko's about as 'off the radar' as the Beckhams!!

[Superfatbantam]

Who said Lincoln? roflmao:

Wycombe!

[Dr Wisey]

Who gives a f about anyone else? - we are going up as Champions - I'll bare my backside on a photo for this site if we fail.

[peter beagrie is mint]

:eek::eek:What have you done??

[Dr Wisey]

I have supreme faith in McCall and Co....................

[DBantam]

I have to say being promotion favourites' is a nice thing to worry about. If we're there or thereabouts at the end of the season, I'd much rather be getting nervous about whether we win or lose for promotion, than do so for relegation for once.

Stuart's assembled his own midfield and must know what he's doing with it. I don't think we'll be looking at signing a left midfielder, despite people's pleas. However, we do need a good goalkeeper and a decent striker to complete the jigsaw. It's not a strong division, and reckon we probably deserve our favourites tag. Though with 14,000 fan, a high-profile manager and some decent signings, we were always going to be favourites. It's those that have improved "under the radar" that I'd worry about most.

Such as?

Such as pretty much any team in the division. Would anyone on here have put Wycombe, Rochdale and Hereford among last season's promotion favourites? Probably not. A couple of teams will always spring a surprise in the Fourth Division.

[beerbantam]

[quote=Clayton Bantam;222902]

Such as pretty much any team in the division. Would anyone on here have put Wycombe, Rochdale and Hereford among last season's promotion favourites? Probably not. A couple of teams will always spring a surprise in the Fourth Division.

Which is exactly why we shouldnt be getting carried away with all this 'champions' talk before we have even kicked a ball!!

[Kop Kred]

[quote=DBantam;222918]

Which is exactly why we shouldnt be getting carried away with all this 'champions' talk before we have even kicked a ball!!


something is amiss with quoting hereabouts Beer.

:)

[Gary1975]

I have my feet firmly on the ground and i am not getting carried away by all this DAFT promotion lark









































BTW are we booking anywhere so we can all celebrate our Title winning season :)

[DBantam]

I have my feet firmly on the ground and i am not getting carried away by all this DAFT promotion lark

I agree.

I've already remortgaged the house and been down to Ladbrokes this morning.

[Gary1975]

I agree.

I've already remortgaged the house and been down to Ladbrokes this morning.

Glad your being sensible about it :)

[Parrot]

"Were going up as fooking Champions!!!" jump: jump: jump:

[Dr Wisey]

My ass is on the line if we fail - we will not though - I can smell success.