POLL - What are your expectations this season?

[M Brook]

I wish I shared the optimism of some of you. Sadly, I have seen it all before and I believe we have now reached the limit of Mr Mad's ambition. The latest admission by BMcD that no more transfer funds will be made available and the lack of bids to resecure the services of Zurab and Ryan show that, once again, we will have to rely on youngsters to fill in the obvious gaps.

Sorry to open up an old debate but the sooner Mr Mad goes (marvellous tho he has been for us) the better. The only way we will move forward is with new blood and, sadly, because I hate the way football is eating itself, with new money.

Another disappointing season beckons.

(This post will self destruct around Christmas should I be totally wrong!)

[brendywendy]

wish I shared the optimism of some of you. Sadly, I have seen it all before and I believe we have now reached the limit of Mr Mad's ambition. The latest admission by BMcD that no more transfer funds will be made available and the lack of bids to resecure the services of Zurab and Ryan show that, once again, we will have to rely on youngsters to fill in the obvious gaps.

utter nonsense

when you say youve seen it all before- does that include promotion to the premiere league? using only around 18 players, many of them free transfers,or for a pittance, totalling less than 5 million pound, and only two recognised CBs, with makeshift back up full backs, and 2 strikers from ireland who cost less than 100K for the two........

[loyalroyal4life]

I expect a 2nd place finish

[Sarah Star]

I've put playoffs. I don't really expect to be higher than that although I think we'll challenge for it given last season and McDermott and the quality of our squad.

I think I'll be disappointed if we aren't in the top 10.

[Old Biscuitman]

A jittery start to the season. We have three very tough games out of the first five. Predict that at end-August we'll be lucky to have 5 points.
Then a nail-biting finish to the season (so, what's new?). We'll hover between 6th and 8th place.

[Ian Royal]

wish I shared the optimism of some of you. Sadly, I have seen it all before and I believe we have now reached the limit of Mr Mad's ambition. The latest admission by BMcD that no more transfer funds will be made available and the lack of bids to resecure the services of Zurab and Ryan show that, once again, we will have to rely on youngsters to fill in the obvious gaps.

utter nonsense

when you say youve seen it all before- does that include promotion to the premiere league? using only around 18 players, many of them free transfers,or for a pittance, totalling less than 5 million pound, and only two recognised CBs, with makeshift back up full backs, and 2 strikers from ireland who cost less than 100K for the two........

'greed.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

If we stay injury free play offs is possible but lack of cover in defence could undo us.

I think Middlesboro will do much better this time around and QPR could be dangerous

[Sun Tzu]

I wish I shared the optimism of some of you. Sadly, I have seen it all before and I believe we have now reached the limit of Mr Mad's ambition. The latest admission by BMcD that no more transfer funds will be made available and the lack of bids to resecure the services of Zurab and Ryan show that, once again, we will have to rely on youngsters to fill in the obvious gaps.

i think using youngsters sounds an excellent idea. We do have quite a few very good ones. Largely due to the unambitious waste of money we call the Academy !!

[papereyes]

My expectations are slightly lower than how I'd rate the players. I think we're capable of doing very well - play offs certainly - I just don't think we will have quite the form of the second half of last season.

[Fox Talbot]

I too can't see us repeating the form of 2nd half of last season which was a) dependent on loan defenders (OK we kept one of the three) and fresh youngsters other clubs hadn't worked out.

We're short upfront (in both senses) and Noel Hunt is no big deal. Rasiak - jeez. Unless there's a sudden breakthrough in ability from the likes of Church, Antonio, Karacan, Williams (to reach the level of Sig) I think we'll be treading water. Mid-tabel for me.

[No Fixed Abode]

relegation.

[M Brook]

wish I shared the optimism of some of you. Sadly, I have seen it all before and I believe we have now reached the limit of Mr Mad's ambition. The latest admission by BMcD that no more transfer funds will be made available and the lack of bids to resecure the services of Zurab and Ryan show that, once again, we will have to rely on youngsters to fill in the obvious gaps.

utter nonsense

when you say youve seen it all before- does that include promotion to the premiere league? using only around 18 players, many of them free transfers,or for a pittance, totalling less than 5 million pound, and only two recognised CBs, with makeshift back up full backs, and 2 strikers from ireland who cost less than 100K for the two........

I was referring to the optimism - that blind unflinching pre-season optimism we have all experienced but which, like last season, can so quickly turn to dust.

[floyd__streete]

Mediocre-looking striking options again and a defence which lacks any quality in depth once Mills inevitably gets suspended. On the other hand, we have a number of individuals who are top quality players at this level. Top ten should be the aim, top two would be nothing short of miraculous and seems entirely unlikely.

[Big Foot]

Mediocre-looking striking options again and a defence which lacks any quality in depth once Mills inevitably gets suspended. On the other hand, we have a number of individuals who are top quality players at this level. Top ten should be the aim, top two would be nothing short of miraculous and seems entirely unlikely.

Top 10 is my prediction, put us in the "nearly rans" for the play offs....I'd be happy chasing a last day of the season dream to capture 6th spot needing to beat Derby 4-0 and Sheff Utd to lose by 5 clear goals or similar

[Uncle Andy]

If we do well it will be because Brian is some sort of demi-god, if we do badly it will somehow all be Brendans fault according to most people on here

[Snowball]

My expectations are slightly lower than how I'd rate the players. I think we're capable of doing very well - play offs certainly - I just don't think we will have quite the form of the second half of last season.

But wouldn't the form of the second half have meant automatic promotion?

So slightly not-so-good should mean top six?

[Ferris]

My expectations are slightly lower than how I'd rate the players. I think we're capable of doing very well - play offs certainly - I just don't think we will have quite the form of the second half of last season.

But wouldn't the form of the second half have meant automatic promotion?

So slightly not-so-good should mean top six?

Do you have any stats to back this up?

[Z175]

My expectations are slightly lower than how I'd rate the players. I think we're capable of doing very well - play offs certainly - I just don't think we will have quite the form of the second half of last season.

But wouldn't the form of the second half have meant automatic promotion?

So slightly not-so-good should mean top six?

Do you have any stats to back this up?

Well its just over half way but Brian McDermotts first win was at home to Barnsley. From this game and onwards we got 40 points from 20 games so 2 points a game. Over 46 games this would give 92 points.

WBA got 91...

So slightly worse should see us in the playoffs?!

[trueroyal1871]

I think we'll be pushing for a top two finish this season but just fall short and end up in the play off's which I think we'll win. I've got a good feeling about this and I've put money on it, the last time I had this feeling I had £20 down that we would win the league and we absolutely smashed it.

[Sun Tzu]

My expectations are slightly lower than how I'd rate the players. I think we're capable of doing very well - play offs certainly - I just don't think we will have quite the form of the second half of last season.

But wouldn't the form of the second half have meant automatic promotion?

So slightly not-so-good should mean top six?

Do you have any stats to back this up?

I believe there are stats to both back it up and contradict it.

I think that over the second half of the season we had the third best form (behind the two promoted clubs). So if the season lasted from jan to May we would not have got auto.
If you simply assume you could replace our first half with a duplicate of our second half then I think we might have scraped up. But that's a huge assumption and not very logical.