Selles confimred

[windermereROYAL]

If we aren't in or very close to the top 6 then he'll be shown the door.

You don`t do yourself many favours here do you James.

[tidus_mi2]

I do think you've got to give Selles at least 2 seasons, unless he has us down at the wrong end of the division. With all the upheaval yet again, a promotion charge would be nice but it might be out of reach this season. I think most likely the division will get even weaker next season, would expect a couple of the bigger teams at least to go up while perennial strugglers in the Championship should go down now there are no teams under an embargo or points deduction to keep them afloat.

[Snowflake Royal]

If we aren't in or very close to the top 6 then he'll be shown the door.

Pauno and Ince got way too much time, so it would be a break from recent memory to sack him if we're 10th.

We also need to give a manager a real chance to build something. In the Championship, embargos meant we had no space for the slightest underachievement, and so we ended up on the merry go round needing a new manager bounce every year. Not the case now; it's a position of strength that finishing 12th would be a bad season.

I agree top 6 is the target, but if we don't achieve it, I hope the club takes a step back and asks sensible questions. Is he fostering a good team culture? Is there a style of play entertaining the fans? Has the manager identified how we need to improve? It may be that these questions have unsatisfactory answers, in which case adios Ruben. But we shouldn't need to make knee jerk decisions to rescue our season.

Especially if signings like Wing, Knibbs, Savage and Smith have a generally positive impact (can't expect all, but on the whole). Then clearly, even if we underperform and play badly, we're moving in the right direction with signings.

If they're all shit and we struggle to win in the last 3 months of the season again, then even if we finish 13th we should consider his position.

Most important thing for me is seeing signs of progress and building something.

[NathStPaul]

There is certainly going to be pressure on Selles early door. With the signings already made and the ones to follow he really won't have too many excuses if we aren't in a good position come Christmas time. I consider a good position to be solidly inside the top 10 FWIW.

[Clyde1998]

I do think you've got to give Selles at least 2 seasons, unless he has us down at the wrong end of the division. With all the upheaval yet again, a promotion charge would be nice but it might be out of reach this season. I think most likely the division will get even weaker next season, would expect a couple of the bigger teams at least to go up while perennial strugglers in the Championship should go down now there are no teams under an embargo or points deduction to keep them afloat.

Yeah. You'd expect three from ourselves, Derby, Bolton, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Peterborough, possibly Barnsley, Charlton and Wigan (don't really know what to make of them though) to go up this season. You'd have teams like Rotherham, Plymouth, Cardiff, QPR or Huddersfield coming down - which should make the league weaker the following season (on paper at least).

It can take some sides much longer than you'd expect to return to the Championship, even with bigger budgets than the rest of the league - Leeds, Sheffield United and Ipswich all spring to mind as examples. We simply need a positive season that brings the feel good factor back and have signs of progression - two years minimum for Selles should be plan, aside from a catastrophic situation.

[windermereROYAL]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

[under the tin]

Whoa with the expectations.
Saturday's game was a cobbled up X1 of youth teamers, triallists, and new signings who haven't properly unpacked their luggage yet, mixed in with a couple of last season's regulars. They've probably never played together before.
Ok: so there's new lads coming in, but they will need time to bed in.
Selles talks about building the identity of his team, the tactics, the formation, and that won't happen overnight, either.
Mistakes will happen, things will go wrong.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if we suffer a couple (or more) early season defeats due to the above, and the other factor:
The opposition. When all's said and done, it's 11 v 11 competitive professional sportsmen, whatever the level.
The other effect of being a relatively big fish in the L1 pond will be that we will be viewed as a "scalp", and I'm quite sure that oppo managers will use that to try to get that extra 2% out of their players.
We've needed this "reset" for years and years.
Selles has a blank canvas to work with, unlike his predecessors who were hamstrung with a squad bloated with some sulky show ponies on lucrative contracts.
Coppell didn't bring overnight success, nor did Pardew, nor did McGhee
We'll get there.
UUURRRZZZZ

[CountryRoyal]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

I would concur, however any optimism my end is cautious at the very least considering our recent record against lower league teams.

[Dirk Gently]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

I would concur, however any optimism my end is cautious at the very least considering our recent record against lower league teams.

It all depends upon just how quickly we realise we're in this league and will have to scrap to get out of it.

Relegated teams so often have delusions of grandeur and think they only have to turn up to get back to their "rightful level", and by the time they realise it doesn't work like that it's often too late to change or catch up.

[tmesis]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

Relegated sides don't tend to have to do massive rebuilds while being unable to sign anybody at all during the close season, nor are they restricted to free transfers and loans while trying to do this.

We are in a much worse position than most relegated sides. With the current squad, top half would be a good achievement, not an expectation.

That said, I saw Wycombe at Aldershot on Saturday (met up with a mate, rather than any real desire to watch either) and if Wycombe are an average League One club we'll need to be really bad to struggle.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

Relegated sides don't tend to have to do massive rebuilds while being unable to sign anybody at all during the close season, nor are they restricted to free transfers and loans while trying to do this.

We are in a much worse position than most relegated sides. With the current squad, top half would be a good achievement, not an expectation.

That said, I saw Wycombe at Aldershot on Saturday (met up with a mate, rather than any real desire to watch either) and if Wycombe are an average League One club we'll need to be really bad to struggle.

Have we been unable to sign anyone this summer?

[Hound]

Honestly I think if we weren’t challenging the play offs at least, then it’ll be a little disappointing

Wing and Smith haven’t turned down champ clubs to be mid table L1. Savage and Mbengue likewise don’t imagine the next few years scrapping down with Burton for 15th spot

I think we’re very much expecting to make a strong stab at promotion in the next 2 years max. Otherwise will be seen as a failure

Personally if we end top ten this year but are showing signs of building something good using the academy lads, Savage etc then I’d be patient enough

Actually main thing is I want to see is actually play well and entertain again. Seems to have been a grim decade with only small spots of doing both those things at the same time

[Tails]

I’m expecting a slow start but then (hope) for things to start to click toward the second half of the season. A platform to attack the league in a year’s time should be the expectation/goal.

[Snowflake Royal]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

Relegated sides don't tend to have to do massive rebuilds while being unable to sign anybody at all during the close season, nor are they restricted to free transfers and loans while trying to do this.

We are in a much worse position than most relegated sides. With the current squad, top half would be a good achievement, not an expectation.

That said, I saw Wycombe at Aldershot on Saturday (met up with a mate, rather than any real desire to watch either) and if Wycombe are an average League One club we'll need to be really bad to struggle.

This is just daft. We've made some good signings. And most signings at this level are frees or loans.

Derby went into last close season with about 8 players.

We're not particularly exceptional.

[Hound]

After seeing the state of the players in that Sheff Weds/ Peterboro semi, I’d be disappointed with anything other than top 6, even if we didn’t make another signing above what we have now

[under the tin]

I’m expecting a slow start but then (hope) for things to start to click toward the second half of the season. A platform to attack the league in a year’s time should be the expectation/goal.

I feel exactly the same.
It will be a slow start.
An almost total rebuild of players and style. Teams evolve.
Some will remember TB's "magnificent seven", and the immediate impact they had. *cough*

[Elm Park Kid]

I wonder what odds I can get on Robbie Savage being brought in before Christmas?

[Stranded]

Because we`ve not been at this level for more than 20 years we really don`t know what to expect but if recent history tells us anything relegated sides tend to challenge for at least the play-offs.
Bottom half will be totally unacceptable in my view.

I would concur, however any optimism my end is cautious at the very least considering our recent record against lower league teams.

It all depends upon just how quickly we realise we're in this league and will have to scrap to get out of it.

Relegated teams so often have delusions of grandeur and think they only have to turn up to get back to their "rightful level", and by the time they realise it doesn't work like that it's often too late to change or catch up.

I think the fact that, to date, our signings have been decent L1 players shows we are very much aware of where we are & intend to attack the division in the right way.

Lots of work still to do though.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

We are rebuilding so much we have no idea what this season may look like

Are we still at risk of a points deduction? I’m lost as to where we are with all that.

Like most teams top six must be our aim and without being arrogant because we aren’t that sort of fan base but we need to be targeting promotion let’s just hope we bring in as many players as possible and this turns out to be achievable

[Snowflake Royal]

We are rebuilding so much we have no idea what this season may look like

Are we still at risk of a points deduction? I’m lost as to where we are with all that.

Like most teams top six must be our aim and without being arrogant because we aren’t that sort of fan base but we need to be targeting promotion let’s just hope we bring in as many players as possible and this turns out to be achievable

Yes, at risk, but odds probably still favour suspended.