Halfway Stage Report

[bantamigo]

1. Overall has the first half of the season been a success for your club?
I would say yes, just. We lost 0 games at home last year in the league, so far we have lost 6, that's simply not good enough and needs to change if we are going to challenge in the play offs. We have more points at this stage than last season, on the whole playing nice football and 5th with a 4 point cushion to 7th. Not all doom and gloom after some recent results and performances.

2. Who has been your best and worst players of the season so far?
Best - Don't think there has been one 'outstanding' player for us this season, I'd say between Wyke and Law but no doubt the next City fan would say 2 people totally different.
Worst - Left back in general has been a big issue this season and still not totally convinced by Luke Hendrie.

3. What has been your best and worst results of the season so far?
Best - Wigan away.
Worst - Peterborough at home yesterday. First half was appalling.

4. Are you happy with the performance of your current manager?
Love having McCall as boss, however I don't think he'll ever get us promoted and think he's a stop gap before the Germans properly get their feet in the door and find a new boss who will take us forward and up to the Championship.

5. What needs to be done to your team transfer wise in January?
A decent back up/strike partner for Wyke. We rely too much on him. Would like to see us have genuine competition in goal and maybe 1 midfielder and 1 defender. Reports we might spend a bit of cash in January.

6. Where do you see yourself finishing in May?
5th. Don't think we are good enough to go up but we should make the play offs.

7. Which three teams will go up and which four teams will go down in your opinion?
Up - Wigan, Blackburn, Scunthorpe (play offs)
Down - Bury, Rochdale, Northampton, Plymouth

Apart from Gilliead and Cullen we’ve had some dreadful loans recently. Vuckic, McNulty, Hendrie, Field, Thompson all spring to mind. Think we are paying for that year when we had Cullen, Burke and Luke Evans.

 

[Shrew_fan]

1. Overall has the first half of the season been a success for your club?
Extremely. Amongst pretty much everyone's favourites for relegation before the season, we went the first 15 games unbeaten and still sit in 2nd by the end of 2017

2. Who has been your best and worst players of the season so far?
Best - Jon Nolan
Worst - difficult to pick one

3. What has been your best and worst results of the season so far?
Best - 1-0 win at home v Wigan
Worst - Losing at Bury

4. Are you happy with the performance of your current manager?
So much so I'm worried he'll be snapped up by a much bigger club - Paul Hurst is a miracle worker.

5. What needs to be done to your team transfer wise in January?
Another LB to replace injured Junior Brown (Omar Beccles doing a fine stand in job currently). Another winger to put pressure on Rodman and Whalley

6. Where do you see yourself finishing in May?
Would be disappointing if we don't finish in the play-offs as a minimum. Dreaming of the top 2 but can't see us holding off Blackburn and others until May

7. Which three teams will go up and which four teams will go down in your opinion?
Up - Wigan, Blackburn and Shrewsbury (not sure I actually believe the last one)
Down - Bury, Rochdale, Northampton and Oldham

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Apart from Gilliead and Cullen we’ve had some dreadful loans recently. Vuckic, McNulty, Hendrie, Field, Thompson all spring to mind. Think we are paying for that year when we had Cullen, Burke and Luke Evans.

Disagree that Hendrie has being dreadful, he was poor in his cameo against Mk Dons and against Bury but other than that I think he's being fairly solid whenever he's played in various positions. He's certainly not up to the quality of Alex Gilliead, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Lee Evans or Jordan Pickford but most loans are fillers rather than key players. In fact I'd say it shows how much we were reliant on loans with the last regime, especially in 15/16 when we had relegation form before Evans, Burke and Reid came in.

The rest were shit.

 

[Robert Molenaar]

Disagree that Hendrie has being dreadful, he was poor in his cameo against Mk Dons and against Bury but other than that I think he's being fairly solid whenever he's played in various positions. He's certainly not up to the quality of Alex Gilliead, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Lee Evans or Jordan Pickford but most loans are fillers rather than key players. In fact I'd say it shows how much we were reliant on loans with the last regime, especially in 15/16 when we had relegation form before Evans, Burke and Reid came in.

The rest were shit.

I agree now actually about Hendrie. When I wrote that I thought he had generally been quite poor in the games I had seen him in but the past few he's been really good. Not sure if he's here until the end of the season but would like him to stay now.

 

[bantamigo]

Disagree that Hendrie has being dreadful, he was poor in his cameo against Mk Dons and against Bury but other than that I think he's being fairly solid whenever he's played in various positions. He's certainly not up to the quality of Alex Gilliead, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Lee Evans or Jordan Pickford but most loans are fillers rather than key players. In fact I'd say it shows how much we were reliant on loans with the last regime, especially in 15/16 when we had relegation form before Evans, Burke and Reid came in.

The rest were shit.

I don’t think he’s the best defender and he hasn’t got much going forward in the games I’ve seen. I think this will be about the highest level he ever regularly plays at unlike say Gilliead and Cullen. Each to their own though.

Wouldn’t say we were reliant on loans last regime either, Parky would have found a way to get us solid without the loans.

 

[3Loggerheads]

1. Overall has the first half of the season been a success for your club?

Very much so, to currently have only lost 3 games from 24 and sit 5 points clear of 3rd and 14 points clear of 7th greatly exceeds our expectations before a ball was kicked. Saying that a good percentage of fans were looking for a top 10 finish based on how the team performed pre season. I know you shouldn't read too much into pre-season but when we beat Cardiff, Villa and Wolves you could tell we had a capable squad.

2. Who has been your best and worst players of the season so far?
Best - Jon Nolan, closely followed by Whalley, Rodman, and Henderson.
Worst - No standout liability if that is what you mean

3. What has been your best and worst results of the season so far?
Best - 1-0 win at home v Wigan
Worst - Losing at Bury, not just because they were bottom but the worst performance including last season

4. Are you happy with the performance of your current manager?
100 % Paul Hurst achieved an almost impossible task to keep us up last year with play-off form when we were 6 points adrift of 23rd and has carried it into this season.

5. What needs to be done to your team transfer wise in January?
As stated above a LB to replace injured Junior Brown. A winger and an additional striker.

6. Where do you see yourself finishing in May?
Play-offs as a minimum , I think we are capable of finishing in either top 2 places as well and do not think Wigan have the title sewn up.

7. Which three teams will go up and which four teams will go down in your opinion?
Up - Shrewsbury, Bradford and one of Wigan and Blackburn to miss out.
Down - Bury, Rochdale, MK Dons, and Walsall.​

 

[SkyBluesRose]

7. Which three teams will go up and which four teams will go down in your opinion?

Up - Shrewsbury, Wigan, and Portsmouth
Down - Bury, Northampton, Oldham, and Walsall

 

[Fedora Dale]

1. Overall has the first half of the season been a success for your club?
No. Too many draws, and too much tinkering with formations. With the current personnel, a back three and wingbacks seems obvious, yet Hill is reluctant to use this formation consistently.

2. Who has been your best and worst players of the season so far?
Best - Harrison McGahey, probably. Ian Henderson always puts a shift in, Donervon Daniels has looked useful in recent weeks.
Worst - Reece Brown, sadly. I don't rate Bradden Inman, either, whilst Jordan Williams (the ex-Barrow one) has struggled to step up to L1.

3. What has been your best and worst results of the season so far?
Best - 1-0 win at Donny in the cup.
Worst - most of the rest!

4. Are you happy with the performance of your current manager?
85%. Been a difficult year for Hilly, losing his father, then three very good players in the summer. Not convinced about the quality of replacements signed. Could do with a couple of additions in January. Also, too much tinkering!

5. What needs to be done to your team transfer wise in January?
Not too much. Another midfielder to replace MJ Williams who returns to Liverpool, possibly - although the youngsters Adshead and Morley could see more game time.

6. Where do you see yourself finishing in May?
12th. We always finish top half under K Hill.

7. Which three teams will go up and which four teams will go down in your opinion?
Up - Wigan, Shrews automatically, Bradford (finally) come through the playoffs
Down - Bury, MK Dons, Wimbledon, Northampton

 

[nelsonpfc]

1. Overall has the first half of the season been a success for your club?
It was a summer of massive change, new division, owner, manager/coaching staff and players. We struggled to get rid of alot of dead wood, but managed to get a half decent team out for the first game of the season. Once we settled we've had some excellent performances and some pretty dreadful ones too. We've had the worst luck with injuries i've ever known. Something like 7 difference players have played left back for the first team and having to play a striker at the back. Saying that, we finished the year in the playoff position, which is a huge over acheivment as I was happy ending 5th from bottom. We've seen a few good young players make a name for themselves in the first team especially as they were pushed aside by Cook. If we continue being in and around the playoffs I think it will be a tremendous season for us

2. Who has been your best and worst players of the season so far?
Best - Pitman. Even though he's had a few injuries still has managed 13 goals this season. Followed up by Matt Clarke. 21 y o left footed centre half who has not only made the step up from league 2, strolls through games. He's one to watch
Worst - Lots will say Drew Talbot, but I think its between Kyle Bennett and Milan Lalkovic. Bennett, not for his lack of effort or anything, just for not having any major impact on any games. 0 goals, 0 assists. So much talent, but looks a shadow of the player who was a massive driving force in getting us promoted. Lalkovic, again, so much talent, just never shown it and constantly injured

3. What has been your best and worst results of the season so far?
Best - 4-1 at home to Fleetwood. Some brilliant goals and probably should have scored more
Worst - Losing at home to Oldham who hadn't won in forever

4. Are you happy with the performance of your current manager?
Jackett is a seasoned manager and has alot of nouce. Not as pretty tippy tappy football as cook, but the football generally has more purpose.

5. What needs to be done to your team transfer wise in January?
Not we've been decimated by injuries again we now need a decent combatitive central midfielder and a quick striker. We have already recruited An attacking midfielder in Conor Ronan and Deslandes as left back cover.

6. Where do you see yourself finishing in May?
I will be happy to be in an around the playoffs. But top half would be a good season

7. Which three teams will go up and which four teams will go down in your opinion?
Up - Wigan, Blackburn and Shrewsbury
Down - Bury, Rochdale, Northampton and Wimbledon