Hand on Heart , How Do You Think You'll Do?

[hellogregory]

I don't think Dempsey is likely to leave at all, all the talk is that he's set on staying with us for the season and getting more game time before he moves.

I still think if a club comes in with any sort of offer, they won't be able to resist. They are so short sighted they won't be able to see the long term benefits and increase in value of him having another season with us.

 

[Pooliekev]

Genuine question like. Is Curle the problem he appears to be? He doesn't seem to be able to get along with anybody.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I'm getting excited now - we have a real shot this year.

 

[daviejones]

I don't mind Curle personally. So far he's only had problems with bad players who he wants to get rid of, all of our good young players have developed well since he joined and the better players in general have been treated well. He'll have his own team for the most part next season so he'll probably have less problems with the majority of the players. He also kept us up, something which at times early last season seemed like an impossible task. Obviously it would be nice if he didn't make our highest earners break down and cry in front of the whole management team but hey-ho, what can you do.

 

[hellogregory]

Genuine question like. Is Curle the problem he appears to be? He doesn't seem to be able to get along with anybody.

The problem is he wants players who are actually willing to work for their salaries. He's kidding himself if he thinks that's going to happen

But his way of dealing with unprofessional, unfit, bone idle players that he inherited from the last manager leaves a lot to be desired. I don't like it but I also want some of these players gone whatever it takes.

 

[womble76]

I expect us to finish anywhere from about 6th to 14th. If we play well and stay injury free we have a chance at the playoffs. If not we will be in contention for the mid table title again this year. We should have too much to trouble the wrong end of the table.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

I'm happy with the side that Murray has built. Though we're still shy of another solid central defender and a combative midfielder.

It's true that we are light on numbers and that our squad has been bolstered mainly by the promotion of half a dozen youth team players. However, the quality of our first team has risen considerably, though our season will be determined on two factors.
1) steering clear of injuries.
2) whether Murray can manage them.

If we have problems with either of them we may struggle. Yet, if he can add to those weaker positions and get it right, I can see us achieving a 9th-14th position.

For Mansfield Town supporters like myself, the season is all about upping the ante as regards quality and ethic (as well as position). Considerable improvement all round would feel as good as a play off place.

 

[SamPAFC]

It's always really hard to tell when a new manager comes in and a lot of changes being made, a part of me wants to think we can push for an automatic promotion place, but realistically with the change in management I can see us repeating last season and be battling for that 7th playoff place all season long.

Although it's a long way until the start of the season, and signing a decent central midfielder could make or break our season.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I was thinking about this other day and have found out that down to Good old football 'illogical logic' Carlisle cannot be relegated this season and cannot be promoted this season, but........................they will get promotion next season.

In 2005/6, 10 years ago we won League Two and grabbed promotion.

1994/5 we won promotion and the title from Division 3 (now L2)

The only other previous time we won promotion from Division 4 (now L2) was in 1963/4

so we've gone up in a 3/4 and also a 4/5 and also next 5/6

is it clearly going to be with illogical-logic promotion in a 6/7 season next and since we're on a run of Winning L2 in 11 year spells currently that would suggest to whack all the money on us next season

amazing how simple mathematical logic saves all the need of looking at squads and managers

 

[Trapdoor]

our lack of signings and the dubious quality of our center back signing has me a tad worried.... revising my opinion downwards to solidly mid-table...

 

[LongEatonPie]

Having though about it and seen the incoming players I will go for top 3 for Notts.
Perhaps second behind Pompey.
Almost all of the players brought in are good, the others are for our reserves. It is a dramatic improvement to the team that went down last season and in all honesty it looks better than the side we last got promoted with.
There are goals all over the pitch and with Stead+1 we should do alright strikers wise.
Heck we beat Arnold 8-0 and Spencer didn't get a broken leg so we are already in the promotion hunt

 

[Ban Fat Stan]

Questions you need to ask yourself are

Is your team any stronger than last season?
Assuming each team will improve so you don't get any further ahead
If you struggled to score goals last year has that been addressed or are you hoping some lad from 3 leagues below who scored 60 goals will be the answer!

Have you Lost in key players who will be difficult to replace, the type of player who genuinely wins those tight games.

My team Barnet is a difficult one, I can really benchmark against teams who come up and seem to finish around lower mid.

If akinde continues to improve that is a massive advantage of teams without a goal scorer.

In essence if you were dog shit last season and your team isn't much better than you are in for another struggle

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

We'll do better than 05/06 and worse than 91/92, those seasons being the previous two occasions that we won promotion to this division. Our title winning side is on par with 05 winning team, but we've done better business this pre-season than we did in 05 and have more league experience in this team, both on and off the field.

I'd expect us to be hanging around mid-table and signaling any real intent to do anything come the January window. If Akinde takes to league football then we might dream of something a bit higher.

 

[Trapdoor]

I think Akinde will do ok in L2. Not top scorer but top 5 wouldn't surprise me.

 

[The Terminator]

We'll be relegated and have no owner by the end of the season, things have never looked better

 

[Baratheon]

Is there no 'light at the end of the tunnel'?

 

[thewwfc]

I think Akinde will do ok in L2. Not top scorer but top 5 wouldn't surprise me.

Akinde on a good day is absolutely unplayable and defenders just bounce off him. When he played for us at this level, however, those good days were only about 1 in 3. He may have upped his game since then, who knows.

Anyway - back to the question. With the current signings I think we're looking on course to do OK but slightly worse than last season, maybe 8th-10th. We've signed decently (no more, no less) but a lot depends on the final 2 permanent signings we are supposed to be bringing in before the season starts.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Top 10 currently. However a couple of good signings - we've made an offer for Jack Payne - I will think play offs.

 

[WH_Stag]

On paper our strongest 11 would embarrass last seasons strongest 11... But it all needs to click and this Passing football needs to be effective.

I think between 11th-17th would be a improvement on last season.

 

[Richard Cranium]

A team of posters from this section of this forum would embarrass last seasons 11.

 

[womble76]

So if we get in one more centre back and keep the main players fit we are an outside bet for one of the last playoff spots.

 

[Womble98]

Lot more optimistic now. I think our front 3 are going to hammer this tinpot league.

 

[Naitch]

9th

 

[womble76]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0...

Trouble ahead for Newport.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

is that the piece on the takeover trust starting to collapse due to financial issues?..........sorry you link just goes to BBC.

Them having to cut 600,000 plus from their playing budget must be a massive hit.

so that is Newport with problems, Carlisle with problems, Orient with problems, Crawley with problems..........trying to think which others a good bet for off field crap effecting their seasons.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Potentially Bristol Rovers might be a candidate too? About £8 million in debt after the court case I think I read somewhere. Darrell Clarke was quoted in the press before the court verdict saying that the playing budget might have to be reduced if they were unsuccessful (which of course they were).

 

[mowgli]

Potentially Bristol Rovers might be a candidate too? About £8 million in debt after the court case I think I read somewhere. Darrell Clarke was quoted in the press before the court verdict saying that the playing budget might have to be reduced if they were unsuccessful (which of course they were).

On BBC Points West a reporter said their debt was £5 Million that was just after they lost their claim against sainsburys.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I think Rovers will be fine short term JD due to having that momentum from promotion, should carry them to being ok even with side they have.

the others are just full of negative or flat atmosphere's at present which can a lot of time effect on field performance

although if your right Rovers could be a good bet further down line.

terrible really that I am already trying to think up the possible targets for us to catch and keep above.

 

[Pooliepride]

Top!..

of the bottom half

 

[hellogregory]

BigDaveCUFC really wants that pessimist award off me this season!