National League 2021/22

[Gladders]

It's not a very high success rate is it. Chemtenhem the only side to go up automatically aswell. I'll rephrase. Chances are if you come down you ain't going straight back up again.

Agreed chances are slim, most of us know that but agree with Fish, our fans expect to win 6-0 every week or we will be relegated (no matter what league we are in), some still hate Hurst despite being our only successful manager in about 20 years!

 

[nuffsaid]

Anything other than challenging for promotion is going to be a failure.

There may not be any promotion as the teams in the League 2 relegation spots may try to get the rules changed so that they can't get relegated - oops sorry that was last season wasn't it.

 

[John Still]

Anything other than challenging for promotion is going to be a failure.

Don’t see why you think that, a whole new squad won’t hit the ground running and the league is much tougher than most give it credit for. Leyton Orient who were a similar sized club took two years to get up, first season is always a rebuild for most. If your not up after two years it could be a long one.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Don’t see why you think that, a whole new squad won’t hit the ground running and the league is much tougher than most give it credit for. Leyton Orient who were a similar sized club took two years to get up, first season is always a rebuild for most. If your not up after two years it could be a long one.

Don't know if it's Shrimper95 personal opinion, more what's coming out of the club that it's shit or bust. It's certainly not my opinion, I don't think we'll bomb but I also don't think we'll at any stage be challenging at the top. The squad is still made up of far too many of the perpetual losers who've got us here but the new signings look like we're going in the right direction, sadly we need about 12 more for me!

I'd go for us finishing 9th and to be honest I'd be very happy with that after witnessing the last 2 and half years of utter misery. My big hope for the season is away fans being let into games but as long as fans can go can always just go in the home ends.

 

[Soup Ladle]

I'm proper weirded out that we're not in this any more. That looks a seriously tough league. There'll be a lot of disappointed fans at some big clubs who'll miss out.

 

[Optipez]

Hartlepool’s Tory government has banned us from signing our random foreigners now.

We’ve had to recalibrate the model to look at the league we’re actually in..

As two of the three foreigners last season were Sloth and Sam I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Did us no favours when we went Dutch with Moniz a few years ago either, every one of them was bombed out after a season surplus after half a season.

I'd fancy Chesterfield and Stockport for top two, Grimsby, Daggers, Wrexham, Solihull, Eastleigh, Boreham Wood to be competitive. Think Torquay may have a whopping hangover.
As for us, the jury in s definitely out. We need three first team midfielders, two first team centre halves and at least one 15 goal striker and that's presuming Cal Roberts is fit for the season.
Too many squad players and not enough nailed on 7 out of 10 players signed last season.
Head coach will have to be a little more pragmatic as well I think.

 

[jacobncfc]

As two of the three foreigners last season were Sloth and Sam I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Did us no favours when we went Dutch with Moniz a few years ago either, every one of them was bombed out after a season surplus after half a season.

I'd fancy Chesterfield and Stockport for top two, Grimsby, Daggers, Wrexham, Solihull, Eastleigh, Boreham Wood to be competitive. Think Torquay may have a whopping hangover.
As for us, the jury in s definitely out. We need three first team midfielders, two first team centre halves and at least one 15 goal striker and that's presuming Cal Roberts is fit for the season.
Too many squad players and not enough nailed on 7 out of 10 players signed last season.
Head coach will have to be a little more pragmatic as well I think.

True on Sam and Sloth, but then we also found Rodrigues who is probably going to earn us loads of money and only ever signed for us at this level because we found him in a weird league.

I think you’re being slightly down on the players we’ve kept (assuming the ones we’ve offered deals to sign), for what it’s worth. We’ve still got Rawlinson and Lacey at centre half which was a top pairing before we broke them up to sign Mark Ellis, plus Chicksen who has been excellent in the three at the back and Brindley who has also been decent in that role. I’d say we need one centre back.

I’m also not sure where we’re going to get another striker into the team to be honest, assuming Cal is fit then our front three is going to be Wootton, Rodrigues and Roberts which looks pretty good. What we do need is better options off the bench and to sort the midfield out. And a left wing back obviously, but hopefully that will be Miller.

 

[Optipez]

True on Sam and Sloth, but then we also found Rodrigues who is probably going to earn us loads of money and only ever signed for us at this level because we found him in a weird league.

I think you’re being slightly down on the players we’ve kept (assuming the ones we’ve offered deals to sign), for what it’s worth. We’ve still got Rawlinson and Lacey at centre half which was a top pairing before we broke them up to sign Mark Ellis, plus Chicksen who has been excellent in the three at the back and Brindley who has also been decent in that role. I’d say we need one centre back.

I’m also not sure where we’re going to get another striker into the team to be honest, assuming Cal is fit then our front three is going to be Wootton, Rodrigues and Roberts which looks pretty good. What we do need is better options off the bench and to sort the midfield out. And a left wing back obviously, but hopefully that will be Miller.

Hope you're right Jacob. I've doubts that Lacey will do more than twenty five matches for us and Rawlinson seems to have lost what little pace he had.
No problem with Chicksen or Brindley as full backs or wing backs.
Wootton has had no injuries for two years and played a huge amount of hard running football, I think we're over reliant on him and need a reliable striker in the squad just in case. No other player in our squad can lead the line. His loss of form, 13 games without a goal coincided with us being in with a shout of the top to scrabbling for a play off place.
We have to replace the whole midfield and make it better, Miller is not a natural goal scorer and it looks like we're a keeper down too.
We need to beef the spine up this summer, don't think lightweight and entertaining will get us up .

 

[EnglishRed]

Next year is a funny one to predict. I expect Stockport to be really going for it and they are my favourites for the title. Notts County seemed to be heading in a good direction (although a lot depends on signings how much they will challenge for the title) Chesterfield will be getting nosebleeds from being near the top all season, they've got a core of a decent team and people like Asante to come back. I think Dagenham will be more competitive next season amd should be in the mix. If Torquay can keep their squad together Johnson will have them up there. Im not that impressed by Grimsbys signings so far (apart from Pearson obviously), but Hurst will get them in the play offs again.

Southend I expect to struggle in midtable. Aldershot will do nothing as per usual. Youve always got some tinpot team like Bromley or Eastleigh to take points off people. Yeovil should be a bit better than last season.

As for us, we will be funded competitively for once, but until we get a Head Coach amd make some signings who knows? should be play offs minimum.

 

[jacobncfc]

Hope you're right Jacob. I've doubts that Lacey will do more than twenty five matches for us and Rawlinson seems to have lost what little pace he had.
No problem with Chicksen or Brindley as full backs or wing backs.
Wootton has had no injuries for two years and played a huge amount of hard running football, I think we're over reliant on him and need a reliable striker in the squad just in case. No other player in our squad can lead the line. His loss of form, 13 games without a goal coincided with us being in with a shout of the top to scrabbling for a play off place.
We have to replace the whole midfield and make it better, Miller is not a natural goal scorer and it looks like we're a keeper down too.
We need to beef the spine up this summer, don't think lightweight and entertaining will get us up .

It’s only about ten games ago that we were actively demanding we replace the entire midfield. I agree we need a Wootton alternative, but we’re going to struggle to get one that guarantees goals. Dallas who we’ve been linked to maybe a decent shout.

I’m pretty optimistic. I think Burchnall managed to get a lopsided squad playing some great football and winning games by the end of the season despite no time to train at all really. I’m interested to see what he comes up with having signed some players for his system specifically and with a summer to work on things.

 

[Optipez]

It’s only about ten games ago that we were actively demanding we replace the entire midfield. I agree we need a Wootton alternative, but we’re going to struggle to get one that guarantees goals. Dallas who we’ve been linked to maybe a decent shout.

I’m pretty optimistic. I think Burchnall managed to get a lopsided squad playing some great football and winning games by the end of the season despite no time to train at all really. I’m interested to see what he comes up with having signed some players for his system specifically and with a summer to work on things.

I like Burchball, we played some lovely stuff towards the end. Personally, I liked Jake Reeves, thought some of the stick he got was ridiculous.
As always a lot of how we'll do is down to recruitment, he can only do so much through coaching.

 

[Master D]

Torquay will be up there by default due to Johnson and same with Grimsby due to Hurst. Both locked in the top 7 minimum.

Basically it looks to me that every Brother will be up there apart from Southend, who will need to have a few midweek away hammerings to Bromley and the like before they are fully integrated into the group.

For once, we all look to have our shit relatively in order.

 

[doveranddover]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1407277283094708225

 

[Son of Cod]

Im not that impressed by Grimsbys signings so far (apart from Pearson obviously), but Hurst will get them in the play offs again.

Is that based off the fact that you're not familiar with many of them, or that you think they're poor signings? Longe-King looks like a great signing to me, haven't read a bad word from Newport fans about him. Most are saying they wanted him to stay. I'll admit, I'm not particularly clued up on the Ben Fox or Ryan Sears, but other than those two I'm pretty pleased with our business so far.

 

[EnglishRed]

Is that based off the fact that you're not familiar with many of them, or that you think they're poor signings? Longe-King looks like a great signing to me, haven't read a bad word from Newport fans about him. Most are saying they wanted him to stay. I'll admit, I'm not particularly clued up on the Ben Fox or Ryan Sears, but other than those two I'm pretty pleased with our business so far.

I dont think they are poor signings necessarily, they could be great, but none of them seem to have played much football.

Sears- 7 games in L1 in 20/21
Fox- 12 appearances for Burton last season, then on loan at Barnet (did he play?)
Longe King- 12 appearances at Newport in 20/21

Obviously Hurst knows this league and seems to know those players too so I'm sure they aren't crap( I might have missed some of the signings too tbh) but Sears, Fox and Longe-King just aren't signings that make you sit up and take notice.

 

[Son of Cod]

I dont think they are poor signings necessarily, they could be great, but none of them seem to have played much football.

Sears- 7 games in L1 in 20/21
Fox- 12 appearances for Burton last season, then on loan at Barnet (did he play?)
Longe King- 12 appearances at Newport in 20/21

Obviously Hurst knows this league and seems to know those players too so I'm sure they aren't crap( I might have missed some of the signings too tbh) but Sears, Fox and Longe-King just aren't signings that make you sit up and take notice.

Yeah there are definitely concerns over the injury history of Fox and Sears, but I fully expect Hurst to have signed players that are capable of doing well at this level. Sears concerns me more, as he didn't come with glowing reviews from Shrewsbury fans but Hurst is great at spotting a rough diamond and a full back. Longe-King's lack of game time is purely down to not being first choice, I've got a really good feeling about him though. Wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to have a very good season for us. Definitely the signing I'm most excited about so far and solves the problem of lack of pace at the back, very refreshing for us to not only identify a problem and solve it swiftly but also for it compliment the signing of Pearson.

We've also signed John McAtee from Scunny, who I've seen a few times and been impressed with. Not particularly great stats for Scunny, but he seems to be more of a creative supporting striker than a goalscorer. Giles Coke re-signed too after being on a short term contract at the back end of last season, who should easily be solid enough at this level. Happy for that one to go under the radar though.

 

[jacobncfc]

I like the look of Grimsby’s signings far more than Southend, where Phil Brown just appears to have googled ‘good National League player 2018’.

 

[Son of Cod]

How many managers who have mostly plied their trade in the EFL have dropped down to The Conference and done well? I'm struggling to think of a single one. Martin Ling maybe?

 

[EnglishRed]

I like the look of Grimsby’s signings far more than Southend, where Phil Brown just appears to have googled ‘good National League player 2018’.

100%. Southends recruitment is absolutely classic, the majority of ex league clubs coming down do it and it never ends well.

The main reason I think Grimsby will be up there at the end of the season is Hurst, he knows what he's doing.

 

[jacobncfc]

How many managers who have mostly plied their trade in the EFL have dropped down to The Conference and done well? I'm struggling to think of a single one. Martin Ling maybe?

Ardley couldn’t get us over the line, but you’d have to say a play-off final and what would’ve been another top seven finish isn’t terrible.

Is quite striking how many of the promoted former EFL sides have done it with a manager who has previous National League experience. Tranmere with Mellon, Cheltenham with Johnson, Bristol Rovers with Clarke, Barnet with Allen, Orient with Edinburgh, Hartlepool with Challinor, Lincoln with Cowley.

No word yet on whether experience of the Swedish Allsvenskan and Norwegian Elitiserien is helpful. We’ll let you know in a year.

 

[Son of Cod]

Ardley couldn’t get us over the line, but you’d have to say a play-off final and what would’ve been another top seven finish isn’t terrible.

Is quite striking how many of the promoted former EFL sides have done it with a manager who has previous National League experience. Tranmere with Mellon, Cheltenham with Johnson, Bristol Rovers with Clarke, Barnet with Allen, Orient with Edinburgh, Hartlepool with Challinor, Lincoln with Cowley.

No word yet on whether experience of the Swedish Allsvenskan and Norwegian Elitiserien is helpful. We’ll let you know in a year.

Yeah, that's exactly where my train of thought went. Add Hurst with us v1.0 onto that list. I've got one though, Graham Alexander with Salford.

 

[jacobncfc]

Yeah, that's exactly where my train of thought went. Add Hurst with us v1.0 onto that list. I've got one though, Graham Alexander with Salford.

So it can work as long as you have an endless supply of dollar.

 

[BeeSting]

As long as Kleanthous sticks to what he’s said and gets the recruitment right and doesn’t go on the cheap I believe we could be inside the playoffs.

Our gamble of assembling a cheap squad last season expecting there to be no relegation has paid off and we did not take any loans unlike quite a few sides at this level.

I’ll reserve judgement until the first few signings.

 

[rudebwoyben]

I dont think they are poor signings necessarily, they could be great, but none of them seem to have played much football.

Sears- 7 games in L1 in 20/21
Fox- 12 appearances for Burton last season, then on loan at Barnet (did he play?)
Longe King- 12 appearances at Newport in 20/21

Obviously Hurst knows this league and seems to know those players too so I'm sure they aren't crap( I might have missed some of the signings too tbh) but Sears, Fox and Longe-King just aren't signings that make you sit up and take notice.

He played about 60 minutes for us in our FA Trophy tie at Dorking. He scored and was then rather unluckily sent off! This was a blessing in disguise for him as he escaped the subsequent horror of Tim Flowers’ spell in charge of us.

 

[Kim Mitten]

100%. Southends recruitment is absolutely classic, the majority of ex league clubs coming down do it and it never ends well.

This is my fear! But as I said after the abject misery of the last 2-3 years, especially when other things are going on in your life which just compound the misery further, Southend United just not being involved in a relegation battle and actually winning some games will do for me.
I'm more concerned with being allowed to attend, especially as an away fan.

 

[GTFCfish]

The main reason I think Grimsby will be up there at the end of the season is Hurst, he knows what he's doing.

Yeah this is why I was really happy to get Hurst back last season, if he could’ve kept us up then great but if not we had a manager there who has done it all before at this level to hopefully give it a good crack at getting back within 2 or 3 years, that’s my target for us anyway.

 

[EnglishRed]

This is my fear! But as I said after the abject misery of the last 2-3 years, especially when other things are going on in your life which just compound the misery further, Southend United just not being involved in a relegation battle and actually winning some games will do for me.
I'm more concerned with being allowed to attend, especially as an away fan.

In our first season down here we had 'Bonkers' Brian Little in charge, he signed loads of weird journeymen and has been, we beat Stevenage 5 nil in our opening game and we thought we were going to piss this tinpot league.

Then it all went wrong.

 

[BeeSting]

Teams come down here and think they’ll just start winning games. This league has come along way in a short space of time. There’s no Leigh RMI’s, Hyde’s or Tamworth’s anymore.
So just be prepared for Maidenhead turning up and turning you over.

 

[GTFCfish]

In our first season down here we had 'Bonkers' Brian Little in charge, he signed loads of weird journeymen and has been, we beat Stevenage 5 nil in our opening game and we thought we were going to piss this tinpot league.

Then it all went wrong.

Our first game here in our first season was away at Fatty Evans moneybags Crawley and we beat them 1-0 and so we thought the same.
The next week we lost 2-1 at home to Hayes and Yeading.

 

[doveranddover]

So there's going to be 14 teams who expect to get into the playoffs, and the other 9?