Where will it all end?

[gazan]

Before the season started a number of us joined in the traditional prediction about the season to come. I was one of many who expected a better season than previous years and predicted between 8th and 10th. As things stand, that seems unlikely but things generally pick up after January. This is possible as, as DA says, we're not far off. (Howls of derision expected for that comment&#128513. 'All we need are goals'.😱 I am going to revise my prediction but not by much. I'm going for between 10th and 12th.
By all means, disagree with me (after all this site is about discussion) but let's have some reasoned discussion with arguments backed up with points of evidence rather than just 'they're crap' type statements.

[Wartman]

I predict 16th to 18th and my reasons are as follows

1) poor budget
2) poor academy players who are not ready for men’s football
3) exeperienced players are too old and passed it
4) Artell thinks we are not far off and his arrogance will continue to let him believe that until at the end of the season when he realises we are and we are absolutely miles above off.
5) January recruitment will be a joke.

[AstonAlex]

A cursory glance at the League table suggests gazan is more likely to be correct, although things may get worse before they get better, given the next few fixtures. However, to take wartman’s points:
1 - true, but no worse than many in this League and, I would guess, better than Macc or Morecambe, to name just two
2 - partially true in some cases. Most are not poor but several are young to have in the first team together. DA needs to give them a chance but Green’s injury in particular has forced his hand as far as midfield is concerned.
3 - true in the case of Raynes and, I believe, Porter - both of them younger than Green of course who is being touted as the saviour for our season. Oh, and it’s past it not passed it - if only the 2 I mentioned HAD passed it more accurately!
4 - Artell bases his assessment on performances where we have been good so it’s not ridiculous to suggest that what’s missing is consistency of performance. I for one would settle for 90% of our best performance every week rather than the full monty followed by a total shambles which is what we seem to get. This may mean being rather more pragmatic and less gung ho in team selection.
5 - Lets not prejudge. I reckon the full backs will both be sent back and we will replace them with 2 of a CH, CM and striker. As we agree, number 1 will make that inevitable.

There is far more causefor optimism than in either of the past 3 or 4 seasons and I don’t think 10th is unrealistic. Promotion would, of course, be nice but that would only be followed by another season of struggling at the foot of the division. I would look forward to next season, when the likes of Pixie, Kirk, Ainley and Lowery will have all past their 20th birthday and be more physically able to challenge.

[Furberstreet]

A poor first team budget has been a problem for some time. Not sure if a mass cull of players is necessary. I think that there is a decent squad, but DA and Lunt appear to have no clue how to get the best out of it. If there is a cull, who replaces those dispensed with? It is clear that the Academy is not producing players of sufficient calibre even for League Two. I have called for a root and branch review of the Academy and one of the clear lines for consideration has to be closing it down. Start making the first team the number one priority.

Presently, I think we will be flirting with danger for much longer this season and I am not confident we will get much out of away trips to Morecombe or Macclesfield. Happy to be proved wrong.

[thnhouse]

A poor first team budget has been a problem for some time. Not sure if a mass cull of players is necessary. I think that there is a decent squad, but DA and Lunt appear to have no clue how to get the best out of it. If there is a cull, who replaces those dispensed with? It is clear that the Academy is not producing players of sufficient calibre even for League Two. I have called for a root and branch review of the Academy and one of the clear lines for consideration has to be closing it down. Start making the first team the number one priority.

Presently, I think we will be flirting with danger for much longer this season and I am not confident we will get much out of away trips to Morecombe or Macclesfield. Happy to be proved wrong.

For me it’s the old thing about starting worrying when we’re not creating chances. We’re definitely creating chances we’re just not scoring them.

Miller and Bowery are definitely our best partnership in terms of movement and link play, neither of them are clinical though. It might be Artells mistake that he’s not found a way of playing with Porter starting or got the best out of Nicholls.

Or it’s poor signings. We have 4 senior strikers on our books, 3/4 are at the end of their careers and between them they have 6 seasons with more than 10 goals. It’s not a shock we’re struggling for goals.