Anyone else feeling some positivity following our pre season efforts ?

[saltnshake]

We drew to many games last season, the additions to our squad along with Dike mean we will score more goals but including Button the back 5 worry me all 3 centre halves make mistakes and I don't understand why we haven't brought a right back in to replace Furlong, but with the break it's going to be a strange season, we need to make a good start if we do I think we will finish in the top 6.

[wbaliquidator]

Yes im optimistic.
Problem is I’m often most seasons ( except when we tried to hack it last time in premier league)

Yes, our incomings have raised the quality of the team, but they needed to!

I think our Defence will just about be ok, basically because they should not be under so much pressure and have a least one midfielder in front of them who can tackle without giving away free kicks or getting sent off.

But as other have said, we need another striker, a good one.

With a decent striker, maybe 3rd or 2nd?
The team as is, playoffs at best

[soulman101]

Going up as champions COYB

[Dubbag]

I’m not sure whether, Db buddy, you’re being ‘optimistically pessimistic’ or showing ‘pessimistic optimism’ ! Is that an oxymoron?

An oxymoron by an oxymoron kinda person...👍

[Omegstrat6]

I'm "cautiously optimistic" 😁
Our acquisitions have been far better than I expected and if Dike can fulfil the potential he has shown elsewhere prior to joining us I think he may get us some goals at last. Our main issues last season was lack of creativity in midfield which we have now hopefully rectified. As others have commented, we could do with another striker but our biggest issue now is probably defence as too many are prone to silly mistakes. Provided Bruce actually plays Dike and our new faces and not revert to Livermore/ Bartley etc I think we should be pushing for play offs if not automatic promotion.

[DaveP67 is back!]

Never really pays to read too much into pre season results, however I do feel that we have made key quality signings in the right areas, I also agree another striker would be useful, predicting a top 6 finish.

[Yarmbaggie]

I'm "cautiously optimistic" 😁
Our acquisitions have been far better than I expected and if Dike can fulfil the potential he has shown elsewhere prior to joining us I think he may get us some goals at last. Our main issues last season was lack of creativity in midfield which we have now hopefully rectified. As others have commented, we could do with another striker but our biggest issue now is probably defence as too many are prone to silly mistakes. Provided Bruce actually plays Dike and our new faces and not revert to Livermore/ Bartley etc I think we should be pushing for play offs if not automatic promotion.

I would tend to agree with you about our lack of creativity post losing Pereira. However the data doesn’t back up the theory that we had a lack of creativity last year.

I know the stats are difficult to follow (for me at least) but they do show that last season we were 17th in goals scored but 3rd in goal scoring chances created. It didn’t feel like that but I do have to say we missed so many real sitters last season. The goal scoring chances number is calculated by higher numbers for clear shorts near to goal, to low numbers for long range shots and is consistent across all the clubs.

If we had have managed to convert more of those chances, especially the easy ones, we would have finished higher in the league. For me it just confirms that we must get another out and out striker for this season now, not in the January window.

[Albionic68]

I'm generally quite positive about our chances until I get on here only to read we're actually a really cr@p donkey sanctuary rather than a football club and we're run by a penniless takeaway owner who's sold our last bogroll to prop up his other investments whilst constantly licking his lips despite there being no such thing as a free lunch...... 😊 .

[baggiematt]

I'm convinced by the squad but the manager is iffy, albeit he has taken a few sides up. My prediction is Bruce will be sacked by October and we'll be promoted by the next manager.

[Dubbag]

I'm generally quite positive about our chances until I get on here only to read we're actually a really cr@p donkey sanctuary rather than a football club and we're run by a penniless takeaway owner who's sold our last bogroll to prop up his other investments whilst constantly licking his lips despite there being no such thing as a free lunch...... �� .

So your increased optimism is in relation to your decreased time here.....Hmmm,....might be worth looking into that again...