L1 Realistic Expectations

Next year will NOT be easy. Anyone thinking play offs is the minimum expectation wants a slap, stop acting like a massive fan and get a grip of yourself

I reckon 2 thirds of our existing squad will never play for Barnsley again. The 5 loan players we have won't be coming back and Sir Bobby will most likely hang up his boots. That leaves 19 players (excluding all youths who have yet to make their debut). Of those 19 some we won't want to keep and others won't want to stay. So our existing league one squad is already very small and all of them will be low on confidence and have little belief that between them they can win the required 23+ games to make next seasons play offs.

3 League One teams will fail in the play offs this season and another 3/4 L1 teams will have flirted with the play offs during this seasons campaign. That's 6/7 teams with settled squads and confidence. At this moment in time all of them are in a better position than us to challenge for promotion next season, due to them already having a capable squad to challenge and us only having half a squad with little idea what L1 is all about, so we are already behind the pack. Add on teams coming up from L2 with momentum and teams going down with us who will have similar expectations then I think its safe to say next year is going to be a challenge and certainly not a walk in the park.

Even if we move quickly and get all the new players required prior to pre-season we still have to wait for them to gel and that won't happen right away. On top of that our players that have been used to defending for 90mins are going to have to learn how to play for wins, which means new systems and roles. Younger players will hopefully be given more game time and that means mistakes will be made as well.

All of this will result in a slow start next season and during that time everyone needs to be patient. My worst nightmare is that supporters will start thinking we'll run away with it and if by the end of October if we are off to a poor start then they'll turn on the team and any attempts to build up confidence will be shot to shizzel.

I don't have any expectations other than I want to see us play football again and not this 'long ball from Kennedy to O'Grady on the left wing... Oh wait he is marked by 3 players… and there is no one in the box to cross to'. As long as we play football and I see signs of improvement I'll be happy.

Next season is all about building a new team and learning a new style, if we have a pop at the play offs then great, but I won't be surprised if we don't manage that, its season 2 with a settled squad and familiar style of play that we should be expecting a promotion challenge from, anything before then is a bonus, not a requirement.

Peace and Love, you reds!

 

My head says we'll do well to finish in the top half.

My heart says we're going to smash it. 100 points, 100 goals.

 

We'll piss top 8 and a full season in and around the play offs

 

Not to mention the loss of revenue we're about to suffer. I'd love to know where all the money is coming from to buy all these new players that are going to be able to get us promoted. Only players we're likely to sign are those out of contract and there's often a pretty good reason why they're out of contract (ie. they're not good enough).

Some fans won't like all this or don't want to hear it but I think a lot of what you've said is very realistic. We'll be lucky to get top ten imo. The manager needs time and like you, I just hope there isn't a negative reaction from the fans if we're not challenging by christmas.

We need to stay in this league! COYR!

 

I was told by a fairly good source that next seasons budget will be the same as this.B.Mansford said last week that because we're a well run club they'll not face as many difficulties as some other clubs.

 

We'll be confirmed as Champions just after the new year and finish the season on 138 points.

 

Is this season over? Are we already down?

 

Yeah it's done with pal nowt to play for focus on next season

 

Oh i thought there were two games and 6 points to play for?

Or is this a 'pre-end of season expectation management thread'. ?

 

Get 6 points and still go down but we'll not get 6 points so it's over

 

It probably won't be easy but we don't know. There'll be a lot of changes in personnel & it's all about how quickly the players gel. There's a chance we could bounce back like Donny did but there's also a chance we could struggle like Sheff Utd have.

It's a lottery. No one can say with any confidence what will happen not when we don't have a clue what the team will be

 

What's this promotion momentum you speak of We never had it.

 

or 5pm Saturday after.

 

Buggar tha got mi. 1-0.

 

****! I didn't realise I had to plan for next seasons campaign! All I do is shell out for a season ticket and have a look at the new shirt and decide if I want one or not!

Anyway, my expectations if we are relegated is that we are competing for promotion, terribly sorry and all but surely that is what the club must aim for.

 

I have no expectations, my fear is that we are in for a period like the 60's and 70's , 'its bad Jim ,the shields are down and we've lost WARP drive'

 

I reckon we'll be around the top 6 all season, drift off by march time and finish about 10th. The fans will turn on Danny and we'll start again the year after. Another summer of rebuilding under another manager.

Although i'd love for us to finish top 6.