I literally can’t wait for the season to start. I think it depends on the players that stay, the players that will go and the players we bring in. I think Cauley signing a new contract is a huge step-forward in our intent to keep our best players. Sure, players will be sold but I think we will have a different outlook where we will do more to keep our best players and push forward rather than seeing the effects of selling our best players (or letting them go for free) and ending in missed opportunities.
The team that ended last season with Stendel at the helm... I think they'd finish at least 14th with an outside chance of 12th place or thereabouts. But who knows at this stage?
Key will be keeping DS and spine of our team, if we do we'll stay up & might surprise ourselves. January as ever will be as key as preseason. We need plans in place in advance this time round. I have more faith in the current owners than most that we can turn the tide on previous encounters, but it is only faith till we see it. Close season is always speculation time. We have a lot of youngsters & players like Bahre, who was just coming good at the end of the season, that could be a revelation next year, so there is room for optimism. We will keep supporting BFC & rightly so, it's our team.
Wouldn't staying in the championship be classed as progression after our last season there when we were relegated? Of course no one wants to be barely surviving every season, but if that's what we have to do in the short term by which to grab a foot hold, then so be it.
If we had started the 17/18 season with all the players that were involved during that season e.g. Barnes, Moore and McBurnie in the same team. With Stendel in charge - and dare I say Hecky in charge with all those players - then in no way should we have been relegated. In fact I still believe if we had got that full compliment of players from the start - and kept them in January ie Barnes - then we would have finished closer to the top than the bottom. Would have been an exciting team to watch with a front line of Barnes, Moore, McBurnie, Mahoney/Hammill. But unfortunately the recruitment ‘team’ before the start of that season made a real mess of it. Costing relegation and consequently costing the directors £££millions. Let’s hope the recruitment gets it right this close season.
I think a lot will depend on if we bring in anyone who will score goals from midfield on regular basis. In the past (not just in the Championship) when we've done well we've had Redfearn, Hignett, Howard, Shuker, Hammill, Hourihane, Watkins. I think we need a player that will get in the face of the opposition and go himself. I'd like us to sign a Marcus Maddison type player. Mowatt and Mcgeehan did well last season but one of them is going to have to weigh in with double figures in the Championship next season. Maybe it will be Jacob Brown. It's a big jump up to the Championship though.
Impossible to say at this stage - if we sign a decent keeper and keep the spine of the team with maybe a couple of additions we should be comfortably mid table even a sniff of the playoffs. If we sell pinnock and/or Lindsay + Moore and look to replace from lower leagues I still think we would stay up as long as we keep Daniel If there is a fire sale and the manager goes we could be straight back down - but I dont think that will happen I will be happy with anything above 60 points or 15th place