Not all doom and gloom for the new season - in my view

<font size="2" face="Arial">Personally I am looking forward to the new season.  It feels good to be back in the Championship, we have spent over 60 seasons in total in this division and it rightly feels like home.  However we are no longer a strong, mid table team, and we now have to prove ourselves all over again.  But I think that's good.  Everyone has us tipped for relegation, or at best a dog fight to survival.  We're no longer the team to beat as we were after '98.  We're now approaching this league from the other end.  Let Sunderland, Birmingham  and West Brom be the teams to fear and to beat, let's watch Cardiff and see if their huge gamble pays off.  For the fans of these teams there is only one option - success which means promotion.  Anything else will mean failure and huge disappointment. What sort of a season is that to look forward to?  We expect several defeats, we expect to be around the bottom of the bottom half of the league, and we expect to be fighting until the end for survival.  Anything else is a massive bonus.  </font></p>

<font size="2" face="Arial">But what we also have is a team with a fantastic spirit and closeness about it.  These guys went through the roller coaster experience and drama of the play-offs and came from behind to beat Huddersfield and Swansea against the odds.  That was just a few weeks ago and will long remain the highlight of all of their careers - an experience they shared and when the whistle blows at 3pm on Saturday those memories will remain strong to all of them as that was the last time they kicked a ball together in a competitive match.  </font></p>

<font size="2" face="Arial">All the squad know each other, they are a unit who know how to play together.  We also have a manager who seems to know how to engage with his players in a way that garners respect.  All last season people talked about the spirit within the club, and with only a few changes that shouldn't be about to change.  And the changes that have taken place are encouraging.  McIndoe and Togwell seem exciting prospects who have impressed straight away in friendlies.  Let's not forget whilst McPhail was a huge talent, he was injury prone and never really seemed to be happy here, always having one eye on a move in my view.  Many people worry about our strikers but I would like to see what Richards, Hayes, Nardiello, Wright and Coulson can do with good service from both wings.  </font></p>

<font size="2" face="Arial">Then we have our finances. We are still in debt but the debt is lessening - a £1M improvement in the last year, reducing losses from £1.4M to £0.4M.  With bigger crowds, more TV revenue and no growth in wages, we have every opportunity to become profitable next season and start to eat away at that huge debt of £6M we still carry.  We haven't overstretched ourselves with big signings which is an obvious source of frustration for many, but it’s a strategy I can buy into, at least for this season.  Yes there is a risk, but there is a risk with any other strategy too and given the spirit within the team, and I also believe a lot of quality in a very young side, I honestly believe we could pull this off - and by that I mean we can stay in Championship, we can become a profitable club once again, and we can sing in the terraces and we can smile at the scared faces of the away fans from the 'big clubs' with unreachable expectations on their shoulders.  There but for the grace of <span class="500400412-04082006"><font color="#0000ff"><font color="#000000">Shepherd and</font> </font></span>Cryne go us.</font></p>

<font size="2" face="Arial">Bring on Cardiff I say, let the show begin.</font> </p>

 

well it bleedin well should be ha ha ha

 

Good post.

 

nice piece. cheered me up good and proper.

erm, YOU REDS!

 

Brought a tear to mi eye !!

 

"We also have a manager who seems to know how to engage with his players in a way that garners respect. All last season people talked about the spirit within the club, and with only a few changes that shouldn't be about to change. "

This is what has struck me most about the managership of Andy Ritchie. As a player he was a 'players player', he gave it his all, earned respect at every club he was at, learnt to work under different managerial styles and in differing financial circustances. I think he takes that players view into his managerial style - I remember him talking on the radio about giving Jacob burns time off to be with his wife when she was giving birth, even though it was at a critical stage of the season, when he'd been playing this was something that had been denied him and it affected his play and his loyalty to that manager. I think the players know they have a manager they can look up to, confide in and if they put the work in, be rewarded by.

 

RE: See you've sold Shittu

You're even selling **** now. Whatever next??

 

yeah right we should have sold him to you mugs

 

Cheers, 'Tuff' guy

 

My sentiments exactly

..and so well expressed.

 

Good point, well made.

Although, I enjoy the moans and the panic, so hopefuly not too many people will be taking notice.

 

another good point well made for you ....

Milton Jones looks like Uri Geller

 

It's been six years since we held on to a manager this long - Dave Bassett I think lasted around 18 months so hopefully Richie will soon be the longest serving Barnsley manager since Danny Wilson.  Not a great achievement in itself, but firm foundations on which to build a modest amount of success and stability hopefully.