Expectations

[Taelee73]

Logged in looking to see chat about Bournemouth, and there was none!

Friendy games can of course give no indication of the season ahead, but 5 wins against lower opposition is still a good return. With form and fitness coming. The team have more of the look of the one pushing over the second half of last season.

The intense high energy pressing game is there. We've lost the pacy tricky wingers, but gained a striker who will shoot on sight, and fierce tackling midfielder.

A week ago I'd imagined a mid table finish, with a chance of the Play Offs. Now, it does feel we may have a better side than last season. Maybe!

Injuries will be key, our 2 (experienced) older strikers must be kept as fresh as possible, the same with Little and Hall. The keeper looks a good replacement.

And us, the Plainmoor crowd has a tendency to be quiet, or moan at the slightest mistake. I've never seen the benefits of Booing at halftime, save it till the end if you must.
We don't seem to give much encouragement.

Anyhow, im quiet positive about the season ahead. If we play as we can, we'll give anybody a game.
I feel more upbeat than anytime since those horrid penalties.

[DerekDawkinsJnr]

Though good preparation for a rebuilt team, the pre-season games aren't really much of an indicator I'd say. I think the business that's been done has been good, but the big spenders in the division are looking very tough to compete with.

After we've played Altrincham, Notts County & Woking - I'd be more inclined to offer an opinion on the strength of our squad.
We could be looking strong in our games and sitting pretty on 7 points, or playing poorly and disjointed, with only a point or two to our name. Either of those is equally likely.

[brucie]

Its a tough one - looking at last nights game we looked good but the quality of the opposition was woeful.

From initially looking a poor signing. Holman looks like a quality finisher. Lolos showed what he is capable of in the second half last night. Omar looks raw but appears to be an excellent signing. The key plus point is that he more than held his own against Plymouth before he went off injured.

Lapslie looks good, a midfielder who can run all day. O'Connell had by far his best game last night. Martin looks useful as does Chiori Johnson, and Moyse looks a prospect. Gabby Rogers looks to have some real ability.

Yes of course the big money teams will provide stern opposition but we can't do anything about that. Its a tough league to get out of and Sutton and Hartlepool going up didn't really help either.

[Jamie Ndah Is God]

Some good points raised above. The new signings appear to be very promising on paper. Yes the big money spenders will be expected to finish above us, as they should be, but I have total faith in our manager and how he can bring out the best out of players. Plus everything he's achieved in his career so far of course. The Notts County and Stockport managers, with respect, are nobodies so I feel we have the advantage over them in that we have a proper manager and a damn good one. I expect Wrexham to have a strong season. Not sure what to predict for TUFC but I'm hopeful for the season ahead. As someone has already said, it's imperative we keep our elder statesmen as fresh as we can.

Do we have enough firepower up front? What are people's thoughts on this?

[culmstockgull]

I was also of the opinion that mid table with a sniff of the play offs would be considered a positive season considering the stupid money being thrown around our league, if Johnson manages to acquire a couple of good loan signings, not green 19 year olds then I feel we could do quite well this year.

[DWB]

Do we have enough firepower up front? What are people's thoughts on this?

Well if the PSF are anything to go by then we have. What is it the two main strikers have scored between them, 7 isn’t it. The key of course as last season shows is keeping them fit. If the rest of the team chip in as they did last season with the likes of Asa, Jake and CLE ( if he is still with us) and even Omar if he can dominate at corners! then we should have enough?
I am worried though that the strikers might not want to score too many as they get squeezed to death by Omar every time

[brucie]

The thing is that paying over inflated salaries to basically journeyman footballers doesn't guarantee anything.

Of course it might pay off for somebody but there again one or two clubs are going to suffer badly when it goes tits up. Are Whitfield and Cameron really worth what they are being paid? - or are they just basically non league footballers for a reason.

Is Madden worth 3k a week? him and Rooney were utter crap in the Hartlepool play off game.

[Plainmoor78]

Anything short of a genuine promotion challenge will be a disappointment. I don't think just because some teams are able to out spend us that is an excuse to accept a mid table position with a sniff of the play offs. The last two seasons have seen Barrow, Harrogate and Sutton promoted to the EFL whilst the likes of Notts County and Chesterfield must have been spending a lot more money than they did.

[MellowYellow]

Is Madden worth 3k a week?

You would think not, until you compare his worth against new Wrexham striker Paul Mullin's.

Allegedly on wages of £6,000 a week, that's £936,000 gross over his three year contract.

My question is what is the real worth of a player who would drop down from a league 1 outfit to play non-league football.

Mullins couldn't hit a cow's arse before he arrived at Cambridge and his U's team-mates handed him his goals on a gift plate.

With non-league club trying to buy their way to success you really begin to appreciate the canny transfer policy of Magic Johnson.

Gut instinct tells me the attacking trio of Wright, Holman and Lolos will be the most deadly weapons to be seen in Conference football.

[brucie]

Well Chesterfield have signed Tshimanga today so every team seems to be throwing money at it.

Out of the three you mentioned Sutton and Harrogate both had the massive advantage of playing on artificial surfaces. Is Mullins on 6k a week -just can't see it myself.

The league is going to be far harder to win than it was last year though.

[MellowYellow]

And Scott Boden signs for Boreham Wood.

Tshimanga is another one on a three year contract. I can see a few of these clubs going tits-up if they fail in their promotion bid.

As for Sutton well they have had to rip up the 3G pitch at a cost of £550,000 plus had to factor in upgrades of turnstiles, floodlights and seating for away supporters so all the £1m they will receive for winning promotion has been spent on stadium improvements.

The story does not end there. They have had to delay their first two home games of the season as they are experiencing problems installing a grass pitch. Both Salford and Hartlepool who were the away opposition have agreed to help them out by altering their fixture. No guarantee the pitch will be ready for third home fixture on 28 August against Oldham.

[brucie]

And they have a 100% record so far 2 games 2 losses. No doubt we will be seeing them next year.

They have basically the same team as last year. Think they signed that useless forward from Notts County, and the big donkey from Stockport.

[Launceston Gull]

I don`t know what to expect. Other sides will have strengthened so we`ll have a better indication after maybe 6 league games. I`ve certainly liked what I`ve watched and read so far. I do believe that overall this squad even better. We look sound defensively, we`ve got creativity and pace to burn in the middle of the park and out wide; midfielders that can hit the target from distance and in Danny and Dan we`ve greater firepower up front (Gilzean/Greaves). If we can avoid the level of injuries we suffered I`m optimistic that we can enjoy another good season.

[Chrisjb66]

Lapslie is going to make the biggest difference this year to our chances...followed by Holman.
Just need a very capable central defender! Up the Gulls!!

[numpte]

Hope for play offs and think we'll get there and then who knows.

I think defensively we are light and would imagine there will be one more CB entering the fray between now and 21st.

Think it will be one of the most exciting leagues, lots of teams being able to beat lots of other teams on their day.