Expectations?

[Sparky]

What do people think expectations should be this season? I can’t see us making the top three and think we’ll do well to get into the top 7. Although not guaranteeing success, the likes of Bradford, Stockport, Salford, Northampton and Doncaster have spent big and brought in some real quality. I think others like Swindon and Mansfield will be up there and Carlisle could have an outside chance.
We have lots of new players but Micky is good at getting teams to gel fairly quickly. Fitness will be key. If we lost the likes of Hemmings, hawkes or cogley through injury we’d be in a bit of a pickle.

For me although a long way to go I can see a mid table finish, perhaps top 10. Or am I being negative?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We will be there or thereabouts in the mix for promotion and whether we actually go up or not will depend on a number of factors, including luck.

The teams listed may have good squads on paper, but the high spending clubs very rarely all perform in accordance with expectations.

 

[Ian]

I think we’ll be hanging around the playoffs for most of the season.

 

[bigmart]

I think it's hard to say currently as we have a number of young players who have barely played senior football who may turn out to be stars or may not.
The squad is currently unbalanced with few widemen if we want change systems and little cover up front.
The way we intend to play we will concede more goals but also should score more, I think we will probably just miss out on play offs again

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Aside from the absence of strikers, not sure I agree that the squad is unbalanced. We could easily switch to 4231 or 4411 with the number of midfield options we have, or even 442 as Morris, Hawkes and MacAlear can all play out wide.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Since that glorious day at Wembley just three years ago when Connor Jennings’ late late header lifted us into League One, we have slipped backwards in terms of league position. While the club’s financial position has certainly improved and our plans make the long term future bright, we haven’t done the business in the pitch.

Our previous recruitment strategy consisted for the most part of squeezing an extra year or two out of good pros bearing the end of their careers and repatriating homesick Scousers. When we unearthed and developed a decent player, he would often move on for nothing because we didn’t have the faith to offer a long term contact originally.

The new strategy is almost the opposite, with the introduction of the development squad. We have gone in one summer from one of the oldest to one of the youngest squads and will be radically changing our playing style. It will take time for some of the younger players to develop and adapt to League Two football.

I would say our league position will depend on:
1. How well the squad adapts to the new style of play.
2. How good the new young players turn out to be.
3. How good our business is until the transfer window closes - who we sign and if we manage to keep what we have. Also the January window will affect things.
4. How effectively the moneybags clubs perform.
5. Long term injuries, critical refereeing decisions, Covid etc. - otherwise known as luck.

As things stand, my head says we’ll finish in the top half but not in the playoffs. Too many things will have to go right for us to do better than last season. It may be another couple of years (if ever) before we can compete with the moneybags clubs. However, I do think the squad is competitive. If we can bring in two or three more players and the team plays to its potential, we can win promotion this season.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We actually won more points last season than we did in the 2018-19 promotion season, so I am not sure we have gone backwards on the pitch.

We have basically been a top seven to top ten League Two side in every season since returning to the League, arguably including the League One season, when we were not really equipped for that level.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think a major difference between the squad this season and in previous years, is that it is easy to imagine all of the squad members making a positive contribution on the pitch at some stage. There is far less deadwood than last year when we basically poured money down the drain on the likes of Feeney, MacManaman, Maguire, Mani etc.

 

[frenchrover]

BBTC, a pretty fair and balanced assessment of our current situation. I believe RLC is also correct in saying that the "deadwood" from last season which, for whatever reason, failed to deliver has been replaced by younger and, hopefully, hungrier players who will deliver. But I agree with your view that we may struggle this season to reach the play-off positions. I hope we are both wrong and we secure that promotion we all look for but to do so I think we will need a fair helping of your 5th point....Luck.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

We actually won more points last season than we did in the 2018-19 promotion season, so I am not sure we have gone backwards on the pitch.

We have basically been a top seven to top ten League Two side in every season since returning to the League, arguably including the League One season, when we were not really equipped for that level.

Sorry, RLC. You win promotion or get relegated based on your league position not the number of points gained. In football, as in all sports, everything is relative not absolute. We have gone from a side which won promotion from League Two to one which couldn't even reach the playoffs. In any case, I simply concluded that since our last promotion we haven't done the business on the pitch - a statement we surely all agree with.

 

[Boz]

It's very hard to tell. The first thing to evaluate is whether L2 this season is stronger than last season. We lost relative moneybags sides in Forest Green and Exeter with the rarity at this level of having a profitable Academy, Bristol Rovers looking at their playing squad were likely to be amongst the bigger spenders. Only Vale looked to have a typical budget for this league; in contrast with the season before, where only notlob of the promoted sides were in the potential moneybags category. The sides dropping down don't scream big-spender, they're about our level or less financially. 3 of the 4 had the same manager as saw them relegated, while in Crewe's case think the deed was as good as done before Alex Morris got the job, both McSheffrey at Doncaster and Harris at Gillingham were appointed with enough time to keep their teams up and failing. I think AFC Wimbledon may have be best chance of a bounce-back, but they're financially not out of reach.

While the L2 exchanges may be favourable to our prospects, both NL escapees will hold their own at this level and Stockport are real promotion contenders. There don't appear to be any obvious basket cases to drop out of the league, while Crawley's owner's bitcoin model may be suspect, they have put money into the team buying L2s top scorer. Bradford have got an experienced manager more in tune with the fan-base, Walsall had some American investment, while Swindon start the season without the issues from previous ownership but the other existing L2 sides seem around the same. I would reckon, on balance, it's a slightly weaker league than last season, but a much tighter one.

I agree with BBTC's analysis and don't think we'll make the automatic places this season, short of some significant squad additions before the window shuts. Realistically on Micky's comments post-match and other indications, that ain't going to happen. So anywhere between the play-offs and lower mid-table for me.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Sorry, RLC. You win promotion or get relegated based on your league position not the number of points gained. In football, as in all sports, everything is relative not absolute. We have gone from a side which won promotion from League Two to one which couldn't even reach the playoffs. In any case, I simply concluded that since our last promotion we haven't done the business on the pitch - a statement we surely all agree with.

Our performance in the last two seasons was very similar to the promotion season. We missed out on the top seven by two points last season and only fell out of the play off places due to a terrible run of suspensions and injuries in the closing weeks of the season.

The points total is relevant, given that the general quality of the division must be broadly similar from one season to the next. The differences in performance in the last three seasons at this level were marginal at best, and don't imply we have gone 'backwards' on the pitch.

 

[Ian]

I do not think we have gone backwards, nor do in think we have particularly moved forward either. I think we’ll have a similar season to the ones before and like a few have mentioned, a fair slice of luck can help too!

I think the demotion hit us quite hard too for various reasons.

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

at the end of the day, we all said last season we needed more goals and it looks like they are going to try and get them we will see another forward come in that's for sure we will let goals in but hope we can score more at the same time let us just enjoy the return of Footie as its been missed I am making a first day return and my little one is coming she might not like it but she needs to get the bug

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I think the demotion hit us quite hard too for various reasons.

I agree, particularly as I think it may have been a reason why Micky moved north. Both the demotion and Micky’s departure were a double whammy. We are only just recovering.

 

[drwhoman]

I cannot disagree with any of the above comments. I hope to be pleasantly surprised but I am not holding my breath for the coming season! I might be feeling a bit more positive if we sign a couple of decent forwards in the remaining transfer window. As many of the obvious candidates are probably already signed up elsewhere we might be having to take a punt on a couple of young forwards, possibly acquired on loan. I would rather we did this than signing a long in the tooth journeyman who is probably a waste of a wage. Unkind I know but there we are. Reality. These comments made, I hope that those going to the game physically have a good time and that the entertainment on the pitch is exciting. Never any substitute for actually being there!

 

[ADD]

I would expect mid table with the squad as it is now to be par for the course. If we get in a quality striker for this level be that a staying fit Glatzel or ANO then we could get into the play off mix. Don't think we will be good enough for automatics. I am also expecting to be entertained far more than I was last year which will be great.
My other expectation this season will be managerial tension if we do not impress early doors. I wasn't that impressed with MM's interview after the Huddersfield game. He appears to be approaching the new "goals goals" strategy with reluctance and if we have a poor run of form at some point which is likely with so many young players I suspect he will want to revert to a more defensive approach.

 

[Sparky]

Interesting ADD wasn’t impressed with mickys interview after the Huddersfield game. I was the same although many SWA found it refreshing and honest. I just thought he went over the top to already make excuses about likely conceding more goals this season. I guess you could say he was managing expectations but I thought it was a bit much.
Last season ended on a disappointment not reaching the play offs but at this level some of our fans will be expecting a promotion challenge and if we don’t start well then who knows what could happen. Micky can be a bit spiky as we’ve already seen

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

with such a young team and with little exsperience we will have to be pacient with the young lads and yes they will cock things up and it should be fun i would love us to win the LG but this is Tranmere and we don,t do winning LGS so if we get into the playoffs then great if we get entertained and have fun i don,t care to much

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

with such a young team and with little exsperience we will have to be pacient with the young lads and yes they will cock things up and it should be fun i would love us to win the LG but this is Tranmere and we don,t do winning LGS so if we get into the playoffs then great if we get entertained and have fun i don,t care to much

That's the most positive but realistic post I've seen this summer. Thanks, AM!

If only every Rovers fan had that attitude.