How long before we are back in the Football League?

[NZamba Legend]

Us being non league is like year 10 work experience. You get out as soon you can and with no intention of ever going back.

 

[Chrisb]

My heart says straight back. My head says 1-3yrs. So I’ve gone with the latter.

I thought the team improved under Brown in the last 6 games. With a full preseason, investment in and (hopefully) the squad in place for the start of preseason, we are giving ourselves every chance of an immediate bounce back. However, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the alarming free-fall of the last 3 seasons: that will take some effort to halt let alone turn around so dramatically as winning promotion at the first attempt.

Here’s hoping my heart wins this one...

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I have gone for 3 to 5 years. Trying to be realistic really, getting out of the National League will be tough. A number of clubs have struggled in their first year and Torquay even spent a season in the National League South, before becoming a force again. The signings PB has made should prevent that from happening and I do expect us to be competitive, but we have been in a downward spiral for at least 3 seasons and that has to be reversed first.

 

[BlueShrimperDean]

Back up right away if we manage to secure the signings of Leo Roget and Keith Dublin at the back. Would 100 percent be automatic promotion if we persuade Paul Byrne to fly over from Ireland too. If these things happen then we will storm NL easily.

 

[twobob]

The big problem with going up out of this league is that there is only 1 automatic place. If we are outside that we could face 3 extra games in the play offs. 1 bad refereeing decision or mistake and that's it till the following season.

If we miss out we might have a chance of playing in the Scottish league challenge cup though! (if English clubs are still invited)

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Enjoying the Kool Aid being drunk on this thread already. You are in disarray and the man responsible for that disarray is still helming the club.

The NL is far more difficult/competitive than when we were there and we had two Championship-quality strikers up front - plus McAnuff & Ekpiteta - and only won the division by three points. Murphy and Coulson are a solid start, but you are so, so very far away from being ready to challenge the top echelons of that division.

 

[Tribal Chief]

We will be promoted by Easter

 

[Tribal Chief]

Enjoying the Kool Aid being drunk on this thread already. You are in disarray and the man responsible for that disarray is still helming the club.

The NL is far more difficult/competitive than when we were there and we had two Championship-quality strikers up front - plus McAnuff & Ekpiteta - and only won the division by three points. Murphy and Coulson are a solid start, but you are so, so very far away from being ready to challenge the top echelons of that division.

No offence Jonny, but **** off.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

No offence Jonny, but **** off.

No offence taken, Rusty. I’m just here to help you all make the painful transition from watching the likes of Collymore, Eastwood and Drewe Broughton to the plucky band of plumbers, estate agents and lollipop ladies that will make up your squad this year. Think of me as a benevolent spirit guide to your upcoming vision quest across the endless desert hellscape of the Vanarama National League.

 

[Tribal Chief]

No offence taken, Rusty. I’m just here to help you all make the painful transition from watching the likes of Collymore, Eastwood and Drewe Broughton to the plucky band of plumbers, estate agents and lollipop ladies that will make up your squad this year. Think of me as a benevolent spirit guide to your upcoming vision quest across the endless desert hellscape of the Vanarama National League.

How delightful. Maybe I'm being overly cynical but you're coming off as a fan of a rival team who is reveling in our misfortune.

 

[sufc4life21]

The orient fan right we are way off from mounting a promotion bid...... we've made decent start regards to the signings. Experience older players will bring that knowledge and nouce but that has to be followed up with signings who are in their 20s who have potential to go onto bigger and better things. Can't keep signing old pros, as they won't have the legs to play 40 plus games a season! Need to have the right balance to the squad to achieve the goal we all want, which is promotion.

National league is tough league and their a reason why it's called the graveyard ex football league clubs! If we continue this trend of signings 30 plus year olds, we will be mid table or lower. I hope brown and his recruitment team are aware of this...... Time will tell I guess.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

No offence taken, Rusty. I’m just here to help you all make the painful transition from watching the likes of Collymore, Eastwood and Drewe Broughton to the plucky band of plumbers, estate agents and lollipop ladies that will make up your squad this year. Think of me as a benevolent spirit guide to your upcoming vision quest across the endless desert hellscape of the Vanarama National League.

Drewe Broughton ?..

 

[Ipswhrimp]

we had two Championship-quality strikers

Leyton Orient? Championship quality? Surely that's a logical contradiction?

 

[kaymac]

More like Scottish Championship quality

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Leyton Orient? Championship quality? Surely that's a logical contradiction?

Naturally. Which is why we sold them both immediately.

 

[Strykr]

My heart says 1 year. But my head says maybe never :(

The chances of a club having 3 abysmal years then all of a sudden winning a league is fantasy time really. Ill be keeping everything crossed but its a mammoth task really isnt it.

 

[dusterman]

5-7 years I reckon

 

[Chapperz]

Naturally. Which is why we sold them both immediately.

While I don't disagree you had two class strikers in Bonne and Koroma, neither really came to you with goalscoring pedigree.

Bonne was released by Colchester with an unimpressive 1 goal (against your boys) in 18 games and Koroma only had 4 in 31 games from your first season in the National League.

Obviously this is just looking at basic numbers and their performances could have been impressive otherwise (Koroma scoring a hat-trick and getting an assist as a 18 year old in your League 2 relegation season suggested he had something).

Lets hope that Matt Rush can step up and become our Koroma, and that people won't get on his back if he doesn't get great numbers in his first full season.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

While I don't disagree you had two class strikers in Bonne and Koroma, neither really came to you with goalscoring pedigree.

Bonne was released by Colchester with an unimpressive 1 goal (against your boys) in 18 games and Koroma only had 4 in 31 games from your first season in the National League.

Obviously this is just looking at basic numbers and their performances could have been impressive otherwise (Koroma scoring a hat-trick and getting an assist as a 18 year old in your League 2 relegation season suggested he had something).

Lets hope that Matt Rush can step up and become our Koroma, and that people won't get on his back if he doesn't get great numbers in his first full season.

Bonne was a simple case of moving him into the middle. His all-round game was already there, but the sheep had been limiting his goal scoring opportunities by playing him out wide.

Koroma needed seasoning. That first year down there - getting kicked ****less - did him the world of good. Not sure how open to playing your youngsters Brown is going to be; if, as I suspect, you’re in a spot of bother at some point next season, he’ll invariably go for experience over youth.

 

[CaptainSmudger]

1/3 seasons for me. Won’t be this coming season as need to banish the loosing mentality and that won’t happen immediately.

We’ve already done that in the last six games with PB.
COYB UTB, Promotion straight back up