Question So... Where are we going to end up this season

[Mad Cyril]

I have gone for 8th.

I have every faith in the managerial team but have my doubts that some of the new recruits will be up to the required standard in their first full season as professionals and we will undoubtedly lose players to injury.

 

[Tyga]

7th.

If we can get in a decent CB to shore up the defence then we could finish a place or two higher.

 

[SeldomSeenShrimper]

I think 10th

Still very leaky at the back with only 1 first team keeper.

Midfield is strong with good cover so I'd expect us to control large portions of the games.

Biggest concern, currently very light up top. Massive questions regarding the fitness of Hyde and Murphy and then that leaves us with Cardwell (could be out for a couple more months) and Wreh who's not played at this level yet.


I can see a lack of goals and lack of clean sheets being an issue and can see alot of draws and from winning positions being a regular theme.

Add a striker, right sides defender and a keeper and we could make playoffs

 

[overseas shrimper]

8th. I can see it now... missing out on 7th on goal difference due to a defence that leaks too many goals from set-pieces and lack of leadership.

 

[Jai]

People say our squad is better than last year but we've lost Neal, Lopata and Dennis. Also, very few people have mentioned how much strengthening the other sides in the league have done, it's going to be a much stronger league than last year.

10th will represent progress and is about where I think we'll end up.

 

[WestyReturns]

win all our early games ... get some swagger back ... at this level we are a BIG club and should be dominating games and our opponents should be happy to lose only 1-0 in front of the BIG support that SUFC has ...

Wrexham with Dalby on board might be a handful - so we could slip into second BUT promotion should be a certainty .

Grimsby went straight back up - the Os did not hang around down here ...

About time we WON something ...


(realistically - who knows)

That's how we should think but Ron had worn most of our fans down and now it almost seems acceptable that we are a mid table non league side.

I fear for our future. What kids are going to want to support a club where we stand now. Very very few.

 

[Flinty]

I’ve gone 8th based on the other teams near the top last season strengthening again and our team needing time to bed in as it were

 

[NZamba Legend]

It's very difficult to say. Like others, my worry is the defence. Way too leaky. A lot is riding on Lomas because at the moment he is the only one who can come in to improve our distinctly average pre-season defensive performances. But none of us know how good he is. I would also prefer Ralph to be the first choice left back/ left wing back because Clifford for me is not a consistent performer. Opposition always seem to target that flank. Nobody has predicted it but this squad could def finish lower half, especially if we lose a few, confidence evaporates and everyone start panicking. Any positivity that we have right now is extremely fragile. But, on the other hand, if the defence 'clicks', a couple of the new signings really break through and we don't suffer unduly with injuries we could have a good or very good season. I do like the blend of talents that Kev has tried to create. Could really develop into a team that we all fall in love with.

 

[Jasrod]

It's very difficult to say. Like others, my worry is the defence. Way too leaky. A lot is riding on Lomas because at the moment he is the only one who can come in to improve our distinctly average pre-season defensive performances. But none of us know how good he is. I would also prefer Ralph to be the first choice left back/ left wing back because Clifford for me is not a consistent performer. Opposition always seem to target that flank. Nobody has predicted it but this squad could def finish lower half, especially if we lose a few, confidence evaporates and everyone start panicking. Any positivity that we have right now is extremely fragile. But, on the other hand, if the defence 'clicks', a couple of the new signings really break through and we don't suffer unduly with injuries we could have a good or very good season.

Sitting on the fence then?

 

[NZamba Legend]

Sitting on the fence then?

I've gone for 6th in the poll.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

We start in 18th place - I am hoping this is our lowest league place of the season.

If we strengthen the defence, get some results & good home crowds going then we could push on towards play-off territory.

However, one large part of me will be very, very happy if the season is notable for the fact that we were no where near the relegation zone during the entire campaign.

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Many of the squad are moving up at least one level while a number are transitioning from being part time players to being full time professionals. There also has been significant churn in the squad with only Arnold, Ralph and Birdge available for selection from the team that faced King's Lynn in last year's opening fixture.

The players have many individual and collective adjustments to make as they adapt to their new team mates and environment. They have a task ahead of them as the National League is universally acknowledged as being a brutal, demanding and unforgiving workplace.

Looking at the age of the squad and the way it has been assembled I would be expecting it to improve as the season progresses with the hope that by the time we reach spring we will be more than a match for any of our rivals. This might not be the case at the beginning of the season, and, although I would love a strong start, I would guess that the first two months of the campaign will be seriously demanding.

Do I think we can win finish top? In such a tough competition I have to say no. The play offs, however, are a different matter. As long as we are in touch on New Year's Day I believe we can finish well enough to snatch a play off place. By then the hope must be that the squad has developed sufficiently for us to be able to beat any of our rivals.

To achieve we will need luck with injuries as well as with the run of the ball. We will also have to help ourselves as in such a competitive competition we will not be contending if we do not convert all, or, nearly all, the penalties that come our way.

UTB.

 

[Loan Shark Linda]

Yes I agree with most. We should be comfortable mid table then push for a play off for the 23/24 season

 

[Hazey]

It’s also worth thinking about the fact that very rarely is our starting 11 on game 1 the starting 11 by game 20. Who knows what possible loanees and players will come in across the season. I think this squad is a great starting point for the season.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

It’s also worth thinking about the fact that very rarely is our starting 11 on game 1 the starting 11 by game 20. Who knows what possible loanees and players will come in across the season. I think this squad is a great starting point for the season.

Was about to make the same point myself.

This isn’t the squad that will finish the season. The current squad isn’t enough but with a couple of additions - loan or permanent - it could be. Whether we get to make those additions or not (and when we are able to) remains to be seen.

We should be top half. The right loan signing(s) - it’ll probably need to be loans as you can seemingly attract a better quality of loan signing than permanent at this level - should push us into the play-offs.

 

[BedfordShrimper]

If we don't make the play offs, I won't be disappointed as its still a very tough league, but I do feel with the 3 amigos from the very start of the season we can look to finish around 6th.

 

[overseas shrimper]

I've gone for 6th in the poll.

I know a lot of us have a thing for Lopata but this is just taking it too far.

 

[southendkid]

I've gone 7th but wouldn't surprise me if we end up lower, we've got a young squad so it depends how quickly they can adapt to this level. If we do miss out though I think we'll be in a good position for next season, my only worry is that if we don't make the playoffs this year then Ron will step in to implement his tried and failed method of bringing in aging players for short term success.

 

[Dorsetshrimper]

I think it will be a slow start with some tough matches in the first few week, a couple of loans coming in and the team settling down to then go on a long unbeaten run to sneak into the play-offs in the last few weeks. Finishing 7th.
How will we do in the play-offs though?

 

[Ipswhrimp]

I'm going for 7th as well. I'm encouraged by what I've seen. We've lost the three loanees but we've signed some exciting players and have options for most positions. Yes, we looked a bit fragile at times against higher level opposition but we're a NL side and pretty good for that level. It's all conjecture, of course, and we may end up no higher than last year.

I note the prophets of doom haven't voted - there aren't any votes for the relegation places yet.