Season Expectations

[Bigdoggsteel]

7 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

I'm expecting an announcement at some point over the next 6 months that Mowbray has signed a 12 month rolling extension to his contract.

 

 

 

Same. I'd say it's a cert tbh. So nobody should be surprised. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 17/10/2021 at 13:30, roversfan99 said:

Where do people expect us to finish this season for the season to be considered par for the course or even a success? And are people flexible enough in their views to have a target to which Mowbray (who sadly seems to be here for the near future) could even earn a new deal?

I think firstly that it is important to acknowledge the lack of backing this summer, there wasn't a competitive budget of even a fraction of the Armstrong money and the considerable wage budget savings to replace not only Armstrong but a multitude of experienced players. We are left with an average first 11 including 4 academy graduates and a player signed last season for the under 23s, and beyond that, pitiful depth padded out by the cheapest of kids on loan deals.

Perhaps it could be argued that any improvement on last seasons finish of 15th place is progression but for me, last season was so poor that it should be based upon the previous finish of 11th. If we finish in the top 10, whilst I have always felt that anything slightly under the play offs has to be deemed a disappointment in that the top 6 is so close, I would consider that to be a good season personally.

That being said, a top 10 finish would not warrant a contract extension for me. It would be 4 full seasons in which Mowbray would have been somewhat a safe pair of hands, never at threat of serious relegation, but in which time he has never come close to a top 6 finish, and I suspect would be unlikely to any time soon. I am unsure if we have ever truly had a top 6 squad under him, we definitely don't this season and I would potentially suggest that we have the worst squad out of the last 4 years, similar to the first season up. A top 6 season would be an overachievement specific to this season but that is ultimately we will need at some point in order to get into the play offs, and to get some hope back which Venkys have long since extinguished.

I expect a similar finish to last season however, quite possibly even slightly lower.

The worst squad of the last 4 seasons? I'm not sure about that tbh. We have the best defence and Buckley has started playing a bit. Rothwell in decent form. Brereton and Gallagher scoring. Strength in depth unknown to questionable, but on our day I think we have 11-13 good enough to get top 6. 

Under Mowbray though with his strange calls and inability to see out games unless we score 3 or get lucky the opposition, probably 12-14th. Then again the league is the worst I recall ,so we could finish top 8. It's gonna be a tight final table 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Bigdoggsteel

[Crimpshrine]

Current league form is 2 wins in 9

Going back to the start of the death spiral last season ( defeat at QPR in February ) we have played 32 league games and won 8 ( 25% ) and gained 35 points. This includes 2 dead rubber wins when the pressure was off.

So at that rate (1.09 points per game), for the last 8 months we have been in the sort of form that could put us perilously close to the bottom 3. 

2 wins in the first 3 games this season gave us a bit of breathing space but the overall picture hasn't really changed. I predict a low bottom half finish but we should survive ( fingers crossed )

 

[Wheelton Blue]

8 wins out of 32 is diabolical.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Wheelton Blue

[Waggy76]

3 hours ago, Crimpshrine said:

Current league form is 2 wins in 9

Going back to the start of the death spiral last season ( defeat at QPR in February ) we have played 32 league games and won 8 ( 25% ) and gained 35 points. This includes 2 dead rubber wins when the pressure was off.

So at that rate (1.09 points per game), for the last 8 months we have been in the sort of form that could put us perilously close to the bottom 3. 

2 wins in the first 3 games this season gave us a bit of breathing space but the overall picture hasn't really changed. I predict a low bottom half finish but we should survive ( fingers crossed )

 

Derby and Peterborough will help us , me thinks only one place up for grabs...

[Wheelton Blue]

I wouldn't be too sure about Derby. 

8 points from the last 5 games, versus our 5.