Realistic Ambitions For Next Season?

[jimmer007]

If we don't go up next year, we will never have a better chance.

We have 3 strikers who could easily get 25+ goals given a run in the team.

We have a youngish (25/6?) dominating centre back in the name of heywood, could shaun taylor finally be properly replaced?

Now have a creative midfielder replacing tins, called russell and a player called grant smith who could give us the balance down the left side we have been crying out for since brown left!

All is we need now is a keeper not only capable of pushing phillips for his place, but could hold his own if he is given his chance, but what goallkeepers could we get in capable of the above on a tight budget!

On paper we look good every year, but this year is different. We have geniune competion/backup in all areas(except goalie), when was the last time we had such a good squad in depth?

What team would you like to see come our first home game on 6th August?

Mine is:

Phillips

Carey-Heywood-Coles-Golbourne

Murray/Anyinsah*-Russel-Brown-G.Smith

Stewart-/Lita** - Brooker

*depending on pre seaon form

** probs be stewart and lita, but i think we need brooker in the team due to his threat from set pieces and his hold up play.

Bring On August 6th, can't wait?

Only 51 days, 4 hours, 7 minutes, 32 seconds to go

Come On You Reds!!!!

[Guest]

You are forgetting a decent centre back

If we had one last season we wouldnt be in this division now.

The only change to a way dodgey defence has been Heywood from Swindon on a free

Scoring hasn`t been, wasn`t a problem keeping them out maybe

[Maesknoll Red]

What team would you like to see come our first home game on 6th August?

Mine is:

Phillips

Carey-Heywood-Coles-Golbourne

Murray/Anyinsah*-Russel-Brown-G.Smith

Stewart-/Lita** - Brooker

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No place for Wilkshire?

[jimmer007]

No place for Wilkshire?

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No, probs because he won't be here at the start of the season because of austrailia or something. He is a good player, don't get me wrong butsome weeks i rate him then others i don't.

He would bein my team if every set piece, (bar one v blackpool) went over the bar and evry corner went to the keeper or didn't hit the first man. Hopefully G.Smith and russell can offer us soem decent corners for a change, apart from when bell took them....... the legend of all legends will be sorely missed this year I'm afraid!!

[City Exile]

Well I hope you are right.

However, I think there is a serious degree of over-hyping going on at the moment. The signing of Stewart is of course fantastic and strengthens the team, but we were a long long way short of automatic last year.

The midfield and defense is untested. We all of course hope the players Tinman has bought in work out. The midfield you state of Murray/Anyinsah*-Russel-Brown-G.Smith certainly has potential. However, the last time we came very close, I would imagine the first three names on the sheet were Doherty, Tinnion and Murray. A steady well performing midfield that year. The new midfield will need to be close to that level, and at the moment we simply do not know.

Equally the defense. I was at the Luton game, and frankly even if Stewart had played for us that day we would have still got hammered. Without being patronising, it is a team game, and we have no real idea as fans how good this team is yet.

What is for sure, it is Tinman's team, and he will have fewer excuses next year. I for one am pretty confident, and hope to enjoy the journey, but have an open mind as to how next year will pan out.

If it had not been for Stewart, a case could be made that we have been a selling club over the summer!

[Dynamite Red]

The team looks good apart from Smith is not a left winger and he and Swindle fans have all said he is a central midfielder, he has the pace of a slug stuck in glue.

I still think this needs addressing otherwise it will be the same scenario as last season e.g Wilkshire, Brown, Cotterill, Anyinsah all played out of position and it also affected our defence down the left side. Think the same scenario as England with Lampard, Scholes, Gerrard, Hargreaves and Dyer all playing down the left side but drifting out of position leaving Ashley Cole in the ###t.

We need a left winger and I am still not convinced that our defence is strong enough it all depends on how Heywood adapts.

[BCAGFC]

IMO it would be total failure if we don't make the play offs at least next season.

We have had good squads in the past but that doesn't make a promotion winning team, you also need determination/mental strength/desire/motivation/and a good bit luck. Time will tell if we have all of that.

BCAGFC

[Guest Tactical Genius]

More of the same I'm afraid.

We will have a side that is strong up front, but will be let down by a lack of quality service couple with defensive vulnerabilities.

[jimmer007]

We will have a side that is strong up front, but will be let down by a lack of quality service couple with defensive vulnerabilities.

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[Guest Tactical Genius]

Russell may well have looked good in the basement and in a Torquay side that struggled to stay out of the bottom four all season, but is a 32 year old who has spent almost his entire career in the lowest division really the sort of player to take us forward?

Smith despite being only 25 has had almost as many clubs as John Burridge and has single handedly failed to hold down a regular place at any of them.

I haven't been the first, and I daresay won't be the last, to point out that Heywood hardly did a good job of holding the Swindon defence together.

I fail to see how we have improved the problem areas of last season.

[Alex_BCFC]

Russell may well have looked good in the basement and in a Torquay side that struggled to stay out of the bottom four all season, but is a 32 year old who has spent almost his entire career in the lowest division really the sort of player to take us forward?

Smith despite being only 25 has had almost as many clubs as John Burridge and has single handedly failed to hold down a regular place at any of them.

I haven't been the first, and I daresay won't be the last, to point out that Heywood hardly did a good job of holding the Swindon defence together.

I fail to see how we have improved the problem areas of last season.

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TG- I accept so of your points are valid and true but for me it depends on alot of things. First of all if we play like we did in the last two games then we will do well- in those games we looked like we knew what we were doing and did it well. If we play like we did at Luton we have no chance. Secondly, the signings could be brilliant but they could be poor- time will tell. Russell sounds a class act and too good for Torquay and I have heard from other clubs that he looked very good against them. As for Smith he was never given a chance at Swindon until the last 6 months and did well. He could turn out to be poor but at least he can take set pieces which is something we miss! Heywood- did poorly at Swindon last year according to them but we need someone to head the ball away and he could eb the man though he might not be. Another interesting factor will be Tinnion's tactics and mana management along with whether we get in experienced coach/coaches etc. I'm not getting excited yet like alot of people but think we will come 4/5th unless we defend properly.

[Frank Reynolds]

Tactical Genius, we have no money to remove the problem areas. I think Tins has done well so far.

I think we'll go up, and my team would be:

Phillips

Carey--Heywood--Coles--Golbourne

Cotterill--Russell--Wilkshire--Smith

Stewart--Lita

Smith maybe more of a central midfielder, so him and Wilkshire could interchange at times. Also, I've heard that Smith has a wicked left foot, so he wouldn't need pace. Beckham isn't fast, yet he sets up plenty of goals. Tins played there with similar attributes.

[Guest Tactical Genius]

Tactical Genius, we have no money to remove the problem areas.

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Because we have spunked the entire budget on the wages of a striker that we do not need.

[Alex_BCFC]

Because we have spunked the entire budget on the wages of a striker that we do not need.

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Lansdown said before pre-season that there was no money to spend. Increased ST sales and merchandising will pay alot of Stewart's wages. To say we don't need him is not 100% true. If we get injuries or if Lita goes (which is unlikely) then Stewart will be the main man, if he isn't already.

[richwwtk]

I keep reading that our big problem last season was the defence, yet the league table doesn't seem to back this up. The only teams to concede less than us were the top 3, whilst 5 sides outscored us.

Whilst not blaming the forwards for any shortcomings last season, it looks to me as though the whole team and not any one area were all equally culpable for our failure to go up.

This says to me that we should be worrying about wether this close seasons transfer activity has improved the club as a whole. With Stewart, Russel, Grant and Heywood coming in and Miller, Heffernan and Bell leaving I would like to think it has.

The 3 leaving probably didn't rack up more than 46 first team starts between them last season so we've lost roughly the equivalent of 1 first team player with what looks like at least 3 coming in. This says to me that we are going to be a better side overall than we were last season and will make a minimum of the playoffs, if we're any better than that only time will tell.

[Alex_BCFC]

I keep reading that our big problem last season was the defence, yet the league table doesn't seem to back this up. The only teams to concede less than us were the top 3, whilst 5 sides outscored us.

Whilst not blaming the forwards for any shortcomings last season, it looks to me as though the whole team and not any one area were all equally culpable for our failure to go up.

This says to me that we should be worrying about wether this close seasons transfer activity has improved the club as a whole. With Stewart, Russel, Grant and Heywood coming in and Miller, Heffernan and Bell leaving I would like to think it has.

The 3 leaving probably didn't rack up more than 46 first team starts between them last season so we've lost roughly the equivalent of 1 first team player with what looks like at least 3 coming in. This says to me that we are going to be a better side overall than we were last season and will make a minimum of the playoffs, if we're any better than that only time will tell.

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Rich our defending was awful even if we didn't conceed that many goals. When we played luton we could have lost 10-0! Set pieces is my main worry. Also the midfield were hopless at winning the 2nd ball! Agree with you about the players coming in and out though.

[Guest Tactical Genius]

Alex, If we had kept Heff we wouldn't need Stewart. In the long term we have ended up with the wrong one of the two.

[richwwtk]

Rich our defending was awful even if we didn't conceed that many goals. When we played luton we could have lost 10-0! Set pieces is my main worry. Also the midfield were hopless at winning the 2nd ball! Agree with you about the players coming in and out though.

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I'll agree that set pieces was where our defending looked at it's worst (I didn't go to Luton so can't comment on that). In order to improve defending from corners, free kicks etc should it not be the defensive play throughout the whole team that needs improving as inevitably they are all pulled back for such situations.

I think that what we were missing last season was a real 'leader' on the pitch that can get the team organised at times like this. We went through various captains last season none of whom filled this role particularly well. The one that eventually looked the best was the last, Steve Brooker.

From comments when he was signed it would appear that Tins regards Alex Russel as this sort of player also and I wouldn't be surprised to see him handed the armband come August 6th.

[tompo]

[port marine red]

Wrong man in charge, I'm afraid. I see another season of discontent looming ahead

[Alex_BCFC]

Alex, If we had kept Heff we wouldn't need Stewart. In the long term we have ended up with the wrong one of the two.

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I don't get your point here. The long term view on this one is Stewart will ahve helped us get out of this league and is real quality- and will probably be on the coaching staff too. Heff good player as he is, is not needed. I'd have Stewart over Heffernan anyday regardless of age. You need at least one class player in every position- upfront we now have that. What worries me is the defence lacks it.

[Braemarstan]

[Guest REDCIDERARMY]

I still feel the problem last season was with the two fulll backs in smith and bell they were far to slow and never created anything for the wingers,I agree if butler had stayed we may of got in the play offs but with heywood hopefully we have a good ball winner in the air then coles is at his best a longside him.

[Guest Tactical Genius]

I don't get your point here. The long term view on this one is Stewart will ahve helped us get out of this league and is real quality- and will probably be on the coaching staff too. Heff good player as he is, is not needed. I'd have Stewart over Heffernan anyday regardless of age. You need at least one class player in every position- upfront we now have that. What worries me is the defence lacks it.

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The long term view is that Heffernan could have easily gone on to score over 100 league goals for the club and been the player that the side was built around for the next 6-7 years. Stewart has 1, maybe 2 years left as a useful player.

Stewart will not get us out of this division on his own, and the money deployed on him would have been better spent elsewhere.

That Stewart will join the coaching staff is supposition. Even if he does he may not be any good as a coach. Much better players than Stewart have been awful coaches. David Platt for one.

Now, was that too difficult to glean?