Underdogs

I've seen a few apparent experts online recently predicting we will be circling the relegation zone come the end of the season.  Quite happy that we seem to be under the radar again, and hope this helps motivate the players like it did in the play offs.  I recall in 2017/18 Accrington put together a squad with team spirit and togetherness which culminated in a finish which most wouldn't have predicted for them!

It is what it is.

As long as we dont get relegated, we will still be in the right place to build a team for the following seasons, although the majority of our new players are on a minimum of 2 year contracts, so next season Hurst might not have to dip into the transfer market quite as much as this year, as long as they all perform to the required standard.

Now having 4 of the players who were in the National League Players of the Season team, the future is looking rosey

Personally I think we will be mid table which isnt bad for our first season back.

Quoted from UTMariners

I've seen a few apparent experts online recently predicting we will be circling the relegation zone come the end of the season.  Quite happy that we seem to be under the radar again, and hope this helps motivate the players like it did in the play offs.  I recall in 2017/18 Accrington put together a squad with team spirit and togetherness which culminated in a finish which most wouldn't have predicted for them!

Online experts = spotty virgins that read Mundial once…

I can think of at least 3 teams I’d say are nailed on for a relegation battle…

Who was the last team to come up and go straight back down again?

Generally promoted sides tend to do quite well coming into League Two, at a guess I'd say more so than any other league in England.  Last year was the toughest Conference I can remember in terms of depth and sheer financial power that clubs had, at least 4 clubs that were spending in a way that would have put most League Two sides to shame.  

We overcame that and for my money we've strengthened.  Fox was a loss but, on paper, Green looks an improvement.  We've added one of the best defenders we came up against and some extra threat from wide.  I don't think we're the finished article and I still think we're short of a couple of additions to challenge at the top.  But relegation fodder?  Not a chance.  

to be fair, we was underdogs last season.
Only Chris Hargreaves predicted us to go up, and i think we all know why he did....

Even during the play-offs, they was all assuming we was just going to lose the next match.

Made it all that more sweet

Quoted from UTMariners

I've seen a few apparent experts online recently predicting we will be circling the relegation zone come the end of the season.  Quite happy that we seem to be under the radar again, and hope this helps motivate the players like it did in the play offs.  I recall in 2017/18 Accrington put together a squad with team spirit and togetherness which culminated in a finish which most wouldn't have predicted for them!

Are you referring to actual experts or some of the muppets that have youtube channels and think they are?

To be fair to this explosion of "experts" or geeks as they are known is all they have ever seen is GTFC being relegated, just avoiding relegation or playing in the NL.

It's a shame but we have basically got to rebuild our reputation with a generation who just see us as basically rubbish.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

To be fair to this explosion of "experts" or geeks as they are known is all they have ever seen is GTFC being relegated, just avoiding relegation or playing in the NL.

It's a shame but we have basically got to rebuild our reputation with a generation who just see us as basically rubbish.

History will always be used as a reference point to benchmark expected performance, and we’ve been consistently a bottom third (at best) side in our most recent League Two seasons.

From the outside looking in we’re still unfashionable old bottom feeding Grimsby, playing at the decaying and decrepit Blundell Park, but the reality is that we are absolutely incomparable as a club from the one which sauntered so calamitously into the non-league abyss a little over a year ago.

We’re going to surprise a few people this year, I think.

Quoted from UTMariners

I've seen a few apparent experts online recently predicting we will be circling the relegation zone come the end of the season.  Quite happy that we seem to be under the radar again, and hope this helps motivate the players like it did in the play offs.  I recall in 2017/18 Accrington put together a squad with team spirit and togetherness which culminated in a finish which most wouldn't have predicted for them!

They obviously haven't done their homework. If they had they would have realised that the club is not the one Fenty sold, but one that is going places, a phoenix rising from the rabbit burrows of Blundell Park to a pitch with a new sprinkler system. I could go on but the difference is dynamic between what we had and what we've now got. Experts???, would pay then tuppence and as for where we'll be come at the end of the season, well you already know my view.

They're not experts, far from it.  It's lazy analysis.

They've seen we've yo-yoed in and out of League Two in recent history, finished fairly far down the pecking order in the Conference and that's the level of their research.

I saw one the other day that had us and Crawley to go down. That's Crawley who have done some serious recruitment this summer, including the signing of a guy who bagged 25 in 37 in the very same league last season.

And yet, in an analysis of teams with the most potential for growth, we were picked out as one of the best bets.

This was a proper study of teams in Britain, not some numpty with a YouTube channel and 50 followers.

We have good owners, good backing, a good manager and a decent squad. We'll be fine.

Quoted from diehardmariner

They're not experts, far from it.  It's lazy analysis.

They've seen we've yo-yoed in and out of League Two in recent history, finished fairly far down the pecking order in the Conference and that's the level of their research.

I saw one the other day that had us and Crawley to go down. That's Crawley who have done some serious recruitment this summer, including the signing of a guy who bagged 25 in 37 in the very same league last season.

I think the Crawley thing might be in part based on the potential for an NFT implosion of some kind. Agree that they've done some very good recruitment but their whole model is absolutely bonkers and never been done before. Saw this yesterday:

https://www.sussexexpress.co.u.....lisle-united-3773066

Quoted from Son of Cod

I think the Crawley thing might be in part based on the potential for an NFT implosion of some kind. Agree that they've done some very good recruitment but their whole model is absolutely bonkers and never been done before. Saw this yesterday:

https://www.sussexexpress.co.u.....lisle-united-3773066

That has got disaster written all over it.

Naturally, I agree with Ginny. I think some might have over exaggerated our chances at both ends of the table and I’ve seen YouTubers of various types predict us anywhere from 8th to 18th generally. It’s just opinion isn’t it, based on very little real knowledge of the detail of where the clubs are and how they might be set up for players and budgets and support and all the rest of it. It’s not a science is it. A lot of it just looks like guesswork based on little research or received ideas and preconceptions about all of the above.

I think we’ll obviously find L2 tougher and much more competitive/open than the NL last year and that it would be easy to let exuberance and confidence and ambition lead us into setting minimum expectations at an unrealistic level, as important as those things are.

Everyone at GTFC expects high standards. Rightly so. If we establish ourselves, compete comfortably generally, continue progressing like we have, and evolve the club further on its present trajectory I think we’d have the platform for a promotion push for L1, in time.

Can’t see that we’ll be fighting relegation. Just, no evidence to suggest we will struggle, notwithstanding the usual spells or poor form/unlucky results that happen to every club.

For me, I expect us to establish, consolidate and push on this season. I wouldn’t expect a promotion push this campaign. That’s not to suggest that this shouldn’t be our aim - it should, but I’d be a bit philosophical/pragmatic about that at my age. There are some big clubs with big budgets in L2. This isn’t Maidenhead and Woking and even Notts County and Chesterfield. Northampton, Bradford, Stockport, Tranmere, Gillingham, Doncaster and the rest
have all got money, better players and more support. Nobody will be skint, part time or rubbish.

These so called expert pre season predictions are usually excrement based on little more than where did the team finish the year before and how much money have they spent and any players that ' expert' may have heard of.

Lazy and inaccurate.

Relegated teams usually fancied to do ok as they are a league lower. Promoted teams , unless spent loads, usually picked to be bottom half or fighting relegation

If we'd signed a couple of over the hill 'names' they'd fancy us to do well.

I hope we are not near the bottom. Not necessarily saying we are going to storm this league but think we can more than hold our own.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I think the Crawley thing might be in part based on the potential for an NFT implosion of some kind. Agree that they've done some very good recruitment but their whole model is absolutely bonkers and never been done before. Saw this yesterday:

https://www.sussexexpress.co.u.....lisle-united-3773066

Oh it's ridiculous, don't get me wrong.  It'll end in tears eventually.  But I suppose a bit like Notts County when they were taken over by those conmen, if you chuck enough money at it and bring in enough decent players then you'll end up at the right end of the table more often than not.

Unless their owners walk out midway through the season and players walk away/down tools, I just can't see them struggling.

Mid table finish with a few bumpy periods.

Let us not forget the part we as fans can play in the success of our club.

Last season we averaged over five and a half thousand per home league game..

We have brilliant new owners, a fantastic manager who has great support from Doigy, Dave Moore and all the others behind the scenes. And a squad that is building based on last years success.

As fans we showed our support last season both home and away. And we are already well ahead in terms of season ticket holders compared to other seasons..

So all we now need to do is turn up every week and give our full support in our usual vociferous terms.

Let us make BP a fortress again and prove those experts that little old Grimsby Town FC are back and back to stay this time.

UTM

I love it, should get a better price at the bookies for us to get promoted this season!

Personally i think we will flirt with the playoffs. but we will do it sustainably unlike some others.