Are we good enough.

just a thought.having just read 80s run in thread, and we do make the play off's, and we get back in the league.is this team good enough to make it !

Make it where?

league 2.......if we make the play offs !

No chance with our current midfield players. We are regularly out fought and out manoevered in that department and have been for a number of years now. I would love to see someone run along our backline and pick the ball up and feed it forwards.

Nowt like getting ahead of yourself.

We'd do OK, certain players would struggle to make the step I think, but at the minute we've got a decent base to certainly compete.

Lot of iff's there on that basis alone no certainly not good enough.

If we sneak in the playoffs our form against the top 5 would suggest we would lose both games in the semis. However, they are mini cup finals where anything can happen I guess.

Still very unlikely to even reach them.

There's a decent chance of sneaking in the playoffs if we can hit some form but if that is achieved I'd have doubts. Games against Wrexham OR possibly  Fleetwood, and probably free scoring Mansfield and in-form York would crop up...we'd have to improve in areas to get anything from those.

Every team almost without exception who gets promoted from the BSP does ok the following season and usually they are towards the top. Our fan base and likely wage bill would put us in the top half of L2 anyway so I'd want long odds on us being relegated again to the BSP. But I'd settle now for 3rd bottom of L2 next season!

If we play like we did at Cambridge away we'll be all right!

Get to the playoffs we'll likely be in great form finishing 5th with a Home tie semi first up.
Probably win that 4-0 in front of a packed BP wrapping up a trip to Wembley before the away leg.
Then who's to say we're not heading into league 2 ?  

Forget what's gonna happen in "8 games time" - think of where we were earlier in the season and where "momentum" can take you !
It's one game at a time and Saturday looks the most pivotal that could lead to another great run.

So let's start believing and get ourselves up for it ! (or at least try a little bit more ? )

Quoted from psgmariner

If we sneak in the playoffs our form against the top 5 would suggest we would lose both games in the semis. However, they are mini cup finals where anything can happen I guess.

Still very unlikely to even reach them.

captain comedown

I was feeling great until the very last bit  !

I reckon most of the top 5 or 6 in this league would be in the top ten in league 2 no problem ,in fact i reckon they'd probably go up.
league two has some awful teams that we wouldnt have to worry about with our squad

Quoted from grimps

I reckon most of the top 5 or 6 in this league would be in the top ten in league 2 no problem ,in fact i reckon they'd probably go up.
league two has some awful teams that we wouldnt have to worry about with our squad

On what basis have you come to that conclusion?

We were a money losing, struggling club in L2 since the departure of Slade.
Have we changed apart from being relegated?

Different squad anyway if we went up or even if we dont for that matter so who can say?
Probability is that we would do ok as we have a positive thinking management duo who will only accept success or an at least die trying losing mentality.

Can't base our whole midfield on a few recent games. They've been great a lot of this season, especially in our home games, Cambridge away a lot of fans said that we had the bets midfield theyve seen all season.

well andrew wright has come here to improve our midfield

Our position and form against the top teams states we are still a work in progress and not strong enough.  Next season though I expect a few new faces brought in to strengthen the squad and for us to be competing in the top 5 once we get going.  I also believe we will dominate teams next season and we will have a very good chance of going up.

Quoted from Marinerz93

Our position and form against the top teams states we are still a work in progress and not strong enough.  Next season though I expect a few new faces brought in to strengthen the squad and for us to be competing in the top 5 once we get going.  I also believe we will dominate teams next season and we will have a very good chance of going up.

Strengthen the squad with the funds available from liam's sale?

Quoted from 1054

Strengthen the squad with the funds available from liam's sale?

[color=red][/color]WHAT A HELMET

Quoted from Marinerz93

Our position and form against the top teams states we are still a work in progress and not strong enough.  Next season though I expect a few new faces brought in to strengthen the squad and for us to be competing in the top 5 once we get going.  I also believe we will dominate teams next season and we will have a very good chance of going up.

That was the plan for both last season and this.

Quoted from arryarryarry

That was the plan for both last season and this.

This is the managers first season at this level and after a slow start they have consistantly improved the squad.  We have players on the up instead of previous seasons players on the way down or out of the game.  You could say that this was the plan for the previous 8 seasons but with a Chairman who in the past appointed managers who were either given a poor budget or appointed managers who weren't up to managing we found how itchy JF's trigger finger was.  H&S will bring stability and I believe promtion within the next couple of seasons.

To answer 80's, what ever will be will be, I'd love Liam to be one of those players who takes us up through the leagues.  I believe we are one of the biggest clubs out side the Championship.

Quoted from 1054

Strengthen the squad with the funds available from liam's sale?

If needs be then yes, We are NOT a one man team. There were too many on here who thought it was the end of the world when AC left. If Liam is sold to progress his own career and for the benefit of the long term goals of the club then so be it. I fully trust S and H to bring in an adequate replacement should it happen, and I expect them to have been planning for his departure since January. Let's be honest who had heard of Liam before this season?

We are GTFC, Liam Hearn or no Liam Hearn!

When I look at the clubs in Div1 and a few below, I think Div 1 is full of clubs similar to town in size and support and several that are far bigger supported and have just as long a history and probably more recent history of playing at championship level. Plymouth, Luton, Swindon are teams that div one will be their natural level but with luck n financial backing could spend a bit of time up n down from the Championship. The Championship now costs a fortune to compete in and has nearly bankrupt Scunny trying to compete at that level. I would hope we get back into the top half of Div 1 itself becoming a very expensive league to compete in, and then challenge for a return to the Championship.

Those clubs that have clawed their way up from the conference will without financial backing soon return to the lower echelons of div2 and the conference. Teams like Dagenham n R, Burton, Stevenage! Which will make the Conference even harder n full of ex league teams pushing out the part time clubs and ones with no support or viable income.
Harsh but realistic. IMO !

IMHO if we improve our midfield and bring in another young keeper to cover then yes we would be able to hold our own in league2 oh I forgot Townsend if we are unable to sign him full time then we need another just as good because we have none to replace him.
SO LET US HOPE  FOR A SUCCSESSFUL END TO THE SEASON IN S& H WE TRUST.UTMM

Quoted from Marinerz93

This is the managers first season at this level and after a slow start they have consistantly improved the squad.  We have players on the up instead of previous seasons players on the way down or out of the game.  You could say that this was the plan for the previous 8 seasons but with a Chairman who in the past appointed managers who were either given a poor budget or appointed managers who weren't up to managing we found how itchy JF's trigger finger was.  H&S will bring stability and I believe promtion within the next couple of seasons.

To answer 80's, what ever will be will be, I'd love Liam to be one of those players who takes us up through the leagues.  I believe we are one of the biggest clubs out side the Championship.

Really?! Of the top of my head bigger clubs than us outside the championship are: Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Charlton, Huddersfield, Bradford, Luton, Notts County, Carlisle, Preston and Swindon.

Then there are the teams who are slightly bigger than us/same size (certainly no smaller): Tranmere, Oldham, MK Dons, Brentford, Bournemouth, Rotherham, Oxford, Plymouth, Crewe, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham.

We'd be one of the bigger clubs in L2 possibly but certainly not if we got to L1.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

If needs be then yes, We are NOT a one man team. There were too many on here who thought it was the end of the world when AC left. If Liam is sold to progress his own career and for the benefit of the long term goals of the club then so be it. I fully trust S and H to bring in an adequate replacement should it happen, and I expect them to have been planning for his departure since January. Let's be honest who had heard of Liam before this season?

We are GTFC, Liam Hearn or no Liam Hearn!

Excellent post, agree fully.

Quoted from mariner91

Really?! Of the top of my head bigger clubs than us outside the championship are: Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Charlton, Huddersfield, Bradford, Luton, Notts County, Carlisle, Preston and Swindon.

Then there are the teams who are slightly bigger than us/same size (certainly no smaller): Tranmere, Oldham, MK Dons, Brentford, Bournemouth, Rotherham, Oxford, Plymouth, Crewe, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham.

We'd be one of the bigger clubs in L2 possibly but certainly not if we got to L1.

I would confidently put us up against if we were in the same league and position Swindon (who are top and only lost one game at home all season) and Carlilse (6th in league 1 but averaging under 5,000).  Notts County are averaging just over 6,500 so not much bigger.

There is currently around five teams whose gates are above the figure we are capable of getting for a decent league 1 side, they are
Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Charlton, Huddersfield, MK Dons (Av 8,000) and considering they are all at the top of league it stands to reason that they won't be in League 1 by the time we get back there in a few seasons time.

Bradford's gate numbers leave a lot to be desired, do they automatically say all their season ticket members are at the game.  Before they hit the prem they weren't much bigger than Town.

Quoted from Marinerz93

I would confidently put us up against if we were in the same league and position Swindon (who are top and only lost one game at home all season) and Carlilse (6th in league 1 but averaging under 5,000).  Notts County are averaging just over 6,500 so not much bigger.

There is currently around five teams whose gates are above the figure we are capable of getting for a decent league 1 side, they are
Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Charlton, Huddersfield, MK Dons (Av 8,000) and considering they are all at the top of league it stands to reason that they won't be in League 1 by the time we get back there in a few seasons time.

Bradford's gate numbers leave a lot to be desired, do they automatically say all their season ticket members are at the game.  Before they hit the prem they weren't much bigger than Town.

But we averaged 5,000 in the championship. Its all well and good saying we could get these gates but history shows that we didn't and we probably won't if we do get back up there. The last time we were half decent in Slade's second season we averaged about 5,000 but that was only bumped up by the last few games being sell outs.

Swindon are averaging 8,000 and there is no way we would do that even if we were top of L2.

Quoted from mariner91

But we averaged 5,000 in the championship. Its all well and good saying we could get these gates but history shows that we didn't and we probably won't if we do get back up there. The last time we were half decent in Slade's second season we averaged about 5,000 but that was only bumped up by the last few games being sell outs.

Swindon are averaging 8,000 and there is no way we would do that even if we were top of L2.

If you are quoting history, when Grimsby was a successful Town our highest average was 18,000.  The Town gate has dropped from over 10,000 from when I first started going to around 5,000.  As the town delcined so did the gates.  People didn't like Slades side even though it got results, it's common knowledge that people used to cite the style of play as a reason why they didn't go.  Swindon from 2003-2006 were averaging 5,000 so again I wouldn't say there were as big a club as you hold them.

If you look at our league position in the respective leagues we were in we are often below mid table.  In Swindons case they are mainly in the top half.  Grimsby could become a boom Town again with the off shore renewables and the benefits that would bring to the area.  As in any case there are a lot of variables when picking the bones out of who we can compare our selves with.  

Don't forget the cost of watching games. These days, it is much more expensive than in the past.

Also don't forget that there is loads of televised footy these days compared to our Halcyon days. Not to mention that there are now many more leisure activities available whereas in the past, footy was pretty much it!

Quoted from Marinerz93

If you are quoting history, when Grimsby was a successful Town our highest average was 18,000. The Town gate has dropped from over 10,000 from when I first started going to around 5,000.  As the town delcined so did the gates.  People didn't like Slades side even though it got results, it's common knowledge that people used to cite the style of play as a reason why they didn't go.  Swindon from 2003-2006 were averaging 5,000 so again I wouldn't say there were as big a club as you hold them.

If you look at our league position in the respective leagues we were in we are often below mid table.  In Swindons case they are mainly in the top half.  Grimsby could become a boom Town again with the off shore renewables and the benefits that would bring to the area.  As in any case there are a lot of variables when picking the bones out of who we can compare our selves with.  

The AVERAGE gate for the last two spells we had at Championship level was no higher than 7500. Unfortunately in this present day you need a higher average gate to compete at that level. Without other income streams if we managed to get to that level we would soon fall back as we wouldn't be able to afford the wages demanded by players of that standard. a harsh reality but unfortunately true. Without a major resurgance in the area and a new ground the best we can do is mid to high 1st Division.

Quoted from rancido

The AVERAGE gate for the last two spells we had at Championship level was no higher than 7500. Unfortunately in this present day you need a higher average gate to compete at that level. Without other income streams if we managed to get to that level we would soon fall back as we wouldn't be able to afford the wages demanded by players of that standard. a harsh reality but unfortunately true. Without a major resurgance in the area and a new ground the best we can do is mid to high 1st Division.

mid to high in the 1st Division - well I would certainly settle for that!!!!!!!!

Quoted from rancido

The AVERAGE gate for the last two spells we had at Championship level was no higher than 7500. Unfortunately in this present day you need a higher average gate to compete at that level. Without other income streams if we managed to get to that level we would soon fall back as we wouldn't be able to afford the wages demanded by players of that standard. a harsh reality but unfortunately true. Without a major resurgance in the area and a new ground the best we can do is mid to high 1st Division.

I agree with what you say, especially the part about other income streams.  Hopefully the renewables sector will take off and go some way to help us move forward.