So near and yet so far

Quoted from chaos33

Can I just challenge you to name the players you think form the 'makings of a promotion side'? Genuine question - not trying to be contrary.

Easier to say where we are lacking.

We only have one left back and he is on loanee.  We really need to sign Townsend permanently plus a back up.  Would love that to be Green.  The rest of the back five, particularly with their first season together under their belt are at the right standard but the managers need to work out their best 5.  For the first time since Danny Coyne we have a keeper who has potential to be here for several seasons.  But we need a good reserve keeper to replace Arthur.  We have Miller, Pearson, Garner and I'Anson in central defence and I am happy with all four.  

Midfield.  We have Winn (again if we keep him), Soares, Coulson and Artus who all play wide so again 4 challenging for two places.  I think we have really missed Artus when he was injured and I love the passion Winn has to play for Town.  In central midfield, Thanoj is one for the future, plus Disley, Church and Wright.  As many others have posted, none of these is a Joe Waters, Paul Groves or Shaun Cunnington.  I'd trade any of those three for a game-changing midfielder to play alongside and nurture Thanoj.  

Upfront.  We have Hearn, KHM, Duffy and Elding.  Its hard to criticise any of these.  Hearn and Elding are first choice and have about 45 goals between them despite a slow start and poor finish.  KHM is young and upcoming.  Duffy has shown value coming on as a sub.  Yes another 30 goal striker would be great but I feel that's nitpicking and unlikely.  We forget how many barren seasons we went before Connell without a decent striker.

So overall, I think we need a back up keeper, a back up left back, a quality central midfielder and I'll be very happy, if we keep everyone we have today.

A settled squad that comes out of the blocks in August is worth more than too many new faces.

Quoted from 1600

Look at the potential mate - Thanoj, Artus, KHM there's a half decent side when you add to Hearn and the experienced players.  

I wouldn't hold back.
Keep Hearn and add to the squad.
Other teams benefit from larger squads, think we should go for it.

Sorry mate, but 3 players isn't the 'makings of a team'. It's not a half decent side. It's 3 or 4 players.
We need an advance in quality or consistency from the players we've got, or replacements for me.
Hearn is great, but may not be here. Is Elding top-quality? Duffy? It's too soon to judge KHM. Soares looks nothing special.
Disley is steady, Artus is a good player but Thanoj was awful at Darlington - he might be good enough, he might not be. Church isn't good enough, Wright isn't ours. Bradley Wood is really average. Coulson is very up and down. None of our midfielders score anough goals, and we're not strong or mobile enough in the middle. How many goals have Disley, Thanoj and Church scored between them this season? It isn't enough and it won't match top six rivals.
Our centre backs are ok and so is our keeper. We need a quicker right back, and a left back to replace Thownsend. At least 2 centre midfileders. 1 or maybe 2 strikers and perhaps a quick, athletic wide player. We have to aim at the York and Kidderminster models for me.

IMO we've got a handful of pretty good players, and one very good one. We need a better standard across 15 or so players. Several could improve - that's our hope, but let's not pretend that we're somehow destined for the play-offs next season at this stage.

Defence is solid enough.
Add a good striker or two to Partner Hearn you're looking at 2x25 goals each, that's playoffs.

KHM go to be better than Duffy and Elding long term + decent left back, midfielder etc
Cant judge them how they'll be in 2 months time now, they'll be better and sharper.

Isn't enough my @rse !
Opponents (including Southport) aren't that good, I think playoffs are realistic if we want it enough.
No Crawleys or Cheatwoods either, probably the best chance we'll get.

GK we're ok too.
Few more players in key positions we could be laughing.

Taking into account how other present BSP teams will develop and rebuild? What about the league clubs who come down? See what I'm getting at?
It's too soon to be supposing that we'll be a play off team next seson because we have Hearn at the moment and a clutch of other players who are good but inconsistent.
Nothing wrong with being hopeful - I feel we could kick-on too but let's not underestimate the changes that are needed - in quality and possibly in personnel, and all of this with a reduced budget, and, Rob Scott, losing his rag every two minutes.

Time will tell.

Quoted from chaos33

What about the league clubs who come down?

Macclesfield no.
Hereford, maybe but not concerned.

Quoted from chaos33

See what I'm getting at?

Yeah but you're worrying over nothing - like us(when we came down), they'll struggle.

Quoted from chaos33

It's too soon to be supposing that we'll be a play off team next seson because we have Hearn at the moment and a clutch of other players who are good but inconsistent.

Too late!

Quoted from chaos33

Nothing wrong with being hopeful - I feel we could kick-on too but let's not underestimate the changes that are needed - in quality and possibly in personnel, and all of this with a reduced budget, and, Rob Scott, losing his rag every two minutes.

No-ones underestimating the task but you know what they say, don't sweat the small stuff...  

Alright mate. Whatever you say.  

H&S still haven't fixed the problem we have had for seasons now, the midfield.

I don't think we need too many players to challenge next year. A back up goalkeeper, a left back when Townsend goes back which could be Jamie Green, a centre midfielder to partner Disley, a proper target man up front and possibly a right winger for me.

Would like us to sign Winn permanently also on what I've seen so far.