not many more needed?

Russell won't be part of playing squad next season. A new goalkeeper will be signed. Battersby will be sent out on loan to gain first team experience.

I don't think it does anyone any favours to say making and winning the play offs is the minimum requirement. Look at the quality of that squad posted above and we weren't even close to winning the title. Winning the title is very difficult and the play offs is a lottery. I'm prepared to effectively give the team a free pass next season but I would probably be disappointed if we weren't challenging for top 7. Second season I will expect more, absolutely.

At a minimum I think we need a new left back; left winger/midfielder; and a striker with a proven record of scoring.  We have plenty of cash in the tin from Dembele, Pollock and perhaps Grist, so we should splash out on some real quality.

A couple more players in addition to those three to improve squad depth would take the total new signings up to 10, which I believe is the ball park that has been mentioned. Though one of those may be a keeper.

I think the whole club underestimated non league last time. I don't think that will happen this time around, especially with regards to player acquisition.

With all due respect to Neil Woods, I think the extra budget we had when we first went into non league wasn't used to best effect. Too many waning league players were signed and not enough young hungry players with non league knowledge.

It took Hurst a while to sort out the squad and then we didn't get much luck in the play offs. First time in them, we weren't good enough, but the following 2 play off tilts, we got the sh1tty end of refereeing decisions.

I think we will be much better prepared this time and I expect Hurst will have us in the play off positions at least. I also think there will be a few more ins and outs regarding the squad yet.

Quoted from immariner

I don't think it does anyone any favours to say making and winning the play offs is the minimum requirement. Look at the quality of that squad posted above and we weren't even close to winning the title. Winning the title is very difficult and the play offs is a lottery. I'm prepared to effectively give the team a free pass next season but I would probably be disappointed if we weren't challenging for top 7. Second season I will expect more, absolutely.

It's an aim ,  an objective, if its drip fed into every player at every opportunity they will know what they are expected to deliver....tell them ......dont worry ,its ok boys if you dont do too well this season but we really want it next year.....then expect failure. Its professional football not a school sports day.

Quoted from forza ivano

thought we might be looking at quite a few more still to come in, but looking at Cod Almighty I'm not so sure.
Capitals are first choice

G.K. McKEOWN, Battersby & Russell
Defenders PEARSON, LONGE-KING, SEARS, Waterfall, Idehen, Goundry,  (Starbuck)
Midfield CLIFTON, COKE, WRIGHT, FOX, Spokes, (Starbuck)
Forwards THE SHOP, McATEE, Jackson Jnr, Adlard (Scannell?)

Haven't included Hendrie, Khouri, Grist, Morais, Williams, Rose or Gibson as i don't expect any of them to be with us by the end of August

so I've got 10 first choices, 4 or 5 for the bench and 4 youngsters, with a squad total of 19/20

reserve keeper, winger, young centre forward & a left back would appear to be the gaps and then you've got a squad of about 24
anything i've missed?

You didn't PM me your credit card details so I could top up with Guinness and red wine for the season.

Quoted from moosey_club

It's an aim ,  an objective, if its drip fed into every player at every opportunity they will know what they are expected to deliver....tell them ......dont worry ,its ok boys if you dont do too well this season but we really want it next year.....then expect failure. Its professional football not a school sports day.

Absolutely promotion should be the aim, just as it should have been in league 2, and I wouldn't obviously expect anything else to be communicated to the players by the management. But that's not the same as to say it's the minimum requirement because to me, that implies there's consequences for not achieving it, and usually in football that obviously means the manager's job. Very few teams have gone up at the first attempt (Brovers wouldn't have done if it wasn't for that twit of a referee) and it's not defeatist to suggest that we probably won't and shouldn't expect to (as supporters), it's the reality.

Maybe we're just talking semantics here and we both ostensibly agree. What I'm say is, as a fan base I don't think it would be fair to expect a lot from next season and I hope that's reflected at games. As was shown last time we were here, sometimes a little patience can go a long way.

Quoted from immariner

Absolutely promotion should be the aim, just as it should have been in league 2, and I wouldn't obviously expect anything else to be communicated to the players by the management. But that's not the same as to say it's the minimum requirement because to me, that implies there's consequences for not achieving it, and usually in football that obviously means the manager's job. Very few teams have gone up at the first attempt (Brovers wouldn't have done if it wasn't for that twit of a referee) and it's not defeatist to suggest that we probably won't and shouldn't expect to (as supporters), it's the reality.

Maybe we're just talking semantics here and we both ostensibly agree. What I'm say is, as a fan base I don't think it would be fair to expect a lot from next season and I hope that's reflected at games. As was shown last time we were here, sometimes a little patience can go a long way.

Sick of the underfunded "competitive" budget mentality of the past board that has pretty much morphed into the expectations of the support....we should expect and demand more....Blundell Park has been like a morgue for seasons as let's face it, we all have really known as soon as the signings have been made and "hairs on the neck" signings have failed to appear leaving most with no belief.
It is chicken and egg really but if we dont seize this opportunity to change then it wont take long for the old mentalities to return.

Quoted from immariner

Absolutely promotion should be the aim, just as it should have been in league 2, and I wouldn't obviously expect anything else to be communicated to the players by the management. But that's not the same as to say it's the minimum requirement because to me, that implies there's consequences for not achieving it, and usually in football that obviously means the manager's job. Very few teams have gone up at the first attempt (Brovers wouldn't have done if it wasn't for that twit of a referee) and it's not defeatist to suggest that we probably won't and shouldn't expect to (as supporters), it's the reality.

Maybe we're just talking semantics here and we both ostensibly agree. What I'm say is, as a fan base I don't think it would be fair to expect a lot from next season and I hope that's reflected at games. As was shown last time we were here, sometimes a little patience can go a long way.

17 years was a long time, and we were very patient. The man who claimed he didn't want to own the club made us wait.

As for this coming season, the aim has to be league champions. Making up the division is not an option.

Quoted from forza ivano

coz i don't think Battersby is quite ready and Russell isn't good enough, plus i'm sure Hurst has made comments to the effect that he wants McKeown to be challenged

ps i had heard that Khouri is on his way to either a midlands Championship team or a London premiership club, although tbf that was a few weeks ago now

Source Phil Noches?