Next season-realistic

So what is going to be classed as a good 22/23 season.  Storm through league 2 to promotion as champs?  A playoff spot and let the lottery commence?  A solid top ten finish or just to stay up?

In my mind we have the first real shoots of optimism since…… well, before you know who.  Personally I’d be happy to just stay up but, with the fantastic enthusiasm from Andrew and Jason, the money where the mouth is from the fans, PH’s astuteness and tactics and the best of the promotion winning squad retained?  Well, I just have a feeling, we’re in for another bumper season.  

COYM

Top 10 and anything after that will be incredible 💪🙏🙏

Top ten probably after keeping the bulk of the squad together, play offs the aim if we start well.

Realistic is 1st. We haven't got Fenty anymore and we are Grimsby in division 4. All those wasted years under his regime, we haven't got time to waste.

For me a mid table finish and consolidating our place back in EFL would be 👍

That said, it’s not beyond the realms we have a really good season..who knows..play offs would be over achieving imho, but it isn’t impossible.

It’s going to be a tough start for us..2/3 weeks behind other sides through no fault of our own. The first fixture is hard to say the least. See where we are after September ..think we’ll improve as we go.

I’m going to predict 10th. I’d snap your hand off at that now.

I want us to be champions of the league but realistically we’ve got a good shout at the being in or around the playoffs with what Hurst is putting together

PH took Shrewsbury from relegation contenders to play off finalists in less than 2 seasons.

I'm optimistic for at least top 10 and hopefully top 7.

Quoted from fishboyUTM

Realistic is 1st. We haven't got Fenty anymore and we are Grimsby in division 4. All those wasted years under his regime, we haven't got time to waste.

Sadly, in Bradford, Salford and Stockport (have I missed anyone?), we have some sides that’ll be able to throw a lot more money at it than us. As we know, cash doesn’t guarantee success… but it certainly gives you an advantage.

So, I’d be happy with top half, ecstatic with playoffs and I’ll run towards Scunthorpe with my ears cupped (think McAtee towards the Wrexham fans) if we gain automatic promotion.

Looking at the "squad" Hurst is assembling, I'm hoping for the play offs but if we finish top half, I'll take that, with a view to certainly being play off/automatic contenders in 2023/2024..

Last year I though top 7 would be a very creditable result. I think the same this year. I would be happy with top 10 as we are building steadily and the aim is to improve the squad in every window.

Of course if we did finish in the top 7 it’s the playoffs and as we know, anything can happen then…..

As long as we don't remotely flirt with relegation again I'll be happy, oh and Scunny struggling in the National League would be the icing on the cake.

Yeah but its rare that a team finishing in the bottom 2 places goes up.
Rare but not unheard off

mid table with a sniff of the play offs

Promotion. There isn't a right lot in this league. I remember a lot of tight games without a great deal of quality, even when we were really rubbish in 20/21, very few sides looked any good, we were just dreadful. With a few quality players who are playing below their natural level, and Hursty getting a tune out of them (Wearne, Glennon and particularly McAtee) plus carrying on the momentum of getting promoted, I fancy our chances.

Certainly got the chance to finish in our highest position since Slade 1, which is an age ago.

Quoted from thefish

Sadly, in Bradford, Salford and Stockport (have I missed anyone?), we have some sides that’ll be able to throw a lot more money at it than us. As we know, cash doesn’t guarantee success… but it certainly gives you an advantage.

So, I’d be happy with top half, ecstatic with playoffs and I’ll run towards Scunthorpe with my ears cupped (think McAtee towards the Wrexham fans) if we gain automatic promotion.

Understand what you’re saying but last season we had Stockport, Wrexham and Chesterfield throwing cash at it.  Two of them failed.  Money is a great enabler but it doesn’t replace structure and desire.

2022/23 season....

Lincoln relegated to League Two
Town promoted to League One
Scunny relegated to the National League North

If Carlsberg did football seasons  

Quoted from fishboyUTM

Realistic is 1st. We haven't got Fenty anymore and we are Grimsby in division 4. All those wasted years under his regime, we haven't got time to waste.

This this this this

Quoted from FPVmariner

Understand what you’re saying but last season we had Stockport, Wrexham and Chesterfield throwing cash at it.  Two of them failed.  Money is a great enabler but it doesn’t replace structure and desire.

I think Stockport will be very competitive this season. They have all that backing plus the same momentum and feel-good factor that we have. Their form in the last 2/3 of last season was almost perfect, barring a wobble when promotion got within touching distance. Bradford, that could go one of two ways I suspect and I'm not sure anyone would be mentioning Northampton if it wasn't for them pinching Fox. I think we've quietly assembled a very exciting and strong side/squad that could go places.

Got to be aiming at the play offs but be happy with a top half Finish

We have gone from the hardest league to get out of to the easiest with 3 automatic places going up and a play off one as well.

I expect us to finish between 7th and 10th but it would not surprise me if we did better than that.

Maybe Wembley seeing we missed out going last season.🐱🐱

I think we’ll finish behind Stockport who looked a really good side before the red … they easily could be top and we could be second .. honest opinion

We will be aiming for the top 3 and it would not surprise me in the least if that is where we finish.

Getting rid of Fenty and getting out of the National League were the biggest barriers to our resurgence as a Football league force, and although this season will be tough we are on a roll.

Top 10 in and around the hunt would probably be considered a good season.

I will take however midtable obscurity after the last few years. A boring season to let my heart recover from the playoffs  

A good season would be promotion.
Aim high. We're in this league on merit and there's no reason to have targets of mediocrity in my eyes.

I'm not saying it'll be a disastrous failure if we don't go up, of course it won't be, but it's a competition and we should be aiming to be successful in it. Particularly as 4 teams go up from this league and we'll have a full house every week at BP.

Upper mid table

We're looking in good shape so I'm optimistic. Anything higher than 14th would be our best finish for donkeys ears and honestly I think we'll achieve that fairly easily.

If we can keep Hurst until the end of the season (there really are no guarantee’s) I have a gut feeling an automatic promotion is in the offing.
We have the players who have proven themselves to be capable. Between them they have the character, skill and tenacity to take this league by the scruff of the neck. Everything just feels right: season ticket sales, the signings, the buzz around the town, I’m pretty sure all the club shirts will be sold by 2pm tomorrow. After years of utter shite there is finally something special happening. Fu(k the competition, this team ARE capable and this Town is ready!!

Blundell Park to be a fortress, really low goals against total, team playing good football with decent passing and plenty of running.

Away fans seeing value for their travel efforts and cheering,

Bonus -- free scoring from several origins, and all those who were doubted by their being signed coming good together.

Result - if all comes good - an awesome season bringing in more cash, and making better facilities viable for players and fans alike.

Outcome - if Carlsberg made seasons ?????

He has got the defence sorted,need one top class midfielder and marque forward and I think we have a realistic chance of a top five finish.

Quoted from friskneymariner

He has got the defence sorted,need one top class midfielder and marque forward and I think we have a realistic chance of a top five finish.

Marquee presumably.

Unless we’re in for Roly Royce from Whitehawk? Would score pretty high on the Bentley scale if so.

  

A top-half finish would be amazing. Keeping some of our good players from last season is good and hopefully we can build on that, will see where the recruitment takes us leading up to the new season and hope for a decent squad.

My heart tells me ‘intercourse it, go for it and use the momentum and feel good factor and kick on and go up’.

My brain is telling me not to be a non and acknowledge that finishing top half would be decent…

Quoted from thefish

Sadly, in Bradford, Salford and Stockport (have I missed anyone?), we have some sides that’ll be able to throw a lot more money at it than us. As we know, cash doesn’t guarantee success… but it certainly gives you an advantage.

So, I’d be happy with top half, ecstatic with playoffs and I’ll run towards Scunthorpe with my ears cupped (think McAtee towards the Wrexham fans) if we gain automatic promotion.

Crawley,Northampton,Walsall,barrow,Newport All spent money as opposed to all towns being freebies

If we're in touch with the playoffs with 6 games to play it's been a good season. I'm hoping for an excellent season.
No doubt more signings to come but we can now put what looks like a solid team out.

I would be happy with a top half finish as it would be our highest finish since 2006. Hurst is fiercely competitive though so he will be telling the players that the goal is promotion. He left us in a good position last time with a central midfield pairing that got York relegated a few months earlier. Everyone Hurst wanted to keep other than Fox (and maybe Scannell) have extended their stay.

3rd and automatic

Quoted from sydney

3rd and automatic

Yep. We'll finish 3rd.

Need you to ask. On the night of June 5th I said going up again and nothing I have read has changed my mind. League 1 next season.

Injuries to key players permitting heart says play offs head says 10th.

Would love a run in either cup too.

Like anyone else, I think we need to use the enthusiasm and positivity to really kick on and hopefully challenge promotion/play offs.

I think we also need to remember (and this isn't being pessimistic) that we only finished 6th last season in the division below. We've made some decent signings to date but there are some decent teams making some eye-catching signings too. In my mind, as long as we're not flirting with relegation, anything else is a bonus.

Probably abit too cautious but after the roller coaster of the last 3/4 years, I’d be happy with a upper ish mid table finish. I’m 100% confident our new owners and PH will take us up to League One in the next few years but I’d be more than happy with a  year of consolidation.

I think it might be easy to perhaps be a bit blasé about the level of competition in L2, and therefore I think there should be distinction between what we’re aspiring to, and what would be realistic and positive. It would be great to be in contention for the top 6, but personally. If we continue our progression, are competitive, and re-establish ourselves in there I’ll be happy. I suspect there’ll be some mixed results in achieving this, and I hope we don’t see a bout of negativity as we acclimatise next season.

Quoted from thefish

Sadly, in Bradford, Salford and Stockport (have I missed anyone?), we have some sides that’ll be able to throw a lot more money at it than us. As we know, cash doesn’t guarantee success… but it certainly gives you an advantage.

So, I’d be happy with top half, ecstatic with playoffs and I’ll run towards Scunthorpe with my ears cupped (think McAtee towards the Wrexham fans) if we gain automatic promotion.

Always the case, and has been ever since I can remember. We battled Fulham with Keegan and Al Fayed's millions in '97 and come on top. Good luck to Stockport, good club and deserve success. Bradford serial bottlers, Salford a plastic club. We have three automatic spots to target in this division, and another via the play offs of course but I'm eyeing that top spot. No reason not to. The poor buggers who have only watched us during the Fenty years could well be mistaken by thinking that is the norm at this club. It is not.

I've got a top half finish in my £18k acca

Quoted from jamesgtfc

I would be happy with a top half finish as it would be our highest finish since 2006. Hurst is fiercely competitive though so he will be telling the players that the goal is promotion. He left us in a good position last time with a central midfield pairing that got York relegated a few months earlier. Everyone Hurst wanted to keep other than Fox (and maybe Scannell) have extended their stay.

Good point about Hurst. He is a fierce competitor as you say and last time realised he could not progress with us under the previous regime.

This time he will be thinking the opposite and will be in it to win it (promotion, however it comes)

12th-15th

If Accrington and Morecambe can get promoted from this league, then so can we.

May not be next season and may take another transfer window or two, but we will be competing at the top end eventually.

We have the momentum and the backing.

I think a top half finish would have to be considered decent when we haven't achieved it in the league for so long. However I really want us to take advantage of this momentum and hold on to as many of the new season ticket holders as possible so to at least be in contention for the play offs by the last few weeks is what we should be aiming for - top 9 would mean that. An exciting season  at least that whets the appetite for more and maintains the momentum.

And if we do make the playoffs, which at top 7 shouldn't be out of the question, then anything can happen as we know!

First but settle for top three.

I’ll reserve judgment till we’ve finished the transfer window. Signings so far look decent but there’s gaps to fill yet.

I've had my fill of accepting mediocrity over the last 20 odd years.

It is better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit.

Top 3 places will do for me. As others have noted this is the easiest league to get out of. Let's kick on while we have momentum.

* That said, I won't have a meltdown on Twatter if we're in the play offs.

Quoted from Withnail

Top 3 places will do for me. As others have noted this is the easiest league to get out of.

It’s a piece of píss. Even Fenty managed it twice.

Quoted from Poojah

It’s a piece of píss. Even Fenty managed it twice.

Ha ha! See what you did there. You could also say Hurst has done it too!

Quoted from Withnail

Ha ha! See what you did there. You could also say Hurst has done it too!

No you couldn’t.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

No you couldn’t.

For the record OC, I'm a Hurst loyalist. Go back through my previous posts if you can be bothered.

I was one of the few who said let's judge Hurst on the next half dozen games or so when he went through his sticky patch last season and the knives were out.

It's my belief in Hurst and this team which makes me optimistic for next season, possibly over optimistic, admittedly.

For what it's worth I still think we're a couple of signings short yet before we can be realistically classed as an automatic promotion.team, but I trust Hurst to make this happen.

I'd be amazed if PH, players and staff will not be aiming for a top three finish, even if they try to manage expectations amongst the fan base    

We won't get relegated or need to look over our shoulders, the perennial L2 strugglers are lining up for more of the same eg Stevenage didn't have enough players to make a team not long ago.

I have said it elsewhere - my biggest frustration when we got relegated was that a lot of the teams we played were sh*t but we were more sh*t than they were. There are still a lot of sh*t teams in L2 and we will be much better than last time.

In and around the play offs.

Top three
Come on Town

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

We won't get relegated or need to look over our shoulders, the perennial L2 strugglers are lining up for more of the same eg Stevenage didn't have enough players to make a team not long ago.

I have said it elsewhere - my biggest frustration when we got relegated was that a lot of the teams we played were sh*t but we were more sh*t than they were. There are still a lot of sh*t teams in L2 and we will be much better than last time.

In and around the play offs.

This in spades just look at how excrement Scunthorpe were when we went down yet even they somehow managed to finish above  us. I think to get relegated from the league the level of incompetence needs to be outstanding. Astonishing that we managed it twice frankly. Can't imagine that we will trouble the bottom third of the table given the state of some of the clubs who perennially inhabit those slots.

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

This in spades just look at how excrement Scunthorpe were when we went down yet even they somehow managed to finish above  us. I think to get relegated from the league the level of incompetence needs to be outstanding. Astonishing that we managed it twice frankly. Can't imagine that we will trouble the bottom third of the table given the state of some of the clubs who perennially inhabit those slots.

It is astonishing that we managed it twice, three times but for points deductions, and still people defended those running the club. I still scratch my head at how difficult we made it to reach at least 50 points a season, given our level of support.

I have no doubts we will be nearer the top than the bottom and will win more games than we lose this time around.

Promotion  nothing less