Expectations

I'd like to ask what everyone's expectations are now that Paul Hurst has left and what they were at the start of this season?

I expected us to be challenging this season after the cup money we'd amassed, sellout crowds and the advantage of having a manager and a team that had been together a few seasons.
Now i feel that this season is more or less over in October other than the possibility of being dragged into an 'exciting' relegation battle.
Next season with a new manager I'd guess some on here would be happy with a mid-table finish as he gets some of his own players in and is given time to build.

How many more years will it be before we are allowed to expect us to put a team together that is capable of a promotion to higher leagues?

Decent cup run for me and a top half finish . By decent I mean 3rd round

I don’t want to wait for next season for success, we are only in October so plenty of time left to hopefully turn things around. UTM

I don’t really care about the cup, although getting to round 3 and a good game would be helpful and enjoyable.

My expectations for this season were to consolidate and build upon what we achieved last season. Better players, better results on average (especially at home) and a league position that improved on last season too. My hopes, which, of course, are different to expectations, were that we might be in the hunt for a play off place, and my longer term expectations are that a club of our size should be doing that in this league, in time.

I expected us to be competitive and be secure and able to give anyone a tough game. I expected some disappointing results too. Maybe even the odd bad run. I’m realistic enough to take that on the chin and I’ve been watching football a long long time so can accept how that works without spitting my dummy. This is a tough, competitive league and it’s getting tougher each year as richer clubs keep upping the ante.

I don’t see better players really and I don’t really see too much of anything else I’ve written above, in terms of our objectives. However, with a strong appointment and a good January window we can still achieve the stated aims of season on season progress. An unbeaten run of half a dozen games or so will propel us to mid table. I’m not writing the season off. The play offs are quite a few points in the distance but I don’t buy the ‘we’re in a relegation battle’ narrative or mentality, and allowing that to creep into people’s minds will be corrosive and obstructive. We are Grimsby Town. We need to crack on, with belief and togetherness and get off the ropes and start fighting. There’s plenty of games to go.

I expected lower mid table given the talent we lost in the summer. Now my expectations are somewhere between lower lower lower mid table and a relegation scrap.

I’m still shocked about our decline since outplaying Bradford in the first half of that game.

At half time, we were in second place………cannot explain what has happened since.

I started the season with a belief that we'd finish 8th. I couldn't make my mind whether we'd skirt in and out the play-offs until ultimately just falling outside or whether we had a late surge that wasn't quite enough.

I don't think how we've played has been that bad, I think we've been equal competitors in most of our games, some of them more so without getting a reward, with only really Mansfield and Barrow that I thought the opposition were clearly better, neither of which we actually lost.

Believing we're competitive or using stats when they're in our favour means nothing when points aren't on the board, so much as I was sad for PH, it was the right decision I think.

It does make me think though that we have a squad that is capable of being around the 8th place mark. Whoever comes in I don't think they need to perform major surgery on the squad and have every chance of a few tweaks here and there to get a tune out of them, coupled with January for any adjustments as necessary.

With that in mind, given where we are now and being behind the curve points wise for a team you'd expect to finish 8th, I'm adjusting the expectation and thinking around 12th again is not beyond reasonable expectation.

That said, I'm not holding the next guy to that expectation, it's just what I think is realistic. I think the first three months will be him getting a feel for the place and adjusting, with a window in that too, and then a few months to knit any new signings in meaning I don't think we can be overly impatient.

I'm expecting, with the squad we have, that we are not involved in a relegation fight. If we are then I think we've not appointed well. If we end up finishing an uninspiring 16th place (ish) then it'd be disappointing but I'll not go crying about it, as always we'll simply look to next season.

One of the things I'd be interested to know, now we're in this position, what do fans WANT, points on the board however they come, football that excites and gets them off their seat or both without distinction between the two.

Quoted from Spurn boy

I don’t want to wait for next season for success, we are only in October so plenty of time left to hopefully turn things around. UTM

Quite right, the decision has been made early enough (I didn't think the new board would do it) for the new Manager/Coach to get to grips and push forward. Add a bit of New Manager Bounce and we could make playoffs. Why not? Chin up, Onwards and Upwards. UTM

I expect a new coach/manager to identify a way of playing, then identify the best line up and get them doing simple things well
If that happens the people we signed in the summer will start delivering their potential
This season has probably gone but there’s two thirds of it left.

I honestly just want to be entertained in the short term. I can’t buy this theory that scraping through games every week is how watching football should be.

I’m not worried about relegation, the players we have are decent enough I’m absolutely sure of that. Mid table will be fine now this season, but it still annoys me that we’re saying that in November when there was so much hope & optimism in August.

30 games to go in the league, 90 points available. A very winnable FA Cup 1st round game.

Entertain. Attack. Fight for everything.

A play off place is possible

Quoted from Spurn boy

I don’t want to wait for next season for success, we are only in October so plenty of time left to hopefully turn things around. UTM

We would need over 2 points per  game now for the play-offs , so i suppose it depends what you would class as a good season ?

Anywhere above 14th would be good now for me , with hopefully a decent run in the cup or an early exit against a big one that makes us some £££.

We need visible proof that we will be challenging at the right end next season on the pitch from whoever comes in .

I hoped we'd challenge for the play-offs and now expect a new manager to mould a decent set of players into a team by playing to their abilities rather than to nullify the opposition. If they achieve that, then a mid table finish and the opportunity to add the missing pieces in the summer.

It would be nice to have a period where we win more than we lose instead of struggling in the league.

Promotion in 2 or 3 years would be great after a couple of seasons winning well at home for a change.

Then the fans can go to the games thinking we are going to win again today and going home happy.

I never expect, only hope, and right now I hope we get going and pull away from the bottom end of the table before we become marooned. I can't face another relegation scrap.

Anywhere 10 or more places above the relegation zone will do for me and I don't care how we achieve it as entertainment can come later.

What worries me is that people automatically think a new manager means more wins and points, but history has taught us that isn't always the case. Talking about still getting to the play offs is fanciful.

The good thig is that we have acted early and have plenty of time and a window to sort ourselves out.

After watching pre-season I expected a completely different style off football to Hursts normal, turgid, hard working style. We looked bright, on the front foot, pressing high with intent. Well, after 4 games that was binned so my expectations were adjusted to mid-table, with a decentish cup run (something I will credit Hurst with, he had the knack of getting us to really perform in one off games).
What I'm expecting now -  consolidation, sort out the leaky defence, then hopefully a bit more 'entertaining' football, with a top half finish. Anything else would just be a " nice to have" bonus

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

I’m still shocked about our decline since outplaying Bradford in the first half of that game.

At half time, we were in second place………cannot explain what has happened since.

This. We were excellent that first half. Still struggling to come to terms with the way this has panned out.

The relaxed interviews with Hurst looking quietly confident prior to the season starting. The season ticket sales. Everyone was buzzing about the recruitment in close season. I was hoping for a play off place. I expected Hurst would be here for a few seasons yet and I genuinely thought he'd eventually turn us into a solid Division One side before getting the call from Rotherham or Wednesday.

No idea what I think now. I trust the owners to go after the "right" appointment. Depends if they can sell us.

To say I'm anxious is an understatement.  

At the beginning of the season I'd hoped for the playoffs, but that seems a long way off now. I hope they consolidate a mid-table finish and at all costs avoid a relegation dog fight.

I believe now was the best time for Hurst to go and have a new man at the helm. I hope he can get the positive results we need and have them play entertaining football.

UTM

66/1 to get promoted available

Yeah the falling off the cliff post-Bradford is quite spectacular to say the least.

Prior to that you look at how we did:

AFC Wimbeldon - Draw - Matched a very good side who started like a house on fire.  Their early form highlighted by the fact they're on such a bad run at the minute yet only four points outside the top 7.

Notts County - Defeat - Could have gone either way.  Left Meadow Lane thinking a point would have been fair but a game that could have swung either way (and it did).  Currently 2nd and sat top for a long time.

Salford - Win - Outplayed them.

Mansfield - Draw - By far the best team I've seen at this level in a fair few years.  Yet we squared up to them and at times had them all tied up.  More composure and we win this.  Poor goal to concede from our side but a point a fair outcome.

Walsall - Draw - Gotta be honest I can't remember anything about this other than Eisa's rocket.  Apparently we had 66% possession and twice as many passes completed as them so certainly not a game we got outplayed.

Gillingham - Win - Best team won.  Although they had already suffered a surprise defeat to Colchester before, they came here as the team to beat and we did, without too much trouble.  They still sit comfortably in the table, a point outside the top 7.


Before the start of the season I expected us to make a serious challenge on the promotion places.  Post Bradford game I had seen nothing to make me question that really.  My frustration was that we weren't killing games off, just like against Bradford and other occasions when going ahead but then letting sides back in.  We still had Wilson to come back and hopefully Pyke to pick up his fitness. The midfield needed to get forward a bit more but I felt that would come.  If anything, I thought we were only going to better as the team gelled more.


And then we went to Wrexham.

Going into that game Wrexham had conceded 15 times in 7 games.  13 of those in just 4 home games. Yet we went there and failed to lay a glove on them.  Ok, we didn't have Rose and Eisa but we went with a mentality that we were going up against a side better than us and our best hope was to escape with a lucky 0-0.  That changed everything for me.  After that we lost our confidence and we've not had it back since.  We've looked scared of everyone since and the players have lost any swagger and belief they had in themselves.

It's impossible to not look at the table and be looking more at FGR, Tranmere and Sutton than it is Accrington, Morecambe and Crewe.  But 12 points to make up in 30 games isn't that difficult to believe in.  I certainly don't believe that the side who huffed and puffed against Doncaster can make it up, but I do believe that the side who schooled Bradford for 45 minutes and gave Mansfield a real game can do.

The majority of times when we've seen managers come in at this stage of the season, they've inherited a excrement side.   Whoever this new person is, they won't inherit a excrement side.  It's arguably a bit imbalanced but the core is there for a good side.  Someone who comes in and has that instant impact to get the players believing in themselves would see us jump right up the table.

It's not a guarantee and it's never that simple.  But there isn't a whole rebuilding job needed here, just getting the best out of what's available.  My expectations have definitely lessened in the last 6 weeks. But I won't accept that lower mid-table should be the ceiling for our aspirations this season, not just yet anyway.

Quoted from ginnywings

Talking about still getting to the play offs is fanciful.
.

It certainly will be if the new manager says that when he first meets the players. There is a LOT of football to be played this season.

We are 12 points away from a play off place with 90 points available. Can results swing in the positive for us while teams currently above us go on bad runs? Of course, this is the fourth division!

From the current league position I'd settle for top half now before a ball was kicked I hoped for play offs.Hope we can get to 3rd round in FA Cup.

I think some people are a bit deluded Im afraid. We are in a relegation battle. The idea of play offs is fanciful.

A good season is we pick up some wins throughout November and we gradually move up the league finishing 13th or 14th and we feel pretty comfortable from about February.

An acceptable season is 22nd.

The problem is that we are so low on confidence and we could well continue to lose throughout November. Then we have another tough run of games in January and we are stuck in the bottom 2. Nobody good will come to us and we end up really struggling and relying on two worse team than us.

I think the most likely scenario is somewhere in between where we struggle, but somewhere along the way we pick up a bit of steam and have a bit if run that will take us into either just above or just below 50pts and end up in 19-21.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

I think some people are a bit deluded Im afraid. We are in a relegation battle. The idea of play offs is fanciful.

A good season is we pick up some wins throughout November and we gradually move up the league finishing 13th or 14th and we feel pretty comfortable from about February.

An acceptable season is 22nd.

The problem is that we are so low on confidence and we could well continue to lose throughout November. Then we have another tough run of games in January and we are stuck in the bottom 2. Nobody good will come to us and we end up really struggling and relying on two worse team than us.

I think the most likely scenario is somewhere in between where we struggle, but somewhere along the way we pick up a bit of steam and have a bit if run that will take us into either just above or just below 50pts and end up in 19-21.

It isn't November yet! 5 wins in our next 10 games and we'll be safely mid table.

We're a third of the way through the season. if we win 5 out of the next ten we'd still only be on 29pts from 26 games which is still dodgy at best.

No way I’m expecting play offs but it’s amazing how clubs have changed their fortunes when appointing the right Manager, see Forest & Middlesbrough last two seasons. A few wins on the bounce and you can quickly move up any league.

Not sure we quite have the players capable of that but who knows with a different Manager, different tactics and a little change in our luck then who knows, maybe just maybe?

However, right now I’ll settle for mediocrity as long as I’m not biting my fingernails come April !

Comfortable midtable finish, few wins though and will start looking up not down. Got a lot of the hardest fixtures out of the way already. Hope the season isn't over in February. But it's certainly not over now. It's not over until we get appraching 50 points.

For me, it’s criminal if a relegation battle becomes a reality. Club of our size. We have to fight that off.

Mid Table please away from that relegation scare - oh and 3rd round with maybe a decent home tie  

Given that we finished level on points with the team in tenth place last season, and given what seemed to be some really positive signings in the summer, my expectations for this season were that we would be challenging for a play off place. A view, as others have pointed out, that seemed plausible given some of the early performances.

But now, whoever comes in, I really cant see us being able to do that. I would like to think that we can move steadily up the table. A top ten finish would be a very good outcome. That would probably mean picking up 50 points from 30 games, which is a tough ask from where we seem to be at now.

The new owners stated that the aim was to improve the squad in each transfer window. That being the case if they bring in some quality in January and more in the Summer I think it is reasonable to expect us to be competing for a play off spot next season.

That should be the ambition. Otherwise what is the point of just bumbling along in the middle and lower reaches of League two? It would be such a shame to lose the momentum created in the last two seasons.    

Standing still is effectively going backwards so i always hope/ expect to move forward....however never really believed under Hurst that we would move forward that much...obviously hoped we would with the benefit of a full pre season, seemingly bigger budget and getting targeted players in early....  but there was enough on view last season to show some of his fundamentals just get in the way of really pushing forward.

That is now history , what i want now is entertaining whilst achieving League Two status comfortably....obviously i would take the latter over the former if i couldnt have both but something to get me out my seat , to make me feel happy and looking forward to the game as a spectacle.

An organised , structured team , style of play that is less entertaining but effective in achieving the status would also do....as long as i know when i turn up i dont have to wonder just what the hell we are doing from one minute to the next.

My expectation for thisb season was we would be challenging for the playoffs even if we couldn't actually finish in them, basically still being in the fight till the end of the season.

Now my hope is we can finish top half, I'd take that, and we pull away from another flippin relegation battle!

Happy to stay up as we look like a relegation team, at the moment

Mid table. Anything between 9th and 14th.
I'd love another fa cup run, don't expect the same because that was a 1 in a 100. But if we can drag ourselves through round 1 and 2 who knows what could happen. Man utd away round 3 would be a great opportunity to progress to round 4  

3rd from bottom, something clearly went wrong behind the scenes

Quoted from buckstown

I expect a new coach/manager to identify a way of playing, then identify the best line up and get them doing simple things well
If that happens the people we signed in the summer will start delivering their potential
This season has probably gone but there’s two thirds of it left.

I don't think this season has gone.  I'm sure there are many examples of other teams being in a similar league position at this stage of the season and then finishing in the play-offs. Then again my glass is always half full, never half empty. Whoever comes in, if he has anything about him , he will " burn the midnight oil" looking at the recordings of this season's games to identify why we have declined so quickly.

No way can you write off a season in October. Let's get a new Manager/Head Coach/DOF and put the wheels back on.