November and December

November/December are dark, gloomy months which have a very different feel to August and September. It's also dark during games so conditions are appreciably different. January is also a month when the squad can be changed, so players may be unhappier in the weeks leading up to it, the new season buzz has worn off.

On the other hand, it's the same for everyone, so why our club should be markedly different to anyone else is anyone's guess!

Quoted from GrimRob

November/December are dark, gloomy months which have a very different feel to August and September. It's also dark during games so conditions are appreciably different. January is also a month when the squad can be changed, so players may be unhappier in the weeks leading up to it, the new season buzz has worn off.

On the other hand, it's the same for everyone, so why our club should be markedly different to anyone else is anyone's guess!

I think the last 3 seasons, we started the season with optimism and confidence (one of them very falsely). Teams always take a while to scope each other out, and I've always felt that Hurst teams get figured out and we don't have the quality or adaptation to change our approach. It makes the rest of the season somewhat painful to watch, even though we usually have enough effort to compete still.

Last season, he managed the window very well. We were still incredibly lucky to go up, but we markedly improved with the players brought in. This season is more difficult, we don't look particularly bad anywhere, but we don't look great either. The obvious problem is the lack of goals, but if we go more creative it will very likely lead to more goals conceded. Our strength is our fitness and pressing, but some signs that may have been figured out by the opposition. I can't see us having enough to stay in touch with the playoffs, but other than the last 2 performances, we look plenty good enough to be safe.

I imagine many fans will be disappointed with mid table, even some who said that's what they expect. But I think about 14-16th is where we are at the moment, now that the promotion buzz is wearing thin.

On paper I'm not sure this coming transfer window will be anymore difficult.  

Last year we needed to improve all over the pitch.  Of course the transfer window is a lot longer in the Conference but Cropper, Amos, Holohan, Maguire-Drew, Abrahams, Mani, Smith and even maybe Raikhy came in to have an impact or were needed to have that.

This time around I think we're a striker off competing.  I know, it's no doubt easier to bring in a competent right-back than it is a decent striker but I genuinely do feel that's all we're missing and hopefully the focus can be on that, both in terms of spending the time identifying that and using the resources available to get them here.

Quoted from pen penfras

I think the last 3 seasons, we started the season with optimism and confidence (one of them very falsely). Teams always take a while to scope each other out, and I've always felt that Hurst teams get figured out and we don't have the quality or adaptation to change our approach. It makes the rest of the season somewhat painful to watch, even though we usually have enough effort to compete still.

Last season, he managed the window very well. We were still incredibly lucky to go up, but we markedly improved with the players brought in. This season is more difficult, we don't look particularly bad anywhere, but we don't look great either. The obvious problem is the lack of goals, but if we go more creative it will very likely lead to more goals conceded. Our strength is our fitness and pressing, but some signs that may have been figured out by the opposition. I can't see us having enough to stay in touch with the playoffs, but other than the last 2 performances, we look plenty good enough to be safe.

I imagine many fans will be disappointed with mid table, even some who said that's what they expect. But I think about 14-16th is where we are at the moment, now that the promotion buzz is wearing thin.

I wouldn't be so sure, two poor results shouldn't change that we'd had an excellent start, relatively speaking to life back in L2. We were the better side for 75 minutes on Saturday, and they were appalling. We were awful at Barrow but lost the game to some iffy defending and leaving Waters unmarked in the middle of the goal 8 yards out. The more I think about Saturday, the more I think it was a few minutes of madness and unlikely to be repeated. Our record at holding onto leads has been very impressive so far. Once McAtee is fit again, we'll get there or thereabouts.

Quoted from diehardmariner

On paper I'm not sure this coming transfer window will be anymore difficult.  

Last year we needed to improve all over the pitch.  Of course the transfer window is a lot longer in the Conference but Cropper, Amos, Holohan, Maguire-Drew, Abrahams, Mani, Smith and even maybe Raikhy came in to have an impact or were needed to have that.

This time around I think we're a striker off competing.  I know, it's no doubt easier to bring in a competent right-back than it is a decent striker but I genuinely do feel that's all we're missing and hopefully the focus can be on that, both in terms of spending the time identifying that and using the resources available to get them here.

Yes, but we're not going to be able to bring in a striker who can do what Taylor gives us and score 15+ goals a season. So if we bring in a new striker, we have to change the way we play. It's not as easy a situation to solve as signing somebody who can score goals. My guess is Orsi can score goals if played in a system that suits him, he's certainly managed it in one season.

Quoted from Mariner_09

I wouldn't be so sure, two poor results shouldn't change that we'd had an excellent start, relatively speaking to life back in L2. We were the better side for 75 minutes on Saturday, and they were appalling. We were awful at Barrow but lost the game to some iffy defending and leaving Waters unmarked in the middle of the goal 8 yards out. The more I think about Saturday, the more I think it was a few minutes of madness and unlikely to be repeated. Our record at holding onto leads has been very impressive so far. Once McAtee is fit again, we'll get there or thereabouts.

You're free to look at it that way, but we got hammered by Rochdale and Walsall for the first half and came out with wins. Without those 6 points it looks very different. But we did get them, and we did lose the last 2 games with poor performances.

I don't agree that we looked the better team for 75 minutes. For 20 minutes, they looked absolutely woeful and I thought we'd win 3-0 or more. Then they got into the game and despite us looking slightly better on the ball, we barely troubled their keeper and Crocombe made a couple of excellent saves along with a penalty that looked nailed on to me. That's been the story of our season, we play decent in the middle but have had more chances against us than we create. Our good started was made to look better by wasteful opposition. We had one of the highest chances to goals conceded ratio, that's not the sign of a great defence, just a lucky run.

Quoted from pen penfras

Yes, but we're not going to be able to bring in a striker who can do what Taylor gives us and score 15+ goals a season. So if we bring in a new striker, we have to change the way we play. It's not as easy a situation to solve as signing somebody who can score goals. My guess is Orsi can score goals if played in a system that suits him, he's certainly managed it in one season.

Or if we're sticking with this lone striker system, accepting that whoever is in that role isn't going to score the goals.  But bring someone in to take the burden off Taylor/as cover with the returning McAtee then hitting the back of the net?