What the expectations

[bdu98196]

New man, new expectations? Where do you think we will end up with Duncball?

Worth noting its 'only' 6 games gone so 30 still to go, plenty chance to either make up ground and overhaul the 13 point gap to the top or fail spectacularly and stay rooted where we are.

Edited September 27, 2023 by bdu98196

[ICTPaisley]

36 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

New man, new expectations? Where do you think we will end up with Duncball?

Worth noting its 'only' 6 games gone so 30 still to go, plenty chance to either make up ground and overhaul the 13 point gap to the top or fail spectacularly and stay rooted where we are.

I think I’ll predict 7th now and anything above that would be a bonus. But as Dunc said, let’s just get off the bottom and work it from there. 
 

You forgot to vote 

[+Fraz]

I'm being optimistic and going for 6th - mid table mediocrity.

[bdu98196]

18 minutes ago, ICTPaisley said:

You forgot to vote 

I'll be optimistic that we get 5th, just missing out. It'll account for Dunc getting the team set up and slowly finding a rhythm but becoming stable enough to mount a challenge only to fall flat and we can all still slate Dodds for his early season horror run.

[+old caley girl]

6th which given our current predicament could be construed as OK really 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I basically have faith - only in Dunc - that he will take us to survival - and that there will be changes in the New year - but WHO is backing all of this ? That is the BIG question ?? 

[Satan]

7th, based on our slow performance upturn allied with some magical Dunc infused grit and determination. 

Could be higher due to this league's habit of teams form drastically changing as the months pass, perhaps we are surprised by the teams which may pass us on the way down...

...but I'm not counting on it, very dangerous times we're in.

[bdu98196]

3 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

- but WHO is backing all of this ? That is the BIG question ?? 

The battery farm. Scot told us our car park was going to have the cash rolling in.......

Edited September 28, 2023 by bdu98196

[+Gringo]

I've gone for 6th but lets see how we get on in the coming weeks. I think DF might feel he needs a bigger broom....and budget. 

[IBM]

7 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

I basically have faith - only in Dunc - that he will take us to survival - and that there will be changes in the New year - but WHO is backing all of this ? That is the BIG question ?? 

Could it be the builder? He is staying in a lodge by the River Ness. 

[Jaggernaut]

I went for 6th or 7th before the season started, so I'll pinpoint my choice to be 7th. I think this season will just be about consolidation.

[big cherly]

I find it impossible to give a sensible opinion just now as I have nothing but hype to make a judgement on how the team will change and perform under the guidance of big dunc. I have no idea of the standard of football in the league Forest Green played in, so can’t translate that onto the championship.

From what I’ve seen from the teams in the championship this season I don’t see many weak teams. Looking at who I would realistically look to get above, Morton, Ayr, Arbroath and Airdrie (for different reasons), are my targets. 

There’s two stages as I see it to gauge results and predictions for the season. So for a bit of who-knows fun here’s my guesses:

Remainder of 2023 

Good - 8th 

Poor - 10th

2024 : after transfer window 

Good - 4th

Poor - 10th

Edited September 28, 2023 by big cherly

[bdu98196]

With calls for Dunc to go already in some corners of our support, it's maybe worth revisiting what expectations were on arrival. Concensus was 4th to 8th with us currently 8th and only 4 points off 5th is this not what was expected as being optimistic?

 

[bdu98196]

I'm going to keep revisiting this.

We are essentially having a crap season and been utter abject at home, yet somehow with around quarter of the season left we are only 6 points behind a morton side getting plaudits. (We have 8. Some teams 9 games to go of normal season)

All hypothetical it's possible that if we had achieved more in the Dodds tenure earlier this season we could be fighting for a promotion play off place.

Keen to see how others expectations for remainder of the season align

- score a goal at home

- beat raith and get back to normal service

- beat morton or at least derail their playoff hopes on the last game of the season. The salty tears would be great.

- Avoid relegation play-offs

 

 

Edited March 13 by bdu98196

[Hearach]

8th will do me fine. Then rebuild next season. 

[+old caley girl]

8th will also do me fine too at the moment 

[+DoofersDad]

Terry Butcher is a guest at the stadium on Saturday for the game against Ayr, so I'll take a 7-0 win and then onwards and upwards from there.

[bdu98196]

12 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

Terry Butcher is a guest at the stadium on Saturday for the game against Ayr,

Tbf, we probably need more defenders

[IBM]

I am still hoping for fifth place when you look at the goal difference. 

[wilsywilsy]

35 minutes ago, IBM said:

I am still hoping for fifth place when you look at the goal difference. 

I'm onboard with this. Saturday is obviously a massive opportunity to jump up the table but with the home form being so abject and two tough away fixtures right after, I would settle for going into April with the points gap to 4th/5th being the same as today. That should make the run in interesting....... if this team can (finally) peak at the right time.

Edited March 13 by wilsywilsy

[ICTPaisley]

8th will absolutely do me but I’ll continue to look at 4th and think what if etc. This league is so tight and it is all about fine margins. It’s easy to say we could be further up the league had we done well in other games, but others teams will say the same. 

[Robert]

We must do no worse than 8th.

5th, 6th or 7th bring a few more pounds in.

We should be aiming for 4th until it is impossible to get there. 

Edited March 13 by Robert

[CaleyCanary]

Absolutely agree with Robert - the crucial bit for me is 'no worse than 8th'.

I would not fancy our chances in a relegation playoff against (most likely) an Accies side with their tails up and something to prove, whilst we have a team with a large number of loanees ready to depart back to their parent clubs. I'm not decrying their effort and commitment but when it comes to the crunch they wouldn't be as likely to put everything on the line and give 110% in that situation.

We should, however, have enough quality in our squad to keep us out of that position and hopefully they'll click together sooner rather than later to climb clear of that dreaded 9th place.

 

[buckett]

Having witnessed yet another home draw, one of my expectations is that attendances will continue to drop gradually until we get a home win.

However, so long as we keep climbing the table, a point at a time, there is a possibility we'll escape the play-offs.

I can't help feeling this squad of players is yet to click - hopefully that'll happen before the end of this season.

I think we'll peak on the last game of the season at 7th place!

 

 

(and ffs get Cammie Harper signed up for another 2 years!)

[+DoofersDad]

What is it with our club and injuries?  Add a keeper and you could make a decent starting Xl with those who are currently sidelined.   We seem to have had more than our share of injuries over a long period of time.  It seems we are taking on players with genuine potential but who also have a history of being a bit injury prone.  On the plus side, we have looked more defensively solid of late.  Carragher being a doubt is a concern for our vital game on Saturday, because he has looked good.  But we do have a big squad at the moment and will be able to put out a decent side each week.  

However, it may be off field issues which have the biggest bearing of where we end up.  If the planning application gets the green light, then there is the prospect of the biggest cash injection in the club's history.  With that would come the prospect of players the club wants to keep being offered improved contracts.  It will also be a spur to players more generally with those wanting to stay trying to persuade the club that they are worth keeping.  It would provide a much needed feel good factor around the club, hopefully resulting in a better home game atmosphere.  

It is so close and competitive in this division.  Potentially we could have one or more teams who on the last day of the season could, depending how results go, find themselves either in the promotion play offs or the relegation play offs at the end of the day.  In the circumstances on and off the field, I will be delighted if we finish in 8th.