I’m honestly not that confident, I really worry about where the goals are going to come from. I think we’ve believed that our defence was the main issue last season when, statistically, our goals conceded wasn’t a million miles off what would be required for the playoffs. Goals scored, which instinctively felt like less of a problem, actually was below what is required. And then we sold the guy that scored ~1/3 of them and I don’t think we’ve added enough to make up for him, let alone the other goals we’ll need to find.
Of course I hope I’m wrong, I’ve got my season ticket and will dutifully be at Wigan, but we’ve taken a massive gamble and forgive my lack of faith that it will pay off - that comes from the experience of supporting this football club.
After three terrible season it’s really difficult to convince myself this is the season it’s changes and we get promotion.
Two big issues kept occurring during the back of last season under NJ. Continued to concede soft goals and we stop creating chances. Need to rectify at least one of them to have a chance. 5 cleans sheets last season was pathetic and probably need 15+ to have a real chance of promotion.
A lot more positive due to NJ and his style of football. If things start to go badly, very much expecting us to revert back to a gritty style and the likes of Kanu & Anderson will come back into the side to grind out points, something we haven’t done very well at in the previous seasons.
I voted with my head (7-12th) rather than my heart that said play-offs. At the moment I suspect we'll be up there or thereabouts for most of the season but just fall short at the very end.
I'm fairly optimistic about the players bought in but less so with the ones we lost. We sold/lost players I'd rather keep and there are several more I would like to move on who haven't.
What we need (in terms of impact not role) is a Kermorgant type signing, who turns a functional and organised team into one with a proper cutting edge.
Went Play Offs - More hope than expectation. Will probably be happy with just outside as long as there's a marked improvement in effort and performances.
Went Playoffs , think the signings have been strong but I still think we are 2 or 3 signings light. Add another CM , CB and a quality Keeper and I'd feel a bit more confident about it.
I think we’re set for either a 6th or 7th finish. Being Charlton, my guess is 7th but I do believe in what Jones has started, I think our recruitment looks strong so far and will blend well with our January purchases.
Without wanting to lay too much on friendlies, I was struck by how much bigger, faster, hungrier and stronger we looked compared with Portsmouth.
It’ll be a tougher league against better teams, But I think it’ll definitely be a more positive campaign, with us looking up not down.
Just like se9 I don’t think we’ll score enough goals for top six. I reckon we’ll be hard to beat so lots of 0 - 0 and low scoring draws. Unless we’re missing something the targets we still have in GK, Potts and maybe one other midfielder won’t have much impact on that. If I was pushed I’d say we’ll finish 8th or 9th. If we fall short on goals scored then I think Jones will rightly get heavily criticised for not wanting Alfie May. It took us a long time to find a golden boot and one that was happy to stay and then we sell him one season in. Jones I think was supremely arrogant in that decision. Time will tell.
7th - 12th it's going to be a tough season. If we can turn last seasons draws into wins then we have a chance. Sadly, i think we're going to fall short.
I'm always optimistic at the start of a new season. We have a rake of new players a new pitch and a better preseason than recent years. Surely we can't have another season like the previous few. We will storm this league, out of sight by February.
I don't doubt we will be much improved from last season. If we had this squad and Jones as manager last season then I would've backed us for play-offs or even top 2 last year. However, League One this year is much, much more competitive.
7-12 Getting rid of the best goal scorer in the league will come back to haunt us.
Thought he ultimately left due to more family reasons
We've been through this before but Birmingham is still along way from Bradford where his family are. We all know that was because he was offered a big wedge from Birmingham and you can't blame him for taking that . I don't think Jones ever liked him as a player . We will see how big a mistake it was not to try to keep him.
7-12 Getting rid of the best goal scorer in the league will come back to haunt us.
Thought he ultimately left due to more family reasons
We've been through this before but Birmingham is still along way from Bradford where his family are. We all know that was because he was offered a big wedge from Birmingham and you can't blame him for taking that . I don't think Jones ever liked him as a player . We will see how big a mistake it was not to try to keep him.
I think we're going to have a bit of a topsy turvy season. With Jones teams in general and as we've seen in preseason the team have to be right at it if we're going to win games. They need to be aggressive, pressing all over the pitch and moving as one unit from the start. If they don't do that, if they turn up a bit tentative and don't get in teams' faces then there's not really the individual creativity and difference-makers to bail us out. I think systems-wise Ahadme and Godden is set up to work better in a Jones team than May, but I don't think Ahadme or Docherty are going to rescue us from dropped points in poor performances by forcing a goal in the same way Alfie or JRS would in previous seasons. It's good that our squad is quite big as we'll need to rotate to maintain fitness with the high energy set-up. His teams also tend to take a few games to properly get going and the first 10 games might be a bit mixed in terms of results so we'll have to stick with it. I'm still hopeful with another CB at the least we can make the play-offs though.
Playoffs. We'll be good this season. Jones has ensured we have a LOT of good options at wing-back, which is the single most important position on the field for his system
This time last year, inspired by what I saw at the time as some good signings, I forecast a 4th place finish. I'm not going to be fooled for a second time! However, I do think we will be better than last season. We will finish 11th.
I'm not sure we've done enough in the transfer market to get in the top 6 , i've no idea how good this team is / or convinced our current keeper is a top 6 keeper.
I still need to get Alfie and Dobbo out of my head.
I think we'll start strongly and be in the play-offs midway through the season.
When it comes to the 2nd time we play teams, they'll adjust to how we play and it'll depend on how we tactically adjust to that.
By the end of the season I could see us anywhere from 5th-9th. My overall worry about goals and creating chances makes me think it's more likely to be 8th-9th.
Playoffs. We'll be good this season. Jones has ensured we have a LOT of good options at wing-back, which is the single most important position on the field for his system
I'd argue it's probably the most important position at this level. Looking at the times we've had success in this league, we've had decent options at the LB/RB slot.
On paper, Small/Edwards/Ramsay/Watson is as exciting as some of those promotion wingbacks
7-12 Getting rid of the best goal scorer in the league will come back to haunt us.
Thought he ultimately left due to more family reasons
We've been through this before but Birmingham is still along way from Bradford where his family are. We all know that was because he was offered a big wedge from Birmingham and you can't blame him for taking that . I don't think Jones ever liked him as a player . We will see how big a mistake it was not to try to keep him.
Okay, but he weren't got rid of was he?
The manager wasn’t keen on him and refused to have a discussion with him from the get go and further on down the line . AM would have preferred to have stayed but the writing was on the wall and he can take a hint , result for him monetary wise.
It's heart over head every time with Charlton. With a club like ours, its the only way I can remain sane, if I used logic and reason, I wouldn't follow us at all!
However if I was to apply the above, playoffs at best would be my guess. Squeak into 6th.
Regardless of why he left, I fear we will feel the loss of Alfie. The 2 brought in may contribute enough, but I'm not convinced.
On paper, Doc is an upgrade on Dobson. We have not filled CBT shoes since he left, although the argument is we don't play with wingers under NJ. But his goals and creativity is still missing from this squad.
Defence has strengthened, it bloody well had too. We are strong in wing back spots I think. I think we need Potts to come in with his experience and leadership qualities.
We do need a top league 1/championship keeper. AMB is not good enough as back up IMHO.
Another centre mid too, unless Terry Taylor can come good. And we still do not know how good he is.
NJ has a big season ahead. I do trust him, he seems a bit of a mad bastard and I like that.
7-12th for me. I just don't see where the goals are going to come from. If we had May in the side I would be more confident. However, I do understand for both parties why the move was necessary. May, better wagers, a better chance to get in the Championship, short career etc. For us the money has allowed to invest in some players plus you have to balance the books. We still have players on the books who are overpaid for what they do. I am happy for us to be in a top 8th position. That will be progress for me.
Comments
Two big issues kept occurring during the back of last season under NJ. Continued to concede soft goals and we stop creating chances. Need to rectify at least one of them to have a chance. 5 cleans sheets last season was pathetic and probably need 15+ to have a real chance of promotion.
A lot more positive due to NJ and his style of football. If things start to go badly, very much expecting us to revert back to a gritty style and the likes of Kanu & Anderson will come back into the side to grind out points, something we haven’t done very well at in the previous seasons.
I am not as optimistic as the majority and the promised clear out and quality replacements has not been as I expected.
Alfie will score more on his own than Gas & Godden combined and our midfield is still too light to chip in with the difference.
I'm fairly optimistic about the players bought in but less so with the ones we lost. We sold/lost players I'd rather keep and there are several more I would like to move on who haven't.
What we need (in terms of impact not role) is a Kermorgant type signing, who turns a functional and organised team into one with a proper cutting edge.
With our existing squad we're a little short and I'd say more like 7th-12th.
Without wanting to lay too much on friendlies, I was struck by how much bigger, faster, hungrier and stronger we looked compared with Portsmouth.
It’ll be a tougher league against better teams, But I think it’ll definitely be a more positive campaign, with us looking up not down.
We will storm this league, out of sight by February.
Getting rid of the best goal scorer in the league will come back to haunt us.
I don't doubt we will be much improved from last season. If we had this squad and Jones as manager last season then I would've backed us for play-offs or even top 2 last year. However, League One this year is much, much more competitive.
Positives :
A much better Manager
Negatives:
I'm not sure we've done enough in the transfer market to get in the top 6 , i've no idea how good this team is / or convinced our current keeper is a top 6 keeper.
I still need to get Alfie and Dobbo out of my head.
When it comes to the 2nd time we play teams, they'll adjust to how we play and it'll depend on how we tactically adjust to that.
By the end of the season I could see us anywhere from 5th-9th. My overall worry about goals and creating chances makes me think it's more likely to be 8th-9th.
On paper, Small/Edwards/Ramsay/Watson is as exciting as some of those promotion wingbacks
Buzzing for Saturday either way.
AM would have preferred to have stayed but the writing was on the wall and he can take a hint , result for him monetary wise.
from AM himself
Hoping for top6
Play offs is where I expect us to be
Anything but promotion is another blot on our recent shistory
It's heart over head every time with Charlton. With a club like ours, its the only way I can remain sane, if I used logic and reason, I wouldn't follow us at all!
However if I was to apply the above, playoffs at best would be my guess. Squeak into 6th.
Regardless of why he left, I fear we will feel the loss of Alfie. The 2 brought in may contribute enough, but I'm not convinced.
On paper, Doc is an upgrade on Dobson. We have not filled CBT shoes since he left, although the argument is we don't play with wingers under NJ. But his goals and creativity is still missing from this squad.
Defence has strengthened, it bloody well had too. We are strong in wing back spots I think. I think we need Potts to come in with his experience and leadership qualities.
We do need a top league 1/championship keeper. AMB is not good enough as back up IMHO.
Another centre mid too, unless Terry Taylor can come good. And we still do not know how good he is.
NJ has a big season ahead. I do trust him, he seems a bit of a mad bastard and I like that.
Let us pray!