TOPIC: Great season whatever happens!

I've really enjoyed this season and all things considered Curle has done a decent job overall.

OK he's not everyone's cup of tea but he's transformed the club which lets face it was a shambles by all accounts when he took over. I'd like to know who his detractors think we could have got in to do a better job?

What I would say is I think he over complicates things at times with his team changes. I think he realises the players aren't good enough just to play our best 11 every week but do we really have to worry too much about how the likes of Dagenham or Barnet are going to play?

The frustrating thing is that we're not that far away from being a promotion side and a couple of really good signings in January would have made all the difference.

Without the floods I honestly think we'd be in an automatic position because whatever you say it was a hell of a distraction and everything was looking rosey before Xmas.

Still Rome wasn't built in a day and I'm pretty sure we'll be up there next season.if we don't sneak up there through the play offs!

Yes, things are looking up.
After having two incompetent managers, now we've got someone who knows what he is doing.
Some of the football is industrial at times, but it is Division 4, not La Liga.
Feels like we've got a solid squad, with the obvious need to improve the quality in some areas.
Yes, the floods definitely made it harder for us, we looked shoo-ins for the play-offs at one point.
Curle isn't perfect but we were never going to get Pep Guardiola to come here, so he deserves a lot of praise, in my opinion.

I'd agree with most of what you're both saying...even if we don't make the playoffs, finishing with 3 or more wins from the last 6 games gives us something to build on for next season.
Where I'd disagree is a minor point 182blue....we're recovering from having 3 crap managers in a row, not 2!
The sad thing is the sale of Dempsey...he's just the type of player that would have us in the top 5 this season - creative, playing between the lines, scores his fair share of goals, unpredictable...sadly he chased the money and is paying the price. Hery was just not good enough in his role. Need someone who can drop off and play in the hole if we're to be successful next season. But the basics of a good squad are definitely there.

Did we not have our best season for yonks under Ward in front of the biggest crowds for 30 years. Or did I just dream that!

And don't say it was down to Neil McDonald!

nobbyblue wrote:
Dismantled the best team we'd had for 25 years. Where were we in the league when he took over? Where were we 12 months later?
Up there with Gregg and Wilkinson as among the worst we've ever had.

To the thread heading, I think not. Why, Cos we've still got the 3 Stooges at the helm.....

Great no - acceptable yes. KC has done a lot of good and long may it continue. I have some sympathy with AJ - he has spent the ££ - not wisely but he has fronted up.

On the pitch much more enjoyable, either way we are looking at a respectable finish compared to last year add into it the cup ties against Liverpool and Everton as well, plus the road trips over xmas and it has certainly been one to remember.

Off the pitch despite much early promise of changes among the club and possibly even the board these haven't materialised. The flooding has obviously disrupted some of the changes but some of the much needed changes will never happen due to the boards reluctance to listen to the supporters.

nobbyblue wrote:
Funny how people say Ward just took Mcdonalds team on a run but never Mcdonald just took Simpsons team on a run...

TheLazyLewisGuy wrote:
Kavanagh took Abbott's team on a run.

Bloody shite today! Curle out.

yeah a lot stress free than recent seasons.

how ever, i think if we did manage to scrape into the play offs we wont go up. had we the same momentum prior to the floods it may have been achievable.

TheLazyLewisGuy wrote:
McDonald took over Simpsons team and improved it.

Ward took over McDonalds team and destroyed it.

deeksme wrote: Was it Ward who dismantled the team or the three new owners that happened to buy the club? I think I know

Cayambe wrote:
Loaned it hasnt he?

An improvement on the pitch from last season but it hardly could've been any worse in terms of performances and style of the team. Off the pitch and in the boardroom we are still a shambles,embarrassingly so.

I would agree there has been an improvement on the field and we have shown that we are a hard side to beat. However, given our squad KC hasn't been able to find a winning formula that has led us to a winning run. As others have already mentioned, the lack of new faces in January has proven to be a major error. The team needed refreshing and additions (particularly in midfield) - the lack of has seen us struggle against some very poor sides and failing to win against the likes of York (H&A;), Dagenham (A) and Newport (H&A;), which every other side going for promotion has beaten, is the difference between us and them.

As for next season, surely this season's improvement is no clear indicator for next season. Yes, we will have some players going on to next season but the likes of Gillead, Gilesphey, Ellis, Comely and Stacey won't be here (possibly Ellis will sign for us). Nor is it likely that Asamoah will sign again and Ibehre may well stay south. So, with other players coming to the end of their contracts such as Sweeney, TAH, McQueen, Thompson, Hery, Miller, Raynes, Hanford and Rigg we'll be back to square 1 with possibly 16 of this squad not with us next season. That means another summer of new signings to sign-up, bed-in and blend for next season. Therefore improvements from this season cannot be guaranteed next. KC will have a lot to do over the summer and getting a decent goal scoring forward or two will be one of many priorities, as will be an experienced keeper to give Gillespie decent competition. At this level, with so many squad ins and outs, every season stands on its own merits and next season will be no different.

BaggersBlue wrote:
Ellis is contracted to us until the summer of 2018.

Thanks. I hadn't noted that. I think Raynes will probs be offered contract but wouldn't start with Ellis and Raynes. I would have Atkinson with one of them alongside.I would also think that Miller will be offered something but we def need another full back and possibly another utility defender who can also attack up the wing.

A decent enough season that is for sure.... But Great? Let's not get carried away. I'm pleased we have avoided the relegation struggle. I am also pleased the team has more fight than last season. However, we are still playing poor long ball football generally... yes I know the defenders tool around with little passes for a while but they still end up lumping it forward, so it is essentially long ball football.... we are just delaying the hoof so that they can all get back into position and mark up. We still chop and change the line up way too much. We are still relying on loan players for creativity.... even though the manager explicitly said we wouldn't rely on loan players this season. Crucially we also still haven't eradicated stupid defensive mistakes...we have let in over 20 goals more than Wycombe. Considering our budget must be one of the highest in the division I don't see it as a remarkable achievement to get us to 10th place. I'll settle for that this season... but it is about par for the course given the time and resources Curle has had.

A good season for me. We have played some decent stuff at times and shown more grit and determination than in recent years. When we concede I expect a fight back now, not that awful heads down and hide mentality that we got used to seeing in previous years. Much more of a team effort this season which I prefer to havng just a couple of individuals who will more than likely leave.

To get two good cup runs ending with two Premiership teams was a real bonus. To see Brunton Park full again was special.

We have been on the slide for a while now. This season, hopefully has put the handbrake on and we can look forward to looking at results at the right end of the table.

Do hope other leagues are kind to us though and we have less traveling next season, that has been the biggest minus point for me.

Maybe doesn't seem so great now looking at the table but over all including 3rd round of the league cup and fourth round of the FA cup it's not bad at all.

There needs to be a bit more balance. Only 5 L2 clubs have scored more than we have, yet we've let too many in. It was always the hope that Curle would tighten up the defence but it hasn't really happened. If we could score the same number of goals but keep the against column down to 40-something (like some of our rivals have done) it would make all the difference in terms of play-off places.