Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: ncRover on July 16, 2023, 07:59:52 pm
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The general consensus this time last year was that our squad had enough quality in a “poor league” to see us bounce back and get in to the play offs (everyone’s predictions averaged out at about 7th). How wrong we were.
We soon found out that this league is not for mugs. The key ingredients of legs, grit, determination and physicality were absent from our squad. There also seemed to be a hangover of a deeply ingrained culture of losing and apathy at the club. You could see that in the player’s body language after conceding a goal.
After finishing 18th (correctly predicted by 5minstogo), the club has had a massive wake up call on all fronts and has acted on those emphatically. Prior to the changes, many felt we were doomed to non-league on that trajectory (myself included).
Recruitment appears to have been good and sensible (for once). We have addressed those key areas early with leadership and organisation at the back, legs and bite in midfield, pace out wide and stickability up top. It feels like a more cohesive group that will now fight for each other.
But, I think we are now only at a point where top teams such as Stockport and Salford were at last season. I don’t expect us to turn everything around miraculously quickly and overtake such clubs. On top of that, the division is probably at its strongest ever thanks to the additions of Notts County, Wrexham and MK Dons.
Though I do think we have a manager who is in the top 3 in the division. Along with his staff, he has made us feel like a highly professional and competitive outfit again.
In the cups I think we can go on a few good runs and maybe even get to the semis of the Papa John’s thanks to our extensive squad depth, which will be better than many in leagues 1 and 2. There also shouldn’t be an injury crisis thanks to this!
I’m going to go for 7th in the league.
What do you guys think?
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5th
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3rd
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10th
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Play offs at least
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Champions
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Play offs - 5th or 6th
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Top 10.
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The worst position 2nd
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5th
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The worst position 2nd
Worst.?
Bite your hand off for guaranteed 2nd place now.
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7th
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Top 7 but with a fair few top teams a)coming up from the league below, b)coming down from the league above and c) the teams already here last season, this will be a difficult league.
But this season we have coach/manager who can make a team greater than the sum of its parts
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6th
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8th
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Champions
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Champions
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4th
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6th
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Can’t possibly be as bad as last season. I’ll go for a safe 10th, but am hoping for better.
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I'll make a much more realistic prediction.
1st.
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9th.
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Champions
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Finish and win play offs
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5th
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Top 10
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Sky bet had the rovers at 14/1 to win the play offs.
I’ve had a tenner on that :rtid:
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2nd
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The beauty of it all is we just don't know.
The are definite reasons to be optimistic - proven attack minded manager, board injection of funds, some exciting looking signings, but on the other hand it looks like the strongest League 2 ever. At least it should be exciting which is great news.
So overall, I reckon we will be somewhere in the top 24 :lol:
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£40 at 22/1.
Champions.
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10th
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8th for me. Promotion next season.
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Play offs
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6th
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Where's 5minstogo when you need him? I want to know where we'll finish this season.
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3rd
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8th for me. Promotion next season.
It would definitely be easier next season.
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8th for me. Promotion next season.
It would definitely be easier next season.
Why would it?
The prospect of yet another season in this dreadful league could result in the loss of our manager, again, and the loss of our better players, and the loss of several rejuvenated fans.
We've got to really go for it this season. Another season of failing to reach our objectives could be costly.
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8th for me. Promotion next season.
It would definitely be easier next season.
Why would it?
The prospect of yet another season in this dreadful league could result in the loss of our manager, again, and the loss of our better players, and the loss of several rejuvenated fans.
We've got to really go for it this season. Another season of failing to reach our objectives could be costly.
That’s catastrophizing a bit. I’m just saying the standard of the division will be lower next year. Where have I said we shouldn’t or couldn’t go for it?
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Top ten for me
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2nd
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7th
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3rd
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I think on paper and business done there is half a dozen better teams.....but doesn't always matter what it looks like on paper case and point Leicester City PL champions!
I am genuinly behind a push for winning the league. I still think we are short of a big marque signing that we were expecting....also GM discussed this and basically said waiting for the club to release or agree, now the kid we just signed was a free agent so still a signing to come?????
I'm predicting playoffs currently.
Sign Billy and we have won the league.
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2nd.
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Heart says playoffs . Head says mid table struggle. I’m not convinced we have the strike force needed to score regularly. So happy to be proved wrong .
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17th
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As in 1960's 9th and champions following year.
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8th for me. Promotion next season.
It would definitely be easier next season.
Why would it?
The prospect of yet another season in this dreadful league could result in the loss of our manager, again, and the loss of our better players, and the loss of several rejuvenated fans.
We've got to really go for it this season. Another season of failing to reach our objectives could be costly.
Yep got to go for it. However a poor season and nobody will be going anywhere. There’s two and a half years of crap to sort out, it’s going to take more than a few months to put right.
11th this next season, then another build, and automatic season after this.
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Seventh.
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I will do my full League prediction the week before the 1st match.
Too early to assess our prospects right now especially after that game last night which was the 1st pre season game I have been to.
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6th to 12th based on current evidence and showings.
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8th for me. Promotion next season.
It would definitely be easier next season.
Why would it?
The prospect of yet another season in this dreadful league could result in the loss of our manager, again, and the loss of our better players, and the loss of several rejuvenated fans.
We've got to really go for it this season. Another season of failing to reach our objectives could be costly.
Yep got to go for it. However a poor season and nobody will be going anywhere. There’s two and a half years of crap to sort out, it’s going to take more than a few months to put right.
11th this next season, then another build, and automatic season after this.
Nobody going anywhere? You just watch ST sales next summer if it follows another season of mediocrity. This summer's ST boost is purely because of Terry's cash input, and the return of GM. Terry turns 81 next year, and he won't be funding us forever.
If it becomes clear to GM that this funding and these players aren't good enough to gain promotion, then why would he think that next season will be better? Why would anyone?
I'd like to know what evidence people are basing it on, when they suggest that we'll fail this season, but succeed next season.
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For me this cash injection is a one off this season only
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For me this cash injection is a one off this season only
It can't be. With the number of permanent players acquired, there's already contract commitments beyond this season. If the extra funds were purely to cover transfer fees and loan fees then that could be true but it's contributing to the total budget. Once the bar is raised, then it will have to be sustained for a couple or three seasons at least either through TB and Club Doncaster income or a combination of both. If by then, we've achieved promotion then, additional income from being in League One might mitigate what extra TBs put in, unless he chooses to keep putting in up front. Let's not forget, he's also covering any losses at the end of each financial year.
I don't think it's a sh*t or bust situation. In addition, I don't think McCann would be here if he didn't think he was going to be reasonably backed to compete at the top end of the division.
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Hoping for playoffs but I think a key area we have really messed up on is having a decent goalkeeper. No trust in Lawlor or Jones.
Excited by the signing of Woods but fear he might struggle for fitness for the entire season so another centre half is definitely needed as Anderson clearly won't be fit.
All 3 strikers are good for this level but are we missing an out and out goalscorer still?? Not convinced Roberts is that man but hope to be proven wrong.
In McCann we trust.
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Hoping for playoffs but I think a key area we have really messed up on is having a decent goalkeeper. No trust in Lawlor or Jones.
Excited by the signing of Woods but fear he might struggle for fitness for the entire season so another centre half is definitely needed as Anderson clearly won't be fit.
All 3 strikers are good for this level but are we missing an out and out goalscorer still?? Not convinced Roberts is that man but hope to be proven wrong.
In McCann we trust.
Regarding that first paragraph, I've just seen last night's highlights, and the only player who did anything memorable was Lawlor, with 3 very good saves.
I didn't notice anyone else doing anything of note.
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4th - 7th
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I previously said 6th, now 9th.
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We are still a couple of players short, a good strong ball winning midfielder and a creative midfielder
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Eighth.
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Anyone thinking of reconsidering their predictions after last night? I’m going for 3rd.
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Champions
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Mindful that Bremner took three seasons to stop the rot, build and then deliver I was hopeful McCann would stop the rot and develop this season and push on to success next season. Having seen the new defensive unit and Ironside and others last night I’m more optimistic about a play off place this season.
Whatever, I’m 100% certain there’s a serious change of attitude around the place. I’m sure there’ll be frustrations and bumps in the road but I don’t expect to witness the embarrassments of the last couple of seasons.
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I'll be very disappointed if Doncaster Rovers don't finish in the top-seven at the very least.
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We will do as Moses instructed and come forth.
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I will go with 3rd but I really think we could win it, there might be some teams with a stronger starting 11 than us but not many will have a stronger squad. That and the fact we have got a manager I wouldn't swap for any other in the league I think we are in for an enjoyable season.
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3rd
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1 more striker from promotion chances I think.
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Heart says Champions head says 3rd
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Would love automatic but it will be tough, going for 5th,
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6th to 12th based on current evidence and showings.
5th to 11th.
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Various betting permutations, all involving us finishing between 7th and 1st. :rtid:
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Anything lower than playoffs has got to be considered a poor season imo. I honestly think we will get top 3. Keeping Taylor fit will be like a top new signing and could be the difference.
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2nd
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Desperately difficult to predict this season’s final positions.
Last season looked easier but I still got it badly wrong.
So here goes.
1) Stockport County
2) MK Dons
3) Wrexham
4) Doncaster Rovers
5) Bradford City
6) Notts County
7) Salford City
8) Gillingham
9) Mansfield Town
10) Accrington Stanley
11) Swindon Town
12) Grimsby Town
13) Tranmere Rovers
14) Wimbledon
15) Sutton United
16) Walsall
17) Forest Green Rovers
18) Barrow
19) Morecambe
20) Colchester United
21) Crewe Alexandra
22) Harrogate Town
23) Newport County
24) Crawley Town
Bottom 2 even harder than top 3 to predict.
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Here’s what the EFL “experts” on Twitter think:
Tom Williams - 10th
Gab Sutton - 9th
Off the line blog - 8th
The92bible - 11th
HC - 6th
The Lower Tiers - 5th
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Higher than what they thought last season at the start of the season then.
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7th
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4th
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Top 3 for me
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Champions.
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Anyone want to reconsider?
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Some fantasists earlier this month talking about what we needed to do in the window to get in play offs.
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Heart says playoffs . Head says mid table struggle. I’m not convinced we have the strike force needed to score regularly. So happy to be proved wrong .
Just revisiting my prediction . What id now give for a mid table struggle
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Pretty much everyone in this chain said top 7 and there were a total of 6 who thought we would be champions.
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Pretty much everyone in this chain said top 7 and there were a total of 6 who thought we would be champions.
You have a strange obsession of looking back at everything and who said what months ago.
It’s odd
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Pretty much everyone in this chain said top 7 and there were a total of 6 who thought we would be champions.
You have a strange obsession of looking back at everything and who said what months ago.
It’s odd
Don’t make such wild, clearly infeasible claims and there’s no danger of them being called out…
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I'll make a much more realistic prediction.
1st.
Bloody autocorrect. I meant 21st.
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20th
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https://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=288238.0
Starting XI people thought at the start of the season. Lots of Biggins and Broadbent shouts.
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Pretty much everyone in this chain said top 7 and there were a total of 6 who thought we would be champions.
You have a strange obsession of looking back at everything and who said what months ago.
It’s odd
Don’t make such wild, clearly infeasible claims and there’s no danger of them being called out…
I didn’t post on this thread you clown
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17th
Keenstonian wins.
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5th
Told you so.
Was never in doubt :s
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5th
Told you so.
Was never in doubt :s
Brilliant call that, BR.