i carnt wait!

[viking87]

For the season to get up and running and for us to step up to the big clubs who look at us as 6 points and come away with the points and the respect.
Honestly, I think we will be the underdogs!
My prediction for next season is 9th place finish.

[RobTheRover]

\"Carnt\"??? Are you from Ipswich?

[jonnydog]

For the season to get up and running and for us to step up to the big clubs who look at us as 6 points and come away with the points and the respect.
Honestly, I think we will be the underdogs!
My prediction for next season is 9th place finish.

I feel the same, I am hoping that SOD and JR have assessed all the problems within the team (both on and off the pitch) and know exactly what they need to do and who to grab to get us back on track after possibly the worst season that the mighty reds have experienced since '98 (possibly the worst ever for the newer generation!).

I myself am looking towards the next season with intense excitement but also with a little nervousness due to the fact that it's going to be more difficult than ever (and so on from here-on in). If we get an excellent base and have a good and competitive season then the foundations will be set for the future...

With that in mind I would LOVE to see us finish 9th, but will be happy with anything which allows us all to see some good football, and in turn good results and consistency throughout the whole season in order to avoid a season finale that we endured this year!!

RTI'fkin'D

[WSBBA_Ben]

I carnt spoll.

[viking87]

I put 'carnt' when I text. Thanks for the positive feedback

[roverssam1879]

I can't wait either, but i think 9th is out of the question, if memory serves me right we finished 14th 12th the seasons before last, and imo we had a better squad than we have at the moment, so i think 9th isnt going to happen, 16th/17th is my prediction at this time.

[RedJ]

Mid-table barmy army

[viking87]

Sam, I can agree with you from our recent form but just think we learned a big lesson last season and before the injury crisis we looked play-off material. Are you happy to agree 13th place? lol

[Rovers Return]

As a kid I Kitson wait for Christmas

[roverssam1879]

Sam, I can agree with you from our recent form but just think we learned a big lesson last season and before the injury crisis we looked play-off material. Are you happy to agree 13th place? lol

i tend to agree also that before the 14 man injury epidemic, we were flying, BUT, i just look at the league and the places we have to go and im really struggling at this moment in time to suggest we will be okay, untill the opening day when the team sheet gets read out im going to stick with th e 16th 17th, only untill 14:55 when we play brighton shall i re-evaluate my prediction !

[BRMC_rover]

I don't want to make any predictions until we finalise our summer acquisitions. I think Rich Naylor and George friend would be a good universal pairing at the back but If we line up against someone with two rapido forwards, we seriously need a pacey alternative at centre back.

Our goalkeeping situation worries me at the moment and I hope we address that. Woods is ok but does not command his area and back line that well yet (as you could only expect from a keeper his age). Sullivan is OK and has been excellent for us, but has the opposite problem to Woods where his experience is top notch but his declining ability now makes him a ticking bomb.

Our first choice left back is not yet fully confirmed, but if Tommy Spurr's move is 100%, Id be happy enough with that, whilst still I feel Chambers is one of our best players when he's match fit and would hope he gets a new contract to provide a little competition for both full back berths. I can see Dumbuya having a top season If he stays injury free and can see SOD regularly facing a healthy selection dilemma with where and when he plays JOC.

Midfield is where our problem's may lie. Stocky injured for the first part of the season and only Gillett, Keenan and Wilson as our industrious ball winning type's worries me. If you look at other teams centre midfield, ours looks short of the required standard to compete. I was gutted to see Kilkenny go to Bristol City and even more gutted when I saw his quote:-

\"The manager [Keith Millen] was fantastic and sold the club to me,\" he told BBC Radio Bristol.

\"The way he spoke about the club, about the game and about me - he made my mind up.

\"He described where the club wants to go and it fitted with my ambition, so that was the reason I joined.\"

Now I know that he's never going to say 'they offered me loads of money', but you'd think SOD could have tempted him with our ambition and the fact that he's admired and chased him for the last 4 years or so.

We need Mason in on loan and to cross our fingers and hope Gillett stays fit otherwise the other central midfielders simply will not be up to the task in the difficult games......and how many can we class as easy?

Im happy with our attacking/wide midfielders and appreciate we can't really moan on our budget when we have Oster, Woods, Shiels and Coppinger who fit the bill nicely already.

Id like to see us solve our main problem, which is the goal source. We rely too heavily on Billy. Hayter chips in and a few midfielders, but not often enough. Euell is a good signing, and should help to add to our goal tally, but with the players we have and the system we play, Id like to see someone who can play just behind the striker effectively, whilst also having an eye for goal. Ryan Mason would be a good player to have here, but would leave our central midfield spots weak. We need to either bring in a proper orthadox central midfielder and play Mason off Billy, or bring in a good attacking midfielder/forward and play Mason in the Middle......all of this of course, assuming Mason even comes back on loan. If not, we need to plug some holes somewhere, so a league place prediction is impossible at present.

[RedJ]

Good summary, BRMC

[BRMC_rover]

Also, the released player scramble wont take full swing until a few days into July after all players are officially . Its likely that half of the Championships current starting 11 will be altered by 3,4 or 5 players.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

What ever happens, I'm sure SOD as much as anyone wants to get back to playing passing football done at pace. If we can get anywhere near how we played first season
in the Championship and add a few more goals to that who knows.

May be a tall order but that's what we've got to strive for.

[Standanista]

All good opinions above.  I feel better about the pre-season transfer talk and activity today than this time last year.  If the debated prospects come in, then a couple of decent Premier loanees - Mason and a Mills/Shackell-mould centre half - might be enough for a decent challenge