Confidence ahead of next season

[Canadian Rover]

We are sticking with Fergie, no doubt we will see 8 to 12 of the current squad to be replaced. Without knowing who's coming in yet how confident are you we will bounce back up to league one at first attempt? And are you looking forward to next season?

[Donnywolf]

We are sticking with Fergie, no doubt we will see 8 to 12 of the current squad to be replaced. Without knowing who's coming in yet how confident are you we will bounce back up to league one at first attempt? And are you looking forward to next season?

As someone who predicted Leicesters bubble would burst almost every week and one who has still not learnt that lesson and insist they will really struggle next Season I am probably not best placed to answer ...

... but hey that's never stopped me before when I know nowt so

.... we should be able to bounce back (subject to the usual caveats of course) and at the moment I am looking forward to next Season

[les@donr]

The Board are taking a big gamble in backing a manager who got us relegated, I think they are making a big mistake sticking by him aka Dickov. I think we needed a new manager and and a new philosophy and a new era, with DF we are getting more of the same.

[dickos1]

I'm confident,
let him get rid of the shite here and build his own squad, he's proven it before that he gets sides promoted.

[Pancho Regan]

I'm hurting after our relegation. I can barely believe it. Like most of my fellow fans, this has taken me completely by surprise and I've witnessed our decline with absolute disbelief and dismay.

And I confidently expect us to bounce back and finish next season at least in the play-offs.
Let's stick with DF. Let's see what he can do.

Come on you Reds!

[donnyallday]

I wanted Dickov gone after Leicester.

The saving grace i have with Ferguson is that he has a track record of promotions.

I hope he alters his stance on the defending side , seems the norm for him, lesson learnt i hope.

Promoted first go YES no alternative .

[Sammy Chung was King]

The board i am afraid will have to pay a fair few of those players up, there won't be a lot of clubs queueing for them!.
You have seen when players go from us, it's rarely upwards, that always confirms to you if you were not already sure, that they were a bad signing!.
Wabara i would say is one of the few who has improved clubwise, though i suspect they are doing the same we did, looking at his age, thinking he will produce the goods at sometime!.
I don't think he was half as bad as many rated him, he was just what full backs are now, good going forward, not the best defending, he was similar to Dumbuya in a lot of way, who is by the way playing for Partick Thistle.

[MrFrost]

Full expecting automatic promotion with ease

[GazLaz]

They won't be paying anyone up that's for sure.

[Bristol Red Rover]

The board i am afraid will have to pay a fair few of those players up, there won't be a lot of clubs queueing for them!
...........

I would assume contracts have a relegation clause that goes both ways. Wage cuts as an option if the payer remains. If I ran a football club, that's how I'd have it. So, a player on contract could still leave and his wage demand would be less having been hit by the clause.

[Goole Rover]

Please don't quote Wabara, bone idle and that won't be rectified.

[drfc1951]

But according to a few on here we dont pay the players much anyway, so it wouldnt be a problem to pay them up.

[murham]

No confidence whatsoever
Sadly the whole outfit have let us down
Don't expect any better next time
There isn't a leader between them
John Ryan.
Now he was a leader
Ferguson must go. 17 games without a win he said it himself
But
Rovers forever whoever it is

[the vicar]

The board need to make a big statement as in some big signings and soon with no penny pinching to get the town buzzing

[PDX_Rover]

I think we'll do well next season.

[steve@dcfd]

Confidence starts from the top. I believe last January the co-.owners and DF were over confident of our team and postion.
To get the confidence back in club the right decisions must be made and in the very near future.
If DF is staying then like vicar says we need to make the signings that DF wants.

[Sammy Chung was King]

I know it's hard to keep patience, i'm not convinced upto now by Ferguson, but we have to give him the time any other manager would get to build his side!.
He will need all of pre season, then four or five games for the side to build understanding, then hopefully gradual progress at worst, looking to be a few points away from the leaders, either in the play-offs or on the edge.
 The team would normally then be peaking in form around christmas if we are going to do well. Past targets don't matter, this league will be a grind and hard work, don't expect us to be rolling teams over, at least not for a while!.

It is important we get back up to league one straight away, the longer we stay in this league, the more it will damage, new fan numbers, merchandise, ticket sales!.
 The club need to build a squad, that can carry on in the division above, if we are good enough for promotion.
 We are where we deserve to be unfortunately, and we have to accept it, and take it for what it is!. It can either strengthen the club in the long term and we come back stronger, or we drift back to being league two strugglers, then the conference.
 What the board and manager do this summer is pivotal, to where we are going as a club!.

[eastender]

Full expecting automatic promotion with ease

 What , after being beat by the team that finished 92nd in the football league this season .

[silent majority]

I'm anticipating a budget which means real intent.

[MrFrost]

I'm anticipating a budget which means real intent.

Like this season?

[RedJ]

Just because two managers wasted it doesn't mean it wasn't there.

[silent majority]

I'm anticipating a budget which means real intent.

Like this season?

Yes. Would you prefer it if they didn't give the manager a decent budget?

[Al4475]

And a recruitment that shows intent as well! Relegation was a disaster but hopefully will allow for an overhaul (that was needed regardless.) I suspect had we stayed up some of the deadwood would have milled along again - relegation means that we have a chance to show even more intent again despite being in the bottom tier!

I hope and suspect there'll be some serious movement in and out this close season as the board have said time and again that we want to be an established, self-sufficient championship club - it ain't happening over night and may well be an unfortunate case of a step backwards to make strides forward!

Personally I hope (and think) this is the case!

[The Red Baron]

If there's a crap start, like 2015/16, what then?

Does the board/CEO stick or twist?

If they're going to back Darren Ferguson, it needs to be long-term - a minimum of six months from now, but most likely longer.

If they're going to sack him, it needs to be now. Well, it actually needed to be 7/8 games ago, but there's a different story...

Either way, they can't piss about and back him now (like Paul Dickov) then sack him 5/6 games in.

I agree. I think if he's staying - and nothing I've heard or read suggests otherwise - then he needs to be given until Christmas.

[MrFrost]

I'm anticipating a budget which means real intent.

Like this season?

Yes. Would you prefer it if they didn't give the manager a decent budget?

Of course not

Just hoping the budget isn't wasted. Again.

[knockers]

At the start of the season Didn't pretty much everyone on this forum agree that the six or so players Dickiv brought in were better than those they replaced.
I don't think the budget was wasted just that the players didn't perform as well as us the fans and the manager thought they would.

[IDM]

I don't think the budget was wasted just that the players didn't perform as well as us the fans and the manager thought they would.

Agree 100% - for all 3 managers including Jones.  Fergie had a brief spell of success Oct-Jan and a revival towards the end that flattered to deceive.

This leaves me to conclude that our failure this season lies at the feet (sic) of the players and the football management staff.

[dknward2]

Skybet have us as favourites

[MrFrost]

I don't think the budget was wasted just that the players didn't perform as well as us the fans and the manager thought they would.

Agree 100% - for all 3 managers including Jones.  Fergie had a brief spell of success Oct-Jan and a revival towards the end that flattered to deceive.

This leaves me to conclude that our failure this season lies at the feet (sic) of the players and the football management staff.

It was wasted on the likes of N'Guessen, Mackenzie, ATS and numerous untested youngsters on loan in Janury.

[mrfrostsdad]

I have no confidence in Ferguson whatsoever after this season.
We have no idea if we'll do well or not next season because we have no idea who's likely to come in. We may do same as this year and get rid of highly paid experienced professionals and replace them with young kids who aren't good enough