Expectations

[Pubey]

The day is finally here! Dunno about you, but this has felt like the longest close season ever.

In that time a lot has happened, some good and some very bad. Today we have an almost unrecognisable squad and new management. It will feel very strange when they run out on the pitch and everyone in the stands is trying to work out who is who.

However I guess most, like me, are excited about the coming season. We have a strong squad and a quality manager, and so expectations may even be a little high. We have to bear in mind that a lot of the players don't know each other, and we have seen plenty of times that it takes players a bit of time to hit the ground (with others however they can make an immediate impact with a hattrick on debut!).

So many times we've heard players say how much of a difference the crowd make. Let's make sure that whatever happens today, that we get right behind them. Let's make then feel welcome, and lets give them time to find their feet.

Up the blues!!

 

[Jam_Man]

The day is finally here! Dunno about you, but this has felt like the longest close season ever.

In that time a lot has happened, some good and some very bad. Today we have an almost unrecognisable squad and new management. It will feel very strange when they run out on the pitch and everyone in the stands is trying to work out who is who.

However I guess most, like me, are excited about the coming season. We have a strong squad and a quality manager, and so expectations may even be a little high. We have to bear in mind that a lot of the players don't know each other, and we have seen plenty of times that it takes players a bit of time to hit the ground (with others however they can make an immediate impact with a hattrick on debut!).

So many times we've heard players say how much of a difference the crowd make. Let's make sure that whatever happens today, that we get right behind them. Let's make then feel welcome, and lets give them time to find their feet.

Up the blues!!

I think its important to keep our feet on the ground, we just dont know if we have a strong squad or not and wont for a few weeks.

The team has only just met so we need to make sure expectations arent unrealistic.

A few weeks ago it was unknown whether we would exist, we should just appreciate that we have what looks like a decent squad and give them time to gel before people start judging.

Sadly if we dont win today there will still be people complaining.

Im personally really looking forward to the season and seeing what Sturrock can do with these players.

 

[Scamps]

Yeah its a new season with a new team and manager, lets hope we can get a win to start with.
Just put a bet on us, 25-1 to be champions and 6-1 to get promotion, with paddy power.

 

[Ozzer]

I think it's the completely unknown quality of our team in a league match environment that makes today most intriguing. We can look forward to a successful season, a relegation fight or mid-table good and bad performances. We just don't know what to expect. Forget about pre-season friendlies today is for real. I reckon they will sell more programmes today than they have for a long while as supporters try to identify the faces on the pitch.

I think many of us feel as though we've lost part of our family after the departures of all the players we new well but life goes on and we start again. It's going to be interesting and it's never a dull moment supporting the Blues!

 

[Beefy]

I wouldn't expect us to come out of the blocks flying and for all of the talk of the importance of a good start, I actually don't think the league settles down for six weeks or so anyway. Overall I'm pretty confident that we can compete at this level and would call a safe midtable position, maybe pushing for play-offs. We'll be tight and hard to beat and have a very capable manager.

 

[ibwiajwa]

Top marks to Sturrock for putting together a credible side so quickly. The squad looks pretty strong in defence and midfield on paper. It will be up front that I suspect we may have problems with Paterson, Screech and Crawford largely unproven and Sturrock with a poor scoring record. I think that Corr will really have to perform well for us. On the plus side, the midfield looks like it has more goals in it than last year's team. However, football isn't played on paper but on grass as we all know...

 

[ol blue eyes]

I have no particular 'expectations' of the team at this time, other than that our players give their best.

Despite what went on throughout last season then in the weeks that followed, and what we may still think of the board and chairman today we have a fresh start.

Today is for me about us as supporters welcoming the new signings, and showing them what a great fan base there is here.

If we do that (together with what I've seen in 4 of our pre-season games) I will then have 'expectations' that our team will respond in a very positive manor.

A new dawn, let's make it a good one!

 

[Bratislava Blue]

Sadly if we dont win today there will still be people complaining.

The people that complain on the board will the be the regular "Doom Merchants" that have filled this summers threads with nothing but negative threads!

I for one hope that The Sturrock Revolution takes off today with a performance that demonstrates that the future under him is a very bright one.

Get behind the boss and the players that have taken the risk to join.... that alone deserves a round of applause.

THIS IS A DAWNING OF A NEW ERA... maybe the players should run out to this today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnENa6QEGI8

UP THE BLUES

 

[Lavender Blue]

I am really looking forward to today, and the coming season, we are a new team with new hope, getting to know the players, their strengths and weaknesses, who is going to shine, who's not. I just can't wait :support:
I had to have an each way bet on us to win league, at 33-1 was to good to miss.

 

[fbm]

One thing I would like to add... if we lose today, remember that in recent history our best seasons have been when we have lost our opening day fixture. If we get absolutely hammered today, remember so did Norwich last season (7-1 at home to Col U) and they went up as Champions.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I can rarely get motivated for football early in August, the World Cup barely a month ago and the cricket season still in full swing. It's a bit different today, with a new management team in place and umpteen new players coming in. I am still very angry about the treatment meted out to Tilson, ultimately being the fall guy for RM's financial mismanagement. However as in all walks of life things move on, and the appointment of a high profile manager as Paul Sturrock still surprises me given some of the names bandied about.

Apart from the 4 or 5 players remaining from last season it'll be a question of who are you? this afternoon. On the face of what has been reported it would seem defensively we'll be hard to break down, a solid central midfield with two natural wide players. Scoring goals may ultimately be a problem as it seems to me that Spencer may be the nearest we have to a "natural scorer".

A month ago I would have been happy with 22nd, now I think we'll be at worst mid table with potential to possibly push for a play off spot. I think Rotherham & Bradford will fill two of the automatic spots and Gillingham & Wycombe to claim one of the others I also expect Lincoln and Bury to be there or thereabouts. Fingers crossed we'll be close come May.

UTB

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The day is finally here! Dunno about you, but this has felt like the longest close season ever.

In that time a lot has happened, some good and some very bad. Today we have an almost unrecognisable squad and new management. It will feel very strange when they run out on the pitch and everyone in the stands is trying to work out who is who.

However I guess most, like me, are excited about the coming season. We have a strong squad and a quality manager, and so expectations may even be a little high. We have to bear in mind that a lot of the players don't know each other, and we have seen plenty of times that it takes players a bit of time to hit the ground (with others however they can make an immediate impact with a hattrick on debut!).

So many times we've heard players say how much of a difference the crowd make. Let's make sure that whatever happens today, that we get right behind them. Let's make then feel welcome, and lets give them time to find their feet.

Up the blues!!

Other than losing Moussa, I can't think of a single bad thing that has happened this off season.

 

[Shrimperforlife]

I am really looking forward to today, and the coming season, we are a new team with new hope, getting to know the players, their strengths and weaknesses, who is going to shine, who's not. I just can't wait :support:
I had to have an each way bet on us to win league, at 33-1 was to good to miss.

Couldn't agree more

 

[manor15]

One thing I would like to add... if we get lose today, remember that in recent history our best seasons have been when we have lost our opening day fixture. If we get absolutely hammered today, remember so did Norwich last season (7-1 at home to Col U) and they went up as Champions.

Yeah, our double promotion seasons, we lost on the first day both times. We then won our first game in the Championship and look what happened...
To expect anything from today's game is a lot to ask, a lot of these players will never have played a competitive game together, that's if they've played a game at all together! Stockport are in quite a similar situation to us, which is fortunate, and I believe that if this squad show some of the form they are capable of, and they have shown glimpses of in pre-season, we are good enough to win today quite comfortably, but we can't forget that the squad needs time to gel and while we all hope this will happen as quickly as possible, it could be a few games or it could take a whole season of mid-table mediocrity, or they could just fail to gel and it'll be another relegation dogfight. Looking at this squad, with the young, raw talent of Hall, Bilel, Paterson, etc. mixed with the experience of Coughlan, Phillips and Easton, we could have the makings of a great team on our side but it all takes time, and today with a few players missing (i.e. Gilbert, Bilel, Bizoud) it might not be the ideal time to show us what they can do but I have no doubt there will be osre positives than negatives come 5:30pm this evening!

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

So basically we're all hoping for a Stockport victory today to launch our title bid??

 

[Beefy]

Other than losing Moussa, I can't think of a single bad thing that has happened this off season.

Well we're back on the Managerial merry-go-round which I'm still less than happy about. Let's see how long Sturrock sticks around for.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Well we're back on the Managerial merry-go-round which I'm still less than happy about. Let's see how long Sturrock sticks around for.

I actually don't think Sturrock will be here for more than two seasons... Which is why bringing Widdrington in as his assistant was vital.

I think the most important aspect of our rebuild has been we've started from the back, up. For too long we've tried to build a team around an inconsistent (to say the least) midfielder and it has cost us dearly. With two solid defenders and a central three in midfield, we'll be incredibly hard to break down, especially given the calibre of team in this division, and we'll look to build possession from the back.

No, we won't be the most enthralling, engaging team to watch... Nor will we be romping to 4-0 home wins, but we'll pick up more wins/draws than losses and given the last twelve months we've had, that'll suit me down to the ground.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Other than losing Moussa, I can't think of a single bad thing that has happened this off season.

Maybe you should ask the staff, management, suppliers and players who weren't or still haven't been paid?
The constant trips to the high court for winding up orders and not actually knowing if there would be a club to support
The Embargo
The once good name of SUFC being dragged through the dirt

No its been a cracking off season YB

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yeah, our double promotion seasons, we lost on the first day both times. We then won our first game in the Championship and look what happened...

I remember our last first game back in the bottom tier.

We won 2-1 away at Scarborough in a strange white away kit with Julian Hails and I think Simon Coleman scoring, prompting much optimism as (a) we'd barely won away over the previous 5 years and (b) Scarborough had reached the play-offs the previous season so were seen as a good test of our promotion credentials.

However Scarborough ended up getting relegated and we nearly joined them under Alv*n Mart*n's management.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Maybe you should ask the staff, management, suppliers and players who weren't or still haven't been paid?
The constant trips to the high court for winding up orders and not actually knowing if there would be a club to support
The Embargo
The once good name of SUFC being dragged through the dirt

No its been a cracking off season YB

We were already under the embargo, the staff management, suppliers and players already were in arrears, whilst we were successful in our trips to the High Court.