What constitutes acceptable?

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GodalmingYellow
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What constitutes acceptable?

Post by GodalmingYellow »

So what would you regard as an acceptable or successful season for 2017/18?
YF Dan
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by YF Dan »

Upper half, but with good signs for the future. Like App's first season.
Hog
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Hog »

Yes, I'll take that too. With so many changes I'll be very surprised to see us challenging for the play-offs.
Ancient Colin
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Ancient Colin »

I think I'd take financial and ownership stability* and no nasty shocks, frankly.

* assuming these two things are compatible, of course
Geoff
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Geoff »

From a footballing perspective: taking the basis that MAPP created and enhancing it to provide a top ten finish. Some new managers tend to 'throw the baby out with the bath water' and I'm hoping Pep isn't one of them.

From a club perspective: someone who will work alongside DE and provide the necessary funds to help make the transition to being a Championship side.
GodalmingYellow
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by GodalmingYellow »

I suppose I ought to add my two pennorth.

I'd be happy with mid table again this season.

We've lost several key players in the last two seasons, including our top scorer in 2 consecutive seasons. Add to that a change of manager, and inevitably a change of emphasis, as long as we avoid a relegation battle I shall be happy.

We need to do everything to hang on to Marvin Johnson this season.

Off the field, I would like to see Eales hold out an olive branch to Kassam, and eat a slice of humble pie, to see if a deal can be done to take ownership of the stadium on affordable terms. I can't see the club progressing without either that or another sugar daddy, and I'm not keen on the latter.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Kernow Yellow »

GodalmingYellow wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:31 pm[...]to see if a deal can be done to take ownership of the stadium on affordable terms. I can't see the club progressing without either that or another sugar daddy, and I'm not keen on the latter.
Completely agree with this. In fact I'm sure this about the millionth pre-season in a row where we've agreed that this is the biggest priority for the coming year!

As to what is acceptable on the field, that depends how you define it. Sufficient not to sack the manager? Then avoiding relegation will probably suffice. Only the chairman knows what the budget is and how it compares (there's been no talk of 'Top 6' again recently I notice), but I would imagine that comfortably mid-table will count as achieving. Anything more is a bonus. What we've been really spoilt with in recent years is Cup success, which is much harder to predict and relies on a lot of luck - our trip to the last 16 was very nearly derailed at Macclesfield.

If we don't threaten the play-offs, get dumped out of the cups early and make no progress on stadium ownership that would be a disappointing season for me. Not 'unacceptable' maybe, but one which might well stall or even reverse the feel-good factor which has built up around the club in recent years.
slappy
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by slappy »

I'd take mid-table this season under a new manager with relatively little experience.

What does concern me is that the club loses the momentum built up under Appleton, and that crowds drop away if we are not challenging. Also the player-trading model seems to me to have been pretty reliant on players being attracted by the "Oxford" (read Appleton?) way, where they can see that the likes of Roofe, Martinez can drop down the leagues and go back a better player. Will we still be able to get these type of players either on loan or as signings?

So the club can easily lose more than a million per year, and it needs to sell a player each year / have decent cup runs to subsidise this. Whilst Eales has said he can fund L1 football all day long, realistically what would happen if we are losing a million + per year for more than a season?

Also the club appears to be treading water on some appointments which have been brought up: commercial, managing director, academy. This feels almost like when Gary Waddock was made manager pending the Eales takeover - let the new owner spend the money on their own team.

The Sartori deal was abandoned rather abruptly, and we now have the ridiculous situation of fans calling out Eales as being a "hot dog and a pint" chairman who can easily buy off fans like this. The alternative is ??

I don't think it's any secret that the Ashton led project was to make the club an attractive and profitable to sell club at Championship level. I guess the Sartori project was pretty much the same but perhaps better funded and they said with a Premiership aim. I can think that Stewart Donald is perhaps the only potential owner who is wealthy enough to own Oxford as a project for the good of the club, rather than as a flip on at a profit. But he of course has pinned his club ownership to Eastleigh although that could easily be gifted on to a supporters' trust I guess.
Radley Rambler
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Radley Rambler »

Surprised at the level of negativity (or at least lack of positivity) on here. For me, play-offs are the acceptable benchmark. We finished 8th last year in our first foray back in Division 3 and that was after a poor start and some energy-sapping cup runs.

Totally accept that we've lost some players but I do expect the management to replace those positions with at least as good players - this is based on the impressive recruitment strategy that we've seen over the past two seasons.
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

I think we'll be lower mid-table. New manager, lots of player turnover, injury question marks over lots of the new signings - and I also think that last season might have been an over-achievement on our part which would have levelled off this year anyway. As others have said, progress on the stadium ownership and potentially securing some more investment power on the board would be bigger priorities.
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

Now that safety is seemingly assured and we’re set for a finish in the low teens, I thought I’d give this thread a bump so we can reflect on the season.

Most of us - me included - predicted a mid-table finish, albeit with a hope of a playoff dream and/or cup run, and for an answer to the perennial stadium conundrum. In that light, and given the injuries we’ve had and Pep’s departure, we haven’t fared much worse than many of us anticipated, albeit that the last month or so has been a very uncomfortable time.

Two things worry me though:

1) I expect most of our better players to leave by the end of September. I’ll happily be proved wrong, but I don’t think all of Eastwood, Ledson, Hall and Nelson will be here six months hence. KR will get the fans’ and chairman’s backing - but he’ll be doing it the hard way, having to ship out the dross and replace some of the quality that leaves, effectively building a squad from scratch.

2) I have a nagging worry that KR might not be as good a manager as he makes us believe, and that Sunrith Thanakarnjanasuth doesn’t have as deep pockets as he makes us believe. Either or both of these being true could make next season a very shaky one indeed. Right now, I’d settle for a mid-table finish and a cup run, with a bit of stability and no changes in management or ownership. It feels like an uncertain time.
Jimski
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Jimski »

I'd be surprised if Hall left, but the other 3 are definitely uncertain to be with us next season. I didn't answer the original question, but would have been happy with mid-table. A little disappointed with how this season panned out, but relieved that we're (just about) safe now. Given we sacked our manager when in the top ten, perhaps it could have been a little better? Then again I think I prefer the idea of Robinson to Clotet for next season, so swings and roundabouts.
Dr Bob
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Dr Bob »

One answer to the question in the thread title is 'not this'. This has been a quite extraordinary season, the details of which we shall never know - around the appointment and sacking of Clotet, the circumstances that led to Clotet's signings and how much he was or was not given for a transfer pot, and how much the on-off-on sale of the club had an impact on on-field affairs (probable answer - far too much, directly and indirectly).

I can understand the hesitation in some people's assessment of Robinson - although he has had success at this level, a repeat of which would get us back to where we were before Appleton left.

And yes, there are questions over just how much money Tiger (or perhaps whoever he represents) has - but this is perhaps only equal to the question of what Robinson does with it (as Accrington have shown at an only slightly lower level, success can be earned, not bought). The question would take on much greater significance were we to get promoted, however.

This is not to say that I expect us to be challenging for the title next year, but I believe this year's underperformance is down to a combination of factors that, with a manager who will hopefully not leave us in late summer, and an owner who will not spend most of next season trying to sell the club, then such stability will help us to deliver a better season next season.

The elephant in the ointment, however, is whether we shall be able to keep our best players. If we can, we can at the very least go for the play-offs. If we cannot, then Robinson will be starting, if not from scratch, then from a place that would suggest it will not be until close to Christmas that we would really see what he and next season's team will be capable of.

Still, so long as we do not get relegated, after the weirdness of this season I will take that. Well, for one more season...
Mr T
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Mr T »

Some weeks ago I heard at least one League 1 manager state that 50 points, maybe 51, is the target figure for safety. Well we're on 53, and we're still not safe! Even Fleetwood above us on 54 can be overtaken, so it's Bury, MK and the Cobblers, plus one from 7. Would love to be able to go to Ewood Park on the last day without a care, so that makes Rochdale a vital game...
Bring back the black away shirt!
Kernow Yellow
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Re: What constitutes acceptable?

Post by Kernow Yellow »

A bit too much chicken-counting going on here for my liking. I can't think about reviewing the season quite yet.

This prediction of mine was clearly wrong though!
Kernow Yellow wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:16 pm As to what is acceptable on the field, that depends how you define it. Sufficient not to sack the manager? Then avoiding relegation will probably suffice.
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