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Is this year our year?

ProperCharlton
ProperCharlton Posts: 2,254
in General Charlton
I took a leap of faith and bet on us to win the league on July 6th. I've only grown more confident since then. If we continue to have a good transfer window then I think that it's a real possibility. Anyone agree?
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Comments

  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,466
    Get away!
  • shirty5
    shirty5 Posts: 19,235
    edited July 2023
    Need to continue with the amount of goals scored as per last season but defensively we conceded far too many and I’m not sure we have done enough so far to rectify that if we want to push for a minimum of a top 6 finish 

    Plus players that can play 35 or more league starts to get that consistency needed.

    Last season as shown below showed that up

    Dobson - 44
    Fraser - 41
    Rak-Sakyi - 40
    Inniss - 36
    Clare - 34
    Sessegnon - 27
    Maynard-Brewer - 26
    Morgan - 24
    Stockley - 20
    Blackett-Taylor - 19
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,437
    Not sure... The signs are promising, we've done a lot of our Recruitment before the start of the season so we have an advantage on our past selves.

    Whether we've signed the right players remains to be seen

    I think we'll certainly be challenging for the top six this season thats for sure.

    Injuries and luck will be a big factor, as they will for all squads
  • Kap10
    Kap10 Posts: 15,577
    Be amazed if we got top 2, expect top 6, dissapointed 7 to 10, well cheesed off outside the top 10
  • letthegoodtimesroll
    letthegoodtimesroll Posts: 10,623
    2023 being our year isn’t necessarily a sign we will be promoted in 2024 when the season ends…
  • Croydon
    Croydon Posts: 12,735
    Bit premature all this. Still a few quality signings short of being in the mix come the end of the season.
  • oohaahmortimer
    oohaahmortimer Posts: 34,160
    This if the first year in our history when we have entered a 4th season on the spin in the third tier having been relegated in to it .
  • DyerConsequences
    DyerConsequences Posts: 2,629
    Good recruitment so far and definitely find myself more positive about this season than I have been in a while. However we definitely still need another Striker. On the evidence of yesterday and pre-season as a whole, someone a bit more physical that can hold it up, win the first header and be a threat from set pieces. 

    Ideally another wingback as well, but will be interesting to see if Holden thinks Asiimwe/Egbo on one side and Edun/CBT on the other are good enough.

    Also just generally need to work on set pieces, so far for me on the whole they've looked pretty poor during pre-season. Good sides generally do well on them. Ipswich were top set piece scorers last season, Wednesday 10th, Plymouth 16th. All 3 were also in the top 9 for fewest conceeded.
  • The Red Robin
    The Red Robin Posts: 26,127
    Hopefully. The real ambition should be to at least establish ourselves in The Championship though. 
  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,047
    I’ve backed us to get top six. Not sure right now that we’ll have enough for top 2. Taking JRS (and for a period of time, Leaburn) out of the team means we need to add goals and assists to the side. Some of the business we’ve done should help that, but we still need strengthening if automatics are going to be a realistic proposition.

    This is the best position we’ve been in at the end of July for years though.
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  • Nug
    Nug Posts: 4,623
    We'll probably be higher than last year but as yet can we say the players we've brought in are of the quality to be in the top two...I certainly have no idea how good some of these players are never heard of a couple of them, not that thats a problem. Alfie May looks like an upgrade up front definitely. Think we need to calm down and hope for steady improvement across the whole club.
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,851
    Maybe - but there are so many factors at play, not least injuries to key players. A stronger, deeper squad can mitigate that of course and two or three additions might be all that is needed.

    When considering our chances for this coming season at the end of last season I would have been a lot more pessimistic than I am now.  
  • Elthamaddick
    Elthamaddick Posts: 15,818
    Must sign another decent striker before the season starts

    we can’t afford to be 5 games in and 8/9 points off the pace

    start well and I think we’ll have great momentum and a great season 
  • Mendonca In Asdas
    Mendonca In Asdas Posts: 22,652
    edited July 2023
    Good question, to early to answer, ask me after 10 games, some good signings so far, still some gaps in the squad to sort out though, how quickly will the new signings and kids / current players take to gel as a team?

    Nigel A got 2 wins out of the first 13 games , and got the sack by Christmas, Benny G's start weren't great either, but he wasn't backed properly.

    I don't want to place too much pressure on the team, but we have to get out of this division ASAP, we can't keep flirting with relegation and treading water in this division.

    With any of our signings, we don't know how injury prone they are, or what there mentality to adversity is like, but we have got to be better than before.
  • Algarveaddick
    Algarveaddick Posts: 21,156
    Of course it isn't. 
  • DoctorCharlton
    DoctorCharlton Posts: 2,463
    edited July 2023
    Hopefully Leaburn can get fit ASAP and stay fit, think him and May up top could be a great partnership. 
  • th0rryy
    th0rryy Posts: 360
    I'm feeling good about our potential this season:

    Positives
    • We've made a number of signings that feel like they improve the squad in with some quality and in positions we needed. Really excited for Alfie May. Still loans to come if we want them - another quality one like JRS, Cullen or Gallagher could elevate us higher.
    • The Academy players add some depth and will be hungry to have breakout seasons like Leaburn.
    • Majority of the squad have had a full preseason, so fitness should be better.
    • Leadership and coaching under Dean Holden is stable and has been consistent.
    • A couple of the clubs with more resources went up last season, and a couple of those that came down have had some instability.
    • The ownership issue is resolved, so no current distractions there.
    Negatives
    • Got to turn The Valley in to a fortress and not throw points away at home. Some of the squad that remained from last season would struggle in home games for some reason.
    • I still have concerns about our ability to defend, but hoping that some consistency in selection will build partnerships.
    • Squad has some depth, but injuries to a couple of key players could kill the season if the replacements play like last season. Need Leaburn back asap.
    Overall, I think playoffs is the minimum bar for considering the season a success. This squad is capable of that and maybe more with some luck. 
  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,357
    I am starting to agree, though until the proper games start, we have little idea of the strength and form of the other possible contenders. Holden. amongst other attributes, looks to have engendered one vital ingredient into the squad, and that is BELIEF, or confidence in their collective abilities if you prefer
  • Weegie Addick
    Weegie Addick Posts: 16,530
    edited July 2023
    Not convinced we have a good enough GK. Would be delighted to be proved wrong. 
  • cafctom
    cafctom Posts: 11,372
    With a couple of big sides now promoted out of the division, I do think there is much greater possibility for a top 6 battle. 

    I don't think we'll have a season like last year where everything seemed over by about October. 
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  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 63,785
    edited July 2023
    Elthamaddick said:
    Must sign another decent striker before the season starts

    we can’t afford to be 5 games in and 8/9 points off the pace

    start well and I think we’ll have great momentum and a great season 
    The pace for promotion is surely two points per game so to be 8-9 off it after five would mean we’d have to have a real shocker of a start.

    We definitely do need a striker in, but if it takes a couple of weeks to get the right one, I’m ok with that.

    For example it took us a few weeks last year for Rak-Sakyi to arrive. And over the whole season, we were far better for waiting on him than jumping at the first option just because they were available in July.
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,437
    Callumcafc said:
    Elthamaddick said:
    Must sign another decent striker before the season starts

    we can’t afford to be 5 games in and 8/9 points off the pace

    start well and I think we’ll have great momentum and a great season 
    The pace for promotion is surely two points per game so to be 8-9 off it after five would mean we’d have to have a real shocker of a start.

    We definitely do need a striker in, but if it takes a couple of weeks to get the right one, I’m ok with that.

    For example it took us a few weeks last year for Rak-Sakyi to arrive. And over the whole season, we were far better for waiting on him than jumping at the first option just because they were available in July.
    Doesn't look as though Premier League teams had to submit their final Squad lists until 16th September last year either

    2022/23 Premier League squad lists

    Not before the Window closed at the very least

    I'd be very surprised if Rak-Sakyi came back regardless... But with Zaha now gone, I bet Palace, and others will be waiting to make judgement for as long as possible with their best youngsters - Those going out on loan now I've always thought are the type that you can guarantee aren't ready for that level of Football yet, and generate bigger risk to clubs at our level.
  • thenewbie
    thenewbie Posts: 11,002
    edited July 2023
    Elthamaddick said:
    Must sign another decent striker before the season starts

    we can’t afford to be 5 games in and 8/9 points off the pace

    start well and I think we’ll have great momentum and a great season 
    I mean, to be 8 or 9 points off the pace after only 5 games would say to me that we've got way bigger problems than just up front. One or two teams may get off to an absolute flier but its actually quite rare for the teams who start that strongly to finish equally strongly, IMO.
    .
  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,357
    Weegie Addick said:
    Not convinced we have a good enough GK. Would be delighted to be proved wrong. 
    I agree and mentioned this elsewhere on here .. keeper is THE most important, though often under appreciated, player in the team i m o .. the keepers I like are those you only notice when things go horribly wrong, and that should be very very very lol rarely, if ever
  • Rothko
    Rothko Posts: 18,810
    Istead looked a bit shaky with his feet, but nothing else looked concerning to me 
  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,357
    Rothko said:
    Istead looked a bit shaky with his feet, but nothing else looked concerning to me 
    unfortunately in the modern game when playing out from the back is all the go, a keeper's all round football ability is deemed essential, in fact IS essential .. as wonderful a shot stopper as De Gea is always on the hook for his footwork howlers for example
  • ShootersHillGuru
    ShootersHillGuru Posts: 50,627
    Top two is very tough. I expect us to make top six. 
  • th0rryy
    th0rryy Posts: 360
    Could have just been a touch of nerves for Isted. Better to get that out of the way now, learn from it and be ready for the start of the league. Not writing him off at all.

    Having 2 relatively young keepers is a bit of a gamble, but I think it'll be OK. I still suspect AMB will start the season.
  • Karim_myBagheri
    Karim_myBagheri Posts: 12,727
    edited July 2023
    No chance. 

    Few more teams getting heavy points deductions then maybe. 

    Otherwise, no. 


    Edit: already put down a ayrton for us to go up. So yeah, no fucking chance. 
  • James86
    James86 Posts: 329
    I think so! Somethings got to give. Not felt this optimistic in a long time. Stuck a score on at 16/1 last night. Printing money. 

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