Expectations | Page 4 | Vital Football

Expectations

I am more concerned with the short-term for the moment. For me the next two games will be interesting. Last season, given our home v away results, I would have expected 6 points from Burton and Morecambe away games. This season it’ll be interesting to see if last season’s imbalance between home and away form continues. If we win both (or take at least four points) I will feel much happier about the season going forward. It would indicate to me that our problems may be more related to our playing style - suits our game more when teams come on to us, as opposed to having to take the initiative at home and struggle to break teams down who press us early and then defend en-masse if they score. Of course, we had Johnson last season who was a perfect fit for quick breaks. This season the nearest we have is probably Scully 🤔. Who knows, but it’ll be an interesting watch. Fingers crossed for at least four points 🤞🤞
 
I reckon we are spending less then some in the conference and league 2 so anything above 21st is ok with me. Perhaps when we have banked the Scully millions we can have a proper go next year plus the stadium revenue will have increased by then.
 
bristolimp said:
I reckon we are spending less then some in the conference and league 2 so anything above 21st is ok with me. Perhaps when we have banked the Scully millions we can have a proper go next year plus the stadium revenue will have increased by then.
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Even though we have spent big on numerous players like Robson, Bishop, Sorensen etc? No doubt we will be spending less than the likes of Wrexham and the Salford’s of the lower leagues but I imagine we have a reasonable budget in Lge 1. Problem is the playing field has been completely changed and the balance sheet ripped up at numerous clubs. Let them overspend and suffer the fallout when it hits the fan. Then at least we won’t be jeopardising the future of the club by risking it all by playing the football equivalent of Russian roulette.
 
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Impish said:
Even though we have spent big on numerous players like Robson, Bishop, Sorensen etc? No doubt we will be spending less than the likes of Wrexham and the Salford’s of the lower leagues but I imagine we have a reasonable budget in Lge 1. Problem is the playing field has been completely changed and the balance sheet ripped up at numerous clubs. Let them overspend and suffer the fallout when it hits the fan. Then at least we won’t be jeopardising the future of the club by risking it all by playing the football equivalent of Russian roulette.
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I should imagine so as we don't have a big squad and some of the younger players will be cheaper so we can accommodate higher earners but still be generally towards the bottom of the budget list for league 1.
 
Imp in Exile said:
I think arguing about whether we blew it last season is meaningless. The fact is we spent most of the season in the automatic promotion positions but couldn’t get over the line. I don’t think we will ever be in that position again in my lifetime. For someone of my age that’s hard to take. Yes injuries etc conspired against us but losing the chance to see Lincoln in the second tier, albeit for one season, really hurts
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.... you know what I get a bit annoyed with comments like this. I'm of a certain age too where maybe (that's the key word here) I won't see the mighty Imps in the Championship but hey ho get over it. I was at Wembley last May and for about the first 20 minutes I was thinking we're in the Championship next year - wow what an achievement for a 'pub' team and then of course ..... I went home a bit down but still proud that we were there. Remember, it's not about you or me or any others on this forum - it's about Lincoln City FC and what's good for them. If we have to play the long game so be it, if we're still in League 1 in 10 years so be it. I'm still there hanging in and will continue to do so when I can't any longer. I don't want us to be another of those teams that just throws money around willy nilly and then goes tits up. We want a club that will be around for years to come and for many years after I've gone. Imps 4ever
 
bristolimp said:
I should imagine so as we don't have a big squad and some of the younger players will be cheaper so we can accommodate higher earners but still be generally towards the bottom of the budget list for league 1.
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No actual idea but I would imagine it’s a lower mid table budget. Didn’t we have a budget that ranked us 16/17th last season? Big difference then was the wage cap and the absolute mess numerous other clubs were in on and off the pitch.

Theres no doubt some clubs are ‘really going for it’ this season, as mentioned elsewhere it’s a gamble that will only pay off for a few clubs, the rest will have to pick up the pieces at a later date.
 
Overreactions etc got me thinking about results so far compared to last season -
with a rough interchanging of the promoted and relegated teams in and out of the division -

Gillingham away, 1-1 rather than 3-0 win
Fleetwood home - 2-1 win as opposed to 1-2 defeat
Bolton home 0-1 (read relegated Swindon 2-2)
Wycombe away 0-1 (read promoted from L1 Hull 0-0)
Oxford away 1-3, as opposed to 1-2 loss
Cambridge away 5-1 (read relegated Northampton 4-0 win)
Rotherham home 1-1 (read Peterborough 1-1)
Ipswich home 0-1, rather than 1-0.

You could argue that we were pretty much like for like points-wise until the loss to Ipswich. The key thing will be bettering home form against the likes of Morecambe (i.e. Rochdale), Cheltenham (i.e. B.Rovers) and Shrewsbury.

There have been some relatively tough fixtures so far. Let's see how we do after this run of matches vs Burton, Morecambe and Plymouth (all of which we won in accordance with my rough interchanging of teams!)
 
In an earlier post I touched on match results don't have to be in absolute sync. or harmony with off field development. By that I mean you don't have to fret over every season resulting in a higher league position as 'proof' of success.

Sometimes you have to take a step back, not get caught up in the here and now, and take an overview of how the club is being run and it's overall direction. The old adage of one step backwards (results) to take two forward may well be applicable in our case.

I have to pinch myself when I attend home games and see the thriving hub of activity that is SB/LNER. The match day experience, fan village, pitch, SW development are absolutely light years from where we were and it is a pleasure to see, go and be a part of. The club have developed a great environment that the fans have really bought into and long may it continue.

I understand that it's preferable to have some success along the way (have we ever) to keep fan interest alive but it's actually not a bad thing to have a bit of a dip once in a while to keep fans hungry for success. You just don't want the dip to last too long.

Somebody mentioned the Man City 'effect' on here and they are spot on. I regularly go to the Etihad with my son (not when Imps are playing obviously!) and generally the fans are numbed to success. Not all of them, but many just turn up and expect their team to churn out 5* performances every time. There is very rarely a of buzz of excitement at the games and at times it's more like a trip to the cinema with people expecting to be entertained rather than a sporting event. As a football supporter per se it can be quite sad, even surreal to see.

It may be a strange thing to say but you can have too much success and the occasional average season (keep 'em keen) is not necessarily a bad thing, provided the club is being as well run as it is.
 
hulloutpost said:
The season is panning out as I expected it to, I am very pleased with how the club is progressing; success is not linear and development is a separate issue which can quite happily run out of sync. alongside on field results.

I am glad MA has come out and told it how it is. What he and others from the club hierarchy are saying is realistic and makes complete sense.

There is a sub narrative here which in simple terms is, 'pick your season wisely' and for those that have been paying attention it has been said several ways by different people from the club. It certainly hasn't been a hidden agenda or buried.

You would have to be an egotistical megalomaniac of Alan Hardy proportions to have looked at what was going on with L1 budgets pre season and gone, "I know, this year is a good choice to throw our hat in the ring and go for bust".
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Shout out to Big Alan Hardy, absolute comedy genius 😂👏
 
What this also tells us is that it doesn't matter how open the Board and Manager are about the planning within the Club, transfer policy etc, people either don't, or more likely choose not to, listen.

MA said last season we'd be less reliant on loan players and have to start having more permanent members of the squad. That's happened (and permanents will be more expensive).

Clive, Liam, Jez, MA have all cleared told us what the player trading policy of the Club is. No doubt some will have moaned when Edun left, Grant left (slightly different circumstances but we still secured a fee) and no doubt when(!) Scully leaves they'll still be people who don't quite grasp it.

An anyone with an iota of sensibility can see the path we're doing down, and didn't even need it explaining. People shouldn't really need it explaining why this season will be more difficult than last either.
 
Luke Imp said:
What this also tells us is that it doesn't matter how open the Board and Manager are about the planning within the Club, transfer policy etc, people either don't, or more likely choose not to, listen.

MA said last season we'd be less reliant on loan players and have to start having more permanent members of the squad. That's happened (and permanents will be more expensive).

Clive, Liam, Jez, MA have all cleared told us what the player trading policy of the Club is. No doubt some will have moaned when Edun left, Grant left (slightly different circumstances but we still secured a fee) and no doubt when(!) Scully leaves they'll still be people who don't quite grasp it.

An anyone with an iota of sensibility can see the path we're doing down, and didn't even need it explaining. People shouldn't really need it explaining why this season will be more difficult than last either.
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But don't think anyone is complaining.
We all get it.
 
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