Season 2015/16 - What does it hold in store?

[danardif1]

For the way Lennon wants us to play and the players we have that can do that, we've got a decent first XI that would probably see us in the top 10... our problem is that beyond the starting lineup it gets much patchier, and the Championship is probably the toughest league around in terms of squad depth. It's a case of either you keep your main team fit enough to do the business for you or you have a squad deep enough to get you out of the shit in the season's tougher moments.

I just hope we've got all our bad luck with injuries behind us now.

[ChrisC]

It is possible to cope with a small squad. Its all about fitness though.

You only have to look back two seasons. Burnley went up with pretty much the same 11 playing all season.

[bobo the clown]

Last season we gad to contend with Freedman. A second successive disastrous start. Freedman. A series of injuries I truly can't recall the likes of. Freedman. A period (post Freedman, regrettably) where we seemed determined to let in late goals. Too many new faces. Lenin landing well but overreaching our defensive abilities and a silly experiment with 3 at the back, considering what we had available. A number of players concentrating as much on their next contract elsewhere as playing for us.

A steadier ship, with committed players. Less injuries (Shirley to God). DSB's strong spine. & some greater maturity on the pitch. Less last minute nonsense. All these would get us to 10-12th with barely a sweat. To the edge of the play-offs is readily available with only a smidgeon more luck and clearly heads on the pitch and off it.

I can see why we may not see ourselves in the top 6 but see no reason why we expect to be in the bottom 6 either.

[danardif1]

What would our best XI look like right now?

Amos
Someone at RB (most likely Wilson)
Derik
Wheater
Ream
Pratley
Vela
Feeney
Clough
Clayton
Madine

That's playing a fairly standard 4-2-3-1, and on paper that doesn't seem too bad really. There are some fairly big unknown factors in there such as Clough (we've put so much hope in him because he just looks a complete natural, but we've got very little to go on as to future form) and Clayton, and even Madine really whose record at this level doesn't look great. Even Derik with his Real Madrid pedrigree is untried at this level. Despite this I think this team is top 10 material and depending on what we see from the unknown quantities it could be even more...

There is actually some level of depth to this team as well, because there are players missing from that team like Mavies, Spearing and Danns who have all played well for us before. It's in defence and on the wings that we're shorter but there's still time for things to change and the loan market is something we're undoubtedly going to have to look into.

[paleka12]

Lets not forget about the Burnley side that won promotion a couple of years back. Any standout names? Wouldn't say so. In fact many of there transfers were from a lower leagues. Last years results saw us compete with the top teams, only narrowing losing by a goal, or drawing with the top 6 teams. I feel if we can avoid injuries, and everyone plays there role, i dont see why we can't be a top 6 teams. However, right now i see us sitting mid table.

[danardif1]

Lets not forget about the Burnley side that won promotion a couple of years back. Any standout names? Wouldn't say so. In fact many of there transfers were from a lower leagues. Last years results saw us compete with the top teams, only narrowing losing by a goal, or drawing with the top 6 teams. I feel if we can avoid injuries, and everyone plays there role, i dont see why we can't be a top 6 teams. However, right now i see us sitting mid table.

Don't get me started on the Watford match... one the absolute best games I saw all year and we should've won that one!

[Jugs]

That Watford game was the best game of the year for me (probably the best game of the last 2-3 years to be fair). If we can attack like that but defend better more often, we'll have a decent chance of at least being a top half team.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Trouble is, we defended like that but attacked less well!

[Bijou Bob]

Lennon 's change in approach was interesting to me. The first four or five matches, he was looking for a high tempo, aggression in centre midfield and for us to get the ball back quickly once lost and play it wide within 2 passes. That all changed moving to 3 at the back, though I saw no reason why it should. It looks like he's reverting to 4 at the back, but will the tactics also shift back or was that just a quick move to counter Freed man's lunacy in trying to play without the ball?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's an interesting question. If there was a drop in the desire for high tempo, midfield aggression and speedy ball retrieval, perhaps that was due to tiring legs? Certainly Danns was flogged to death, not helped by Pratley's absence and Vela's literal marginalisation. "Playing it wide within two passes" suits the 4-2-3-1 better than 3-5-2, so you'd imagine that was sacrificed in the desire to get two up top.

[m_taylor]

My major worry is that we have 1 striker (possible 2 with Heskey and Dobbie) non of which are prolific. Last year under Lennon we had Chungy pulling the strings and then when he left we had Alf. All the teams that go up, including Burnely, had a striker who scored 15+.

Clough is very good but seems injury prone.

I trying to be postive and look forward to the season but struggling untill we get a striker.

[bobo the clown]

Clough is very good but seems injury prone.

Wow. That's harsh.

He dislocated his shoulder ffs. Once.

[LeverEnd]

Clough is very good but seems injury prone.

Wow. That's harsh.

He dislocated his shoulder ffs. Once.

He's also injured now. And small and young. I also wonder about how many games he'll play. He'll get roughed up as well.

[thebish]

Clough is very good but seems injury prone.

Wow. That's harsh.

He dislocated his shoulder ffs. Once.

He's also injured now. And small and young. I also wonder about how many games he'll play. He'll get roughed up as well.

anyone know what's wrong with him now?

[Harry Genshaw]

Clough is very good but seems injury prone.

Wow. That's harsh.

He dislocated his shoulder ffs. Once.

He's also injured now. And small and young. I also wonder about how many games he'll play. He'll get roughed up as well.

anyone know what's wrong with him now?

Is it not the same injury? Iirc when he knackered his shoulder last season they were suggesting he would only be back in about September

[LeverEnd]

No he played the first friendly and picked up a knock.
BN quotes Lennon as saying it was minor but he's missed all 3 UK friendlies. Hope it's just precautionary, but still cause for concern.

[Harry Genshaw]

No he played the first friendly and picked up a knock.
BN quotes Lennon as saying it was minor but he's missed all 3 UK friendlies. Hope it's just precautionary, but still cause for concern.

Bugger. At the moment I'm thinking our best chance of having a good season relies on Mark Davies getting through a full campaign, Max Clayton coming back the same as he was and developing into the player he could be, Zach Clough getting through this setback and not suffering 2nd season syndrome and Pratley coming back as was when he was injured and not as he was when he joined

[StaffsTrotter]

Looking forward to this season, but have no real feel for what it has in store. Hope it will be exciting/ entertaining and have us pushing more toward the play offs but not expecting it, but neither am I expecting armageddon.

Good manager who always impresses me when he talks - if only we'd got him a couple of years ago. A bunch of promising youngsters, but still short in a few positions. Still don't have enough character or steel in the team for my liking - is pratters really a captain, but as said by others, we have a first team that should be able to make a fist of it if we can keep them on the pitch.

Tough run of opening fixtures suggest an extension of our early season woes but have a sneaky feeling we may be pleasantly surprised. Prediction with current squad - roundabout a 10-12th place finish

[Dr Hotdog]

No he played the first friendly and picked up a knock.
BN quotes Lennon as saying it was minor but he's missed all 3 UK friendlies. Hope it's just precautionary, but still cause for concern.

Bugger. At the moment I'm thinking our best chance of having a good season relies on Mark Davies getting through a full campaign, Max Clayton coming back the same as he was and developing into the player he could be, Zach Clough getting through this setback and not suffering 2nd season syndrome and Pratley coming back as was when he was injured and not as he was when he joined

None of those players have played in any of the UK friendlies we've had so far. Clayton hasn't had any minutes at all, pre-season. So look out for him in October. As for Clough facing 'second season syndrome' he's only played about 8 games for us!

Davies & Clough got roughed up by the teams we faced in the Alps who were well ahead of us in their pre-season preparation. Clough has played 45 minutes in Pre-Season on 11th July. If I was a betting man, Davies and Clough won't be in the 11 to face Derby.

[Bijou Bob]

Emerson Boyce is training with Blackpool after refusing a pay as you play deal at Wiggin. 35, experienced, not slow, cheap. Anyone??