2015/16 pre-season

[Dr Hotdog]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

[thebish]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

good man!

[Bruce Rioja]

I reckon I would judge Lenny to be a success this season if he finishes anywhere above the mid-point.

I know that one pre-season friendly at Oldham isn't a great deal to go off, but I'll be absolutely stunned should we finish mid-table or above. The bookies have us down as being second favourite for the drop, and whereas I naturally don't concur with their grim outlook, they are usually there or thereabouts!

so... you would judge Lenny a success if we simply avoid the drop?

Pretty much, Bish. Yeah. I think people need a reality check here. One thing I thought obvious last Tuesday was how good that big lot from Sheffield Wednesday and Le Fondre would be up front. Whatever it is that people (including Lennon) see in Dobie is absolutely beyond me. Now, we're in a situation whereby we seemingly can't afford to negotiate a deal with a a player who (a) Scored the goals that kept us up last season (b) Actually wants to come and play for us, and (c) Has been told by his club that they won't even be furnishing him with a squad number next season.

That's the depth of the shit that we're in!

[officer_dibble]

Hopefully Madine and Clough / Clayton can do the business. Even then the worry is that if they do Clough wont last the season here...but at least we'll get some coin for him.

[thebish]

I reckon I would judge Lenny to be a success this season if he finishes anywhere above the mid-point.

I know that one pre-season friendly at Oldham isn't a great deal to go off, but I'll be absolutely stunned should we finish mid-table or above. The bookies have us down as being second favourite for the drop, and whereas I naturally don't concur with their grim outlook, they are usually there or thereabouts!

so... you would judge Lenny a success if we simply avoid the drop?

Pretty much, Bish. Yeah. I think people need a reality check here. One thing I thought obvious last Tuesday was how good that big lot from Sheffield Wednesday and Le Fondre would be up front. Whatever it is that people (including Lennon) see in Dobie is absolutely beyond me. Now, we're in a situation whereby we seemingly can't afford to negotiate a deal with a a player who (a) Scored the goals that kept us up last season (b) Actually wants to come and play for us, and (c) Has been told by his club that they won't even be furnishing him with a squad number next season.

That's the depth of the shit that we're in!

I expect we will finish 3 or 4 positions above the drop zone... I don't usually feel this pessimistic at this stage...

I won't count that as success or be praising Lenny for his achievement.

I hope I am wrong! (I often am thank goodness!)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The bookies have us down as being second favourite for the drop, and whereas I naturally don't concur with their grim outlook, they are usually there or thereabouts!

Are they though? Bookies' odds are as much about hedging against payouts as actua(ria)l probabilities - that's why England are usually about fourth favourites for major tournaments despite rarely ever looking like winning one.

And the Championship is IMO one of the very hardest leagues in the world to predict.

As a quick check, I tried to get the bookies' odds for last season, and found this which is worth a read. Wigan were 10-1, Cardiff 8-1 joint favs (with Derby); Bournemouth 25-1, Brentford 50-1. The year before, Burnley were 80-1. No favourite has won the Championship since 2002. etc...

[twilight]

Thank you DSB!! Nobody can predict anything before the start of a season. Let's try and stay positive and we might be slightly surprised, and before anyone asks I think we will finish between 10th & 14th, and I think he will have done well given the restraints he has had

[Gary the Enfield]

Thank you DSB!! Nobody can predict anything before the start of a season. Let's try and stay positive and we might be slightly surprised, and before anyone asks I think we will finish between 10th & 14th, and I think he will have done well given the restraints he has had

Erm....

[Bruce Rioja]

Thank you DSB!! Nobody can predict anything before the start of a season. Let's try and stay positive and we might be slightly surprised, and before anyone asks I think we will finish between 10th & 14th, and I think he will have done well given the restraints he has had

" I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne.

[Harry Genshaw]

I reckon I would judge Lenny to be a success this season if he finishes anywhere above the mid-point.

I know that one pre-season friendly at Oldham isn't a great deal to go off, but I'll be absolutely stunned should we finish mid-table or above. The bookies have us down as being second favourite for the drop, and whereas I naturally don't concur with their grim outlook, they are usually there or thereabouts!

My worry is that you feel like that after the only pre season game we've won!

If we continue to operate under the constraints we currently appear to be under, then Lennon will have been a success if he keeps us up imo

[jaffka]

I much prefer it when we are written off as no hopers. Get that siege mentality going again.

[Andy Waller]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

[Bruce Rioja]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

We have a plant there - I avoid going as much as I can. Last Friday we had to evacuate said plant as someone decided to set fire to a car outside it, in broad daylight. On the other side of the road is a row of terraced houses, and on a nice day it's quite common to see the locals dragging their sofa's onto the pavement and spending the day sitting in the sun whilst supping cheap booze.

[Dr Hotdog]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

We have a plant there - I avoid going as much as I can. Last Friday we had to evacuate said plant as someone decided to set fire to a car outside it, in broad daylight. On the other side of the road is a row of terraced houses, and on a nice day it's quite common to see the locals dragging their sofa's onto the pavement and spending the day sitting in the sun whilst supping cheap booze.

OK that's that. I'm staying in to get pissed off at the Facebook updates like any normal BWFC fan with internet access.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

Not the worst part of Stoke back in my day. Things may have changed.

[bobo the clown]

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

At the risk of sounding like Dan, that really IS a shit hole !

[Bruce Rioja]

Anyone off to Port Vale tomorrow night?

I'll scribble some notes and jot together a small report once the final whistle blows.

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

Not the worst part of Stoke back in my day. Things may have changed.

Stoke doesn't have a single redeeming area, Monty. Not a one.

[StaffsTrotter]

I'll be there, ah Burslem, there's a place of beauty..

At the risk of sounding like Dan, that really IS a shit hole !

you are not looking at it with the right squint - the mother town has some great old buildings in the centre, dating from when the town had business and money ... and is pretty good for a pub crawl - proper beer. But yes if you open your eyes its surrounded by anywhere crap and been on a downward spiral for the last 30 years as the potteries have shipped out to the far east

[jonnycooper]

I reckon I would judge Lenny to be a success this season if he finishes anywhere above the mid-point.

I know that one pre-season friendly at Oldham isn't a great deal to go off, but I'll be absolutely stunned should we finish mid-table or above. The bookies have us down as being second favourite for the drop, and whereas I naturally don't concur with their grim outlook, they are usually there or thereabouts!

so... you would judge Lenny a success if we simply avoid the drop?

Pretty much, Bish. Yeah. I think people need a reality check here. One thing I thought obvious last Tuesday was how good that big lot from Sheffield Wednesday and Le Fondre would be up front. Whatever it is that people (including Lennon) see in Dobie is absolutely beyond me. Now, we're in a situation whereby we seemingly can't afford to negotiate a deal with a a player who (a) Scored the goals that kept us up last season (b) Actually wants to come and play for us, and (c) Has been told by his club that they won't even be furnishing him with a squad number next season.

That's the depth of the shit that we're in!

I totally agree regarding Dobbie! I watched him a good few times last season playing for Fleetwood,and not once did I leave there thinking they've got a good un here,I too cannot understand the interest in him..Fleetwood didn't even want him after last season!!

[Prufrock]

Perhaps, but wasn't the question what would be a success? If we don't get top half then it's quite likely Lennon hasn't sussed out the defensive organisation required. But if he hasn't sussed that out, then he hasn't been a success!

not sure which question you are on about - but the one I asked was more like... how bad would it have to be this season for us to consider that Lenny had failed?

(prompted by folk saying we might struggle down in the bottom half...)

we've will have had the settle-in season and the full pre-season and two full transfer windows...

Even by your standards it's splitting hairs to say the question wasn't "what would be a success?" but "what would be a failure?"! .