[Archived] Final Position Predictions

[Gav]

I think:

• V's will flog our 'notables' before 31 August and recoup £20m+ of their investment through part repayment of 'loans' to VLL thereby bailing out
• We will then be at the mercy of our creditors with BOI exercising their option to take a debenture over Rovers
• Administration will follow together with a hefty points' deduction
• Relegation will be inevitable

Fingers crossed

[roverzee]

Reading this thread it's clear that, barring the odd person, expectations have well and truly been set - and they are very low.

Reading this thread was entirely predictable - the environment on this MB is not where people who might think differently to 90% of the prolific posters will open up and post what they think.

Why would they, it would just mean having their sanity questioned / accused of being a bowyerette / venky lover / club plant for the rest of their posting lives. With the notable exceptions of Jbizzle and Chaddy (your "odd" people I assume), and even Chaddy was called by roverandout hours before he actually bothered to post in here!

So this thread is exactly the same every other thread - all the usual posters state the same views over and over again, and then Mercerman pops up to predict the certain sale of key players, administration, relegation and oblivion. Why would anyone who doesn't share these views bother to join the discussion with all this as the backdrop??

To answer the original question (for what it's worth) - with a month to go before a ball is kicked, and 7 weeks to the day until the transfer window closes (which for Rovers means 7 weeks desperately hanging on to what we've got, and/or 7 weeks until we can scrape the bottom of the barrel for everyone else's leftovers), I wouldn't be predicting anything.

Unless of course, I just needed another platform to have yet another pop at Bowyer / Shaw / Brown / Hanley / Lowe ... etc ... etc ...

[Tom]

With the team as it is I actually think we would be 8th - 10th again

If we sell Rudy and don't replace him I think 12th-14th if we sell him and Rhodes then anywhere below that

If we sign Petshi then 1st

[onlyonejackwalker]

Reading this thread was entirely predictable - the environment on this MB is not where people who might think differently to 90% of the prolific posters will open up and post what they think.

Why would they, it would just mean having their sanity questioned / accused of being a bowyerette / venky lover / club plant for the rest of their posting lives. With the notable exceptions of Jbizzle and Chaddy (your "odd" people I assume), and even Chaddy was called by roverandout hours before he actually bothered to post in here!

So this thread is exactly the same every other thread - all the usual posters state the same views over and over again, and then Mercerman pops up to predict the certain sale of key players, administration, relegation and oblivion. Why would anyone who doesn't share these views bother to join the discussion with all this as the backdrop??

To answer the original question (for what it's worth) - with a month to go before a ball is kicked, and 7 weeks to the day until the transfer window closes (which for Rovers means 7 weeks desperately hanging on to what we've got, and/or 7 weeks until we can scrape the bottom of the barrel for everyone else's leftovers), I wouldn't be predicting anything.

Unless of course, I just needed another platform to have yet another pop at Bowyer / Shaw / Brown / Hanley / Lowe ... etc ... etc ...

There is always a prediction thread. It's only a bit of fun. 11th.

[Mike Graham]

Looking at our players and the coaching staff I would reckon about 12th to 15th.

NOT arsed to much over dingles (i am really but...)but as long as we finish above the nobbers then at least my life will be tolerable.

Talking to some local PKE fans they reckon that Hemmings is about to invest heavily (they would say that wouldn't they- but at least they have very rich local fans like Hemmings and that guy Chris Ainscough with the crane hire company). I see PKE as top 10.

[Rover_Shaun]

I am feeling strangeley optimistic and think we'll finish as high as 15th. And I ain't been sniffing anything.

[Stuart]

Looking at our players and the coaching staff I would reckon about 12th to 15th.

Talking to some local PKE fans they reckon that Hemmings is about to invest heavily (they would say that wouldn't they- but at least they have very rich local fans like Hemmings and that guy Chris Ainscough with the crane hire company). I see PKE as top 10.

How can anyone invest heavily with FUP??

[Beta Ray Bill]

For all the head in hands bemoaning our position and how we are inferior to so much of the league, other than a very shall number of teams, how many of us really understand the squads or management abilities of the other 23 clubs in this division?

Can anyone seriously name just 4 players from every club in this league of the top off their head? Can you name every manager in the league? For some of the teams I honestly haven't a clue about a single member of their staff, playing, coaching, or canteen.

I'm pretty sure fans of other teams would similarly struggle to do the same as well with Rovers but possibly we'd fare a tadge better.

So what drives predictions at this stage of the closed season? Unbridled pessimism, historical 'name' value, vague thoughts on last year's league standings, and a sliver of knowledge on the opposition?

Each year we've been in this division other than for a very limited number of good/crap teams, anything seems to go results wise. Whichever team is least inconsistent seems to be able to rise up the table (or those with least positive inconsistency start to sink).

We may play football as dull as a November night in Grimsby, but we still win some, still lose some, still draw some. It is nigh on impossible to assess our split let alone that of the rest of the division.

However, what is likely is that we will be apparently starting the season weaker than last year and this is likely to get worse. What we don't know is if anyone will suddenly hit form we never thought possible ('Crap' Olsson Syndrome) or how relatively deteriorated other teams are as well.

All that said, 10th at best but probably no relegation scrap. ☺

[1864roverite]

People are keeping on about goal scoring, its even more important about defending.

If Rovers cut out the stupid mistakes and half the goals conceded then with the players we have we have the chance to challenge. A succession of 1-0 wins instead of silly defeats like Bolton away and the like will see us vastly improve on last season.

Now if GB and co can realise that point we might be on to a winner !

[chaddyrovers]

For all the head in hands bemoaning our position and how we are inferior to so much of the league, other than a very shall number of teams, how many of us really understand the squads or management abilities of the other 23 clubs in this division?

Can anyone seriously name just 4 players from every club in this league of the top off their head? Can you name every manager in the league? For some of the teams I honestly haven't a clue about a single member of their staff, playing, coaching,

Yes I can name you every Championship manager and at least 6 or 7 players for each team if not more depending on who the club is

[philipl]

Afraid it will be a repeat of 1971 and Rovers and Notlob will go down together.

[MCMC1875]

Afraid it will be a repeat of 1971 and Rovers and Notlob will go down together.

Another coffin parade then!

[Beta Ray Bill]

Yes I can name you every Championship manager and at least 6 or 7 players for each team if not more depending on who the club is

I almost said "excluding Chaddy" but thought that might have been seen as mickey taking.

[DE.]

People are keeping on about goal scoring, its even more important about defending.

If Rovers cut out the stupid mistakes and half the goals conceded then with the players we have we have the chance to challenge. A succession of 1-0 wins instead of silly defeats like Bolton away and the like will see us vastly improve on last season.

Now if GB and co can realise that point we might be on to a winner !

He's had almost 3 years to do something about it and hasn't, there's no reason to assume he will suddenly transform us into a formidable force at the back. That's why goals - the one thing we have had for the past few years - are so important if we're keeping Bowyer in charge.

[Rover_Shaun]

He's had almost 3 years to do something about it and hasn't, there's no reason to assume he will suddenly transform us into a formidable force at the back. That's why goals - the one thing we have had for the past few years - are so important if we're keeping Bowyer in charge.

And thats just to stand still as nowhere men

[tomphil]

Looking at our players and the coaching staff I would reckon about 12th to 15th.

Talking to some local PKE fans they reckon that Hemmings is about to invest heavily (they would say that wouldn't they- but at least they have very rich local fans like Hemmings and that guy Chris Ainscough with the crane hire company). I see PKE as top 10.

Hemmings - well one of his companies- has been propping up the knobbers for years to the tune of about 300k per month or something. Don't think he's what you could call a huge fan either as I seem to remember he got involved a bit reluctantly. Doubt he'll do anything spectacular although he may lend them a few more quid I suppose. They've been saying crap like this for years dreaming he's going to do a 'Jack' or something, it won't happen.

I do see them having a good season though.

[RibbleValleyRover]

People are keeping on about goal scoring, its even more important about defending.

If Rovers cut out the stupid mistakes and half the goals conceded then with the players we have we have the chance to challenge. A succession of 1-0 wins instead of silly defeats like Bolton away and the like will see us vastly improve on last season.

Now if GB and co can realise that point we might be on to a winner !

This, goal scoring and defending are both equally important. Over the past few years defending has been a problem, even under the current manager there have been times when we were back up to that conceding 2 goals per game average we saw all the time under Kean. A combination of tactics and a lack of balance/quality in midfield is largely to blame for that.

On the overall topic of predictions how is predicting a mid-table finish being negative? If someone has seen the past few seasons and looked where the team has finished I think it's more realism than pessimism.

[onlyonejackwalker]

This, goal scoring and defending are both equally important. Over the past few years defending has been a problem, even under the current manager there have been times when we were back up to that conceding 2 goals per game average we saw all the time under Kean. A combination of tactics and a lack of balance/quality in midfield is largely to blame for that.

On the overall topic of predictions how is predicting a mid-table finish being negative? If someone has seen the past few seasons and looked where the team has finished I think it's more realism than pessimism.

Change nothing and nothing will change. Mid-table predictions are very realistic after the last 2/3 seasons. I don't think people predict what they think won't happen!

It's all mute for now anyway. Others may come and go. Equally, there is always a suprise and some team often does well that was not expected to. Let's hope it us.

[47er]

I think we will be involved in a relegation battle. So I'm predicting 15th as the best we can achieve and I'll be relieved if we even make that.

[Husky]

Based on current transfer activity in and out and the comatose Groundhog Gaz still inspiring the players I'll say we'll probably have a half decent season and finish about 18th (so job done).