Expectations

[rivieratouch]

Can either of our new goalkeepers replace Lucas Covolan ?.

[grockle]

Get themselves sent off twice in 2 games?

[smw1989]

I think BT will be rubbing there hands and counting there cash with this league, I may be biased but I’d say this is the third most exciting league in England, I’d have the championship first and then the prem followed by the NL.

As for wages I’ve got a relative who is a Wrexham season ticket holder and I’m told mullin is on £5,500 a week, plus a £100,000 signing on fee, 3 year contract and a £1.000 goal bonus. The money being thrown around is incredible but do remember that the two leagues above are salary capped and this league for the time being isn’t, so it means teams such as Wrexham, Stockport etc… can not only outspend the teams in the NL but also the majority of clubs in Leagues 1 and 2!

[DWB]

I think we need to remember that this is a TEAM game so it is about how 11 players go on that pitch and play together. You could have the best striker in the world but if they don’t get the service they won’t score. This is where I think Gary Johnson wins as a manager he gets a team together and as he has said in many interviews ‘Torquayfies’ them!
I for one think we will have a great season again!!

[Willowgull]

Good post DWP, I couldn't agree more. I think we have the best manager in the league and that counts for a lot. To be fair, we have recruited some decent players also. That with GJ's knowledge, I think we will be right up there again. Its looking positive.

[Dave]

Six months ago the discussion was around whether Colovan was good enough to be no1 ahead of MacDonald, strange but true, now some are wondering whether Mark Halstead with over 100 EFL/FA and league cup games on his CV can replace Colovan with no EFL experience and his 2 red cards maybe showing he's struggling to adapt to life at a higher level.

Don't get me wrong would have been delighted if Colovan had stayed, but in Halstead at worst we have a like for like replacement, at best with Halstead's greater experience a keeper that may prove to be of more benefit to the club.

As for Marcin Brzozowski V Shaun MacDonald. One is a very young keeper who comes to us with a football education at Championship QPR, only time will tell what this young man will develop into, the other I'm sure will find a level in football that will suit his ability and wish him well.

My expectations for the this season are pretty much the same as last, but for different reasons. Last season felt we didn't have enough strength in depth for a promotion challenge but thought a 6th-7th place finish was there for us, Gary Johnson and the players he had did wonders still feel last season was an over achievement .

I feel Gary Johnson has definitely got more in terms of strength in depth going into the season, and done it with permanent signings, so less untried and tested youngsters, but the problem we all know is, there are 4 clubs who've chucked a ton of money at trying to win the league, so to compete in and around the top3 will be harder there's no doubt in that.

What we don't have is the kind of money that some clubs have spent, but we do have in Gary Johnson is manager who will not just get the best out of the resources he has got, he will get the best + 20 % , so no reason at all this team can't be up and about the top 6 places.

As a footnote to the the money spent y some clubs, only two clubs as we know can get promoted, that means at least two clubs if not all of them could be facing a bill for this season that I wonder whether they'll be able to pay.

[Whydoibother]

i have seen most friendlies and have to say we have a squad that this year covers most bases. A centre half is obviously required and a pacy winger to hurt sides. Another forward to compliment those theyre as Wright and Holman wont be playing every game.

[Plainmoor78]

As a footnote to the the money spent y some clubs, only two clubs as we know can get promoted, that means at least two clubs if not all of them could be facing a bill for this season that I wonder whether they'll be able to pay.

A lot is being said in various places about certain clubs over extending themselves, but we are in the same boat. We spend approximately £1 million a year more than we earn in income and Clarke Osborn's five year plan probably comes up for renewal next year. Will we be able to pay if we don't make it? I doubt it very much.

[Nick Potkins]

I believe we will bounce around the ground, while bouncing around between 4th and 8th place. A top seven finish would be acceptable to me and our first target.

[Dave]

Yes, I'm very well aware of our own situation, but this has been a Bi, some times Tri, annual topic of dissuasion, at the mid way point of last season it came again when the team results started to drop off 'that's it, no promotion no more money from Osbourne' Not saying we should start to trust him at all, to be fair he's dug deep again when most said he wouldn't.

If TUFC was run on the premise that it can only spend £1 for every £1 earned, we'd be lucky to survive in the NLS, professional football doesn't and can't work that way.

I know football finance is very different to Business finance, not going to claim I have an understanding of either, however I do know the difference between a serviceable level of debt and a level of debt that is not.

From the premier league to the NLP show me a club that runs in profit, Bury and Macclesfield are not the last clubs that will fall, TUFC is walking a tightrope which club isn't , but there are many clubs walking a tightrope much longer than ours, Southend have a report debt of 17 million, and we're nervous about 4 million (and rightly so).

If we look at transfer fees and wage bills of the likes at, Stockport, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Notts.C they dwarf ours, we're the poor relations, so the questions are, is our clubs debt level manageable ? is the debt at other clubs compared to ours manageable ?

[Bristol_Gull]

It’s certainly going to be a competitive league but once again Gary has put together a solid squad and I would expect to see a couple of loans drop in, potentially Sherring and 1-2 others.

Matchday squad poses some good challenges.

Holman and Wright look like a solid combo but Lolos looks like more than a bench warmer too!

Some solid competition in the middle of the park as alsways, I’d struggle to pick!

What would you go for in terms of a starting XI?

[Chrisjb66]

Regarding all the comments about ‘big’ clubs paying high wages etc let’s remember who got top spot last season…..Sutton!
And who was second…TUFC!!

[CourtierGull]

Can either of our new goalkeepers replace Lucas Covolan ?.

Our new backup keeper is on par with Lucas and considerably younger, with a fairly experienced former football league keeper as our no.1… this shouldn’t even be a question.

Expectations for the season… I expect us to win more than we lose, I expect Jake andrews and armarni little to score at least 1 free kick each and I also expect us to have an injury crisis between Christmas and February. Final position anywhere from 7th - 1st.

[culmstockgull]

The perennial discussion on attracting the brightest and best due to our geography and or low wages has taxed many owners and boards over the years, if you do not throw money at the issue, supposedly it cannot be resolved. There are alternatives to be explored, to my mind if the geography and wages are insummountable then we have to do considerably better in developing our young players, we know the area has talent , we do not seem to posssess the quality of coach to exploit this talent, look at the championship and even the premiership where locally born youngsters have gone onto great things, in Ollie Watkins, the financial benefit to Exeter would have paid off all the investment our chairman has made to date. I do not mind being considered a selling club if it means someone is buying our product and we are making money, the reality is they are not, first year pros over the last couple of seasons have just not made it, Koszela has probably finally found his level at Tiverton, Slough with luck will make it but needs to play every week in the conference south for a season, I think a lad who was good enough for a contract two seasons ago is now at Buckland, Moyse is the first youngster I have seen for years, possibly since Lee Sharpe who seems to have the ability to play at the highest level, If I have missed anyone I apologise but the return of youth players making it is nothing less than abysmal.

[happytorq]

Exeter have shown that there is talent in Devon that can be developed and sold on for a profit. That's likely to be the avenue with the best chance of creating long-term success and viability for the club. of course, City's academy is already firmly entrenched so it'll take a while for us to get into position, although with Piper and Moyse it looks like it's starting to bear fruit.

We don't have a history of paying well, and as culmstockgull said, it can be very difficult to get people down here (it's FOUR WHOLE HOURS away from London, ffs, that's basically a different time zone </s>-). What does seem to appeal is the area; we've seen players come down and love it and stay - that's not likely to be the just-released-by-Tottenham lads, more the professionals with young families. If we can use the academy to blood young players, and use the area's appeal to bring in more experienced guys, we could have a decent pipeline for (relative) success.