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Well, here we are folks ! Just four days away from our first league match (away to Macclesfield) of a new season. As a bit of light relief from Takeover and Funding issues, how do you think the season will pan out? As far as the Gulls are concerned, I don't think we should expect too much of Nicho. He is putting together a side with one arm tied behind his back because of off-field issues and lack of funding, but I'm confident we won't have relegation worries this year.

It looks rather a strange league to me this year. Tranmere should be amongst the front runners but I'm not sure that Gary Brabin is the man to take them back into League 2. Forest Green have failed in the play offs twice and I think maybe their bubble has burst, but I said that last season. Braintree's manager has gone to Lincoln and they seem to have made some good signings so I think they could be a bit of a surprise package. Last year, Welling, Altrincham and Kidderminster (because of their financial troubles) were hot favourites for relegation. This season, nobody looks dead certs for the drop. Anyway, here is my 2016/17 guessing game -
TOP SIX (not in any particular order) - TRANMERE, BARROW, EASTLEIGH, LINCOLN, DAGENHAM, WREXHAM
TOP HALF (7th - 12th - not in orer) - ALDERSHOT, BROMLEY, DOVER, FOREST GREEN, GATESHEAD, WOKING
LOWER HALF (13th - 18th, not in order) - BRAINTREE, MACCLESFIELD, SOLIHULL, SUTTON, TORQUAY, YORK
BOTTOM SIX (not in order) - BOREHAM WOOD, CHESTER, GUISELEY, MAIDSTONE, SOUTHPORT, NORTH FERRIBY

I don't know much about the promoted sides so I might be doing Maidstone and North Ferriby an injustice by putting them in the bottom six. And I hope I'm doing the Gulls an injustice by putting them below halfway .......

You are doing the Gulls an injustice. And under-estimating their manager.

This time, we'll have a far better season than the last one. Crowds will improve. Support for the Players' Fund will increase. The club will keep its financial head above water. And we could even challenge for the play-offs..

Think you've got FGR in the wrong place, they've recruited well, and see them, if their players settle winning the league, don't see Dagenham top 6, Chester may do better than you predict.

As for Torquay, think we're going to need a fair bit of luck along the way, no doubt Nicho has put together the makings of a very good team, but finances will get in the way of covering injuries, if the squad can stay fit, and keep their discipline in tact avoiding unhelpful suspensions where possible, they are of course a fact of football that can't always be helped, then I see no reason why our team can't achieve a top half finish.

Ill discipline, and bad luck with injuries, then I see a lower half finish for us, but don't see our team fighting against relegation this time around.

here is my 2016/17 guessing game -

TOP SIX (not in any particular order) - TRANMERE, EASTLEIGH, FOREST GREEN, WREXHAM, TORQUAY, YORK,
TOP HALF (7th - 12th - not in orer) - , BARROW, DAGENHAM,, DOVER, , GATESHEAD, LINCOLN, ALDERSHOT,
LOWER HALF (13th - 18th, not in order) -, CHESTER, MACCLESFIELD, SOLIHULL, SUTTON, BROMLEY, WOKING
BOTTOM SIX (not in order) - BOREHAM WOOD, BRAINTREE, GUISELEY, MAIDSTONE, SOUTHPORT, NORTH FERRIBY

First four have got to be favourites because they are well funded clubs with large squads, then any of the next 8 teams could make top six.

Torquay United will win this league and I have £10 on it.

What odds did you get Samuel?

I had £10 on Torquay to be promoted at 5-1 and that was about a month ago. Now living on Ascension Island so I am hoping someone can collect the winnings for me

If you are at all interested in odds and such stuff, the Racing Post did their excellent season preview today. There was not a single mention of Torquay in any of their preview pieces for the National League apart from in the team-by-team guide.

They had the following order...

1. Lincoln
2. Tranmere
3. FGR
4. Eastleigh (my idea of the winners)
5. Wrexham
6. Dover
7. York
8. Barrow
9. Dagenham
10. Gateshead
11. Aldershot
12. Sutton
13. Chester
14. Macclesfield
15. TORQUAY
16. Woking
17. Boreham Wood
18. Southport
19. Bromley
20. Guiseley
21. Braintree
22. Maidstone
23. Solihull
24. North Ferriby

Our little write-up: Torquay pulled off the Great Escape last season but should be a little more comfortable this term. A lack of cash means the Devonians have had to be careful in the transfer market but they can continue to progress under promising manager Kevin Nicholson.

Written by the usually excellent Dan Childs.

Ascension Islands?! are you RAF?

forevertufc wrote:Think you've got FGR in the wrong place, they've recruited well, and see them, if their players settle winning the league, don't see Dagenham top 6, Chester may do better than you predict.

As for Torquay, think we're going to need a fair bit of luck along the way, no doubt Nicho has put together the makings of a very good team, but finances will get in the way of covering injuries, if the squad can stay fit, and keep their discipline in tact avoiding unhelpful suspensions where possible, they are of course a fact of football that can't always be helped, then I see no reason why our team can't achieve a top half finish.

Ill discipline, and bad luck with injuries, then I see a lower half finish for us, but don't see our team fighting against relegation this time around.

I remember this time last season you said FGR would be in top four, and I said I thought they would fall apart after missing out in the play offs. You were right ! This time, I'm not convinced new manager Mark Cooper is a good appointment. Chester plummeted down the league last season and I haven't noticed that they've strengthened their squad a lot. I don't think their finances are too healthy. Fully agree re Torquay, but if Ronald Huth can be persuaded to sign, and if he plays as well as he did last night, who knows ?

Foxhole wrote:I had £10 on Torquay to be promoted at 5-1 and that was about a month ago. Now living on Ascension Island so I am hoping someone can collect the winnings for me

I have odds of 28-1, Sky bet.

I wonder what odds Dave Philipps is giving?

PhilGull wrote:I wonder what odds Dave Philipps is giving?

2nd to none

1. Tranmere
2. Wrexham
3. TORQUAY
4. York
5. Lincoln City
6. Dag & Red
7. Eastleigh
8. Macclesfield
9. Forest Green
10. Sutton United
11. Chester
12. Aldershot
13. Barrow
14. Bromley
15. Gateshead
16. Braintree
17. Boreham Wood
18. Southport
19. Guiseley
20. Woking
21. Dover
22. Solihull Moors
23. North Ferriby
24. Maidstone


Might as well be optimistic about the coming season.

Hoping that FGR finish well outside the play-offs as they come to realise that throwing money at promotion does not always bring success. I (like most of us) would love it if Dover were sent back down to ConfSouth (and further!).... ... North Ferriby, well I would have put them bottom, but I'll save that position for my friends along the A26.

And, yep, didn't want to be greedy, so just opted for the final automatic promotion spot.

United62 wrote:
Might as well be optimistic about the coming season.

Hoping that FGR finish well outside the play-offs as they come to realise that throwing money at promotion does not always bring success. I (like most of us) would love it if Dover were sent back down to ConfSouth (and further!).... ... North Ferriby, well I would have put them bottom, but I'll save that position for my friends along the A26.

And, yep, didn't want to be greedy, so just opted for the final automatic promotion spot.

Well it worked for us! (Admittedly it did take two season though.)