Anyone on here think we wont make the top 7?

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CS85
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Joined: 21 Feb 2010, 10:04
Looks like the majority(on here atleast) seem to think top 7 is achievable/guarenteed?.
Just looked through some squads of other teams,got to say its put doubts in my mind over us making the top 7.
51/84
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Joined: 24 Nov 2009, 10:20
They SHOULD be up there but it will depend on luck and injuries and consistency
We are no longer little old Cheltenham that may or may not survive.
Clubs will set up not to be beaten by us
We need to work hard and keep the ball on the ground and we will be up there in May 14
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Hubert Parry
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I don't think we shall make the top seven. There are some very strong squads out there, and a couple of injuries and we would be in great trouble.
Robin
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I feel the most confident I have since we won the conference but there are never any guarantees.
CTFC03
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Joined: 01 Jun 2013, 20:32
I would say we have a realistic chance of a play off spot but nothing more.
Chelt Luke in Glos
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Joined: 18 Jan 2013, 17:47
Same place as last year being realistic. The league just looks so strong this year!
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Shade
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Location: Cheltenhamshire
Just take each game as it comes. No reason we can't be up there if we avoid injuries. We have know-how, determination and skill throughout.
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taxidave
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Location: Crewe station buffet, wish I'd stayed there!
On today's performance, and I know it was only a friendly, I feel more confident that we will have a successful season than Cardiff will.
QED
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Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 15:23
I have an irrational sense that we'll underachieve this season, start poorly and find ourselves looking over our shoulders.
Seefacts
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Joined: 03 Apr 2010, 23:06
Top 7, yes.

If we can pick up a few more wins away from home, and start scoring more goals then we can finish top 3.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
We could quite easily not make top seven. A lot of good squads, and teams like Chesterfield, Oxford and Rovers have just made one or two additions, where out of the eight we had to supply goals at the end of the season, we lost five and have had to replace them so no one on here can possibly know how they will gel and how we will perform.
Robin
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That is a very negative slant we released those we didn't want to keep and only one player we wanted to retain as left and he was unlikely to be a regular starter anyway!
RobinHood
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With Yates in charge I have no doubt that we will be in the top 7 come May.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Robin wrote:That is a very negative slant we released those we didn't want to keep and only one player we wanted to retain as left and he was unlikely to be a regular starter anyway!
I never commented on whether we wanted them or if they were better players than we have now. All I said is when you replace so many it's impossible to know how they will gel or how competitive the team will be until a few league games have been played. I'd hope to be challenging for top 3, but we could easily be outside the top 7 if it takes a while to click.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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RobinHood wrote:With Yates in charge I have no doubt that we will be in the top 7 come May.
After being top in February and switching to one up front to have a disastrous March?
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Shade
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:
RobinHood wrote:With Yates in charge I have no doubt that we will be in the top 7 come May.
After being top in February and switching to one up front to have a disastrous March?
That's still top 7 come May. Nobody asked the question "will you be happy with a top 7 finish after gnawlsing up automatic in the last couple of months".
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Joey
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Yes, the league will be challenging this season but I believe the players that have been brought in will be able to deliver the club promotion. Hopefully this season this squad will be allowed to settle and not receive a switch-up come the January transfer market. If we maintain our defensive record from last season and Jamie Cureton can work his magic, automatic promotion or a top 7 finish is very likely.
Alf
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Joined: 17 Apr 2011, 08:24
I feel that the success we have had in the past couple of seasons has been down to the dubious overall quality of Div 2 as much as our own endeavour. After saying that, at this stage of the season it is natural tp look in awe at some of the other squads assembled but it is a different matter when the season starts. We find many are no better than us.
Robin
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I genuinely do not see any club with a significantly better squad than ours, some are arguably better but not by much, it at all.
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Pie
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I think the signings we have made have been on par, if not better than the players replaced;

Darryl Duffy & Shaun Harrad = Jamie Cureton
Mohammed = Vincent
Harry Hooman = Troy Brown
Jeff Goulding = Terry Gornell

CBB has just added to what we already have, and I think he will really push Billy Jones for that place on the left.
Could also say that Kotwica has replaced Bags Graham.
Ok so another striker would be nice, however if we stay injury free, and Stevie can be solid, then I believe that we can really push on this season and top 3 will be easily achieved.
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Dave Beesley
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Joined: 22 Dec 2009, 12:36
Some brilliant astute signings considering our budget and "attraction" level.
(any person who thinks we should me more attractive than any London/Manchester clubs is kidding themselves)
The squad is solid and perfect for top 7.

My main worries going into this season is tactics - will we have a plan B or C?
and the pitch, which will effect tactics in Jan/Feb if it cuts up to badly under the strain of two teams playing on it in the wet.
Peter Griffin
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Joined: 08 Jan 2010, 22:09
I think the way Yates has tinkered with formations this pre season shows we'll have a few tricks up our sleeves. Plenty of formations that would work well for us. Diamond with Taylor at the bottom and Deering in the hole, a straight 4-4-2 with Cureton up front with Harrison or Gornell, a 4-5-1 with Deering in behind Cureton, a more attacking 4-3-3.
Peter Griffin
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Or how about a 3-5-2 formation to mix things up a bit? Brown, Elliott and Lowe/loan CB at the back, Jones/CBB and Jombati attacking from the wing back positions, Penn, Richards and Deering in the middle (Penn adding steel, Richards adding a bit of guile and Deering having license to roam) with Cureton and Harrison/Gornell up top.
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Pie
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Taylor has played at CB too, including this pre season.
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Shade
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Pie wrote:Taylor has played at CB too, including this pre season.
Penalty waiting to happen!
leohoenig
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This is an odd thread.
Pie - have we got a player in to replace Elliott/Hector?

Dave - you must be on the comedy circuit if you think the London or Manchester clubs in League-2 are more attractive. Bury and Rochdale are unlovely places, Bury lurch from one crisis to another with moments of madness in between, while Rochdale is a moribund club, the least likely in the whole division to not be in League-2 next season. In London, Dagenham are in a continual struggle to stay in touch and while Wimbledon has a special atmosphere it cannot compete wages wise. The clubs to play for in this league are Portsmouth and Plymouth - both recovering from financial crisis, both with good supporter base and sure to move up when all their other issues are resolved. Scunthorpe - not a nice place, but you do not have to live in the town, tends to pay well and liable to be in the hunt. Oxford and Bristol Rovers - always more ambition than ability. Chesterfield, promotion favourites and Fleetwood - paying out more than they should be able to afford (with the Rushden rider attached, bubbles can burst).

The suggestion that League-2 has been poor for two seasons, and hence we have made the top 7, and hence we will fail if it is better quality is an illusion from glass half empty types. Much the same players end up in this division year on year, and the quality of football does not change much. Of the six new teams in the division this season, I expect three (Scunthorpe, Hartlepool and Mansfield) to do reasonably well, while the others (Bury, Portsmouth and Newport) will not meet their own expectations.

From Cheltenham, the demands should be
1) From the players, to always play to the best of their ability and to put all their effort into every game
2) From the manager and coaches. To try to get the best players possible within the budget providided, and to manage the team selections, tactics and substitutions.
3) From the directors. To try to increase the budget available to the manager, while looking for opportunities to improve the lot of the regular support.

Overall, we do reasonably well on all these things, but we always fall short from time to time.
1) We will always have days when the players appear not to be putting in the effort. It is hard to keep trying when things are not going well. Sometimes it reads as if players intend to have an off day, but in reality no one goes out intending to play badly.
2) The management clearly put a lot into trying to get their targeted players in, and seem quite succesful in that market. The on the field selection and tactics can prove a mystery to me. I would not say it is plans B/C that are missing. I would say the problem is we have not known what PLAN A is. We need to have a first choice selection and way of playing, which is then changed to meet the circumstances. Last season in particular, we appeared to ready to abandon this first choice as soon as something went awry.
3) At the top. We have had a series of different marketing men come in, and all we have to show are a few gimmicks that do not last. Most of our marketing is aimed at the people already at the ground, whereas we need to bring new faces in. (Some of our fans could help in this to, why are we so negative towards newcomers?). The club needs to be more "in your face" as far as the general public in Cheltenham and the surrounds are concerned. the locals, even those not interested should know we are at home this Saturday, and that we are playing Burton Albion. How many people in the Town actually know this? The fixture card should be available in every pub, hotel and bed and breakfast establishment. We need to develop links with other clubs and events in the area, (and not just sports, why shouldn't we link to the literature or jazz festivals). We need to encourage, not undermine supporters organisations.

Oh, and the opening question, will we make top 7 - I hope so, but I am far from 100% sure. I am sure there will be good and bad days during the season. I think we are capable of mounting a challenge for a top 7 place, but I will not cry into my beer (I hate to dilute my beer) if we marginally miss out.
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Shade
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Well you're bang on about not knowing the fixtures - I have to keep reminding myself that there's a league game this Saturday!
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Pie
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Leo, I would say that Troy Brown is the replacement for Hector/Bennett and the loan should be the replacement for Hooman.
Elliot I believe will be solid again this season however think that if we go up he may be released. I could be proved wrong, he is a solid CB although has been fishing out a few rash challenges this pre-season.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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English appearances (leagues not cups)

Apps Goals
JC 617 218
TG 152 35
BH 277 91
Total 1046 344

Ratio: 1 in 3.04
Robin
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Byron Harrison has seriously made 277 league and cup starts? I thought he only started in pro-football a couple of seasons back?
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Shade
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Robin wrote:Byron Harrison has seriously made 277 league and cup starts? I thought he only started in pro-football a couple of seasons back?
No, just 277 league starts, not including cups. Made his debut in 2005. But only been playing in the league since 2011.
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taxidave
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Shade wrote:
Robin wrote:Byron Harrison has seriously made 277 league and cup starts? I thought he only started in pro-football a couple of seasons back?
No, just 277 league starts, not including cups. Made his debut in 2005. But only been playing in the league since 2011.
So how can he have made 277 starts in a couple of seasons ?
asl
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91 goals in two seasons???? Bugger me gently... :shock:
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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taxidave wrote:
Shade wrote:
Robin wrote:Byron Harrison has seriously made 277 league and cup starts? I thought he only started in pro-football a couple of seasons back?
No, just 277 league starts, not including cups. Made his debut in 2005. But only been playing in the league since 2011.
So how can he have made 277 starts in a couple of seasons ?
I meant English League games to mean games in any league in England (so not including JCs Asian adventure) - as in any league, not just Football League.

2005–2006 Havant & Waterlooville
2006 Worthing
2006–2007 Boreham Wood
2007 Harrow Borough
2008–2010 Ashford Town (Middlesex)
2010–2011 Carshalton Athletic
2011–2012 Stevenage
2012–2013 AFC Wimbledon
2013– Cheltenham Town
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Shade
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To be fair, giving back the pedantry that was given out, RCS just said English appearances - no mention that it was as a pro or in the football league.
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