With the Premier League
kick off less than 24 hours away we are happy to bring you the third edition of
our big fan previews. And while we feature a club newly arrived in the ‘promised
land’ we also remember that some other leagues are already well under way. With
that in mind come join us for previews from teams where, from promotions to relegations
with several managers in between, there never seems to be a dull moment.
Welcome to Edition No. 3 of
our big fan previews, a world in which Matt Snelling outlines how Crystal
Palace are determined to survive in the Premier League just like they did a
dressing room full of excrement, Leicester fan James Cowley hopes there won’t
be another Yann Kermorgant moment at the end of the season and Tim Rickard just
wishes for some light at the end of the Stockport County tunnel...
Fans Preview No. 7 – James
Cowley: Leicester City
1. New season, new hope
(or new fears...) - how are you feeling heading into season version 2013/14?
Well as we’ve already played three games, this is with the benefit of hindsight somewhat…..Unfortunately my eternal pessimism has not been waylaid due to our expansive, innovative style of football, moreso it has gone some way to reinforce it. I’m pleased we retained the services of Pearson, however am worried that we will revert to form and after 10weeks the Chairman will push the button that tips the manager out of his seat into a fire pit à la Dr Evil for them to never be seen again. Due to the tight nature of the league, I would not think this a wise move, but at the same time the amount of investment that has been undertaken, I don’t think Pearson would be able to have too many complaints. Prior to playing Middlesborough a fortnight ago, I thought we may even end up in the relegation spots if we revert to the managerial merry-go-round that we are normally associated with. Fucking Dougal, Zebedee and Co. have nothing on us!
2. Everyone enjoys some
'wheeling and dealing' (TM H. Redknapp) so how would you assess your teams
summer transfer business?
Our business has been minimal to non-existent. Up until a few days before the start of the season we were the only team in the league not to have made any acquisitions (we broke our duck with a left-back on a free transfer from Tranmere who signed a 2-year deal - obviously a long term prospect!!). Last week we also took on the services of Miguel from Arsenal. Pearson normally brings in decent young players on loan so if he keeps in that vein he should do a job. Anyone is better than Whitbread who is a Paul McShane wannabee!
In short I’m pleased, as it means for the first time in 3 or 4 years we’ve probably stuck to a budget that’s realistic for a club of our stature at this level in order to comply with Financial Fair Play. I’d rather the club acted responsibly and was able to maintain its existence rather than end up like Portsmouth, Coventry and probably QPR.
3. Come May 2014, your team will be...
On paper we should be challenging for the automatic spots, playoffs as a minimum. Realistically, we struggle to maintain extended periods of decent form, and that seems to be the critical thing in this league. Calibre of player / team doesn’t necessarily equate to success. Peterborough were only 14points off the playoffs last year and they got relegated and on that basis: If we stay up I’ll be satisfied, if we get to the playoffs I’ll be happy, if we go up I’ll fall off my seat, and if we have a Frenchman taking a penalty in May 2014 I’ll be crying.
Fans Preview No. 8 – Tim Rickard: Stockport County
1. New season, new hope (or new fears...) - how are you feeling heading into season version 2013/14?
We've just been relegated to the sixth tier of English football. It's been our third relegation in four seasons. I think this time though we've sunk as low as it's possible to go. We're now in the Blue Square North. I can barely believe what I'm writing. Any further and we'll have to fold, surely? This is County we're talking about though and anything remains possible. We'll no doubt find a way to get dicked by Vauxhall Motors and North Ferriby United. A far cry from Maine Road isn't it?
That said, the last couple of years of following County have been depressing for other reasons. We've brought in clueless people to run the club. One of the worst decisions last year was to hire a 30 year old CEO called Ryan McKnight. His first decision at the club was to sack club hero Jim Gannon in the middle of a Conference relegation dogfight and bring in Darije Kalezic who had absolutely no experience of English football at all, let alone know anything about the Conference. We don't own our ground. The last I heard fans were forking out for powerades and gym equipment because we don't have a pot to piss in. It doesn't bode well.
2. Everyone enjoys some 'wheeling and dealing' (TM H. Redknapp) so how would you assess your team’s summer transfer business?
We brought in Ian Bogie as
Manager at the end of last season which was a good choice. It happened far too late though and he didn't
have enough time to save us. But he's
got experience with Gateshead and although I don't understand every second word
he says on average (very geordie), I'm pleased that he's at the helm.
We've since got Phil Jevons who scored 42 goals in 84 games for Yeovil many many years ago. He's since been to about 8 other clubs but you'd hope he still knows where the net is.
Even more encouraging is the
signing of 23 year old Kristian Dennis from Curzon Ashton (no, me neither) who
has already scored seven goals in our pre-season. Luckily we've got rid of a lot of the
deadwood from last season too, although James Tunnicliffe bizarelly still
remains...
3. Come May 2014, your team will be...
I think we'll do alright and finish 5th but lose in the play-offs to Bradford Park Avenue. We'll get knocked out of the FA trophy in the second round to Brackley. Another long season awaits...
Fans Preview No. 9 – Matt
Snelling: Crystal Palace
1. New season, new hope
(or new fears...) - how are you feeling heading into season version 2013/14?
Still in the ‘pinch me, is
it all real?’ stage, tuning into the Football League show still expecting
Palace to be sandwiched in between Barnsley vs. Yeovil and Clem on an outside
broadcast at a working man’s club in Rotherham. But in the real world both
excited and nervous in equal measure really.
Last season’s promotion
was an unexpected bonus: the cherry on an impressive cake of a campaign where
the club finally troubled headline makers for on the pitch success rather than
off the field meltdowns. Outside of a ten match wobble down the stretch as the
season reached its conclusion, the highly accomplished navigation of the
play-off’s, not to mention survival of some foreign substances, emphasised the
radical improvements that Palace experienced this year: a vibrant attacking
outfit, boosted by young home grown talents that played as a committed and
dedicated unit when it mattered. Now onto the hard part…
Are we amongst the
favourites to go straight back down? Probably... and Gael cliché time, the gap
between the Premier League and the Championship is a fairly significant one but
that doesn’t mean there’s no hope... On paper, and to your average Match of the
Day viewer (and pundit) there’s not much to set the neutral’s pulses racing but
that does a disservice to some impressive performers such as captain and
midfield general Mile Jedinak, long standing stalwart ‘keeper Julian Speroni,
31 goal top scorer Glenn Murray (when he’s fit of course) and the hugely
talented attacking dynamo Jonny ‘Joniesta’ Willaims.
Let’s be honest though, it’s
going to be a struggle. Cardiff have gone out and broken their transfer record
three times this summer and yet still being tipped for the drop by some. I’m
hoping there’s no ‘take the hidings and enjoy the sightseeing trips’ attitude,
but it’s important a sense of perspective and realism is maintained by both
club and supporters. It’s an amazing achievement to be in the Premier League
and whatever happens in the next nine or ten months this should help to build
the legacy of the club for the future.
2. Everyone enjoys some
'wheeling and dealing' (TM H. Redknapp) so how would you assess your team’s
summer transfer business?
In a summer of mind numbingly
tedious brinkmanship between some of the top clubs, Ian Holloway has been
desperately scrabbling around the bargain bin at *insert name of latest high
street retailer to go into administration* rummaging for anything that looks
halfway decent. Thus far his scrabbling has been promising: Dwight Gayle, while
raw and unproven should bring a pace and directness to the Palace attack that’s
not been present since Andy Johnson left, and Jose Campana a Spain U20
international from Sevilla is very exciting – a cultured midfielder who can
pass the ball is always a bonus when you’ve previously been ‘treated’ to such
central midfield luminaries as Jamie Pollock, and Steve Thompson (the poor man’s
Jody Morris).
Two of the loan additions
that played a vital role in getting the club up, the ever green Kevin Phillips
and Stephen Dobbie have been secured permanently while Jerome Thomas from Wet
Brom adds um...experience, however there are still areas of the team, notably
in wide positions, at left back, in central defence and up front (with Murray
side lined into the New Year) where additions need to be made. Not much then. Was
Marouane Chamakh the answer? Who knows what the question was, but if Palace are
able to unlock the target man that lead the line so effectively for Bordeaux
rather than the Arsenal Capital One Cup benchwarmer then he could be the
perfect foil for Dwight Gayle in a PeterReidtastic ‘big man, little man combo’.
Even with the man with Craig Revel Horword’s hair (TM Peter Thorn) on board
though you do feel we might need a little bit more if we are to have a real
shot at staying up...
3. Come May 2014, your
team will be...
Looking forward to a fixture list that doesn’t have Millwall on it, one way or another.
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