National League 2017/2018 Betting

Our aim should always be play offs and not just staying up.

You've got to be kidding me. Alabi scored 17 and 6 pens, Hannah scores what was it about 25 goals? Hannah is a class beyond Alabi in every regard. 😳

Can't do that mate. He's been following the Blues for 60 odd years and will have forgotten more than you know.

Well I must say very well done as you've managed to talk positively. It's a shame it's just to try argue with another fan. Personally I don't care Alabi has left and I've made that opinion clear in other threads on this site. I'd much prefer Hannah. No one doubts his ability, whilst opinions on Alabi are very divided.

Edit: Here's a poll I've created to get an answer, Hannah currently leads with 100% of votes.

43 votes so far, 91% say Hannah, just 9% in favour of Alabi.

For a start, fans will always side with a newly arrived player over a departed one in a situation like that, but I think the only reason fans are divided over Alabi is because they see a big muscular striker who's over six foot and expect him to be some sort of superhuman who can win every header however aimless the punt towards him is, bring it down, shrug off defenders like flies and bang it in the top corner.

There are parts of Alabi's game he needs to work on, no question, but his record for us was not far off a goal every two games, and 17 last season, when we were dire for a large part of it and it was his first full season as a first choice striker anywhere, I don't really see how people can argue that and not see his potential. Tranmere have and I think he'll be a success there.

I wish him all the best. As I've already said, "just my opinion".

Someone has done a Predict the League on another forum OneFootballForum and a worryingly large amount of fans of other clubs have got us finishing in the bottom 4.

I don't think we'll finish in the bottom four, but I also think we'll struggle to finish as high as our best finish which was 12th.

...and several players have been allowed to leave for better clubs (based on last season), or opted to leave such as Alabi. In reply, our faith is on a player who was considered surplus to requirements and hardly played last season. 
Strange that several other (better)managers disagree with McCarthy's opinion on players, and his offloading of Hunt who had a very good season in my opinion. No wonder the odds are against us, in what could be a demanding season for the board.

We're a bit of a funny one. 3rd most popular bet for promotion, yet also one of the favourites for relegation. Let's prove those latter predictions wrong COYB 

I think people are just being honest about their expectations. Questions have been asked on this thread about why the bookies and fans of other clubs don't fancy us, and some fans are giving possible reasons, most of which are hard to argue with, I think.

I see it not so much as being negative, but trying to keep expectation levels grounded. Over optimism can be as dangerous as relentless negativity because it leads to over expectation. This in turn leads to getting on the players backs, and booing and jeering during the games, which just creates a horrible atmosphere and is one of the most offputting things about attending matches in my opinion.

My expectation levels are not high this season. I hope we'll do a bit better than last season but I wouldn't be that surprised if we don't. I accept we have limitations, some of which we can do nothing about, others of which are perhaps part of a learning process for the club about things like contracts, use of finances etc.

In any case, I won't be shouting and screaming and insulting people this season, because I recognise everyone has good intentions and is doing their best, so I don't think I'm a negative fan. I prefer to see it as patience and realism. I think there's a degree of blind optimism going around right now, and you never know it might all just click and we have a great year, but I prefer to quell my expectations as personally, I don't see that much reason to get overexcited. Just my opinion.

Of course I will give the team a clean sheet, but not McCarthy. After the worst five months imaginable, both on and off the field, how could I?
i hope for better team selections and formations, and realistic after match interviews. Perhaps I'm being delusional now!

What angered me more was his complete and utter contempt towards the fans, the people who pay his wage, in some of those interviews which even stretched as far as singling out Deva Chat handles on the radio.