Been Thinking

[Mark S]

Been thinking.

"A Brand New Bright Tomorrow!” is the Shrimps current mantra and it really does feel like we have a bright future ahead as we step into League 1 for the first time in our 101 year history. Never been relegated. Never lost at Wembley. Never given up! These are proud boasts!

We have the likes of Sunderland. Ipswich, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Charlton, Wigan and errr Accrington visiting the Mazuma. We are going to see a massive away following for most of those and these are matches that the whole town would have turned out for previously!

We have a new manager in Stephen Robinson who looks and sounds really enthusiastic about his task. He has a solid track record and as much as I am grateful to Derek Adams, I can't help but think we have an upgrade here, who fits in with our 'all inclusive club' ethos. He has certainly built a squad to be excited about! We have retained the backroom staff including John McMahon for continuity, added Diarmuid O'Carroll and we have not only kept some of our best players from last season, but the additions the new gaffer has brought all look as though they have been hand picked to do a job at the next level. The late addition of Adam Phillips was nothing short of a massive rabbit out of the hat!

Work has gone on behind the scenes too with the Board really putting their collective strength together and investing where needed to enhance the matchday experience for all fans. We have a new General Manager who will be able to develop the Mazuma business and operation. I am sure we are all keen to see what he can do to utilise our superb facilities. We also have a new groundsman with Championship experience and Chesh will be staying on a few days a week to assist so we know the pitch will be superb for our players. New friends coming in to add to the quality staff and volunteers we already have.

Thanks to Commercial Manager Martin Thomas we have existing and new sponsors supporting the club to underpin the financial commitment required to run a successful League 1 club that will be striving to do it’s best on and off the pitch!

I cannot wait to get into League business and see what we can do. We are not there to make the numbers up. We are there to compete and we have shown last season that anything is possible, especially when everyone writes you off as relegation material.

Watch us go!

Seriously. Watch us go! Not only have the Board delivered all of the above but they have slashed the price of season tickets to ridiculously low levels. I have a board I got from Christie Park which shows the entry price to the North Stand in 2010 at £13. Our new season ticket deal means that the cost of a game for an adult will work out at £6.50 a match. £6.50! That is half price from 12 years ago! Buy a kids season ticket and it is £7.40 for the pair of you! That is not only the best value in the whole of the football league, but I wager at a couple of levels below too!

If you haven't bought one yet, please do it this weekend. Come and join us! You will not regret it. You and yours will be part of something really special this season. The atmosphere will be amazing and you get to be a part of it seeing the likes of Sunderland, Ipswich and Wigan for £6.50 a match!

A Brand New Bright Tomorrow - Coming your way!

[Bristol Shrimp]

This is brilliant, just highlights how good value season tickets are. For me it's just not viable to buy one as I live away and now work is opening up I'll be traveling a lot but I absolutely love the idea of helping people in need who couldn't afford a season ticket to get one and I will be pledging to this cause, I will continue to listen and occasionally watch from afar but knowing that I could be potentially helping a family go and watch week in week out is incredible. I love how close I feel to a club that is so far away. Personally think we're in for a decent season -bring it on.

[Andy D]

Exciting times !

my only concern is how SR is going to set up with all these attacking players, will it leave us to open at the back?

[KenH]

Exciting times !

my only concern is how SR is going to set up with all these attacking players, will it leave us to open at the back?

Derek did a brilliant job in getting our attacking players back to defend too! Carlos in particular was brilliant at it, and O'Sullivan & Wildig were also good at getting back quickly. No reason why Stephen can't work on the players in training to do the same.

[Andy D]

Exciting times !

my only concern is how SR is going to set up with all these attacking players, will it leave us to open at the back?

Derek did a brilliant job in getting our attacking players back to defend too! Carlos in particular was brilliant at it, and O'Sullivan & Wildig were also good at getting back quickly. No reason why Stephen can't work on the players in training to do the same.

Yeah, Hopefully John McMahon will prove his best signing

[redrobo]

An excellent contribution by Mark.....as usual.

But do have concerns about our apparent lack of a replacement for Songo in that midfield defensive role he excelled at.....

[P/T Indie]

I think SR has a cunning plan don't worry, all the interviews seem to suggest the players are learning a certain system and some are picking it up quicker than others.

[Andy D]

I think SR has a cunning plan don't worry, all the interviews seem to suggest the players are learning a certain system and some are picking it up quicker than others.

SR and the Player's have mentioned quite a few times in interviews that they've been working on pressing, what might suggest 4-3-3 and defending(pressing) from the front with an high defensive line.

[Little Shrimp]

I think SR has a cunning plan don't worry, all the interviews seem to suggest the players are learning a certain system and some are picking it up quicker than others.

SR and the Player's have mentioned quite a few times in interviews that they've been working on pressing, what might suggest 4-3-3 and defending(pressing) from the front with an high defensive line.

Yeah a bit of a pressing seems to be likely, and it's been 4-3-3 every game of pre-season as far as I can make out. Also completely agree with the point about attacking players doing defensive work. DA loaded us with good attacking players at times, but we were low possession and defensively sound. If SR has them organised and working hard, then it's not likely to be the big problem that some may assume it might be.

On Songo'o - he's one of the best about this level for destruction in midfield, no doubt about it. But different players suit different different managers/styles. If DA was still in charge and we'd lost Songo'o, I'd be pretty concerned. But with SR and just seeing a bit of how we're playing in pre-season, I don't think he'll quite be the big miss that many people think. If SR wanted a Songo'o style player, he probably would have recruited one by now.

[HALMA 1983]

A truly wonderful post Mark and it encapsulates the current buzz all around town and I'm lucky enough to be here to see it.