For what it's worth, this season is the first true 'Sheridan's Barmy Army' season. Let's not forget that he performed a miracle when he first arrived and kept us up. Something someone on here said he should be lauded for as the new messiah and a greater achievement than even Luggy's first term in charge. So...
We are still at the embryonic stage of the season. Morcambe, favourites for the drop apparently are yet to lose a game (I think). We still have an awfully long way to go and I still think with a couple of canny loan signings, we can make automatic promotion. I think too, that Lewis Allessandra will be a key man up front once he 'clicks'. I know and fully accept and agree with some of the apparently odd position play that JS calls, and his seemingly lack of tactical nous. But just pause a moment and consider this. Last season Exeter took us apart on our own pitch. They came with a plan and played (for them) a lovely passing game on the best pitch outside the Championship. We looked like rabbits in the headlights and deservedly got tonked. This season, JS has gone with a plan, and systematically took them apart. I know they have financial problems, and they are playing a team of youngsters, but Tisdale had no answer whatsoever to us a few Saturdays ago. We are not going to storm the league like we did in 2003/4, we simply don't have the money. That's the money to attract better players or, as some of you dreamers still believe, the likes of Neil Warnock.
Assume for a moment if you will, this. Let's say in 2003 PAFC had no debt and was at break even. It took just eight years to be £17m in the red. It's hardly any wonder then, that we had a meteoric rise up the leagues when you are over spending by £2m a year is it? I know that is simplistic, and possibly flawed, but the point is, we don't have any money. We have to get into League One by a few clever signings and a little luck (98th minute penalties, for example) But! We need to instil a winning mentality, something that isn't there yet, and we only saw in flashes over the last couple of seasons. A run of a few games without a loss, and we could easily be there.
So all in all, I'm still hopeful for an automatic place, but playoffs at worst.
