It looks like it's becoming one of those transitional seasons really, which perhaps isn't that surprising given that we replaced most of the side at the start, then after they'd shown what they were capable of, we've been hit with the worst injury crisis I can remember in 40 odd years of following us. That has gone on for MONTHS.
This transition season is short of us going on a late run of course once we have a mainly fully fit squad (but when that's going to be is the big unknown, we seem to have 2 or 3 players get newly fu(ked for a longish layoff whenever we get a few back)
If we continue to be the Riverside Rehabilitation Unit for the Perpetually Infirm for the rest of the season then I'd expect us to finish about 9th. If we actually manage to put out most of our best side for 10 odd games then we can scrape the playoffs. Getting through them of course is another matter entirely.
Next season is more hopeful however. We haven't got as many loans to replace so should be able to hit the ground running for the first season in three. We should have the most energetic players in the league given that a huge part of them will have had months and months of rest, even before the summer break. We have all summer to find a forward or at least a right winger as cover for Jones so we can finally stop having to shove Marcus out there.
Given that we've banked the money for Rogers we should be able to have a decent poke in the market too. All in all, if we don't go up this year which is more likely then I feel a lot more positive about next (though if I were Carrick I'd still have them all sleeping in oxygen tents all summer!)
