Adam Johnson’s 2013/14 Hopes and Expectations
Adam Johnson is the final TheWashbag contributor to give his thoughts on Swindon Town in the 2013/14 season…
What are your hopes and expectations for Swindon in 2013/14?
That we still have a club at the end of the season! Now, that’s me joking but there are fans who seem to be this negative about the coming season.
The way the club is being ran at the moment, with the word ‘budget’ losing all meaning with how much it’s been said, is correct. A football club should work within it means and that is hopefully what we are doing or slowly getting towards.
Sure it may mean expectations are lower in the present but in the future we can hope for a longer period of success rather than the instant success before the guaranteed slump. Hopefully Jed & insert manager name here can stop the slump coming and we can consolidate this season.
My expectation is for us to finish in the top half. I look at our first eleven and see some great names that can definitely get results. Foderingham, Ward, Thompson, Luongo, Pritchard, Mason & Williams to name a few should be enough to help us have a solid season. It might be less exciting on the pitch but maybe a quiet time would all do us nicely. The issue for me is depth, may have to wait to see how we deal with that when the certain injuries and fixture pile ups come after Christmas.
My hope is to see everyone just be happy with who Swindon Town are. That won’t happen though so moving on…
Who has been your signing of the summer at the County Ground?
Getting Wes Foderingham on a new contract has been a great piece of business. It certainly went down better than having the likes of Five, Blue and Atomic Kitten sign on to play at the County Ground but I digress. Sorry.
Alex Pritchard has me excited as a signing. I have little knowledge about him, heard good things and am excited to see him play in red. I know very little about others we have signed as I haven’t been to a pre season friendly (Do my opinions still count!?) but Luongo is a player I’m happy to see back, think he has more to offer and will improve.
Who will be the key player for Town?
Darren Ward. The rock on which we can build upon. Not to over play the centre defender but he is the base of experience and reliability we can hopefully rely on to influence the whole team. Especially if reports of how he and Grant Hall (who i’m desperate to call Gareth Hall) have bonded as a pairing are to be believed.
In what position will we finish?
I’ll go for 11th with a positive goal difference. Let’s be positive!
Which teams will be promoted from League One?
If I was to be really random in a choice i’d go Preston. Good strikers in Kevin Davies, Iain Hume and Stuart Beavon who can all get goals at this level. They’ve also got solid professionals at this level who can do a job. Why not? Simon Grayson as well has good experience at this level.
I’ll go Wolves, Bristol City & Brentford.
Which teams are set to be relegated from League One?
This might be bold but if Coventry can’t sort out their issues then negativity may spread and a troubled season could be on the cards.
Carlisle have been in this area for a while too so I expect them to be down there. Tranmere Rovers could have a troubled season as they fell away expectantly and showed their true colours after a great start.
Other teams such as Crawley, Stevenage and Colchester also don’t get the blood pumping & look like featuring near the bottom bit of the table.
So I’ll go Carlisle, Stevenage, Colchester and…Tranmere to put in a little surprise choice. Why not, It’ll all be wrong anyway.
The Washbag 