Anyone feeling positive? Anyone???

[NR_Royal]

Does anyone actually believe that we'll do well this season? I don't really know why, but I don't think this season will be the struggle that everyone's making it out to be. Even if (when) we lose Long, I have a feeling that Church will up his game from playing regularly and Manset is capable of poaching goals. I'm hoping we can get 30 goals out of these two. I think Obita will be a very good player for us this season, and he seems to be a real prospect.

We still have two of the best wingers in the league in Kebe and McAnuff, with Robson-Kanu looking decent after last season. We also possess a good midfield with two tireless ball winners in Leigertwood and Karacan. OK, you can argue that our biggest weakness is in defence, but hopefully a combination of Pearce and Morrison/Harte/new signing will be strong enough to resist most teams. Cummings and Griffin are good enough at RB, and if we bring in a centre-back and a left-back, we'd be alright.

I still believe that we have a good squad capable of achieving something this season. I reckon Leicester will be moving around the playoffs instead of demolishing the league as everyone's predicting and I can't really see West Ham tearing the league up either. I reckon Birmingham could still do a job, but I'm tipping us for a similar campaign to last season. After all, no one thought we'd do anything decent this time last year, did they?

[Ian Royal]

Positives:
Leigertwood signed.
McAnuff staying.
HRK staying.
Good money for Mills.
McAnuff captain.
Manset looks fitter.
The opportunity to replace Mills with a player who is a "better fit" for what we need.
Long still here so far.
Kebe still here so far.

I think we're shaping up for a decent season and am quite excited, compared to last season when I recall starting to feel like I just didn't care anymore. Perhaps not the highs or lows of the last three, but decent.

Of course it all depends on what happens over the next two months.

[Libertine]

The positive feeling I have right now is we haven't sold anyone else yet. The longer that trend continues the more positive I will feel.

[loyalroyal4life]

Top 8 this season would be an overachievement, the league is so much stronger this year

[Terminal Boardom]

I am confident that with provided Long and Kebe stay that we will be ok. Not overly optimistic on making the play offs but not pessimistic on there being a season long struggle to avoid the drop. Top ten finish beckons. Hopefully, we won't have to wait for any January panic buys if things do look bad. I would much prefer to see the squad strengthened at the back during this window.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Ask me first when the season starts, then again on August 31st.

[Snowball]

Still 49 days of the transfer window to go. Too many variables.

Noticed on SSN that the Birmingham League-Cup winning side has been dismantled, so they may not be so obviously promotion material.

Leicester seem to be buying players for fun, but can you really gel a totally new team that quickly?

My view is that even if we lose Long and Kebe we'll be top half.

If we keep them and buy a CB/LB we have a fantastic chance of top six IF we start well

[Emmer Green Royal]

RFC has spent most of its life bouncing between the 2nd and 3rd tiers of English football. But since 2005 that has all changed.

05/06 Champions (Championship)
06/07 8th (Premier)
07/08 relegated (Premier), one more point and we'd have stayed up
08/09 Play-off semi, we'd have been promoted if we'd won our last game
09/10 9th (Championship)
10/11 Play-off final, we'd have been promoted

We've had 2 seasons in the top league and been very unlucky not to spend more time there. Whatever the keyboard warriors may say, the current regime knows what it is doing.

Anyone feeling positive? Yes!

[Victor Meldrew]

THe last time I felt positive pre-season was ahead of that first Premier League year.
I felt that we had a Premier side in waiting and that the likes of Doyle,Kitson,Little and Sidwell would be at home in the Premier League.
Today I am looking at a starting line-up that could include Hunt,Church,HRK,Pearce and Harte and I'm thinking no better than mid-table and a very long way from the Premier League.

Last season the team surpassed expectations by a long way so it COULD happen again.
Confident?No
Positive?No
Hopeful?as always but no more than hopeful.

[Royalwaster]

My biggest concern is that Long will get sold after the season starts and we won't have time or inclination to bring anyone in to replace him. With him in the team and a CB coming in, I'd say we should be OK although it will be tough - you have to remember that quite a few teams that did badly last year, started to improve significantly towards the end of the season. And the teams coming up such as Brighton and Southampton will also do well I think. My guess is we'll finish 12th-15th ...

[Bacon Double Cheese]

Feeling confident and looking forward to the first game. I have complete faith in Sir Brian

[PEARCEY]

If we don't lose Long we will have a great chance of going up next season.

[andrew1957]

I will feel a lot more positive when I know the CB problem has been addressed.

Apart form that it all depends on Long and Kebe. Keep both of them and we are promotion contenders - lose both of them and we will most likely finish about 12-18th I would think.

A few points here and there will make a lot of difference next season.

[Broxroyal]

Agree with Andrew. Sort out the centre back situation ,by the start of the season not August 31st, and I'll be happy.
I would have been pleased enough to have Zurab and Pearce, with Morrison and Ivar as cover but there we are.
Centre back is too important to take risks with bits and pieces players.

[floyd__streete]

I am positive that we won't do remotely as well as we did last season.

[fester_royal]

Ask me on the 31st of august... Right now I'm just frustrated at the news of no replacement for mills

[Arch]

I am positive that we won't do remotely as well as we did last season.

Hah! So your attitude about this season is the same as it was about last season. No surprise there.

Relentlessly positive here, as I'll continue to be until the team consistently disappoint on the pitch.

[brendywendy]

^^ yes, yes. thats the ticket.

[Big Ern]

If we keep hold of what we have (Highly Unlikely) and add a Central Defender, then we might do OK. By OK I mean upper mid table and maybe flirting with the playoffs at times during the season.

Just a shame while we are standing still, others in the division are moving forward.

[rhroyal]

Even if Long stays, can he be relied upon to reach the heights of last season? We need another centre back and a proper challenger for Harte too. If all this happens, we can have a decent go again. Our midfield is looking very good so long as we keep Kebe.