I’ve gotta be honest…

[SmudgetheClaret]

Yes I was proper gutted after the NC game but now with the buzz around VK coming and other rumours I’m actually more excited than if we were once again staring at list of Prem survival fixtures… UTC

[tiger76]

My feelings for the coming season, intrigue and nerves, we just don't know what to expect, which is exciting in itself, but too much excitement isn't good for the blood pressure.

All going to plan I'll manage to attend some home fixtures, and it'll be my 1st time on the turf in over 30 years, so that'll be a novel experience for me anyway.

A few new signings coming through the door will give everyone a welcome boost, as right now there's far too much doom and gloom on this forum.

[Billy Balfour]

My expectations aren't high. We are going through a rebuild, so I'm ruling out promotion for this season. What I am expecting is exciting football and a good, strong and safe mid-table finish. Anything else will be a bonus. It's next season when I expect the goods to be delivered. Can't wait for the new season to begin.

[lakedistrictclaret]

I have to agree with you three above.
I"m looking forward to this season much more than the last two or three.

[DCWat]

My feelings for the coming season, intrigue and nerves, we just don't know what to expect, which is exciting in itself, but too much excitement isn't good for the blood pressure.

All going to plan I'll manage to attend some home fixtures, and it'll be my 1st time on the turf in over 30 years, so that'll be a novel experience for me anyway.

A few new signings coming through the door will give everyone a welcome boost, as right now there's far too much doom and gloom on this forum.

Hadn’t realised that you didn’t go on to games, Tiger.

Fingers crossed you get back this season.

[DCWat]

My expectations aren't high. We are going through a rebuild, so I'm ruling out promotion for this season. What I am expecting is exciting football and a good, strong and safe mid-table finish. Anything else will be a bonus. It's next season when I expect the goods to be delivered. Can't wait for the new season to begin.

I’m expecting / wanting promotion this season, that really needs to be the target, particularly from a financial perspective. Each season away the more difficult it becomes.

[BurnleyFC]

I think we need to bounce back at the first time of asking or we’ll be ******.

Keeping everything crossed that we can, and that’s not because I’m particularly desperate for Premier League football again, just the massive windfall it gives us.

[warksclaret]

Its strange-we experienced relegation from the PL, which was hard to take. We then lose Tarks, Mee, imminently Pope, more than likely Cornet and Collins,and one or two others, we are in debt, yet I have not been as excited since we finished 7th and qualified for the Europa Cup. Plus we are being linked with some very promising players. Can wait to see what our starting 11 will be in 6 weeks

[Smile]

Blimey, talk about pessimism. Mid-table position? That would be a bloody awful season.

[fidelcastro]

Blimey, talk about pessimism. Mid-table position? That would be a bloody awful season.

It would, and the calls for kompany to be sacked would be vociferous on here, if we're not at least in or around the play off positions.

[boatshed bill]

Blimey, talk about pessimism. Mid-table position? That would be a bloody awful season.

Not if an obvious strategy was there to be seen.
If we were to go straight back up we'd be taking quite a number of our relegation squad with us...
not such a good idea.

[Billy Balfour]

Blimey, talk about pessimism. Mid-table position? That would be a bloody awful season.

I'm being realistic. I know enough about football to realise you rarely get success overnight. We have a new manager who will need bedding in, and hopefully, by the time the season starts, we'll have the nucleus of a new team/squad.

I'll settle for a mid-table finish as long as the football is entertaining. It's the one after where I expect us to push on.

If our very existence is staked on gaining promotion this season, then we might as well give up enjoying football and spend our time sitting in our seats worrying about what the future will bring if we don't go up.

Well, I'm not prepared to do that. I want to be entertained, I want escapism. I want to enjoy my match days while not fretting about the club's account sheets. Surely it's not too much to ask.

[boatshed bill]

I'm being realistic. I know enough about football to realise you rarely get success overnight. We have a new manager who will need bedding in, and hopefully, by the time the season starts, we'll have the nucleus of a new team/squad.

I'll settle for a mid-table finish as long as the football is entertaining. It's the one after where I expect us to push on.

If our very existence is staked on gaining promotion this season, then we might as well give up enjoying football and spend our time sitting in our seats worrying about what the future will bring if we don't go up.

Well, I'm not prepared to do that. I want to be entertained, I want escapism. I want to enjoy my match days while not fretting about the club's account sheets. Surely it's not too much to ask.

Spot on, Billy.
This obsession with finance does my swede in.

[tiger76]

Hadn’t realised that you didn’t go on to games, Tiger.

Fingers crossed you get back this season.

Planned a few trips, and they kept falling through for a variety of reasons, so I give up trying.

Hope to get to some Saturday fixtures now my work pattern has changed, but that might depend what's happening with the goddamn trains.

Midweek games are probably out as that would involve staying over, or arriving back in Glasgow at a crazy time of the morning.

And with the greatest will in the world the thought of travelling that distance for say Luton on a cold winter's evening isn't exactly appealing.

[Spike]

I want us to do well it really does mean so much to me but I am really nervous. So much has gone wrong under ALK.
We can’t mess about at the end of windows and lose out on Orsic like players
We can’t keep leaving things to the last minute . Pre season games , announcing back room staff why does everything have to be such hard work
One minute there is some hope then it’s Pope going for less than his worth
Maybe ALK will wake up and get their collective fingers out let’s hope so

[boatshed bill]

I want us to do well it really does mean so much to me but I am really nervous. So much has gone wrong under ALK.

One minute there is some hope then it’s Pope going for less than his worth

I can only imagine that, whatever the offer might be, the club is happy to accept it.
Perhaps as a goodwill gesture to a player who has served the club at the very highest standard.

[ClaretPete001]

I'm being realistic. I know enough about football to realise you rarely get success overnight. We have a new manager who will need bedding in, and hopefully, by the time the season starts, we'll have the nucleus of a new team/squad.

I'll settle for a mid-table finish as long as the football is entertaining. It's the one after where I expect us to push on.

If our very existence is staked on gaining promotion this season, then we might as well give up enjoying football and spend our time sitting in our seats worrying about what the future will bring if we don't go up.

Well, I'm not prepared to do that. I want to be entertained, I want escapism. I want to enjoy my match days while not fretting about the club's account sheets. Surely it's not too much to ask.

Losing with 2,000 away fans taking the p*ss is not entertaining I'd rather win ugly.

If VK has any sense he'll ignore the BS and do a Dyche. Invest in a hard working side that wins - shuts the away fans up and gives us something to sing about.

[dsr]

Spot on, Billy.
This obsession with finance does my swede in.

As the wise man said, "Having money isn't important. But not having money, that can be very important indeed!"

[boatshed bill]

Losing with 2,000 away fans taking the p*ss is not entertaining I'd rather win ugly.

If VK has any sense he'll ignore the BS and do a Dyche. Invest in a hard working side that wins - shuts the away fans up and gives us something to sing about.

I sometimes wonder why people watch football...
or any sport TBH

[Jimmymaccer]

Looking forward to winning the odd game, derbies a plenty, Tuesday in the howling rain……………not seeing million pound players rolling around, screaming, surrounding the ref, managers howling about the grass, the sprinklers, that they only had 5 internationals on the bench who were fatigued due to playing in their own international cups (despite travel only me and you could ever dream of)…….no point (at all) of MOTD…and we might try in a cup game. The inevitable super league……..And more.

Can’t wait, F’kem.

[clive40golf]

I’ll miss seeing some of the greatest players in the world grace the Turf. Some of the goals we’ve seen, either for or against. Some of the movement on and off the ball. But most of all seeing some of the stuck up arseholes whinging and crying when we beat them.
Hopefully we have a great season, play some great football, dig up some hidden Gems, go on a 25 match unbeaten streak and get straight back into the thick of it.
UTC

[RVclaret]

Losing with 2,000 away fans taking the p*ss is not entertaining I'd rather win ugly.

If VK has any sense he'll ignore the BS and do a Dyche. Invest in a hard working side that wins - shuts the away fans up and gives us something to sing about.

You genuinely should go and support the next club Dyche goes to. That way you ease your daily battle against worrying about the finances and you get to watch ugly percentage based football. Could be good for your health.

[Guitargeorge]

I’m in the “we are where we are” bracket. Like many on here I have seen the highs and the lows. I have seen us at the very top of the pile in 1960. I have seen us in Europe three times, I have suffered relegation as “the team of the seventies”. I danced on the terraces at Deepdale when that incredible team got us back up again. Like many, I suffered through the 70’s and 80’s. I was part of a crowd that would have fit into the Cat’s Whiskers and I rejoiced in 1987 when we secured our future. I witnessed a roller coaster ride under Jimmy Mullin, Heath, Waddle et al and I enjoyed the Stan years. I witnessed us back in the top flight for the first time in decades (for a lot of Clarets, the first time ever). I suffered the end of a disappointing first season as Judas left us for the team “ten years ahead of Burnley”. And then for just short of ten years, I have enjoyed the journey that Sean took us on. Some of the football in that time was neither pretty nor enjoyable, but we ate at the top table. Our small mill town was famous once again. Now we have a new era dawning and if VK rolls out his promises, we have an exciting future. Realistically, I think that we have to prepare ourselves for stabilisation and promotion may well not be on the cards this year. I am a Claret, always have been, always will be. I will enjoy a new brand of entertainment on the Turf, I am sure of that. UTC

[Smile]

Well, I think being realistic is a top 6 finish. Optimistic is top 2.

[RVclaret]

Well, I think being realistic is a top 6 finish. Optimistic is top 2.

My view too. Minimum aim has to be top 6. Let’s see what transfer business we do and I’ll be able to comment on the likelihood.

[Top Claret]

Not to optimistic personally with all our best players leaving.

If rumours are anything to go by we appear to be scratching around the lower leagues for bargains that we hope can step up a level

[bobinho]

I want us to do well it really does mean so much to me but I am really nervous. So much has gone wrong under ALK.
We can’t mess about at the end of windows and lose out on Orsic like players
We can’t keep leaving things to the last minute . Pre season games , announcing back room staff why does everything have to be such hard work
One minute there is some hope then it’s Pope going for less than his worth
Maybe ALK will wake up and get their collective fingers out let’s hope so

A wind up surely?

[leelad]

After nine and a half years, there's going to be some upheaval and uncertainty in moving on from the Dyche era. Most teams in this division will regard beating Burnley as a scalp and it won't be a surprise to see some of them changing their formations to stifle what will hopefully be a change in our play and tactics from our time in the Prem. I'm looking forward to the new season, just to watch games without that sense of predictability that we may lose or fall short, to see lots of smiles on fellow Clarets faces and a team which sets out to give us a style of football which is pleasing in the eye (might not always happen mind!). The Championship is an endurance test and the teams who are best equipped to deal with this will come good like they do each season. I'm hoping for a top six finish and a potential trip out to Wembley in the playoffs. Might be a stretch to go up automatically.

[boatshed bill]

Not to optimistic personally with all our best players leaving.

Only 2 that really matter as yet.

[Lancasterclaret]

I think I'll be more excited in July to be honest!

[Belgianclaret]

It's going to be a huge ask.

But otherwise, I'm looking forward to the new team format and also to the fast succession of games.

We had a bad start under the Scottish "leg end", and also a barren patch under SD (I think ending with the defeat at Hull), but a strong run somewhere during the season can always put us in contention.

[Billy Balfour]

I sometimes wonder why people watch football...
or any sport TBH

Same here.

[KRBFC]

I agree, I'm excited to see new players come in under VK, hopefully a new refreshing style of play.

[Billy Balfour]

Also, I've yet to see "away fans taking the p*ss" after a defeat when we have watched our lads give 100% and play good football, and I've been going to away games since I was ten back in 1988.