Bury FC blogger Peter Taylor (@BuryMeInExile on twitter) is hoping that the Shakers than re-group in League Two after they abject offering of 2017/18…
Last season was…
The worst Bury have ever had on the pitch, especially in the era of three points awarded for a win. The gap between even the most conservative of expectations pre-2017/2018 (top half) and the reality, relegation with a whimper in 24th (a position the Shakers had hitherto never finished in), has left a taste in the collective mouths of fans that will be extremely hard to shift. It’s true that Lee Clark wasn’t exactly universally loved from the moment he sat in the dugout, but with the vaunted signings he’d been backed to employ in the close season, there was every reason to suspect they’d do well, even if it was in spite of his lack of tactical acumen. However, it quickly became clear that he didn’t have the wherewithal to manage the squad on or off the pitch, and the atmosphere turned sour. His outburst the day before the summer transfer deadline day was farcical, and set the tone for the rest of the campaign. An abject failure to suitably replace the injured Jermaine Beckford (who was on the sidelines in October), or organise the ever-changing defence properly, meant demotion to League Two had an air of inevitability surrounding it, weeks before it was confirmed. Chris Lucketti belatedly replaced Clark, and was gone almost as soon as he arrived. Ryan Lowe took caretaker charge once more, and was damning in his assessment of some of the senior pros, leaning heavily on academy graduates to salvage a shred of dignity from an insipid year.
This season will be different because…
It just has to be, one way or another. Expectations are muted amongst the fanbase as a whole, which is unsurprising, as they’ve bitten too many times to count in recent times. Lowe was confirmed as permanent boss in the nascent days of the close season, and his passion and enthusiasm for Bury cannot be questioned. Again, his mastery of the more cerebral side of the game is largely unproven. The roster remains too large, despite pledges to cut the overall contingent. Assuming that stays the same with a little over a week until the earlier closing of the window, he must show he’s cannier with rotating them than the previous incumbents, as well proving he can adapt his game-plan against wildly varying setups by their opponents.
This summer’s transfer business has been…
‘Under the radar’ would be the best way of describing it. The most headline-grabbing name is Nicky Adams, and this will be his third spell at the club. His ability has never been in question, but it remains to be seen whether he can remain injury-free for at least a large proportion of the upcoming season. Nine others have agreed terms: Chris Dagnall is someone Lowe knows well from their striking partnership at Crewe, and his experience up top could be vital with Beckford not ready for the start. Byron Moore is a pacey right winger, but beyond that, I question the reasoning behind him being brought here. Matthew Hudson has every chance of featuring more than Joe Murphy during his loan spell, and I suspect that was the agreement made with Preston to allow him to make the loan switch. Tom Miller and Chris Stokes are steady presences at right and left-back respectively, and both of them should start. Will Aimson provides competition at centre back for his former teammate Tom Aldred, and I have the feeling the former will oust the latter from Gigg Lane. Dom Telford was fondly thought of during his time at Bristol Rovers on loan last season, and his strong left-foot gives a more balanced complexion to the forward line. Jordan Archer can operate through the middle or on the right, and I think he’ll more often than not feature from the bench in the first several months. Gold Omotayo has a flashy name, and might just be someone who becomes a cult figure in time. He has the height, speed and touch, but it’s not a small step up from being a semi-pro at Whitehawk. He, and several others, might take their time to show their ability.
As for outs, there simply haven’t been enough of them. Chris Maguire is the biggest name, but ideally, several others who don’t want to be here will follow of him out the door. Time is ticking.
My expectation for the coming season is….
For Bury to win more league games than they lose. That’s the absolute minimum I can accept. Any talk of promotion back at the first time of asking looks a little far-fetched at the time of writing. By the same token, so too does some of the doom-mongering, some of which is based on an indifferent pre-season. I am prepared to accept ‘back to basics’ and consolidation in League Two, as long as there are some moments of excitement along the way, and when they do fall to defeat, the other team has to really earn it, and not feel as they’ve been given the three points all too easily.
If my team were a food they would be…
An artisan loaf of bread that hasn’t yet been ‘proven’. There are some novel ‘ingredients’ in the dough, that might delight the discerning palette. However, like the best dishes, it doesn’t immediately sate a person’s hunger or taste buds. Instead, it lingers and keeps slowly yielding its various textures and tastes long after the first mouthful has been swallowed. Whether all the elements will come together is largely dependent on the ‘baker’, who must be given time and space to work in and show his qualities, be they many or few.
I think the best bury can hope for is to stay in League 2. Although league 2 is more befitting a club of burys size. In order to progress they simply need a much larger fan base. I watched bury first in 1992 in front of 3000 fans… not much has changed