Well another season of something and nothing. Having just arrived back in from the moors game I have got to say wrongly or rightly but today we where a very good outfield 5 aside team but the rest just not good enough. (excluding the keeper of course who we know is one of the top keepers at this level.) Three very bad judgments made this year that stand out and they are, Jamo, Bimbo and Harbo. It’s a such a shame that these guys never stayed and alongside the couple of good guys we brought in along with a centre half alongside Abler and a Gott or Huggins brought in and we could have had a great season, still there’s always next season. In one word disappointing

Our points total shows how little progess has been made from last season:

2011/12 - 59 points. (Current management's second season).
2010/11 - 57 points. (Current management's first season).
2009/10 - 59 points. (Chris Rooney's first and only full season as manager. We won the Durham Challenge Cup again).
2008/09 - 47 points. (Chris Rooney took over part-way through the season. We won the Durham Challenge Cup).

Chris Rooney was able to gain 12 points from one season to the next (admittedly from a lower base), but we have only gained two this season. We have won nothing in those two seasons as well. We are back where we were when the current management took over, but with a less talented team.

I agree that Harbron and Magowan were huge losses. We really missed Harbron's consistency and leadership, and Magowan's goals. Magowan was still our second top goalscorer this season, even though he left the club at the beginning of November. To lose a player of his quality, purely because he was not getting enough games was a real backwards step. I don't understand why the team was not being built around the likes of Harbron and Magowan.

What worries me for next season is that if the management really think we only need to add 2 or 3 players (as they have said) to challenge next season, then they are living in a dream world. We would need 7-8 new players in the first team to challenge for a top six place. Our poor results against the top teams (even excluding the humilitation of a 9-1 defeat at West Auckland) show that all too clearly.

The narrative we are being fed of constant improvement does not hold up against the facts. We lost 9 of our last 12 league games this season. We lost more games than we won this season. We are hugely dependent on Danny Earl's goals (only Magowan, who left, reached double figures apart from Earl). We were beaten 9-1 by a team this season (Stokesley only had two worse results this seaon and they finished bottom of the league with 4 points). We conceded more goals this season than last season.

We could very easily end up in a relegation battle next season if big changes are not made.

Think Davy C and Synners83 have got it spot on, we are only a mediocre mid table team, we have been for a couple of seasons now, it must be disappointing as I have noticed a drop in fans at the recent home games, the whole team needs an overhaul, lowest point for me was the results over Easter.

Fair points on some things lads, some unfair i feel.

I do believe the foundations are in place for us to kick on another level next season.
Top 6 might be another season down the road, but top 8 is definately not out the question.

For me we have missed Bettsy & Nath who have suffered from injury, also Curtis at times with injury.
Matty Crossen had done great in midfield and having to play him at RB was a big miss in the midfield towards the end of season.

The signing of Henry was a good one and he will only get better.
Danny Mac has steadily improved all year and will be better again for the experience. These are young lads just starting out and still learning their trade!

We do lack a cutting edge up front and havnt killed teams off when we've been on top in games. Bimbo went, I was disappointed too and hope that area will be looked at.

Finished in the top half, 5th round of the Vase (very unlucky not to get to the quarters), highest league position for 4 seasons (albeit still mid table), More league games won than the previous three seasons also. Plenty to build on.

Yes the easter weekend hurt, the West defeat numbing. The two lows of the season for me too.

The away performances at Aycliffe and Runcorn (wave after wave of Synners attacks was breathless to watch) and the second half against the Bay at home gave us a glimpse of what we can achieve when it all clicks into place.
Wasnt enough of these performances over the season though, maybe the youthfulness of the side again, which they will only learn from and be more consistent.

All in all, for me, there are more positives than negatives and I have really enjoyed the style of football that we are playing.
I'm under no illusions that some things need to be improved. I believe they will. Rome wasnt built in a day.

PS. also the top Teesside team.

#thesynnersway

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Here is my point of view based on the games i have seen and knowing the league and alot of the players over many years and having coached until i couldnt anymore. Reading the comments so far i have to say Paolo you make the most sense and you sum up well, but i also agree with the odd comment from others particularly on the strikers front only. In fact i would say if we had two decent strikers this season we would have finished top 8 'easily' because in the main thats been the actaul downfall ... finding the net. Yes top team in Teesside and that coupled with the way the team are trying to play is why I come to watch.

We may have benefited from keeping one or two of the experienced players and i think losing Keo was a loss after 10 games as he had the ability to pick a good pass and was strong for a young lad. We have a really young side and we tried to play good football which i would rather watch anyday rather than have a team lumping the ball long time after time. I agree we are 3 possibly 4 players short (centre back, two strikers and maybe an older head in the middle) ... 7 or 8 players i dont think so, not foe me. Also where do you think we are on budgets !

We do have several young guns starting out and many of them aint played in this league before, or as many games in a season. At the back (& midfield) we have 4 players in the 19/20 bracket in Josh, Dan, Curt and Phil. Josh is a good keeper and will learn again from this season, and for me Curtis was one of the top players until he picked up a few injuries and Dan has improved throughout, Phil also chipping in when called upon. In midfield Chay always excites and is getting stronger, Ross and Shane are showing well and Jamie has showed good signs. Also Hillers, Matty C, Betts, Earl are still fairly young!

I think there are more positives than negatives. We should of won the two games over easter, two draws against guisboro ... we were two wins off 9th and we did tail off towards the end which was disappointing i agree. I could write more but 'until next season' is my last words oh and also Fantastic Website

i agree with synners83 and davey c the management let to many good lads go and with abla earl crossen and emms all looking for new clubs there gonna have to bring a lot of players in during the summer

emms and abla wont leave synners im sure. i know theres good lads out there who are interested in synners because of the football they play, only thing is will campbell and baker grab all the good lads at norton if they ahve a budget.

Have cambell and baker got the Norton job.