villabromsgrove Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 It's impossible to predict a finishing position until we know whether we've learned the lessons from last summer's haphazard buying spree. I hope that we have, but I'll reserve my prediction until after we've signed the four or five first team players that we really need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 went for 12-13 - which is being positive, but could be 14-15 either. We can hope that we get the right signings, everything clicks, and we have no injuries, hit the ground running, and maybe we can be that surprise team that contends for7th or 8th, but the likelihood is we are going to be in amidst plenty of other clubs battling for bid table. Having a stress free final month or two in terms of the relegation battle would be a big plus. There'll be about 10 clubs with the same aims as us so it won't be easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 Will be lucky to not finish bottom, three teams that have come up are stronger than the ones that have gone down, we've just barely survived on 35 points as one of the worst teams that has ever survived, we improved towards the end but we don't know how much of that was down to the circumstances of playing behind closed doors and the lack of intensity that comes with that and teams having nothing to play for. Only being linked to championship and relegated players, some of them might be good individual players, but two or three of those types aren't going to transform us from being one of the worst teams in the league to suddenly being comfortably midtable. Hard to see past another season of struggle unless we show some ambition, which doesn't look like happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaFaninLondon Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 I'm being optimistic somewhat and voted 12-13. I do think we'll spend a fair bit again as the owners have said (think it may even be more than £100mil) but I'm unsure how good the quality of player will be. I think Konsa, Mings, Luiz, Jack and McGinn are five very good players for this league and if we can add some goals to the team and an extra bit of quality in certain areas we should be comfortable. But I say this with still a few doubts about the manager, but he did impress me in the final few games and I hope he carries that on into next season. I don't think any of the promoted sides (maybe Leeds as an exception) will do too well, Sheffield United I think will struggle next season, and the likes of Palace, Burnley, Newcastle, Brighton and Southampton are all teams we should be aiming to finish above. So the aim should certainly be to finish in the upper reaches of bottom half, I'll be very disappointed if we really struggle again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaFaninLondon Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 35 minutes ago, useless said: Will be lucky to not finish bottom, three teams that have come up are stronger than the ones that have gone down, we've just barely survived on 35 points as one of the worst teams that has ever survived, we improved towards the end but we don't know how much of that was down to the circumstances of playing behind closed doors and the lack of intensity that comes with that and teams having nothing to play for. Only being linked to championship and relegated players, some of them might be good individual players, but two or three of those types aren't going to transform us from being one of the worst teams in the league to suddenly being comfortably midtable. Hard to see past another season of struggle unless we show some ambition, which doesn't look like happening. I definitely see a lack of ambition too, I suspect that a lot of it is to do with Smith, which is why I was wary of keeping him on despite him kind of pulling off a miracle in the final weeks keeping us up. He did seem to have learned in the last few weeks from his mistakes, but we can't say for sure how much that was down to the teams we played having nothing to play for and not putting the effort in. I like Dean but I see him like so many of our managers down the years as very meh and I really want us to push the boat out for a big management appointment who can bring in the talent we need. Our last big name appointment was 10 years ago when we appointed Houllier, and even then we appointed him 5-10 years too late. I hope the fears are dissipated over the coming weeks when we bring in big name signings and hit the ground running when the season starts - we can live in hope. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post briny_ear Posted September 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted September 12, 2020 Important we hang on to that Europa League slot now. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-R Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 I think there is still much more players we need to buy to be able to penetrate the top half a table. Just because we got a couple of new players means we may well improve but i think some are expecting miracles. I think we needed to buy more than Cash and Watkins, we simply needed some depth in the squad. Whether we look at our bench or those that would come into the bench,we really have to buy more players. I also do not think we will use youth as much as I hope we do and should do. This could help Bed youth in and give them experience all while helping first eleven players get abit of rest. Using youth will also allow us to have more of a randomness to games and does at the depth we need. I think we will make 14th or 15th, we may yet progress on that if we bring additional signings in come January... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer24 Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 My prediction is crudely based on incomings assuming no major injuries or departures. No signings... 18th With Cash... 18th And with Watkins 16th And with Martinez 12th and with Rashica/Benrahma 11th and with Buendia/RM 10th So currently I predict 16th. Get Martinez in and I think that will be huge as we've been so weak there (even Reina didn't cover himself in glory) and 12th is obtainable. Add a few more bits of quality and maybe even sneak top half. I don't think anything higher is obtainable without a far bigger overhaul than we could/should do. I'll take steady improvement over recklessness any day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junxs Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Which three miserable gits voted bottom 3??! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenfly Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Looking at what we have and who were linked with now, I'm saying 12-13. I'd take 14-15 though, it would be a nice improvement. You never know of course, Watkins + Grealish could be the best combination in the history of the league for all we know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvonVillain Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 1 hour ago, Junxs said: Which three miserable gits voted bottom 3??! Two were probably Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton, who both think we'll be relegated this season. Ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 I think the target should be to try and reach 45 points. That would be a 10 point improvement from last season and should get you about 12th or 13th. That would be our best season for 10 years. I know it is not a very exciting aspiration to be a deeply mediocre team in a premier league but lets be honest that would be a significant improvement from the last decade! I can't see a top half at present we have still a long way to go to get that. We need another season of progression before that imo. 12 to about 14th I would see as a 'good' season. 15 to 16th acceptable. 17th would be disappointing and I don't even want to think of anything below that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enda Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 12 hours ago, Junxs said: Which three miserable gits voted bottom 3??! I think we'll survive, but in fairness the bookies are putting us solidly in a relegation scrap. And they're rarely far off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zab6359 Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, Enda said: I think we'll survive, but in fairness the bookies are putting us solidly in a relegation scrap. And they're rarely far off. Right now I agree, but I guess this poll should be run again after the transfer window closes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 This season we have to keep the ball better. Some of our players really need to relax a bit more and enjoy the games. If we get the signings we've been seriously linked to in the last few days I can see us finishing a comfortable 14th. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 5 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said: This season we have to keep the ball better. Some of our players really need to relax a bit more and enjoy the games. If we get the signings we've been seriously linked to in the last few days I can see us finishing a comfortable 14th. See, I think higher because we.... Are more experienced - will hold on to winning positions better Better defensively - see above Better striker and incoming better wingers Last year it was very fine lines between 17th and 14th most of it could just have gone our way. The manager is now more experienced and is naturally attack minded so with a solid back line and no Nyland, it will be a fine line between 14th and 8/9th, I can see us being 10th 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 Just now, Phil Silvers said: See, I think higher because we.... Are more experienced - will hold on to winning positions better Better defensively - see above Better striker and incoming better wingers Last year it was very fine lines between 17th and 14th most of it could just have gone our way. The manager is now more experienced and is naturally attack minded so with a solid back line and no Nyland, it will be a fine line between 14th and 8/9th, I can see us being 10th I think with the exception of the Tesco bags and Fulham the premier is going to be stronger this season. That's why I've gone with a pessimistic prediction. We need the likes of Trez and AEG to be better that way our first team will be good. If the second string are weak the standards will drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 I think the points tally between whoever finishes 10th and 15th/16th isn't going to be more than 6 or 7 points. It's going to be a bunched up mid table with lots of investment going into these sides, so a bit of luck can be the difference between top half and finishing closing to the drop. Looking at provisional signings, and factoring in the development we showed in our defensive resilience, I feel we have a good chance of being able to nick those extra points to take us into genuine competition for a top half finish. Nothing's guaranteed, and we might still have a good season and finish 14th, we'll have to see. But, and admittedly it's always easier to be positive when we don't play football , I'd back us to finish above West Brom, West Ham ( they were dire yesterday ), Fulham, Newcastle, Brighton, Burnley, Crystal Palace Sheff United - can they do it again? tough ask - and be in the pack with the likes of Leeds and Southampton, neither whom we should fear or elevate too highly. I mean, We have invested, we now have a year's experience. Burnley, Palace, Sheffield etc will be solid and tough to beat again, but honestly there's nothing really to fear. Hell, spurs look abysmal under jose, they could slide back. If we get the players we're linked with, I'd be looking at us gunning for top half as the aim, falling back to 12th or 13th at worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PussEKatt Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 I agree with Villafaninlondon.I think our biggest problem is that DS is too inexperianced for the PL.IMHO the reason we stayed up last season was because the players did not want to get relegated and get a drop in wages etc etc.I think the players kept us up,not DS.I still remember his strange tactics,substitutions and especially not getting the best out of the players. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 On 13/09/2020 at 13:32, AvonVillain said: Two were probably Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton, who both think we'll be relegated this season. Ridiculous. How is it 'ridiculous' to think we will be relegated? We stayed up on the last day of the season. Some perspective - there are 9 teams in this league of 20 who have, cumulatively, an approximately 0% chance of relegation. That means 3 from the remaining 11 will go down. Opinions can differ about which teams it will be, but the sheer narrowness of the possibilities means none of the possible combinations are 'ridiculous'. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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