nick76 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Obviously in various threads we are talking and disagreeing about how this season has ended, talking about summer transfers etc. The point of this thread is just gauge peoples views, hopes, expectations for next season before the summer transfer window is open. I have today just renewed my season ticket and I have no clue what I’m expecting next season. This is not targeting SG, Lange, Purslow, the owners or the players individually. It’s looking at all of them now as a group before the transfer window opens because it will all play a part from the owners spending money, a number of them choosing the right players, then the coaching of those players and probably players leaving. My questions are As of today before the window opens (or just at the start of it) where do you think we should be aiming for league position wise next season? If not achieved what would be acceptable and what wouldn’t be acceptable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted May 21, 2022 Author Share Posted May 21, 2022 My answers 1) Aim for European placed football 2) Acceptable - being close to European placed football position Not acceptable - bottom half of the table finish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 (edited) Really difficult to say right now, as we dont know who the incoming players will be, but i will say: 1) "IF" we sign 4-6 players that actually improve us by a fair amount, we need to realistically be aiming for top 10, possibly top 8 depending on who these players are, and if they are successful signings. 2) "IF" we sign 5-6 mind blowingly good players, who are next level signings, and are successful signings, who knows, maybe top 6 could be a stretch target. 3) If we dont sign any improvements, or the signings turn out to be no better than what we have right now, i will say we can expect the 11th to 15th range again (ie: i dont think we currently have any more than 5-6 players in the entire squad, who are 100% top 6, 8 or 10 quality, so if we dont improve, we will be bottom half again, imo). Edited May 21, 2022 by MaVilla 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ender4 Posted May 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted May 21, 2022 (edited) Target - 7th. Acceptable - 7th. Unacceptable - Not strongly challenging for 7th. This assumes we will get transfer reinforcements this summer. But even with our current squad, being more settled, a proper pre-season, a settled manager, I’d expect us to be much better in the new season and being 9-10th. All we had to do this season was beat Watford twice to be 10th. Edited May 21, 2022 by ender4 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 8th to 12th depending on signings and injuries If we play some cohesive football that looks like we have a plan, a plan that will actually work and that players can buy in to, whilst also bringing in another 1 or 2 youngsters then I can accept the bottom end of that scale with the belief that the foundations are set for the year after Obviously I'd like us to do well in the cups too but that's luck of the draw, I can accept 10th and being knocked out of the cup away to man City, can't accept being knocked out at home to Port Vale Also hard to tell what the WC will do to us and everyone next year but that's not an excuse as it is everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark Albrighton Posted May 21, 2022 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted May 21, 2022 The target should be 1st. I think the idea is to go into each match with the aim of winning it. Therefore 1st is the target that you should be ultimately aiming for. Of course, I know that isn’t realistic. The realistic target should be 7th/8th. Being the best of the rest. Or the worst of the best. What’s acceptable or unacceptable, it’s a bit trickier to say. If we finished 10th but only two or three points off 7th, it would be unfair to offer too much criticism. A cup win would negate a lower placed league finish. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaHatesMe Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 (edited) My questions are 1) As of today before the window opens (or just at the start of it) where do you think we should be aiming for league position wise next season? Top half. I know there will be plenty of talk about competing for Europe, and I think that would have been a realistic goal for next season had we not sold Grealish. That's a move that resets the counter a bit, as it takes more than two windows to restructure a team that was built around one player for the most part. I also think that we're too easily overlooking how many teams there are between us and those spots. City and Liverpool will still be City and Liverpool. Chelsea is a question mark, but it's hard to imagine it falls off a cliff. Spurs will improve if they hang onto Conte. Arsenal is improving. West Ham, Brighton, Palace and Wolverhampton are all formidable teams we need to be beating regularly to get to Europe, and while that's possible, it's still not likely. I think Leicester is going to continue slipping. So, long story short, without knowing who we're signing, Europe is likely a bridge too far. This could change by August. I'd also very much enjoy a cup run. Whether Carabao or FA. Don't have to win one, but at least tease me! 2) If not achieved what would be acceptable and what wouldn’t be acceptable? I can live with a bottom half finish if we finish with more points than we did this season. At least we'd see improvement. I can also live with it if the players we sign perform well, but we get unlucky with injuries. Another year in which our signings are more misses than hits and we continue dropping points to teams we shouldn't -- any team I didn't name above, mostly -- would be unacceptable, and I'd very much encourage not only the removal of Gerrard, but Purslow and Lange as well. Edited May 21, 2022 by VillaHatesMe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul514 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 33 minutes ago, nick76 said: Obviously in various threads we are talking and disagreeing about how this season has ended, talking about summer transfers etc. The point of this thread is just gauge peoples views, hopes, expectations for next season before the summer transfer window is open. I have today just renewed my season ticket and I have no clue what I’m expecting next season. This is not targeting SG, Lange, Purslow, the owners or the players individually. It’s looking at all of them now as a group before the transfer window opens because it will all play a part from the owners spending money, a number of them choosing the right players, then the coaching of those players and probably players leaving. My questions are 1) As of today before the window opens (or just at the start of it) where do you think we should be aiming for league position wise next season? 2) If not achieved what would be acceptable and what wouldn’t be acceptable? I go by points not places. I want a 60 point season. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustibrooks Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 The target should be a top half finish. Especially if we sign a commanding DM and a CB. The pressure is higher in my opinion, so we have to get things right this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villa_Vids Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 A strong top 10/8 finish, ideally threatening the European places. Also stronger runs in the domestic cup competition with the aspirations of winning a domestic trophy. Further integration of some young players in the squad/first team too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaParkAvenue Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Surprised to see so many happy to finish 10th. We’re only 3 points away from that now and God knows we haven’t had a smooth and successful season. With the investments Villa have made (and will continue to make), to finish in the top 10 really isn’t a big ask. We should be able to do that with the current squad. 1. My aim would be 6th and Europa League. 2. 7th and Conference League would be fine too, for now. 3. Bottom half would be unacceptable, as I expect the club to keep investing in the summer and the excuses will be wearing thin. I believe the owners would agree. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allani Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 1 hour ago, nick76 said: My answers 1) Aim for European placed football 2) Acceptable - being close to European placed football position Not acceptable - bottom half of the table finish I feel much less confident than last year. I felt that we had the initiative and momentum last year - in terms of if you were a player who wasn't quite good enough for the Sly 6 then we were a pretty good option. Just feel that we've got a harder sell now to persuade people to sign for us rather than West Ham, Wolves, Leicester and Newcastle. If we are aiming for top 8 then we are (in my opinion) a good centre back, a very good central midfielder and a good striker short. All three are pretty key positions and so it's likely that we may have some "settling in" time. If that happens then I do think we'd see a number of other players perform much better / more consistently too. So I think we're looking at a slowish start but then improvement through the season. Finishing in 9th - 11th would then set us back on course to try and push on the following season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Target - 8th Acceptable - 12th Sadly I think project mini Liverpool will flounder on longer than we think right now. Results are going to have to be pretty dire for Stevie G to be replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaParkAvenue Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 2 minutes ago, hippo said: Target - 8th Acceptable - 12th Sadly I think project mini Liverpool will flounder on longer than we think right now. Results are going to have to be pretty dire for Stevie G to be replaced. For the record, I’m not convinced we will be successful next season. But considering the investments made, it seems odd to be happy with anything other than some kind of european football. That’s what the owners have been aiming for all along. What’s been happening for a while now is fans gradually lowering their expectations, to avoid being disappointed again. That’s fine but the club shouldn’t do the same. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QldVilla Posted May 21, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted May 21, 2022 I don’t believe we’re that far away, as I think we left 10-12 points out there this season. If Gerrard gets his players, then I believe the: Target: 6th Acceptable: 7th Unacceptable: 9th or below. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaJ100 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 7th I'd be happy with, or a position no lower than 12th with a cup win. The FA Cup record is a farce now. Let's Ave it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turvontour Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 1 hour ago, hippo said: Target - 8th Acceptable - 12th Sadly I think project mini Liverpool will flounder on longer than we think right now. Results are going to have to be pretty dire for Stevie G to be replaced. You're saying 12th is acceptable. Surely that's Gerrard sacked at some point next season then. They're not just going to have us in the bottom half of the table, when we spent the vast vast majority of last season in the top half under Smith. I think 8th or 9th is acceptable, presuming he is backed which he will be. 6th or 7th is the aim. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 2 hours ago, paul514 said: I go by points not places. I want a 60 point season. Yep, 55 points for me. Anything less will be poor bearing in mind the money invested into the squad and the salaries of the backroom staff. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul514 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Just now, Tomaszk said: Yep, 55 points for me. Anything less will be poor bearing in mind the money invested into the squad and the salaries of the backroom staff. Someone laughed at my reply.... no idea why 55 points is the same as we got last year it's too low for next year IMO after spending hundreds of millions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turvontour Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Just now, paul514 said: Someone laughed at my reply.... no idea why 55 points is the same as we got last year it's too low for next year IMO after spending hundreds of millions. But 55 points in most seasons is 7th or 8th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts