JoshVilla Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Mid table and a decent cup run would suit me fine. As great as it'd be to see a sudden rise to top 8, I think it'll be a slow process. We already improved last season from the season before so the new signings should keep us rising steadily.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradarmstrong_ Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 5 points off 9th this season. Top half should be manageable if we can get a few more players in before the window shuts in. Mind you would take 15th again if it meant a bit of silverware! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
botak Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 probably won't be many more than 9 points between upper mid table and just clear of relegation scrap, and as many games are decided by 1 goal, good/bad luck will make a huge difference on final league placings for many teams. We should be in the mid-table group which means 7-15th depending on the breaks we get. So many teams are so close in quality tho that luck will be a big factor for all teams. A few serious injuries and we could be in trouble again. Too much unpredictability involved to make an accurate prediction. The role of chance in good/bad seasons is vastly underrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 probably won't be many more than 9 points between upper mid table and just clear of relegation scrap, and as many games are decided by 1 goal, good/bad luck will make a huge difference on final league placings for many teams. We should be in the mid-table group which means 7-15th depending on the breaks we get. So many teams are so close in quality tho that luck will be a big factor for all teams. A few serious injuries and we could be in trouble again. Too much unpredictability involved to make an accurate prediction. The role of chance in good/bad seasons is vastly underrated. I disagree - If you've kept things tight at 0-0 or even 0-1 - and you get a lucky goal which gives you a point or all 3, the hard work was done in keeping within touching distance. If you're already 0-3 then get a lucky goal - its soon forgotten as it yields no extra points. If we struggle again next season, pound to a penny its due to our defensive frailties rather than lady luck. The 8-0, 0-4,0-3 last Christmas were all deserved results - painful as it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amo69 Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 It reckon between 8th and 18th is gonna be very tight. I think we'll finish about 12th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashingqwerty Posted July 22, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted July 22, 2013 cant see us finishing above 15th from what ive seen so far. not overly impressed with the signings and still think we need a half dozen players to make us competitive. clear out given ireland and bent to free up wages for 6 coming in and maybe my opionion will change but we have a few injuries already and we looked weak against wycombe so god knows how we'd do against a prem team... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amo69 Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 How can you judge us on pre- season friendlys? Wouldn't it make more sense to judge us on the second half of last season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TezzRexx Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Sylla, Delph and Westwood really impressed towards the end of last season but we still need something more, would definitely like a CAM in at least. Reckon any of Bent/Ireland/Given/Hutton money being free'd up will allow any more in, or was that already accounted for with the early signings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Yes we haven't even been at full strength in the friendlies. The defence did improve in the 2nd half of the season and I expect further improvement still next season. We should be stronger in all areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giro Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Lets judge that we will have a poor season because we were crap against Wycombe. I haven't even being paying attention to the majority of these friendlys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Anyone remember when last season we definitively abandoned the 3 at the back experiment? I can't for the life of me remember the exact time frame, but seem to remember that since that point our record has been quite good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfTimePost Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I can only assume that we binned it off after that run of games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted July 23, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2013 Leakimg goals was our weakness, I think its down to a lack of cover from midfield especially at set pieces, we are to small. Delph and Westwood are both decent enough but their weakness is their defensive play. Delph has to play this role, Westwood distribution is better so he gets the nod for that role, for me Delph is our weakness and I'm sorry to say it because his effort levels are very high. We need more height and power to help the back 4, maybe Okore can play between a back 4 and our midfield or Bacuna? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 1st. Why not? It's a brand new season and all teams start on an equal footing. Right? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'll say 8th with 52 points. Any lower than that and I'd like a decent cup run thrown in to make up for it. I know we struggled last season but there's been vast improvement since then and we've added a lot to the squad too. 8th should be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 1st. Why not? It's a brand new season and all teams start on an equal footing. Right? Not in this day and age. Some teams start with much much more funding behind them than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Avenue Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 10th and a domestic trophy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted July 23, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2013 Really wish our D could D. We'd look sooooo good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Anyone watch the skysports preview, after discussing the usual suspects including whether Liverpool will be up there the question was asked what teams could be a surprise, champagne Charlie said we should improve vastly with benteke and last season should be a massive confidence boost considering how bad we were at times, then beagrie said he was impressed with our early Business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CrackpotForeigner Posted August 1, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted August 1, 2013 We will definitely surprise a lot of people this season. Anyone else find it surprising how on the one hand we go on and on about what a terrible player Barry Bannan is, and then predict that we're not going to improve next season? Bannan played 24 times in the league last season. Twenty four. That's before you consider that we're keeping Benteke, we've signed a LB who looks excellent (and seems to play well too, ha ha), a CB who looks like a proper star in the making, a talented-looking striker who's 6 ft 5, a blisteringly quick winger who can make atomic strikes with either foot, and a versatile player who seems to be able to shoot and cross. Shall I go on? Okay then: We also have this guy Fabian Delph, who is emerging from injury like a sleeping dragon, and a young squad who are all now a year older, wiser, and closer to the typical 26-27 age where footballers are usually at their best. If other teams aren't soiling themselves at the prospect of facing Benteke and his team from the start of the season, they will be a few games in. You read it here first. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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