Promotion - we will be in the mix

[Owl999]

15 hours ago, StarmanNWC said:

I think if we do go up automatically, our best signing of the summer will be keeping Carlos.

This signing  is the reason I don't think we get automatic promotion, really hope I'm proved wrong but from the tactics and style of play he used last season I don't think I will be, I would have loved to have seen Gary Monk or Paul Heckingbottom in charge at Hillsborough this season , that said Carlos gets my backing until such times as he shows he's not learned from last season .

Edited July 2, 2017 by Owl999

[NorthernOwl]

16 hours ago, Markowski77 said:

I think personally we are in a fantastic position for a good push for automatic promotion next season......

 

i think we have a settled squad, with quality , squad morale and experience.....

 

There are not many teams, in the same bracket as us as big changes are going on with a lot of last years contenders and the teams relegated from the premier league

 

Sunderland - In turmoil, squad full of deadwood , big wages average players

Hull - See above, already lost their best players from last season 

Norwich - New manager, few signings, could go either way

Boro - I feel our main auto promotion rivals 

Leeds - unknown managed, feel they don't have the depth to replicate last year 

Aston Villa - Excellent squad on paper, if they click they will be top 2, but it's not as easy as that 

Derby - Just don't get their hype, nothing special 

Fulham - Think the media over egged them towards the back end of the season, not all that

 

Dark Horses - Brum, Wolves 

 

We have to take advantage this year, get off to a fast start, I may be optimistic, but this is the year we have to take full advantage and get promotion. 

 

We have a great squad on paper, a solid manager who I feel will take off the shackles, the best chairman we've had in the modern era who spends money ......few more astute signings and we must be close

 

and most important of all, the fans who follow us in our thousands home and away, through the bad and the good, we are always there and in some cases we can be the difference.

 

This is the year!!!

 

WAWAW 

 

(written under the influence of a few cans) 

 

 

Completely agree. It's wide open this season without any obvious stand out teams. Last season we all knew Newcastle and Brighton would be right up there but there's no one in that category this time round.

 

Of all the teams we have the most settled side which has proved it can be competitive during the last 2 seasons. I really hope we use this to our advantage and get a good start. I do feel that if we are in the top 2 after the first 10 games we could be hard to dislodge.

[NorthernOwl]

15 hours ago, flo said:

Ill be a surprised man if we dont win the league and the League cup this year. 

 

What about the FA cup? Show some blimmin ambition....

[NorthernOwl]

15 hours ago, MuddyFunkster said:

One thing that's a must next season is a good start. We need to be in the top 3 or 4 after a couple of months for me to feel optimistic about our chances of automatic. I feel that the set up at Boro and the fact they also have Monk mean they are rightfully the ones to watch.

 

Agree with this and though I think its likely Boro will go well they are far from a sure thing. Its no easy to thing to go from such a low points total to winning every week. They've also lost a lot of players and will have lots of new players to integrate into the team. 

[Guest samowl]

14 hours ago, trev said:

I think I will wait until the transfer window is closed to really decide.

 

At the moment we are solid playoff contenders of course, but.. if the 4 or 5 players are of the quality we all want (like Snodgrass) then I'll jump on the auto train.

I'll second that 

[NorthernOwl]

29 minutes ago, james o connor said:

Correct proven big game bottlers. I want to be proven wrong but we won't go up under this management

 

Proven big game bottlers based on what? The fact we lost to huddersfield in the playoffs? Seems a big overreaction given we've often played well in other big games under Carlos.

 

Beating Brighton in the playoffs as big underdogs. Doing the double over last year's champions. Going on a big winning run last year when we looked like we might miss out of the playoffs and the pressure was really on. I could go on...

[NorthernOwl]

26 minutes ago, Owl999 said:

This signing  is the reason I don't think we get automatic promotion, really hope I'm proved wrong but from the tactics and style of play he used last season I don't think I will be, I would have loved to have seen Gary Monk or Paul Heckingbottom in charge at Hillsborough this season , that said Carlos gets my backing until such times as he shows he's not learned from last season .

 

We only need an extra 3 wins this year to put us in the auto mix. Or even 2 if you think we might have got 3 points in the last game of the season without resting everyone.

 

Even with the same tactics and style of play if we improve the squad over the summer and have better luck with injuries that could well be enough.

[poite]

4 minutes ago, NorthernOwl said:

 

Proven big game bottlers based on what? The fact we lost to huddersfield in the playoffs? Seems a big overreaction given we've often played well in other big games under Carlos.

 

Beating Brighton in the playoffs as big underdogs. Doing the double over last year's champions. Going on a big winning run last year when we looked like we might miss out of the playoffs and the pressure was really on. I could go on...

 

Agree. We played brilliantly against Newcastle and went on a great run at the end of last season to catapult us into the playoffs.

 

Get to the playoffs and then....play absolute dogger in the final and both ties of the semi this year.

[Owl999]

1 hour ago, NorthernOwl said:

 

We only need an extra 3 wins this year to put us in the auto mix. Or even 2 if you think we might have got 3 points in the last game of the season without resting everyone.

 

Even with the same tactics and style of play if we improve the squad over the summer and have better luck with injuries that could well be enough.

I understand your perspective completely, I just think there will be more teams pushing for it this year the likes of Villa Norwich Wolves Derby Birmingham and that's without taking into account the relegated sides or Fulham, so to me autos will be mote than 2/3 more wins for us next season .

[parkfieldowl14]

18 hours ago, pride_of_the_road said:

 

Kermits gone.  Williams gone, whos left

Miss Piggy.

[BARMYARMY2010]

2 hours ago, Owl999 said:

 or Paul Heckingbottom in charge at Hillsborough this season

Good god almighty,he's been a fulltime coach for a season man,he's nowhere near being a good enough replacement for Carvalhal.

[NorthernOwl]

39 minutes ago, Owl999 said:

I understand your perspective completely, I just think there will be more teams pushing for it this year the likes of Villa Norwich Wolves Derby Birmingham and that's without taking into account the relegated sides or Fulham, so to me autos will be mote than 2/3 more wins for us next season .

 

Yes I agree there's likely to be more teams pushing for the autos. Not sure that necessarily means a higher points total will be needed. If anything if there's more teams up there the probability is the points needed will actually be lower.

[Owl999]

30 minutes ago, BARMYARMY2010 said:

Good god almighty,he's been a fulltime coach for a season man,he's nowhere near being a good enough replacement for Carvalhal.

I'd take him over Carlos any day, he knows English football better than Carlos ever will, he's going to be a very successful manager at a club with decent resources .

[fred mciver]

Good analysis, if blotter. For me it's us in top 2 , probably with Boro or Villa now they have 2 great managers.

 

Lets' hope there's no dark horses this year.

[BARMYARMY2010]

11 minutes ago, Owl999 said:

I'd take him over Carlos any day, he knows English football better than Carlos ever will, he's going to be a very successful manager at a club with decent resources .

Guess work dressed as fact.

[Owl999]

1 minute ago, BARMYARMY2010 said:

Guess work dressed as fact.

Which bit, the fact Heckingbottom played all his career in English football and got all his coaching qualifications through the English F. A and was PFA players rep during his time at Sheffield Wednesday, opposed to Carlos doing none of those things or my belief in him having a great future in management ? 

[BARMYARMY2010]

3 minutes ago, Owl999 said:

Which bit, the fact Heckingbottom played all his career in English football and got all his coaching qualifications through the English F. A and was PFA players rep during his time at Sheffield Wednesday, opposed to Carlos doing none of those things or my belief in him having a great future in management ? 

NO,the bit where you "stated" he's going to be a very successful manager,one season,one god dammed season is all he's had,so with respect,its guesswork dressed as fact

Edited July 2, 2017 by BARMYARMY2010

[Sham67]

3 hours ago, Owl999 said:

This signing  is the reason I don't think we get automatic promotion, really hope I'm proved wrong but from the tactics and style of play he used last season I don't think I will be, I would have loved to have seen Gary Monk or Paul Heckingbottom in charge at Hillsborough this season , that said Carlos gets my backing until such times as he shows he's not learned from last season .

 

That's big of you.

[Lionel Fessi]

20 hours ago, Markowski77 said:

I think personally we are in a fantastic position for a good push for automatic promotion next season......

 

i think we have a settled squad, with quality , squad morale and experience.....

 

There are not many teams, in the same bracket as us as big changes are going on with a lot of last years contenders and the teams relegated from the premier league

 

Sunderland - In turmoil, squad full of deadwood , big wages average players

Hull - See above, already lost their best players from last season 

Norwich - New manager, few signings, could go either way

Boro - I feel our main auto promotion rivals 

Leeds - unknown managed, feel they don't have the depth to replicate last year 

Aston Villa - Excellent squad on paper, if they click they will be top 2, but it's not as easy as that 

Derby - Just don't get their hype, nothing special 

Fulham - Think the media over egged them towards the back end of the season, not all that

 

Dark Horses - Brum, Wolves 

 

We have to take advantage this year, get off to a fast start, I may be optimistic, but this is the year we have to take full advantage and get promotion. 

 

We have a great squad on paper, a solid manager who I feel will take off the shackles, the best chairman we've had in the modern era who spends money ......few more astute signings and we must be close

 

and most important of all, the fans who follow us in our thousands home and away, through the bad and the good, we are always there and in some cases we can be the difference.

 

This is the year!!!

 

WAWAW 

 

(written under the influence of a few cans) 

 

 

As it stands right now I think this seasons competition looks the weakest it has ever been over the last 3 seasons.

 

Usually the relegated PL sides look a threat but Hull & Sunderland look so poor, both have slowly lost the better players they had over the past 12 months, both have appointed in my opinion managers who won't get them top 6 and both teams lack real quality players. Middlesborough have done the right thing by keeping the same squad together that got them promoted a season ago, with a few additions and a good manager in Monk who knows the league i'm sure they will be inside the top 4 at least. 

 

Our closest competition from last season; Leeds have lost their manager, Derby are about to loose Ince (their best player) and already lost Hughes and Reading/Fulham although still good sides I don't feel they have the spending power we do to make the step up from a top 6 team to a top 2.

 

All this means to me is that Chansiri HAS to make crucial signings this summer, if we bring in another quality CB to partner Lees and a direct & pacey winger that's really the only vital signings we have to make to give top 2 a real go. We already have a good squad, I would be more confident if we signed another LB as well but can't see us spending big on 3 players.  If we don't sign the right players it will just be another play off gamble.

 

 

[NorthernOwl]

45 minutes ago, Lionel Fessi said:

 

As it stands right now I think this seasons competition looks the weakest it has ever been over the last 3 seasons.

 

Usually the relegated PL sides look a threat but Hull & Sunderland look so poor, both have slowly lost the better players they had over the past 12 months, both have appointed in my opinion managers who won't get them top 6 and both teams lack real quality players. Middlesborough have done the right thing by keeping the same squad together that got them promoted a season ago, with a few additions and a good manager in Monk who knows the league i'm sure they will be inside the top 4 at least. 

 

Our closest competition from last season; Leeds have lost their manager, Derby are about to loose Ince (their best player) and already lost Hughes and Reading/Fulham although still good sides I don't feel they have the spending power we do to make the step up from a top 6 team to a top 2.

 

All this means to me is that Chansiri HAS to make crucial signings this summer, if we bring in another quality CB to partner Lees and a direct & pacey winger that's really the only vital signings we have to make to give top 2 a real go. We already have a good squad, I would be more confident if we signed another LB as well but can't see us spending big on 3 players.  If we don't sign the right players it will just be another play off gamble.

 

 

 

Boro lost a couple already and many more rumoured to be on the move. Gibson, Traore, Ramirez and Ayala all may well be off. Their current strike force is Bamford and Gestede. I think they will be a threat but they've got lots of work to do. Also lets not forget they failed to break 30 points last season. It's not an easy job to get into a regular winning mentality after a season like that.