What are your REALISTIC expectations for the new season

[HirstWhoScoredIt]

Top 2.

[Costello 77]

I'm thinking playoffs at the moment.

I would find it easier to stomach if we fail next year if we go out gloriously going for it.

 

 

[sirlawrenceofmadden]

Same Brighton last season if the CH situation is resolved. If not, then much like last season. 

[Guest samowl]

5 hours ago, Grandad said:

 

We have zero back up in centre defence - as the playing of Pudil has proven. Meantime loovens is also 2 years older.

Add to that the midfield were twenty yards deeper than the previous season protecting the defence. Hence our struggle to break quickly. 

[Guest Coyt]

Well I mentioned the other night about the lack of options at the back and how alarming it currently was, and got responses straight away from the usual suspects.

 

As things stand I honestly believe we'll finish outside playoffs, 8th-10th. But then im a serial whinger.

[Guest samowl]

I'm hoping CC comes up with a different formula with the same squad as last season. Cos that slow slow sideways back won't get us up. Happy with Boyd 

Would have liked improvements at the back 

Brighton didn't sit licking their wounds. They added three players and for me were better than Newcastle 

[pgmetcalf]

Again, watching Wednesday for 46 years, I've learned not to have expectations of any kind

[thewookieisdown]

1 hour ago, Redcoat said:

Evidence of lost points through defensive changes or no defensive options on the bench.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38727179

 

Twice through away the lead, starter with Liam Palmer at right back and Fox was thrown in with little game time. -2 points.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38605784#tab-0

 

Giften a Pen and Red card for Brighton, despite the man advantage the defence couldn't compete with a rival for automatics attack in one of the biggest surrenders of the season. You could argue it was team failings but they cut us up with ten. -3 points lost.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38424275

 

Palmer starting again at full back, 90th minute equaliser one centre back on the bench in Sasso who most conclude isn't good enough. Lucky point saved.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38191952

 

Reach forced to play left back, lost 2-1

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37807840

 

Hutchinson moved to centre back as no other option. Unfit Loovens and Palmer the only defensive options, no CB cover, lost 2-1

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39011741

 

Sasso starting, not good enough standard for this league. No CB on the bench, one defensive option, lost 1-0

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38964901

 

Palmer and Sasso forced to start with no other defensive options. Semendo recalled to the bench in desperation, lost 2-1 at home.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39111415

 

Last choice CB in Sasso forced to start,  no other defensive option to use, 71% possession against and 20 shots at goal at a team struggling against relegation.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39227094

 

One defensive option, no ability to change the game, lost 0-2

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39162729

 

Lost 2-0 Sassi last choice CB starts, gets sent off, loovens taken off and replaced st CB by semendo....unfit Pudil only defensive option.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39111415

 

Sasso starts again, palmer the only defensive option. Drew 1-1

 

Amounts to roughly 28 lost points in games that fielded unacceptable standards of defenders and no defends on the bench to change the back up.

 

We NEED depth or this will continue. We haven't even got Semendo to plug any gap anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest, I think you have lost perspective a bit here.  If you're saying that 28 points went missing when they shouldn't have, the corollary is that we could and should have acheived more than 100 points.  And in one sense that's true.  For pretty much every defeat and some draws you could go through and point to mistakes by individuals; possibly to selection mistakes; possibly to tactical mistakes. 

 

But that's just not how it works.  Over the next season there will be some disappoiting performances; some poor results; some individual failings; all of that.  I absolutely guarantee that come May it will be possible to go through a list of games and say that if they'd been handled differently, we'd have got one, tow, or three extra points.  I would also be amazed if we won't be able to identify at very least two dozen goals where you could say, well, that really should not have been conceded.  We are going to let in bad goals.

 

You have to look at it in the round, and in the round the relative weakness was not the defence.  We let in less than one goal per game.  Only the two directly promoted clubs did better than that.  If I could lock in now that we concede 45 goals in this coming season, I would surely do so.

 

Which isn't to deny that we don't need more centre half cover.  Manifestly we do.  I also think we should aim to strengthen our RB options.  But we start from a position of strength - more so than is the case at the other end, where overall we underacheived in relation to our personnel

[MrsHall]

Top spot. Last 2 were warm-ups. UTO.

[jonnyowl]

Runaway leaders all season!

 

We are a good centre back away from being easily best squad in division!

 

Just got to play with a bit more swagger!

[horny owl]

We've got the players to be top two

 

But with Carlos we'll probably be around sixth but hopefully somehow win the playoffs this time

[mike312]

Realistically 5th. Best case 2nd, worst-case scenario 7th. (Imo.)

[debram]

7 minutes ago, jonnyowl said:

Runaway leaders all season!

 

We are a good centre back away from being easily best squad in division!

 

Just got to play with a bit more swagger!

problem is no quality centre back on the horizon and judging by pre season no sign of extra swagger, although i never judge a team by pre season games i do think CC is set in his ways

[Utah Owl]

2 near misses so promotion is the only goal.

[Hawkeye]

Play offs minimum. 

 

Sadly, it will have to be promotion this year though. Otherwise, I fear a breakup of the squad as players like Lees, Westwood, forestieri and Lee are snaffled by premier league teams

[torryowl]

as one of those who's not bothered about being in the prem my ideal scenario is making the play offs playing a pleasing brand of football ........

[Suzuki_San]

Definitely top 6. Maybe 2nd if we are lucky with injuries, people play to their top ability, Carlos sets us up a bit more adventurously and we sign a couple more players. 

[torryowl]

4 minutes ago, Hawkeye said:

Play offs minimum. 

 

Sadly, it will have to be promotion this year though. Otherwise, I fear a breakup of the squad as players like Lees, Westwood, forestieri and Lee are snaffled by premier league teams

I don't see a queue of prem clubs for them 4 ...who do you think realistically would want them ?

[debram]

6 minutes ago, Suzuki_San said:

Definitely top 6. Maybe 2nd if we are lucky with injuries, people play to their top ability, Carlos sets us up a bit more adventurously and we sign a couple more players. 

thats living in an ideal world

[Hawkeye]

2 minutes ago, torryowl said:

I don't see a queue of prem clubs for them 4 ...who do you think realistically would want them ?

 

Westwood has had a couple of bids in over the last 18 month. Middlesbrough came in again this year.

 

Burnley have been in for Lees twice.

 

Watford and Newcastle have been in for forestieri. As did villa and derby last year.

 

Sunderland enquired about Lee last summer.