Expectations for next season

[BG1973]

I would love to know which deluded spoons said we will win the premier league.

[Shaggy]

I expect to get a low quality manager, have our expectations lowered and maybe sneak a UEFA Cup place and be told we should be pleased about it.

[Neil Young]

No expectations now - only hope there is no more embarrassment to come.

A forlorn hope I think.

[Shanks]

Interesting to see 5th and Mid table results shooting up in the poll, after last nights breaking news.

Is it really that bad?

[dww]

Interesting to see 5th and Mid table results shooting up in the poll, after last nights breaking news.

Is it really that bad?

World class manager campaigns for transfer funds - is sacked.

Club has no money for transfers or to attract replacement world class manager.

Papers suggest players are a bunch of back stabbing egotists.

We were in a bad position before but we had some hope as someone at the club was fighting to keep money flowing into the right areas and cared about the club.

[Kenneth]

New manager comes in, is derrided by the fans. Any hope that new man might actually make a go of it is scuppered by fans whinging about rafa and slating the new man at every opportunity. 6th place.

[Kenneth]

World class manager campaigns for transfer funds - is sacked.

Club has no money for transfers or to attract replacement world class manager.

Papers suggest players are a bunch of back stabbing egotists.

We were in a bad position before but we had some hope as someone at the club was fighting to keep money flowing into the right areas and cared about the club.

Went through this with Craig last night, having a manager fighting for money that just isn't going to come is not a sustainable situation.

[Exiled_red]

World class manager campaigns for transfer funds - is sacked.

Club has no money for transfers or to attract replacement world class manager.

Papers suggest players are a bunch of back stabbing egotists.

We were in a bad position before but we had some hope as someone at the club was fighting to keep money flowing into the right areas and cared about the club.

[Exiled_red]

New manager comes in, is derrided by the fans. Any hope that new man might actually make a go of it is scuppered by fans whinging about rafa and slating the new man at every opportunity. 6th place.

The fans will back the new manager whoever he is, when he's appointed he be one of us and will be given a chance.

[Exiled_red]

Went through this with Craig last night, having a manager fighting for money that just isn't going to come is not a sustainable situation.

But is just accepting we're going to have no money the right thing to do?

You can't expect us to compete for 4th spot if we have no money to spend, you have to either maintain expectations and give the manager the appropriate funds, or lower expectations to match the funds available. Doing the latter will lead to us slipping down the table, at least Rafa was fighting to prevent that, in asking the owners to come through on their promises and provide the required funds.

[Bender]

if as rafa said we over achieved getting 2nd ....we are more than capable of getting 4th .....spurs/villa and city are nothing special ......we had a utterly poor poor season ,we have some class players and i expect 4th as a minimum next season.

[Kenneth]

But is just accepting we're going to have no money the right thing to do?

You can't expect us to compete for 4th spot if we have no money to spend, you have to either maintain expectations and give the manager the appropriate funds, or lower expectations to match the funds available. Doing the latter will lead to us slipping down the table, at least Rafa was fighting to prevent that, in asking the owners to come through on their promises and provide the required funds.

I don't expect us to get 4th, although I think we have a decent shout. I think there is potential for a new manager to get more from the squad than Rafa did last year. Based on expendature, we should come 5th or 6th imo. If we keep our best players and get them playing, 4th is certainly a distinct possibility.

[el matador]

I don't expect us to get 4th, although I think we have a decent shout. I think there is potential for a new manager to get more from the squad than Rafa did last year. Based on expendature, we should come 5th or 6th imo. If we keep our best players and get them playing, 4th is certainly a distinct possibility.

if we keep gerrard, torres and the squad in tact and avoid injuries to key players then im sure we will get fourth.

However, torres has shown that he cant play more than 30 games a season and his replacement has to be capable of scoring 20 goals too.

If jovanovic can score 20 goals then i still think we will have too much for spurs / villa and even man city.

Man city can throw about as much money as they like but at the end of the day, no world class player wants to go there and be known as a 'pesetero'.

[Exiled_red]

if we keep gerrard, torres and the squad in tact and avoid injuries to key players then im sure we will get fourth.

However, torres has shown that he cant play more than 30 games a season and his replacement has to be capable of scoring 20 goals too.

If jovanovic can score 20 goals then i still think we will have too much for spurs / villa and even man city.

Man city can throw about as much money as they like but at the end of the day, no world class player wants to go there and be known as a 'pesetero'.

I'd agree with that if other clubs were to stay as they were, simply because I don't believe we could do as badly as last season again! But we aren't going to avoid injuries to key players, and we need to strengthen the squad. As well as that other teams are likely to spend more money so could move ahead (or further ahead) of us. Which given these circumstances means IMO we have a battle on our hands.

[dww]

Went through this with Craig last night, having a manager fighting for money that just isn't going to come is not a sustainable situation.

I take that point but having a manager who doesn't is an acceptance of mid-table aspirations - which is why I think most people have modulated their expectations accordingly.