Not sure where this fits into the house metaphor, but we played 53 games last season, so even if we stood still, we will improve. Our squad/house is already in a good place.
Whatever the factors, I think it's a fair assessment that we under performed in a large number of matches last season and yet still finished above those batch of teams listed. Compare first elevens and I think you'd have a Saints majority team. I'm sure we'll see some new arrivals, but I see no reason why this squad can't finish in the Top 8 again.
That is quality - fair play to Taylor for not taking himself too seriously. Though I'd happily be mocked for the money he is on, I'm mocked for a lot less
Using the house analogy: We lived in the most exclusive area for years, then hit upon hard times. Some of it was circumstances, some of it self inflicted. The house had to go, we owed too much and moved down the road to a less expensive area, but full of nice people. We never lost the dream to one day live on the exclusive street. A kind foreigner saw that our less expensive house had a lot of potential, and with a few tweaks, hard work and attention to detail we could eventually move back to the top street. We did after a short period of time, but our neighbours thought that we didn't deserve to be there, so every time we did something to enhance the house, they thought bloody cheek and bought our enhancement off us. Unfortunately for them, our enhancements didn't fit in their house, and eventually they got rid of them. It didn't stop them thinking that our latest enhancements were worth paying over the odds for - even trying them out without asking before giving them back.