What were our expectations for this season? Improvement? free flowing football? (Remember Blackpool went down after a season of free-flowing football) 50 points and free of relegation? finishing 9th? ................ many of our members have offered these and other 'expectations'. Every season I write down the fixtures and try and forecast the points we are likely to get. Below is my 'half season forecast', we are currently 3 points less than I expected. Up to Xmas Team expectation result Liverpool (a) Lose Draw Newcastle (h) Draw Lose Chelsea (h) Lose Lose Swansea (a) Draw Draw Stoke (h) Win Win Norwich (a) Draw Lose West Brom (h) Win Draw Arsenal (a) Lose Lose 9 points 6 points Bolton (a) Draw Aston Villa (h) Win Man Utd (a) Lose Fulham (h) Win Wigan (h) Win Wolves (a) Win Blackburn (h) Win Tottenham (a) Draw QPR (a) Draw Everton (h) Draw Man City (h) Lose 19 points +6 points = 25 points from 19 games (half way) Surely SB would have looked at the fixtures and knew it may be a difficult start with a new team that had not gelled, and with a lack of experienced forwards. The dissappointment is that when results have gone badly, some expected, he has panicked, made strange selections and substitutions, played people out of position and been less than inspirational with his team (even though the players reactions suggest they support him). I would much rather him stick to his principles, be consistant and build a solid team round important players ..... and tell supporters and media that is his intention, rather than looking to blame others. I still think that by Xmas the players will turn it round despite SB's failings KTF
Good post, my honest expectations so far would be Liverpool (a) Lose Newcastle (h) Win Chelsea (h) Lose Swansea (a) Win Stoke (h) Win Norwich (a) Draw West Brom (h) Win Arsenal (a) Lose That would have had us on 12 points
I expect us not to be struggling at the wrong end of the table but, don't expect us to be top 4. I expect us to play for a win and, not for the draw. I also expect us to play with at least 1 striker not 7 midfielders. If that is too much to expect then I expect my expectations are too great.
Its interesting looking at the run of games. Looking at the above I think Bruce will be given until the Spurs game to prove he can turn it round. My personal view is that we should be aiming for 50 points, if were on 24 by 1/2 way we will be doing really well. Especially with losing all our decent strikers. My prediction is: Bolton (a) Draw Aston Villa (h) Draw Man Utd (a) Lose Fulham (h) Win Wigan (h) Win Wolves (a) Draw Blackburn (h) Win Tottenham (a) lose QPR (a) draw Everton (h) lose Man City (h) Lose That would have us on 19 points, but I do think we will pick up more points in the 2nd half of the season because Bruce will sign a couple of new quality players.
My great expectations now are to sack Bruce,whatever the result at Bolton,bring in a class manager at any price,and climb the table playing with a proper brand of football,and not 4-6-0!!!
talcnturnip,if Charles Dickens did expectations,and not great ones,he'd write a book on Bruce's botch-ups!!!
I would have expected to have beaten Brighton, the mags, stoke and WBA. I didn't expect anything v Liverpool and Chelsea. However, I did expect something from the Norwich and swansea games, with a win at one of them at least. If we really are this top 10 team as our manager keeps telling us he finished, those are not outlandish expectations surely. 12 points a minimum. I also expected the manager to address the forward situation from January and our lack of width out left but most of all I expected to look like a premiership team not a ****ing pub one at times. What I didn't expect was another striker pissing off or being allowed to without a replacement again, or the manager giving us fans a load of ****e for not being too happy with the ****e we are being served up. Apart from all that, everything has gone exactly to plan. Not. Does that help?
