This season . Where will we end up

One would imagine Chelsea will be back up near the top 4 this time out. Liverpool, West Ham & (dare I say it) Everton should all be challenging for Europa. So to finish in the same spot again would be an excellent achievement, but I can see us dropping a few places

 

We said that last year after Chelsea won the league so easily and all the other teams underperformed. The reality is no-one is underperforming per-se. The whole league is much more competitive so more big teams aren't winning nearly every game.

 

Let's hope you are totally wrong and Chelsea bomb and get relegated to the Championship where they can play the likes of Leeds, Millwall and Cardiff and never be seen again.

 

We need top let someone have a chance and a trophy

 

Absolutely no idea. Looking forward to the season though.

 

I like the cut of your jib, but come on, let's be realistic here, this is never going yo happen.......we are obviously going to win the league cup as well!

Let's go for the clean sweep, wait 40 years for a major trophy(not counting the JPT) and then 4 come along at once, just like the number 11 bus!

 

What? No Fair Play League trophy? You're far too conservative in your outlook (note the small 'c' on 'conservative', this isn't the politics thread)

 

A 'blipette' is only a little blip
I'm very able to amend my expectations and won't jeter mes jouets en dehors du landau if we struggle a bit during the Europa campaign

 

Comme ca?

 

exactement mon ami

This is the season for us to master sang-froid

 

Orchestrated shoulder shrugging in the Northam?

 

That's gone over my head. Cold blood?

 

As long as there isn't too many words.

 

Being cool, man.

 

I think that question is a bit early - what we really need to work out are the clubs we should be benchmarking our performance against. I suspect that the upcoming season will show some regression to the mean in terms of league position.
In terms of the top 4 I'll bet normal service is resumed, but who knows in what order given the new management at all except Arsenal. Anyone finishing above them will be top 4, no doubt. It'd be a bloody miracle, but they're the team to beat in an ideal world were we to "do a Leicester".

Below the top 4 will be that group of teams we've found ourselves in recently - Liverpool, Spurs & West Ham. To be certain of Europa, we would need to beat them all - otherwise technically we're relying on cup results. So we're in with a good shot finishing higher than one of them, moreso above two of them. This is the mini-league we should aim to remain in IMO - even if we weren't to get Europa, finishing at the bottom of this group would be consolidating our place in this tier of the league. Eventually, people will expect to see us in 5-9th place.

That just leaves the other end of the table - and my final benchmark. Just as it's possible to " do a Leicester ", we could also do a Leeds/Pompey, so in order to keep an eye on that, currently I'm expecting anyone who finishes below Burnley to get relegated.

Those are my 5 benchmarks, ask me after 6 games who we'll end up nearest...

 

Of course. Silly me. I was looking for something far more cryptic.

 

13th again?

 

Too soon to call; need to see who else comes in by the end of the transfer window.

 

11th, but with academy graduates breaking into the first team and a decent run in Europe.

 

Why the heck not first, my earlier reply to TIOON7 was clearly tongue in cheek but why not win the league, I wouldn't want the players to not believe so I won't either, I'm gonna say we will just click this season, right manager at the right time with the right signings and existing players like Austin and JayRod coming goodgood along with a youth player or 2 that will make everyone envious.

I'm prepared to look a bit of a tit at the end of the season if we finish way off the pace but it's worth it for the glory of I'm right!