I've just been chatting about expectations for this season with some work-mates and somne-one pointed out that this time last year I'd said that I'd be very happy with a top half Championship finish and a decent cup run! Just shows how magnificently well Nigel and the squad did to achieve auto promotion. This year I'm settling for avoiding relegation but part of me thinks we have a chance of doing really well and at least landing a top half finsih. Did any-one actually predict our promotion this time last year?
I thought if we'd finish higher than Leicester, we'd have done really well. Had to forget that about mid Oct because they were so pants!
At the end of the 2009-2010 season I told everyone who cared to listen that we would be in the Premier League in two years time. I had no doubt we were good enough to get successive promotions. For the coming season I am probably feeling more cautious than others. I am sure we will stay up but I don't think it will be easy. I predict 14th.
I predicted mid-table, to just outside the playoffs, maximum. In fact, I made a case for NOT being promoted this season just over, and consolidating/preparing for the PL instead. It was rightly or wrongly [probably rightly] shouted down. This season I am going in with the same expectation, ie. mid-table to just outside the top six, although I am well aware that Nigel is going into uncharted territory himself; the squad still have a couple of Lge Oners in there; the squad isn't rammed with PL experience [possibly a good thing]; it isn't the finished picture, as there are some unknown acquisitions to come, but on ultra positive side, we have a Chairman who doesn't know the meaning of failure and has no intention of learning it. For those who think because chairpeople have no direct influence on the football side, ours is a worthless plus, I point to the last three seasons, as evidence. Cortese is actually our strongest asset.
I was always confident with Saints going into the start of last season. There was a poll on here and I stated that I'd have been disappointed had we not made the play-offs. This season too, I am confident we will do well (stay up). Confidence and Saints are two words which I would usually not have together, how times have changed.
Indeed Pie, but you have to admire the use of 22nd. I've actually seen 22th before [even with the visor down]. Only one poorly spelt piece of US English in that sentence. That's progress. gonna = going to.
I predicted that Saints would finish 3rd last season,so was happy when we finished 2nd.....this season we will finish 11th.
I said we'd win it last year. I was genuinely confident which is something for me as I'm normally a bit of a pessimist. This year I'm not so confident but I'm hoping we'll do a little better than merely survive
I think we will struggle to start with but will get stronger as the season goes on. Cant help but think we need more prem experienced players but doubt that NC will be prepared to pay thier inflated wages.
I can't remember exactly what I said about our Championship season but it was something along the lines of being happy with a mid-table/top half finish. No way would I have predicted promotion. This year, I will be happy with finishing anywhere outside the relegation zone. Hoping for mid-table though, anything better than that will be amazing.
I was trying not to put a curse on us, so I said below middle but secretly hoped for mid-table or just above. Had no expectation of promotion until Hammond's goal went in
When you consider how much we spent in League 1, the players we bought, and the fact that Pardew didnt want to go up the first season, as he wanted to build a squad capable of going straight through the championship, which he did, I was always confident of getting the play-offs at least.
TSS - thought 10th to 13th last season and like you; I was looking at a years consolidation before pushing for promotion this coming season. What do I know?!! This coming season; anywhere above the relegation places would be find - but 12-15th would be a huge achievement...
