So less than a week to go now. I know everything can change with the transfer market, but how are we all feeling for the season? Just watching the NTT20 podcast preview and they have us in 11th. They’re quite worried about RLBs approach being the high press and flooding the box but conceding tonnes of goals. Suggest we’ll be fun to watch but not necessarily successful. They were basing that off the underlying data of his Lorient team. I’m inclined to agree with them based on what I was hearing yesterday. I think we’ll concede too many to be up there, even if we sign the striker we all know we need. my prediction is 10th.
Hopeful rather than confident at the moment. It depends on what happens before the end of the transfer window. Who comes in and who goes out. Just feel at the moment we are lacking a little bit of punch around the pitch. Oh for someone like Vic Halom
Just listened to the same podcast and i'm also inclined to agree with them. Our current squad won't finish higher than 10th, we just don't have enough goals in the side. A striker who can score double figures and allow our other attackers to score more could catapult us into the playoffs though. Defensively I am a touch concerned about RLBs Lorient side, especially their xG against numbers, however we conceded less than 3 of the top 6 sides last season so I think we are ok to give up a few more goals, as long as the other end of the pitch is firing. I am also currently concerned about depth in some areas. Injury or suspension for Neil and we will really struggle. Some of the depth players are just not good enough and need moved on ASAP and replaced with better. Overall I'm pretty optimistic. Not necessarily expecting us to finish in the playoffs, however I am almost certain that this season will be more enjoyable than last season. Personally I am just looking for progress. I predict we will sign a forward or two in the coming weeks and will finish 8th.
10th would be a massive failiure imo, we're supposed to be progressing season after season. We had a 5 year plan 3 years ago to get back into the Premier league. Im clinging on to the hope that if Ballard played yesterday we'd have been much tighter at the back, but it all boils down to our lack of fire power yet again, and if we dont sign a goalscorer i fear youll be right in your prediction. We dont just need one new striker, we need 2 imo. If we manage to get that position covered i think we'll finish top 8.
All depends how the rest of the window goes for me, sign 2 or 3 championship ready players and we can make a playoff push I am excited tho, love the aggressive football we want to play - it wont always work but i think we will cause teams lots of problems. To maintain it over a season we need depth in the squad n just feel we are lacking on that front at the minute
Not expecting much, think we’ll be stuck in mid table. Looking forward to getting back to the games though, roll on Friday night when the journey to Cardiff starts!
We need to try and pull another cheat code out of the bag, and sign another top young Premiership player like Amad on loan. Carvalho from Liverpool would do.
It's too tough to predict at the moment. The window is a killer and we will get some serious bids for players. I still believe Clarke will go. Ideally if we were to sell an asset, I would sell Jobe and reinvest the money. We simply have to deliver on a competent number 9. It's a bit of a pisstake we are going to kick the season off without one, who has had the benefit of pre season with the team. Mayenda looks ok but he isn't the answer. Bench only. If the squad was to stay exactly as it is currently (it won't) but if it did, I'll go for 8th. The very gung-ho approach worries me though. Can see how RLB conceded a bunch previously.
Yeah me too tbf, or if he does leave on loan it wont be in the Championship again. Im wishful thinking. Someone of his calibre though, so we can give him and his club the experience he needs and we can gain from having a future star again for a season.
I’m conflicted I feel like if we keep our best Xl fit we have a real chance but it’s quite obvious the squad as whole is lacking. I think it’ll come down to our transfer business in the next month. Hopefully Mendy and another striker through the door, a better CB to compete with O’nien and Ballard we’d have fairly decent cover across the pitch. Add in a DM if I can be greedy. I don’t see a clear favourite in this league this time. Burnley have reinvested some big money again and brought in a decent manager so they should be up there. Leeds you’d expect aswell. I’ll go with a 4th place finish for the lads.
This is my worry anarl. Full backs bombing forward is great but we’ll end up with Neil exposed and just Ballard/O’nien behind him neither of whom are quick. Could be a steep learning curve for Neil if we get caught out early doors. But if they get it right it could be brilliant.
Ever hopeful as usual, hope fans give our new French manager a chance, the style we've tried to play preseason is exciting and if it works we'll do ok. Whether we can keep it up for the long season that is Championship football without adding the much vaunted striker isn't an option for me. Mid table with our present squad, add the missing players then why not playoffs. HTL.
I feel like there are lots of twists and turns transfer wise to come, the premier league teams haven't really been busy and we need them to start for it to filter down. I have quiet confidence that we will start the season well and hopefully build on a good start with some reinforcements to come before the window closes.
Can’t say for certain yet. The window is yet to close so we haven’t seen who will actually be here and how that impacts the starting line up/squad. if we look however at the current players available in my opinion we won’t finish in the top 10. We don’t have a competent front man, still haven’t got the set up right in midfield for me and I have, based on pre season displays have a worry about how easy we are to attack against at times. I can see what we are trying to do but just feel it’s going to be a work in progress for a while which will mean our results and performances will be very inconsistent. still lots of work to do.
Wouldn't be surprised if he did drop down mind, if he does he'll have the whole championship chasing him
