Bob Moncur would be happy with the top 10 next season...

I read the Chronicle, daily...

And Bob Moncur reckons finishin in the top 5-6 will be even harder next season, and I agree, but, he says he'd be happy finishing just in the top 10 next season...

I'm not trying to be harsh on a legend, but doesn't he realise if we finish outside the top 5/6 next season, we're likely to lose Tiote, Cabaye, Ba, Cisse, HBA and others?!!?

We NEED to at least finish in the Europa League spots next season, and I'm glad Pardew agrees.

From the interviews he's had recently with the papers, it very much sounds like he's still treating our PL season as the top priority, whilst treating our Europa League campaign as an important thing as well.

 

This time last year the top 5 was a dream. I'll judge in August after we strengthen.

 

Keep the players we've got, a new centre half as cover for Taylor and Collo and a new right back. No reason why we shouldn't finish top 5 again. Mind you, Bob Moncur was a magnificent central defender.

 

Better to remain cautious, should get top 10, will be ecstatic if we are 5th again.

 

It means displacing either Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd or City OR staying above big spending Chelsea and new look Liverpool (all of them would expect to finish above us)

Realistically Spurs are the only team we could displace and Liverpool will need another poor season to stay above them.

For that to happen we need to keep almost everyone and bring in real quality (i.e. Debuchy, Douglas etc.)...As Albert said - I'll judge in August!

 

This.

 

I f we keep what we have and add 4 more we can push for the title but we wont do it.

 

I think he is wrong. We were going down this year. If we retain what we have and add a few I think we'll push on. There is to come from Cabaye, Benni, Tiote, Santon, Cisse, they're all improving rapidly. I expect to be in and around the top 6

 

6th place is where we should be aiming for, or at least a Europe League place for next season.

Finishing just in the top 10 will see us definitely lose Tiote, Cabaye and Cisse.

 

We had a much better season than most of us thought we'd have, and with a tweak here and there we can move upward and onwards. The top 6 doesn't seem as far away as it did at this time last year.

 

Top 4 seems out of reach, but below that it's very much within our grasp. But at the end of the day, even though the top 4 look like they're way too strong to compete with, the odds were far more highly stacked against us last season, and we managed to come oh so close to 3rd place, and we were hardly lucky with injuries.

 

He is right

Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton will all be better than us and we will fight it out with the rest

 

Cup run =)

 

forget cup it will never happen

 

Spurs will go downhill, with no Harry, Ade going back to City, Modric and Bale will leave and they'll finish below us. Liverpool may do well, or may misfire again. Either way, we'll definitely be in the hunt for europe next year.

Also, why are a load of our own fans so downbeat? Speaking to Stoke, Southampton, Everton and Bolton fans, they all think we'll finish 5th!

 

It's being so cheerfull that keeps some people going.

 

Looking forward to seeing the spuds slide

 

Hope so, depends who they appoint, heard it mentioned that they want to bring Camoli back as Director of Footballer.

 

This is going to be a very strange season for me going in to it. I've had quite a few in a row now with no real expectation of us doing well. But last season's success has potentially set a false hope.

IF we can keep the key players from this season and add 2 or 3 that genuinely strengthen the squad, then we have the ability to fight for top 5 / 6 again. But it's a big ask - even IF we do hold the squad together.

There is nothing to say we will repeat the performances from this season and there is a whole batch of teams we will be battling with for the Europa places. It will be a very tough season with us playing in the Europa League too, as other teams have proven before.

Dare I say, the reality is that survival has to be top priority - but finishing say 15th would feel like a total disaster after last season. Yet this time last season, survival was being hotly discussed.

I think Moncur is probably right.

If we finish top 10 in the EPL, have a decent spell in Europa and have a great domestic cup run, then I'd be extremely happy.

But Tash is right, if that did happen, then we would be very prone to losing our best players.