We all had an idea preseason of what league position would make this a successful season....most probably went for top eight or top ten. At the moment we are third after 11 games, admittedly having mainly played middle to low sides. How confident are you? What league position would you accept now rather than wait till the end of the season? Ps. No one is going to offer you 1st
I'm still not getting too excited! Just because we are in uncharted territory, after Arsenal and Chelsea games I think we will have a better idea and also be just over a third of the way through the season. I'd be happy with top 7, just because of the quality of the top 6 teams in the league - Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool and Man City. I just can't see us realistically finishing above any of those teams come the end of the season
I think we'll just fail to win the title but still get promoted... oh, wait... The question could also be asked, "what league position would Nicola Cortese accept now?" to which I think the answer is probably "Champions League, or it's your arse, Mauricio!"
I think I would accept fourth or fifth as it is a European place and I doubt we will finish higher. If the offer was 6th, I would rather take a chance.
Ah, okay, I understand the concept now (bit slow on the uptake this morning). I'll gamble, please, and see where we end up. It's all about the "in-play" as a certain British actor would say.
If you'd offered us top 8 at the beginning of the season we'd have snapped it up. I think top 6 is achievable if we are lucky with injuries and invest again in the window.
I would be disappointed if we didn't make top 4. That doesn't mean I'm expecting to finish top 4 or that, say, 6th wouldn't be a brilliant achievement. Its just that I've got to liking all this winning and all the praise etc. and I would be disappointed if we trailed off a bit.
This is the sensible response. However, I'm not sensible, so I really want us to keep this up and get a top 4. Just because it's so ridiculous.
I wouldnt accept any position now, I'd rather wait and take our chances, I dont think we are done with giving some of the big boys a bit of a shock, and that will be worth it in itself even if we end up 10th. We wont come away from all the big teams with good results I know, but taking Chelseas' home record from them would be a good start! Bring em on!!!
As much as I'd love this (like many, it's such a new experience that it almost feels like this is our one shot at it, before everything crumbles), I also think (and this is where the part about this being a long play, and that the hierarchy and foundations being built are here to stay) that it would be too soon to make Europe, and the subsequent need to splash out loads on big European players may actually ruin us. Not financially, but in terms of achieving things too fast for natural and sustainable success. However, the fact that we pretty clearly dumped the League Cup (the usual route to Europe for the less experienced sides) from our aspirations tells me that NC and MP might be thinking differently here. And I really reckon that MP will have the knack of working out European tournament football - and seeing him try is too enticing a prospect to turn down, were it offered. Presumably it's SE Asian gambling syndicates that are offering us this chance?
Yep. It's not about what we would accept, but what Cortese will accept. Myself, I'll go with anything Saints have in mind.
As we are half way to safety by mid-November I think we'll be safe. And no, I don't feel that I am tempting fate
Absolutely - the club's ambitions have proved in the last few years to vastly exceed Fans' ambitions so we should merely try to match our expectations with Cortese's. Imagine what we think we're capable of and go one better.
Yeah I think 7th, ahead of Everton would be a great achievement for this season. It would be our highest ever Premier League finish and is a realistic target. I wouldn't say no to the FA Cup aswell! There are only a couple of points that separate the current top 8 and quality in depth will come into it as the season goes on, which as the Sunderland game showed we don't have just yet.
I'd be shocked if this was the case, next season possibly (Pochettino spoke of a 2 year project), but even with Cortese's ambition I can't see CL football being a concrete target for this season.