A new season is less than a week away now and every fan of every club is full of anticipation and belief that their team are going to achieve by May next year. Of course, how do you measure achievement? It is different for many teams – If you take Leicester City or West Ham United for example then clearly nothing short of promotion can be considered a success and whilst Sven will probably not feel the pressure, his squad will and with 22 good players then how will he keep them all happy? At the other end of the scale we have a whole bunch of Clubs that their first thought is of reaching the survival target first before pressing on – Watford are one of those teams. This year when you look at the table before a game has been played you can struggle to pick out any team certain to be fighting relegation or certain to challenge for promotion. At this time last year you would have got long odds on Sheffield United and Preston to go down as the previous year they finished 8th & 17th respectively whilst the year before that they were both in the playoffs finishing 3rd & 6th – if we take a view on this using that analogy then teams such as Burnley, Cardiff, Forest & Bristol City could be the surprise package for relegation this coming season. Most years there is a team that stands out for relegation and last year was no exception – Scu nthorpe. It gives me no pleasure to say it but most people this year believe it is Watford. So why do so many pundits both from within the game or from the media or indeed fans themselves continually pick out Watford year after year for a relegation battle? I suppose when you look at our off field ownership and boardroom battles over the last 3 years and then couple that with a calamitous 6 weeks for the fans this summer with our top scorer and talisman Danny Graham leaving followed by two creative players in Don Cowie & Will Buckley (ok, it’s fair to say he was inconsistent) not to mention our (then) well thought of manager and backroom staff leaving – 6 personnel in total lost to Cardiff. Those are powerful reasons for people to put us forward for the dreaded drop! In fact with most betting companies we are either favourites to go down or one of the 7 most likely to – the others being Coventry, Peterborough, Crystal Palace, Barnsley, Doncaster and by no means least Portsmouth. So, why are we still relegation favourites when the ship has been steadied and last year’s coach is now our manager who along with a new owner have been able to bring in a number of transfer targets to brighten everyone’s spirits up including the mythical beast (at last) called a left back! All hail we are saved! In fact before that we were all so excited by the prospect of a 9th tier amateur signing with us as a left back - clearly we must be deluded if we think he would be our saviour from such a porous defence as last years – he may well end up being the best left back we ever have play for us but not this year, quite obviously, as he hasn’t played one match in the league ever. Our response to this position alone tends to tell us how desperate we were to see our defence strengthened and it has been with Mirfin & Dickinson coming in. The trouble is when you look at all the imports are you able to say they add quality to the squad? They are a mixed bag and time will tell. Whilst the team will have to gel quickly for us to avoid a season long relegation battle (last season the team was well bonded before a ball was kicked and it showed with a lightning start which saw us as high as 3rd early on and around the playoffs for many months), we haven’t had a confidence boosting pre-season with the only win against Wealdstone. Don’t tell me friendlies are only for fitness, they are not – you wouldn’t say that if we were winning them. we have to be concerned. Last season supporters were able to watch some excellent football both attacking and defending – with over 70 goals scored and conceded in the season, it was certainly entertaining whilst this coming season the manager has signalled that it is more likely going to be attritional stating that it is results that count that it is more important to win than how you achieve it and this is reflected in the players he has so far signed, most of which he has not described as flair players but as hard workers and team players. This is not to say that it is wrong, on the contrary, he appears to have recognised early on the challenge in front of him. I cannot deny that I’m greatly concerned at the standard of play the team showed during the pre-season and if this is replicated in any future match then we will lose and moral will spiral. That said, I feel confident that with the squad, as they are, can achieve this season and that will be to remain in the division - particularly if we are helped by one or more clubs entering administration, which is entirely possible. However, should the club succeed in bringing in the two expected loanees or purchases who are creative and free scoring then and only then, could I think of us competing for a play-off spot. My tips to fight for promotion: Leicester City West Ham Reading Brighton My tips to fight relegation: Barnsley Doncaster Coventry Crystal Palace (sorry) Your views will be much appreciated – I know I may sound a touch pessimistic but that is my nature and will be more than happy if it turns out that we are a top 6 side – but at this stage I won’t hold my breath I wish the team, the Club and all Hornet fans everywhere the best of luck, fun, excitement and all the highs & lows that come with supporting this fantastic club for the coming season!
Brilliant article and it pretty much sums up my views about the coming season. I think Birmingham and southampton will challenge for promotion though.
You make some very good points Chris, just a quick point: whilst its understandable that you and others are a little pessimistic following our poor pre-season, the upheavel in personal at the club has been massive, and so things will take time to settle down. We probably wont be firing on all cylinders til at least 5 game into the season, but i believe we have the quality to compete at the right end of the table next season (assuming a couple more players come through the door)
Good article I think most fans know it is going to be a tough old season... but then we thought that at the beginning of last season, and ended up disappointed to fall away int he last couple of months! I think the difference between this and season and last is that a good start was imperative last season. We had so many youngsters that a bad start would create a loss in a morale and results might suffer. We got off to a good start and kicked on. This season, we have some older heads, and with so many new faces, it may take a little longer to gel, especially as Dyche says we haven't finished with our signings, so we may not hit form for a few weeks. If we do get off to a bad start, I think there are a few more players who can gee-up the team... plus we are starting to get a bit of depth in our squad so are able to make changes if needed! Competition alone will hopefully stop any complacency too!
Great post and repped!! I am also putting it forward to be made into an article and posted on Newsnow if there are no objections.
Not sure how to rep, but I would if I could, needless to say, good article Chris! I still think the goal for this season should be last season's points total where a good start may allow us to get to 70+. Time will tell, but I am somewhat optimistic regardless of how the first six games go. I like the balance and blend of the team, albeit not having seen them play together yet. I think we are more balanced on the left now which will bear fruit over time and feel like we are a stronger more experienced squad, however, the one big question mark and concern remains, where the goals are coming from. I am a strong believer in Sordell and his obvious talent, but think it a tad overoptimistic to think he will end up with more than 15 goals this season. I still feel we need another striker whether it be a permanent signing or a loan. In combination with the goal scoring issues, there is a seeming lack of creativity in midfield, but I think a mix of Whichelow, Murray, Walker, Yeates will be able to fill the gap between them over the course of the season. Am looking forward to seeing Forsyth and Buaben run the wide areas for us with Yeates and others as the season progresses. I do think we will see a reduction in goals conceded this season as well as goals scored, but still expect a +GD come May! Nothing to base that on other than just a hunch and us likely not playing quite as open this season. I think we will finish 9th on 70pts. As for Promotion: Leicester WestHam Playoffs: Blackpool Forest Birmingham Hull Relegation: (Take your pick) Doncaster Barnsley Coventry Palace Leeds Bristol City Peterborough
I certainly wouldn't put us down in the bottom three after what has happened in the last two or three weeks and given the state some other clubs are in. But if we turn bookies' odds into league tables, most of them have us 16th-20th. That's perfectly reasonable for a club that finished 14th with a bad run of form at the end of the season, and has since had to replace top scorer, top assist maker, division's top young player, manager, chief scout, chief executive, first team coach, youth team coach and head of medical.
If you want to rep.....just look at the bottom left of the post you want to rep.......You will see a triangle and a star. Click on the star and follow the instructions....simples
A very interesting article. I think if we get three points or less from the first five games the rest of the season will be spent trying to catch up and we will not make it.
Thanks guys, your comments are much appreciated. I’m looking forward in hope to Saturday where they (Burnley) are surprisingly talking about promotion today whilst those on the outside see a squad that is having even more changes to it than ours with them having lost quite a few influential players of late so a result for us is a definite possibility and let’s face it, we have more chance of a result up there at this time of year than a cold windswept February evening!
Yep for sure, though all squads are unsettled...it's anyone's game...should be ours though hopefully!
I would like to think a point at least is a big possibility! We will see on Saturday whether the lads were saving themseves in pre season or whether we are in for a tough ride!
I have got used to not feeling involved at the start of a season and so I don't get filled with the excited optimism, nor with the exaggerated pessimism of people close to the action. Your article was really good for its balance, Chris, but I look at the coming season as a void of the unknown. The Championship is so unpredictable. Last season is a case in point. If someone had told me that Sheffield United and Preston would get relegated I would have thought it unlikely. Similarly this season, especially when the financial state of some clubs is taken into account, is so hard to predict. I would not be surprised if there are points docked this season - and that changes everything. Who would have thought that Birmingham's league position could be affected by the Hong Kong police. On a purely sporting level, then I generally agree with what has been said earlier in this thread, but again there are so many variables that we could all easily be proved wrong. Last season was a good season because we were a team and that counts for a lot. Will the personalities gel as well this season? Will they gel elsewhere? Will a bright young loan signing have a big impact on any of the sides? This is what makes it all so interesting for me and as AK says, lets see how the season starts.
