Championship Season 2023/24 Commences 5th August

This is a key point.

Add in to that the injury situation we found ourselves in and some key referee and VAR decisions that went against us and hopefully it will be a much more balanced season.

 

Also have to throw the World Cup in, that’s going to skew results. How will players play leading up to it, full tilt to make a squad or fearing injury and missing out? You’ll then have a group of players not effectively playing competitive football for a month whereas the internationals will, some might get injured etc. FIFA should never have agreed to this.

 

I'll give my prediction tomorrow Jammy, but I'm not counting my chickens yet, as I still have 6 more games to complete on my Supercomputer Prediction program

Take what clues you want from that cryptic comment

 

ok here you go Jammy

West Ham and Aston Villa will have good seasons. One of the so called big six, will have a disappointing season and as much as I would like it to be that team from Salford, I think Chelsea won't do as well as they would expect

Leicester and Wolves will struggle along with 2 of the 3 newly promoted teams.

Fat Frank will make no improvement to Everton

As for us, well as much as I would like to think we will end up doing as well as on my fantasy computer program thread, I can't see us being as lucky on the final lot of fixtures in reality, and thus I think we will gain around 46 points and finish anywhere between 13th and 16th place

 

It definitely seems that expectations are more realistic this season and hopefully we'll all remember that when the inevitable poor performance/result happens.

For example the hysteria following our 1-0 defeat at St Mary's was approaching what you'd expect if we we're a Top 4 club and was completely at odds with where we were at the time as a club and what team we were able to put out that day (no Phillips, Raphinha, Bamford or Ayling).

 

It wasn't the defeat. It was the manner of it that scared me.

 

On the basis of this mornings friendly against a very poor opponent I'm revising my prediction for the coming season to...

16th or thereabouts and definitely will be involved in the relegation dogfight.

Update to follow after the next game.

 

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Biting my nails.........I hang on every word you say .......

 

Reports suggest that Leeds have made contact with Burnley for Maxwell Cornet who can play LB, LWB, LM, LW, CAM and ST. Available for £17.5 million as he has a release clause.

Thar effectively gives us more options up top and also cover for Firpo.

I actually like the idea.

 

Good to hear.

Hopefully you'll be up and watching at 5-45 am on Sunday to provide us with your thoughts as well

 

Don't do pre season kick a bouts....i wait for the main event .......but I will await your extensive report dossier with my sausage sarnie

 

Snag

 

shag?

 

Ok just the one pre season friendly left before the big KO.

From what we've seen so far there's nothing to suggest that this season will be vastly different from the last one and it seems we'll be in and around the lower half of the table. On the other hand we should be good enought to average one point per game assuming that will be enough to avoid relegation.

Current forecast 16th.

 

As things stand, l’d say we are weaker than last season.

 

Interesting observation as the main area we seem to be weaker is on the right wing. The squad as a whole does seem stronger but where will the creativity and goals come from is what I keep asking myself.

I'm guessing that having more players of a similar ability isn't neccessarily good enough is what you're getting at ?

 

I 100% agree, stronger in depth but a load of average players. For all the depth we’ve added there are no game changers to come off the bench. I honestly feel we’ve pissed the money up the wall AGAIN

Newly promoted Forest and their signings, they’ll finish higher than us

 

Right lads & lasses that's pre season over and done with so please get your predictions in for the coming season.

My own view is that I'm still extremely concerned that we have the undesirable combination of lack of creativity combined with defensive vunerability.

Finishing position...17th

Please god that there are 3 worse teams than us.

 

I’m going 17th too. I can’t see us getting a better attacker than Bamford, we might get someone equal to challenge him but we’ve missed the boat hoping for better.

I still think Jesse will be sacked before the winter break, I hope Orta follows him if so. Gessa often asks what is Orta paid for and I have to agree.

We might as well had let Jesse do the transfers this season, Orta was too preoccupied trying to persuade a guy who’d said numerous times he wasn’t joining to change his mind