Season before last Villa stayed up with 35 points and last season 29 points would have kept a club up. We lost the 3 garbage teams of WBA, Fulham and Sheff Utd, but will the 3 clubs coming up fare better? Theres another element to this coming season as some of the clubs who were in competition with us have all got new managers. Everton Wolves, Palace and Spurs. These 4 clubs are going to experience radical ways of playing and tactics. Palace will for the first time in years have a coach who attacks and he has got rid of many players and added a lot of quality, even the prat Gallagher preferred Palace to Leeds. Wolves have a strange new operation with the Chinese not backing managers, hence Nuno walking away. Spurs havent got the quality they wanted because they didnt back Pochetino and big trouble in North London unless Nuno can bring in some top players and sort the Kane problem out. Ancelotti is now at Real Madrid and for some reason the former Liverpool and Real Madrid Spanish waiter is now at the helm at Everton. Cant see that ending well. So my view is Brighton, Southampton, Everton, Wolves, Spurs, Newcastle, Burnley, Palace plus the 3 clubs coming up need to be attacked and points taken from them. I am betting on safety being 34 points
I'm old fashioned. Get to 40 points ASAP. After that everything is a bonus. Keep the PL money rolling in to the club to build a sustainable future at this level. I have a feeling you might be right though. 35 points might well be enough.
Second season is always the hardest for promoted teams. We all hope Firpo is better than Alioski but even if he is, how many points difference would that cost us on paper? How many points did Alioski help cost us (and gain us) compared to Firpo? To get the same points as last season would be a miracle, fans returning could make a huge difference both positive and negative. I’m going to be nervous until we hit 40 points then I can enjoy the season
As long as we are 1 point above 18th place at the end is fine by me we must stay in the prem at all costs, anything above this is a bonus a replication of last season would be great....on and on
Injuries are key... last year we finished strongly - top of the form table - with Llorente in the team and a settled side. Earlier in the season we leaked like a sieve. On the plus side we look short in depth up front, but Paddy had a great season with few injuries (tbf rodrigo looked better as a striker than a midfielder, when called on). Anyone too concerned? Norwich were the dominant team in the championship with the same team that got destroyed on their last season in the prem. Watford? Brentford? Doesn't strike fear It's possible we'll have a second season syndrome, but we won't do a sheff utd because we're a much better side than them, and there's too much mediocrity in the division. Interesting point about the fans being possibly a plus, maybe. a minus... particularly with paddy who has suffered from them in the past, and (arguably) benefited from the lack of boo boys last season... Fascinated to see how that goes.
Funnily enough, I was just thinking this morning that one thing in our favour is that we have a very settled team with many games together under their belts
The fans thing is relevant because the average for all football clubs is 60% of home matches are home wins. Last season most clubs were at 50% or less including us especially at the start. I would say we will see a bounce in home form as will everyone else
Billy always takes long breaks but it's still good to see him post when he does. Who else haven't we seen in a while...
Indeed & I think he is a great poster. Tbh, I was teasing you or them, if indeed you are all not one! Think I need a lay down
The premier league is three leagues in one. The top 6/7, 8th to 14th & 15th to 20th. Last season we very much dominated that middle league with very few of our losses coming against those below us. I see no reason why those who finished below us last year will overtake us this. The three promoted teams might do better than some of those but will not trouble us. I am also quite confident that the likes of Spurs and West Ham will not be as good those season and these are the places we should be achieving. We just need to carry on the form from the last ten games.
Agree with Spurs assessment, but not so sure about Wet Sham. Moyes, apart from his spell at scum, is noted for running a steady ship & even improving teams, so I expect them to be as big a threat as last year, if not more so. Overall, I don't see too many signings out there that will radically change a team's performance. Fingers crossed that it doesn't change. Apart from us, of course!
I agree about Moyes ability but West ham haven't strengthened at all, apart from keeper where I thought they were OK anyway, so with the added European games I can see them struggling and ending up in a comfortable mid table position. Probably happy with that if they do reasonably well in the europa league
I agree about Moyes ability but West ham haven't strengthened at all, apart from keeper where I thought they were OK anyway, so with the added European games I can see them struggling and ending up in a comfortable mid table position. Probably happy with that if they do reasonably well in the europa league
