OK...so Bruce has made some astute signings to improve the team with a very small budget. We have a couple more to come in in midfield, and then that's it. The teams most likely to be in the relegation battle will be: Palace Cardiff Stoke Sunderland Norwich I'm pretty sure we will have a stronger squad than Palace come the end of the transfer window, and I think Norwich will struggle again to score enough goals. But after these two, I'm stuggling to find another team who we will get more points than. Discuss.
It's not just about the strength of the squad though, it's about fighting spirit, morale, luck, momentum & many many more variables.
I don't expect Norwich to be anywhere near the bottom 3. I also don't expect them to struggle for goals, they've brought in two quality strikers in Van Wolfswinkel and Hooper, not forgetting Fer and Redmond. Bruce has done very well over this summer, but the reality is, we still have one of the weakest squads in the division. That's not to say we'll definitely go down, we could go on a winning run at the end of the year and finish 14th, for example. There's a high chance we will go down but we have a squad more than capable of making a fist of it.
I honestly do not have a clue how well we will do, but the one thing I do know is that if we just do the same this season as we did last, it might not be pretty but boy will it be fun.
I'm not sure we've got enough goals in the team. If that changes with the addition of new midfielders, then great. I'd rather save money and sort out our training facilities and 'Academy'.
If we do go down i hope we go down fighting unlike QPR. I would also add Fulham to that list they are reliant on Berbatov and i think they will struggle.
Like mel, I've no idea. Need to play a few games to get an idea of where we are at. Most all non Hull City fans will have us down in their bottom three. And it's hard to argue that right now. I'm just gonna enjoy the ride.
I thought about Fulham but they seem to be the destination club for all those targets that are just out of our budget reach. (Huddlestone, Taarabt). Even talk of them still in for Bent and McCarthy.
There are teams like Villa. West Brom, Southampton and Newcastle who could potentially get dragged into a relegation scrap of they start poorly - it's too simplistic to say we're one of 5 or 6 - there are about 11 teams that could easily get relegated if things go against them. And even in this league, we have a manager who has a lot of experience compare to many if those teams managers..
In the team, I sense a strong spirit. A camaraderie. Yes, it's a variable, rather a good thing. all said. I predict a Riot. We'll still be there.
I think we should take heart in the performance put in against Dresden, they are not a shabby side in the German league and they have had 2 weeks of league fixtures so would of been fitter than us. The Aluko/ Sagbo combination looks good and could be our secret weapon this season.
I honestly don't know why people are fretting. So what if we do go down? This is our 3rd season in the top flight out of 109, we'll cope somehow....As others have said, I would much rather go down, pay off half the debt to the Allams and sort the training ground to be first rate. I would LOVE IT if the first time someone sings "going down" (probably at Stamford Bridge on the first day) and we respond "We don't care".
We'll probably spend a good few months in and around the relegation zone as the players adapt to playing at the top level. SB has bought in some good players, but you have to look at other squads and ask whether they're better players than our rivals have acquired. Their budgets are higher than ours, which is understandable, but there are more factors to it than just the personnel. We are capable of springing a surprise or two, but the squad will have to pull themselves together when the pressure is on; we saw last season that when it mattered most, we choked. We really can't afford to do that again, but if we do go down (which is pretty likely), as long as we've made a good go of it I wouldn't mind one jot.
I think we'll catch a few teams off guard again early on. We were grinding results out towards the end of last season, what with injuries to some of our better players, and I think people think that that is the real Hull City. I think, with Aluko back especially, we might get some of that exciting, flowing football going again like at the start of last year. The kind of football that embarrassed Millwall, Bolton, Birmingham, Leeds etc. So long as we bag our chances, I think we could shock a few. I certainly hope so, anyway.
On paper we have one of the weakest squads in the division, but, as the likes of Swansea and Norwich have shown, it counts for little when you have the right team spirit, work ethic and determination. It takes more than having a classy line up to survive, the 3 qualities mentioned previously count for more than class. You only have to compare the likes of QPR and Blackburn with Swansea and Norwich to see this in evidence. Our squad may not be bursting full of marquee names, but I feel Bruce has made some astute signings so far. Players like Davies have something to prove on their return to the top flight, Figgy offers plenty of experience and Graham has the opportunity to get his top flight career back on track after a poor spell at Sunderland. The signings we have made have also been made with consideration of how they will complement those already here, for example, Aluko and Sagbo. I think the business we have done is sensible and I expect two new midfielders to arrive in the next 3 weeks. I think it'll be a tough season ahead, it would have been regardless of who we had signed. But, aside from the top 8 teams there are the other 11 teams which we could realistically expect to take something from. Some of those will be in a relegation battle with us and others will be on the periphery, but these are teams which we should aim to take points from especially at home. I feel it'll be close as to whether we'll stay up or go down but its important we all stick together and get behind the team when things get tough rather than point fingers. We'll have more of an idea where our season is going by the second international break when we have played Norwich, Cardiff, Newcastle, West Ham and Villa. As long as we make a good go of it, no one can ask for more.
