I don't see it that way. Yes, if you compare it to last season, it's a success for sure. However, there are more than enough players in this squad that was in the City teams in and around the top 10 for the 3 seasons prior to that, so can't be all that bad, add to that the experience and quality of the new signings, plus a vastly experienced manager, I think mid-table is the minimum we should expect. Still, it's all about opinions.
Of course it’s about opinions, I’d imagine most of us, including the vastly experienced manager you quoted, would consider a mid table finish as success for this season.
