I just posted in the 'mild mannered mark' thread about why I think hughes should and will stay and it got me thinking about his relative achievements this season. If we beat arsenal and chelsea beat everton, then we will finish 7th in the league on 51 points. This would of course equal our highest premier league finish. It is indeed all the more remarkable considering where we were on boxing day, and to have done it for the majority of the season without bobby zamora. Even since he has returned, he has very much been in and out of the team. In the discussion I just posted in, one of the reasons I identified for why hughes should stay is the opportunity be what I referred to as the 'best of the rest' in the league. However, finishing 7th this year would represent a huge leap towards achieving this and I believe that symbolically this is a huge achievement. This shows that over 38 games we've been better than villa, better than everton, better than sunderland better than bolton and any other teams which have been regularly occupying the positions from 6th downwards in recent years. Furthermore, the fact that we are finishing 7th also in some ways legitimizes our place in europe next year, as some people perhaps view the fair play league as a bit of a joke way of getting into Europe. Finishing this high up should silence those doubters. So what I ask is this. What does this mean for us a club and our progression next year? Does it make hughes more likely to stay, or perhaps increase the demand for his services? Does it make Al-Fayed more likely to give us a heavier backing so that we can close the gap on the teams above us, while also possibly competing in Europe? And perhaps most importantly, how far will it attract players of a high calibre? In the past, squad players at clubs of our level have been unlikely to be happy sitting on the bench, so will seek a move elsewhere, as will be the case with the likes of gera and pantsill this summer. In contrast, squad players at big clubs may more content to sit on the bench and fight for their place, on the basis of higher wages and training with players at the top level. I personally feel that while our squad is improving, we need to be able to have a large squad of high quality, rather than just a decent starting 11. If we get some investment to do this, the right players coming through the youth system and some shrewd man management on hughes' behalf, there is no reason why we can't use next season as a chance to consolidate our position, and try and push closer to the teams in the top six. Indeed finishing 7th or 8th this season and finishing 7th next season, I believe would be regarded as a huge success.
Agreed rocky, we can only really start thinking like this once we know sparky is staying, know that we're in europe and know what players might come in over the summer, as well as what players others clubs around us bring in.
I'm not counting chickens, but we've got a realistic chance of finishing 7th. Chelsea are in good form, and while not being a shoo-in are probably favourites to beat Everton; Arsenal aren't a pushover, but has there ever been a better season to have them for our final game? Even if we lose, we were safe with three matches to go and comfortable long before that - I'd have settled for that at the start of the season. I think the best we can hope to achieve in the next few years is to regularly finish in the second quarter of the table, and to make sporadic ventures into Europe. If we do get the fair play place, I would be surprised to see us up in 7th again in a year's time. The European run affected our final position last time and I would expect it to do the same again if we do well. If we're in Europe I'd expect us to finish 12th or thereabouts, and I'd settle for being safely out of the relegation battle before the end of the season. I think the biggest problem to us building a bigger, deeper squad of experienced pros is going to be wages rather than anything else. It would be a mistake for us to load up the wage bill and unbalance the finances. We aren't a club who can budget to be in Europe year in and year out. I'd like to see us make more use of rotating players than Roy used to, with a larger group playing regularly. I think the problem with Gera and Pantsil leaving isn't because they aren't willing to be reserves, but because they aren't willing to be reserves who the manager clearly doesn't trust and has no plans for. If Gera knew that he'd get spells in the team as well as spells out of it, things might well be different. The kind of squad we need should have a balance of the kind of players we've got now, plus a bigger smattering of up-and-coming younger types, either from our own youth programme or from lower divisions, who are good enough to come in, do a job and compete for a more regular starting slot. Those type of players can add depth and quality to the squad without necessarily resulting in more people being fed up at not playing enough. In summary: more rotation and more quality, but unproven up-and-coming quality rather than established names with big-time attitudes.
Great post rp, agreed with all points. I do worry about Sparky leaving though, I just hope he sees our club as a long-term project to improve his CV. I'll be a little less uneasy when the Villa manager's position is consolidated (providing Sparky hasn't gone there).
I would love MH to stay,as I feel there is more to achieve, but if he wishes to move on, so be it. I feel that there is some talented managers out there,and I dont mean the regurgitated failures.
Great post Robes. It is indeed a good point. 7th spot would be an amazing achievement for us a club. When a new manager comes in it takes time for the squad to adjust to his style of management and coaching. This was pretty obvious from our first half of the season. Add into that, the fact that we were on the back of a Europa League Final and I think that 7th is amazing. Include in that we have won 2 away games recently means not only 7th place but a strong finish with a lot of squad players being used. Captain is spot on when he says we need to rotate, there have been signs of this just recently. He is right we need youngsters as well to compliment the senior players. I cannot help but feel that Kakuta has made a difference, especially in our away game against Sunderland. Counter attacking at pace is paramount to winning away games, so the yoof is vital. As for Hughes staying, I think he will. We are if nothing else a well run club and I think that Big Mo has been supportive of Hughes in his tenure. We are developing club that needs rebuilding, Hughes needs us. He is not ready for a big club yet in my opinion.
Good posts guys. So many "IFs", but at least the points/position and yellow/red cards etc will be known on Sunday. I'm upbeat, but we can never take things for granted. I would really like MH to stay and make it at least a 2-year stint. Otherwise it feels like unfinished business. But if he goes, I would hope that MAF and his advisors will have learned from last summer's appointment process Jol etc.
