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Mathys Tel

I believe the situation is not as bad as some like to try and make out, neither is the optimism as high as others make out. But we are fans and i really believe that those who are always slagging our players off and those who get carried away with a couple of results are in the minority.

Work in progress and we have made some posistive moves to strengten our squad.
Well said.
 
I don't blame people for being optimistic, especially after the rubbish we've had to endure over the last two league campaigns. Last season was comfortably my least enjoyable since I started supporting the club.

That said, I don't think a healthy dose of realism would go amiss. As things stand, I think our ceiling is around mid-table as long as we have the current crop of forwards. We've also conceded around 60 league goals in each of the last three seasons, so it's not as though finishing 17th twice was just a freak occurrence.

I'm definitely more optimistic now than I was at the end of last season, but I can't simply erase the last two league campaigns from my memory. That's why I think talk of finishing in the top four or even the top six is premature. I'd love to be proved wrong though, and I'll happily eat my words if we exceed my expectations.
That’s not what preseason is for. Leave that until half time of the first game. For now we can be carefree with no consequences
 
For me the squad as is without any forwards signed, and without the injuries of the last 3 seasons is 6th-8th.

Villa are a unknown going into this season with their sales, Bournemouth and Sunderland will in all probability struggle with being in Europe, Saudi Sportswashing Machine are a mess, Iraola with Europe means there is the potential for Liverpool to be decimated by injuries in the same way we have been, City have a new manager, same Chelsea.

This season has got all the potential to be similar to 15/16, if we get both a LW and CF i don’t think it’s delusional to suggest top 5.
 
For me the squad as is without any forwards signed, and without the injuries of the last 3 seasons is 6th-8th.

Villa are a unknown going into this season with their sales, Bournemouth and Sunderland will in all probability struggle with being in Europe, Saudi Sportswashing Machine are a mess, Iraola with Europe means there is the potential for Liverpool to be decimated by injuries in the same way we have been, City have a new manager, same Chelsea.

This season has got all the potential to be similar to 15/16, if we get both a LW and CF i don’t think it’s delusional to suggest top 5.
From De Zerbi's recent words, I would be flabbergasted if the season begins with the attacking part of the squad as is.
 
Small sample of games Finney. You also have to factor in new manager bounce (yes I know we didn’t get that with Tudor). If he gets us into the top 6 then he should win manager of the season in my eyes.
New manager bounce thing is a load of gonads I think. It is just that teams sack managers who are doing really badly with a set of players who are better than the manager is getting out of them (I.e. Frank) and the new manager gets the players playing to their actual expected standard.

I’d be surprised if we don’t finish in the top 6 or 7 with no Europe to worry about. I’ve not looked at the point or league finish spreads yet but I suspect I’ll be a buyer this season and not a big seller like I was last season
 
For me the squad as is without any forwards signed, and without the injuries of the last 3 seasons is 6th-8th.

Villa are a unknown going into this season with their sales, Bournemouth and Sunderland will in all probability struggle with being in Europe, Saudi Sportswashing Machine are a mess, Iraola with Europe means there is the potential for Liverpool to be decimated by injuries in the same way we have been, City have a new manager, same Chelsea.

This season has got all the potential to be similar to 15/16, if we get both a LW and CF i don’t think it’s delusional to suggest top 5.

This is it, put 2 top quality players in up top and I think this puts us in the same mix as about half a dozen clubs who will finish anywhere from 3rd to 9th
 
New manager bounce thing is a load of gonads I think. It is just that teams sack managers who are doing really badly with a set of players who are better than the manager is getting out of them (I.e. Frank) and the new manager gets the players playing to their actual expected standard.

I’d be surprised if we don’t finish in the top 6 or 7 with no Europe to worry about. I’ve not looked at the point or league finish spreads yet but I suspect I’ll be a buyer this season and not a big seller like I was last season
I’d be looking at where United finished last year with a relatively weak squad
I mean if they had sacked their manager earlier they could have challenged for the title yet they didn’t even really have a Cf for a decent amount of games
 
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