What are our Realistic Expectations for 2020/21?

[markjazzbassist]

1 hour ago, RuffRob said:

I think having signed Bale, spurs are going to be lot better that they where against us on the opening day of the season. Going to be a tough old battle at the business end of the table. 

I’m not sure but I’m glad we got one match against them done and a win!  Just in case he is good we won’t have to see him twice

[Bailey]

3 hours ago, RuffRob said:

I think having signed Bale, spurs are going to be lot better that they where against us on the opening day of the season. Going to be a tough old battle at the business end of the table. 

It will give them a big lift. The left back is highly thought of too. 

Its a shame because I thought we could count them out! 

[Btay]

5 hours ago, RuffRob said:

I think having signed Bale, spurs are going to be lot better that they where against us on the opening day of the season. Going to be a tough old battle at the business end of the table. 

Depends on what bale they get mate - personally I don’t think he’s anything like the player he was a few years back. I the absolute elite players so the small percenters that make them excellent, he was happy to do fuck all for so long and simply, you can lose that.

[Bailey]

17 hours ago, Btay said:

Depends on what bale they get mate - personally I don’t think he’s anything like the player he was a few years back. I the absolute elite players so the small percenters that make them excellent, he was happy to do fuck all for so long and simply, you can lose that.

It's the same type of risk we had with James in many ways. I don't see him coming here and not performing, its probably more of a case of whether he can stay fit for long enough!

[RuffRob]

I have just seen the draw for the European games and just had a quick nose to see how it might help (always great to play a team the Saturday after a long European trip. Best we good is Man U playing in Istanbul a few days before we play them in the League. 

But something that is very striking is that in the the clubs who are playing in Europe are going to have to fit 6 more games in between 20th Oct and 12th December than we are going to have to play. Just looking at our fixtures from the 12th December till the end of the year - it is mainly home games against team that will have been playing twice a week for the preceding 7weeks - and going in to a busy 3 week Xmas period. This has to be a massive advantage for us. Only having to playing once a week leading up to the 12th December should take us in to the Xmas period a lot fresher and lot less fatigued than all the team we have to play.

In a year of a more congested fixture list, Could this just be that year when a little bit of luck just goes our way in the league and we manage to sneak in to the top 4? These are going to be the '6 pointer' game for a top 4 places. 

Its happened to Leicester City in the past. why not us.  

 

[Aidan]

8 minutes ago, RuffRob said:

I have just seen the draw for the European games and just had a quick nose to see how it might help (always great to play a team the Saturday after a long European trip. Best we good is Man U playing in Istanbul a few days before we play them in the League. 

But something that is very striking is that in the the clubs who are playing in Europe are going to have to fit 6 more games in between 20th Oct and 12th December than we are going to have to play. Just looking at our fixtures from the 12th December till the end of the year - it is mainly home games against team that will have been playing twice a week for the preceding 7weeks - and going in to a busy 3 week Xmas period. This has to be a massive advantage for us. Only having to playing once a week leading up to the 12th December should take us in to the Xmas period a lot fresher and lot less fatigued than all the team we have to play.

In a year of a more congested fixture list, Could this just be that year when a little bit of luck just goes our way in the league and we manage to sneak in to the top 4? These are going to be the '6 pointer' game for a top 4 places. 

Its happened to Leicester City in the past. why not us.  

 

The big games are Leicester, Chelsea, Arsenal, City and United and I'd hope for 9 points from those games at this moment in time. 

[Bailey]

@RuffRob

I think it will be interesting to see what sides those teams play in Europe. Leicester have a small squad so they will struggle to rotate but the others have enough in their squad that they could play a strong "weakened" side and rest a fee bigger players for us. 

Having said that in City's most impressive seasons they didn't rotate many players and built up momentum.

Furthmore it will make no real difference if our players are dropping like flies like they have this week. It's all theoretical at the moment we will know a lot more as the games get closer.

[RuffRob]

8 minutes ago, Bailey said:

@RuffRob

I think it will be interesting to see what sides those teams play in Europe. Leicester have a small squad so they will struggle to rotate but the others have enough in their squad that they could play a strong "weakened" side and rest a fee bigger players for us. 

Having said that in City's most impressive seasons they didn't rotate many players and built up momentum.

Furthmore it will make no real difference if our players are dropping like flies like they have this week. It's all theoretical at the moment we will know a lot more as the games get closer.

It's always a lots of if's and buts - but what I am saying the fixture list has actually been kind to us - Playing all these teams when they have had a prolonged and far more hectic schedule than us has to be more beneficial than had they only been playing once a week. So one we need to try and take advantage of this season.

From the 12th December we go in to a period of at least 2 match's a week.  The teams we will be playing will have already been playing two matches every week for 7weeks. For me we are playing almost all the top 5 or 6 teams at what will probably be the best time if the season. Even with some inevitable squad rotation, the fact is a lot of players will be more fatigued. 

You mentioned injuries - what will be will be, but again on the balance of probability the teams having to play twice a week (simply by double game time and being more fatigued) run the greater risk of player injuries. 

 

[Bailey]

11 minutes ago, RuffRob said:

It's always a lots of if's and buts - but what I am saying the fixture list has actually been kind to us - Playing all these teams when they have had a prolonged and far more hectic schedule than us has to be more beneficial than had they only been playing once a week. So one we need to try and take advantage of this season.

From the 12th December we go in to a period of at least 2 match's a week.  The teams we will be playing will have already been playing two matches every week for 7weeks. For me we are playing almost all the top 5 or 6 teams at what will probably be the best time if the season. Even with some inevitable squad rotation, the fact is a lot of players will be more fatigued. 

You mentioned injuries - what will be will be, but again on the balance of probability the teams having to play twice a week (simply by double game time and being more fatigued) run the greater risk of player injuries. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with you. If you gave me a choice I would definitely prefer our run of fixtures. Reading back that didn't come across in my post! 

[StevO]

New expectation; just win the next game. 

[MC11]

A realistic expectation based on previous seasons would be to aim for a top 6 finish. It still has to be that. 

[Cisk]

I’m living this - This is pure bants https://t.co/2kmE4ipaSl

 

Must be a wind up!

[Wiggytop]

3 hours ago, Cisk said:

I’m living this - This is pure bants https://t.co/2kmE4ipaSl

 

Must be a wind up!

I don’t know any people with strong Manchester accents that suppler any merseyside team, wind up I reckon.

[StevO]

58 minutes ago, Wiggytop said:

I don’t know any people with strong Manchester accents that suppler any merseyside team, wind up I reckon.

Sounds more like a St Helens accent to me. 

[Matt]

People are going to be a different kind of unbearable after this weekend...

[Btay]

Top of the table with only Aston Villa perfect as well. No one could have predicted it.

I said earlier that big teams are dropping points and it’s continuing. As long as we keep ticking along and grinding out the tough wins where we need to we could potentially open up a nice gap.

Target has to be win the league, every season along with every game. Miss your target slightly and then settle for Europe.

[c1982]

8 minutes ago, Btay said:

Top of the table with only Aston Villa perfect as well. No one could have predicted it.

Cazoo did

[Aidan]

The more this season goes on the more I think we're in for CL football here. Crazyness. 

[RuffRob]

some strange results - but the kind of results that will only add to our confidence before the Derby. 

if we can be confident and consistent this season - the sky's the limit. this is easier said than done though, and Ancelloti is mindful that there will be 'sad' days!!!

by the way, we are currently joint 3th favs with many bookies to win the Premier league.

 

[Bailey]

WE ARE GUNNA WIN THE LEAGUE!

[RuffRob]

 

 

[Palfy]

After this weekend 5th or 4th

[RuffRob]

9 hours ago, Palfy said:

After this weekend 5th or 4th

yeah, I was thinking, if it was offered to me now what would I take?. 4th/5th would be a good season (four games ago it was 6th/7th).

Other than Spurs away (and they where poor that day), before the season started I would have hoped to have been taking plenty of points from the other teams we have played; as they are all teams we want to be comfortably finishing above. However, you can only beat what is in front of you, and we have played well looked good doing it. So massive improvement on last year.

I does concern me that we are letting in goals against these teams, but this is pretty much happening to ALL teams and I wonder if having no crowds is having an effect on this. I think all teams are trying to play football more rather than just stopping the opposition scoring - no fear of fans (home or away) getting on your back and heckling you during the game.

Plenty of reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Especially in what is going to be a strange season. 

 

[markjazzbassist]

still top 6, great start but let's see where we are in the new year.

[Hafnia]

If we get lucky with injuries, maybe sign a winger/striker cover and goalkeeper then top 4 is doable 

United will end up sacking Ole, spurs will probably have their spells of crapnesss and Kane needs to stay fit. Chelsea look like Frank is a bit under pressure to make his signings count,  city and Liverpool will be strong. 

We really do have a chance. 

[Bailey]

16 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

If we get lucky with injuries, maybe sign a winger/striker cover and goalkeeper then top 4 is doable 

United will end up sacking Ole, spurs will probably have their spells of crapnesss and Kane needs to stay fit. Chelsea look like Frank is a bit under pressure to make his signings count,  city and Liverpool will be strong. 

We really do have a chance. 

Do you think they will? I really can't work them out.

To me they look like a complacent side. They played well at the end of last season and they thought (as did I) they would pick up where they left off. They have a lot of good players so if they do click they can beat anyone but they looked completely disjointed yesterday. Martial offers nothing as a central striker (apart from his finishing), Pogba is the same old Pogba, Fernandes does appear to be anywhere near as involved as he was last year and the back 4 is still a problem for them. Speaking of Pogba, I watched him give the ball away yesterday and throw his arms up in the air and give up. They were down to 10 men and it was tough going but that's a joke. I still think he is part of the problem.

A lot is made of the signings and the board, but that shouldn't distract from the point that they still have a lot of talented players who should be doing a lot better than they are and that is why Ole's head may be on the line.

[Hafnia]

14 minutes ago, Bailey said:

Do you think they will? I really can't work them out.

To me they look like a complacent side. They played well at the end of last season and they thought (as did I) they would pick up where they left off. They have a lot of good players so if they do click they can beat anyone but they looked completely disjointed yesterday. Martial offers nothing as a central striker (apart from his finishing), Pogba is the same old Pogba, Fernandes does appear to be anywhere near as involved as he was last year and the back 4 is still a problem for them. Speaking of Pogba, I watched him give the ball away yesterday and throw his arms up in the air and give up. They were down to 10 men and it was tough going but that's a joke. I still think he is part of the problem.

A lot is made of the signings and the board, but that shouldn't distract from the point that they still have a lot of talented players who should be doing a lot better than they are and that is why Ole's head may be on the line.

They will get twitchy ...  I can see then going for pochetino

[Palfy]

6 hours ago, RuffRob said:

yeah, I was thinking, if it was offered to me now what would I take?. 4th/5th would be a good season (four games ago it was 6th/7th).

Other than Spurs away (and they where poor that day), before the season started I would have hoped to have been taking plenty of points from the other teams we have played; as they are all teams we want to be comfortably finishing above. However, you can only beat what is in front of you, and we have played well looked good doing it. So massive improvement on last year.

I does concern me that we are letting in goals against these teams, but this is pretty much happening to ALL teams and I wonder if having no crowds is having an effect on this. I think all teams are trying to play football more rather than just stopping the opposition scoring - no fear of fans (home or away) getting on your back and heckling you during the game.

Plenty of reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Especially in what is going to be a strange season. 

 

100% this, I don’t think I’ve witnessed a season like it with Man U conceding 6 and Liverpool 7 on the same day, you couldn’t invent it. 
And West Ham beating Leicester away 3-0 is hardly getting a mention, what another great result for us. 
I know it’s early days but there’s no shame in revelling in our position and getting excited about our prospects for this season, we’ve lived under a dark cloud and the shites shadow for a long time, let’s sing as loud as we can and pray it lasts

[RuffRob]

1 hour ago, Hafnia said:

If we get lucky with injuries, maybe sign a winger/striker cover and goalkeeper then top 4 is doable 

United will end up sacking Ole, spurs will probably have their spells of crapnesss and Kane needs to stay fit. Chelsea look like Frank is a bit under pressure to make his signings count,  city and Liverpool will be strong. 

We really do have a chance. 

When I first saw that Spurs had beat them 1:6 I thought I bet OGS is sweating on is job. But think Liverpool getting done 7:2 a few hours later might have put it in a little more perspective for the axe swingers, and given him a bit of breathing space. However, I don't think he will see the season out. 

[RuffRob]

2 minutes ago, Palfy said:

100% this, I don’t think I’ve witnessed a season like it with Man U conceding 6 and Liverpool 7 on the same day, you couldn’t invent it. 
And West Ham beating Leicester away 3-0 is hardly getting a mention, what another great result for us. 
I know it’s early days but there’s no shame in revelling in our position and getting excited about our prospects for this season, we’ve lived under a dark cloud and the shites shadow for a long time, let’s sing as loud as we can and pray it lasts

There could be one team that takes advantage of the strange season. Why not us? 

I think we are due a bit of luck maybe more than any team. I am thinking as far back as when we missed out on European football in 1985, us being the team that lost the most from the English ban, or Collina, recognised as the worlds best ref, having an off day when we played Villareal in 2005 trying to get in to the CL group stages. I don't think anybody could begrudge us a  little bit of luck in finally getting the opportunity to play in Europe's premier competition.