Season Predictions

[SheepRanger]

Nourry said in his recent interview that the Board objectives are to achieve a more financially sustainable championship club. To achieve this we need regular player sales rather than a once in a decade Eze deal. But Premiership football is the aim when the player budget increases through those sales.

With the signings we've made and more to cone, I think I'd be disappointed with a 15-18th place finish on circa 55-60 pts. I think we might suprise a few and flirt with 6th place over a longer period.

Im going for a 10th place finish around 65pts.

[Abseits]

Nourry makes sense but we are in a division where several teams will go all-in shitorbust for promotion. A few of them will succeed, a few of them will fail, lick their wounds and do it again next season. One or two will crash badly and put their Championship status in peril.

You could argue that finishing midtable would represent steady progress but frankly the hierarchy and coaching staff should be agressively touting and pushing our chances of top 6. Nourry would do well to remember us fans are sat on 10 seasons of nothingness on the trot - talking about slow and steady isn't what I want to hear.

[dave58]

To be honest think we'll be bottom half of table again maybe not so much in trouble as last 2 seasons between 12th and 20th would love to push for better but just cant see it unless the really unknown players hit their strap from the off still not convinced on a few Madsen for one looked lethargic/ slow again in pre season games, wish we'd have made a cheeky bid for Edwards, to test Southampton they have a lot still on big money , lots of young players seems to be the clubs model which is good if the players are good enough?

[SheepRanger]

Nourry was merely answering the DaveMc question on where we are and the short to medium term thoughts of the Board. I guess even Ruben is getting fed up putting in £1m a month.

Hopefully, Julie-ann will be busting a gut to get us promoted.

I'd love it if I could start a "Play Off" thread - LUV IT..!

[3London]

over the course of 46 games i can't see us being on the same level as

Ipswich
Southampton
Sheff utd
Leicester
Norwich
coventry

and we are probably better than

Sheff weds
Hull
Charlton
oxford
preston

so that puts us in a bracket of 13 teams who can go on a winning streak or equally a losing one.

it will be about injuries and squad depth and that is where we might struggle - our 2nd 11 as it were is very young and inexperienced

i think we will be around where we were last season but a top 10 finish would be an achievement.

[daveshads]

Not sure that our new manager completely understands the Championship. Hope I'm wrong. A league where "ugly" players can be a key part of a team. Interesting signings but remain completely unsure how we might do. If the guy from Burton lands running, that will help a lot but worried deeply about the gap left by Edwards. Hope the football is more entertaining than Marti's.

[FurtiveFox]

Still some transfer work to be done but if you look at likes of Brentford and Brighton they built over a number of seasons. Took us years to get out of the Prem years mess and we are only a year or so into the Nourry era which I see as us starting to build up again. Would be happy with some pretty football and say around 10-14th and improve incrementally next season and beyond. If we do get some Eze money think it would be a mistake to take a punt on using large chunk of it in transfer market. With smaller to mid table sides in this division it rarely succeeds and clubs fade again but having spent all their money.

No idea on new manager yet. Pre-season has told us very little, has been mainly about giving as many players as possible some game time to get fitness levels up.

We have a number of younger players who may or may not push on this season and some potentially interesting signings and hopefully few more to come. I wouldn't rule us out being dark horses depending who comes in and injuries etc over course of season. Anything lower than say 14th I would regard as a failure. No excuses for another relegation fight.

[shaggy24]

I think Ipswich will find it tough with no Delap still should be up there, Southampton lost dibbling Leicester sorry but Marti ain’t a manager imo for a promotion push aging squad lost vardy

Coventry may be a surprise too 2 lampard did very well Norwich by all accounts ain’t got much cash only on good mates say so

have we got the ability for top 6 I think we will score but our back 4 worries me no real lb larkeche ok as cup player and not seen anything in adamson to suggest jd will play cb we will miss Edwards badly mbemgue adds pace but that’s it but we do have pace to hit sides on the break which we’ve not had for a long time

13th

[Darkranger]

11th, but could feasibility be a few places higher or lower.
As previously stated, we're probably not good enough for a top 6 finish, but should have enough to avoid being dragged into the relaxation zone once again.
There may be more incomings and outgoings yet. At this stage it's difficult to make an informed decision without seeing the full picture.

[SheepRanger]

Having just watched the fans forum Nourry was very clear at the end that premier league clubs want 20-22 yr old playets who have 70 odd championship appearances to their names. They likewise want to move players up to the top European clubs at a profit.

It really is going to be a development season for many of the players for the greater good further down the line.

Nourry also ephasised that there is a shortage of quality defensive midfielders in Europe and also CBs. Its these positions were we'll get the biggest transfer fees and Nourry admitted this was the main reason for the recruitment of Steve Bould. I also remember reading the Julien likes strong defensive midfielders. I think both recruitments were based on developing players for sale.....not necessarily to get promoted, but they emphasised that ambition is there.

We will blood a lot of younger players along the way, which will cost us points as they learn. But Nourry almost pleaded with the fans to support the young players at all times because keeping their belief and confidence high is key.

I now think a 60 point total and a £5m plus player sale next summer would be regarded as a good season. (£10m plus for Varane would do it). We're effectively a club that now develops players until the playing budget is big enough for us to challenge properly.

Nourry also said any influx of cash from an Eze sale would not be going straight out the door as quick as it came in. We will still be looking to continue player development with the aim of moving players to other clubs by the time theyre 22yrs old.

[Undecided]

11th, but could feasibility be a few places higher or lower.
As previously stated, we're probably not good enough for a top 6 finish, but should have enough to avoid being dragged into the relaxation zone once again.
There may be more incomings and outgoings yet. At this stage it's difficult to make an informed decision without seeing the full picture.

Phew. Relaxation zone would be a relief.

[Abseits]

6th is not a big ask. Bristol City did it by winning a mere 17 games out of 46. Blackburn were 2pts of 6th and lost 18 games (same amount as we lost).

I genuinely think a canny manager who "gets" the EFL could find a way of strategically attacking the fixture list and finding a way of winning more than 17 of those games and losing less than 17. You don't need to pull up any trees or go on long unbeaten runs - just chug along winning at least 2 games every month.

Stephan needs to learn quick and adapt quick. Likes of Nathan Jones and Alex Neill will have our London rivals grinding out points steadily - we are all more or less equal in terms of "size" and financial clout. I'm really not having this "small poor club" attitude.. we can do better.

[3London]

if we are to achieve anything this year we need to improve our home form

last season - we were 4th bottom on home form but 6th and in the playoffs on away form.

[SheepRanger]

if we are to achieve anything this year we need to improve our home form

last season - we were 4th bottom on home form but 6th and in the playoffs on away form.

Great factoid.....

[shaggy24]

if we are to achieve anything this year we need to improve our home form

last season - we were 4th bottom on home form but 6th and in the playoffs on away form.

Think it helped us away when teams attacked us we hit them on the break and struggled at home down to the fact we were trying to just keep the ball win 1-0 and wasn’t very good at it

with more pace coming in with poku and lad from Burton I can see us being more direct worked well for forest pace pace and more pace