Would you take 17th place right now ?

[BlueStar]

If the question is if you have a hypothetical scenario where a genie can magically assure you 17th place, or you can just roll the dice and see what the season brings, I think it's important to realise that 17th might not be the safer of those options to choose, long term.  A 17th finish next season could have a very negative effect on the season after, in terms of how attractive we are to players, both those we might want and those we may want to keep, on the morale of the squad and the morale of the teams we've nudged up the league, on the type of football teams play against us at SJP...  I think we'd be in a much better position for the 11/12 season if we managed to avoid a relegation scrap this season, with the momentum to push on.

[Disco]

I knew this would happen - people thinking we're good again after a few decent results.

 

We're not the Newcastle of old - we're a newly promoted side. The good run will probably come to an end and with injuries etc. on top, we'll enter the struggle at the end of the season. Of course we can aim for better, but I don't expect us to finish higher than 15th - anything else is a bonus.

 

Survival is what we need and so 17th is perfect for me.

 

head nail on

[AyeDubbleYoo]

If the question is if you have a hypothetical scenario where a genie can magically assure you 17th place, or you can just roll the dice and see what the season brings, I think it's important to realise that 17th might not be the safer of those options to choose, long term.  A 17th finish next season could have a very negative effect on the season after, in terms of how attractive we are to players, both those we might want and those we may want to keep, on the morale of the squad and the morale of the teams we've nudged up the league, on the type of football teams play against us at SJP...  I think we'd be in a much better position for the 11/12 season if we managed to avoid a relegation scrap this season, with the momentum to push on.

 

Well no, but it would be better than going down. Thus you've just restated the original question really.

[Guest BooBoo]

The season we went down, other than a few good shock wins away from home, the 17th placed team (Hull) were unbelievably bad and only won about one in their last twenty.

 

I think we're better than that frankly, 17th would be a disappointing season with a good three or four places above that being the target.

[Yorkie]

If we finish 17th it'll mean a bucket-load of shit performances and defeats, and a nervous end to the season. I cba with that - we're better than it. We've got a lot of good players in the squad and there's some utter tripe in the division. There's nothing wrong with thinking we can have a reasonable year.

[Guest BooBoo]

Agreed.

[BlueStar]

If the question is if you have a hypothetical scenario where a genie can magically assure you 17th place, or you can just roll the dice and see what the season brings, I think it's important to realise that 17th might not be the safer of those options to choose, long term.  A 17th finish next season could have a very negative effect on the season after, in terms of how attractive we are to players, both those we might want and those we may want to keep, on the morale of the squad and the morale of the teams we've nudged up the league, on the type of football teams play against us at SJP...  I think we'd be in a much better position for the 11/12 season if we managed to avoid a relegation scrap this season, with the momentum to push on.

 

Well no, but it would be better than going down. Thus you've just restated the original question really.

 

But it may be better to gamble and avoid only delaying our fate.

[Hanshithispantz]

Clearly half of the people on this forum have never put the lottery on.

[Hanshithispantz]

Another hyperthetical question:

 

If you said 'yes' and would take 17th place now, then what would your answer be next year if (hypertheticaly) a genie asked you the same question?

 

And if you answer no the second time round exactly what would have changed for you to suddenly have more belief in the team?

[BottledDog]

Guaranteed survival? Ermmmm, yes please.

 

Not to say we shouldn't be hoping for higher/better mind. As Dave's said, the bottom 12 teams in the league range from ordinary to dogshit. No reason why we can't have a good season and finish something daft like 11th. I'd take 17th and survival - just for this first season though.

 

 

How can anyone turn their noses up at it? Because we beat Villa 6-0? Does anyone remember Hull in their first season back. We won't continue this run and whilst we are good enough for closer to the top ten, we should appreciate our limitations - I'd snatch 17th with both hands right now tbh.

Because finishing 17th means an appauling season, players leaving, fans on the boards back, us getting stick every week in the press, everyone in newcastle depressed every weekend... you get the drift.

 

Finishing 17th may be survival, but it's also a year of compete torture supporting the club, we're better than a 17th place finish and I expect us to comfortably stay up. We have a fairly decent squad and will be hard to beat at home.

 

Staying up would be an appauling season? Christ, so you're presumably on of those you say that'd be jumping on the teams back when we inevitably lose a whole wadge of games. Going down would be pretty dreadful, but i'd happily take anything else right now.

 

/that doesn't mean I don't have hopes that we could do much better, but you'd be mad to count your chickens as it were 3 games in.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Another hyperthetical question:

 

If you said 'yes' and would take 17th place now, then what would your answer be next year if (hypertheticaly) a genie asked you the same question?

 

And if you answer no the second time round exactly what would have changed for you to suddenly have more belief in the team?

 

Well our targets might be different next season.

 

This year, newly promoted, we need to ensure we stay up and anything else is a bonus.

 

I see what the question is driving at though, it would be great to do more than survive this season so that we can push on again.

[Neil]

I would obviously 'take' 17th position if I were in your shoes, but it wouldn't necessarily mean I'd be happy with it. Survival is, as everyone has said, the priority but at the same time, getting further up the table than the 17th is a very realistic aim.

[Hanshithispantz]

Guaranteed survival? Ermmmm, yes please.

 

Not to say we shouldn't be hoping for higher/better mind. As Dave's said, the bottom 12 teams in the league range from ordinary to dogshit. No reason why we can't have a good season and finish something daft like 11th. I'd take 17th and survival - just for this first season though.

 

 

How can anyone turn their noses up at it? Because we beat Villa 6-0? Does anyone remember Hull in their first season back. We won't continue this run and whilst we are good enough for closer to the top ten, we should appreciate our limitations - I'd snatch 17th with both hands right now tbh.

Because finishing 17th means an appauling season, players leaving, fans on the boards back, us getting stick every week in the press, everyone in newcastle depressed every weekend... you get the drift.

 

Finishing 17th may be survival, but it's also a year of compete torture supporting the club, we're better than a 17th place finish and I expect us to comfortably stay up. We have a fairly decent squad and will be hard to beat at home.

 

Staying up would be an appauling season? Christ, so you're presumably on of those you say that'd be jumping on the teams back when we inevitably lose a whole wadge of games. Going down would be pretty dreadful, but i'd happily take anything else right now.

"Staying up would be an appauling season?"

 

Ermm, I never technicaly said that did I? But yes I think finishing just above the drop zone by a couple of points would be a pretty appauling season...

 

It's not a question of whether I personaly will jump on the players backs, it's a fact though that it will happen. I've personaly never booed any player currently at this club, not even a manager that i've hated as i realy cannot see any posotive effects of it, it does happen though, and will happen if we have a poor season.

[Hanshithispantz]

Another hyperthetical question:

 

If you said 'yes' and would take 17th place now, then what would your answer be next year if (hypertheticaly) a genie asked you the same question?

 

And if you answer no the second time round exactly what would have changed for you to suddenly have more belief in the team?

 

Well our targets might be different next season.

 

This year, newly promoted, we need to ensure we stay up and anything else is a bonus.

 

I see what the question is driving at though, it would be great to do more than survive this season so that we can push on again.

I honestly think the way this club is, that if we finished 17th we would be in a worse scenario than we are now. CH may have been fired, or walked. Would Enrique or Colo be happy with our lack of progress since they joined or would they finaly start to get a little bit sick? Would HBA still be a keen as he is now?

 

Thats how I see it anyway, I don't realy see 17th as just "staying up", it is staying up but in the worst way possible.

[NG32]

Yes, yes I would. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Another hyperthetical question:

 

If you said 'yes' and would take 17th place now, then what would your answer be next year if (hypertheticaly) a genie asked you the same question?

 

And if you answer no the second time round exactly what would have changed for you to suddenly have more belief in the team?

 

Well our targets might be different next season.

 

This year, newly promoted, we need to ensure we stay up and anything else is a bonus.

 

I see what the question is driving at though, it would be great to do more than survive this season so that we can push on again.

 

I honestly think the way this club is, that if we finished 17th we would be in a worse scenario than we are now. CH may have been fired, or walked. Would Enrique or Colo be happy with our lack of progress since they joined or would they finaly start to get a little bit sick? Would HBA still be a keen as he is now?

 

Thats how I see it anyway, I don't realy see 17th as just "staying up", it is staying up but in the worst way possible.

 

Do you mean it would be worse than going down?

[Hanshithispantz]

Another hyperthetical question:

 

If you said 'yes' and would take 17th place now, then what would your answer be next year if (hypertheticaly) a genie asked you the same question?

 

And if you answer no the second time round exactly what would have changed for you to suddenly have more belief in the team?

 

Well our targets might be different next season.

 

This year, newly promoted, we need to ensure we stay up and anything else is a bonus.

 

I see what the question is driving at though, it would be great to do more than survive this season so that we can push on again.

 

I honestly think the way this club is, that if we finished 17th we would be in a worse scenario than we are now. CH may have been fired, or walked. Would Enrique or Colo be happy with our lack of progress since they joined or would they finaly start to get a little bit sick? Would HBA still be a keen as he is now?

 

Thats how I see it anyway, I don't realy see 17th as just "staying up", it is staying up but in the worst way possible.

 

Do you mean it would be worse than going down?

No, I mean we would be in a worse scenario than we are at the present time.

 

In the current season we are on a bit of a high having just been promoted and we actualy have a decent Premiership side. If we finish 17th then it obviosly won't be as bad as relegation, but the morale of pretty much everyon will be rock bottom.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't really understand 'where we are now', as the question is about a finishing position and we haven't finished a season.

 

In fact, last time we finished a Premier League season we did get relegated.

 

Edit: If you mean the feeling around the club would be worse than it is now, then I think you're probably right.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Aim for the stars, if you miss you might hit the moon.

 

Aim for Sunderland, if you miss you might hit Middlesborough.

 

So no, I wouldn't take 17th now, better to aim high and fall a little short then aim low and accept crap

[Nobody]

No, but I'm an optimist.

Think it's important to go for a higher finish if we want to be able to attract better players in the future. Does anyone think Birmingham would have gotten the likes of Zigic (poor mans Carroll, mind) and Hleb if they finished 17th last season?

[Hanshithispantz]

By where we are now I mean we have just came up ahead of Blackpool and WBA, so thats 2 sides in the league who technicaly should be worse than us. Finishing 17th means that we would have only imroved 1 place. I agree it's a pretty poor example that doesn't realy matter though lol

 

And it's the feeling around the club that worries me, the longer we linger about been a 'poor' club the worse our fans get and the less appealing we look to players (both at the club and coming in).

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Aim for the stars, if you miss you might hit the moon.

 

Aim for Sunderland, if you miss you might hit Middlesborough.

 

So no, I wouldn't take 17th now, better to aim high and fall a little short then aim low and accept crap

 

I don't think the question is "should we aim for 17th".

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Aim for the stars, if you miss you might hit the moon.

 

Aim for Sunderland, if you miss you might hit Middlesborough.

 

So no, I wouldn't take 17th now, better to aim high and fall a little short then aim low and accept crap

 

I don't think the question is "should we aim for 17th".

 

Granted, but Istill wouldn't take it. May as well support Bolton if we are going to be happy with finishing 17th every year

[Hanshithispantz]

Aim for the stars, if you miss you might hit the moon.

 

Aim for Sunderland, if you miss you might hit Middlesborough.

 

So no, I wouldn't take 17th now, better to aim high and fall a little short then aim low and accept crap

 

I don't think the question is "should we aim for 17th".

Hold on I may have misread the question, is this "would you accept 17th at this time" or was it meant as a hypathetical "would you take 17th if a genie offered it now"?

 

The former I would say yes, I would accept a 17th place finish but would hope we can achieve a lot better, to the latter I would rather take the gamble and see where we end up.

[JH]

Aim for the stars, if you miss you might hit the moon.

 

Aim for Sunderland, if you miss you might hit Middlesborough.

 

So no, I wouldn't take 17th now, better to aim high and fall a little short then aim low and accept crap

 

The question isn't whether we should aim for 17th though. I agree we should be aiming higher, but shit happens - definite survival is what we need, like last season's definite promotion. 17th is survival.