What should this squad be capable of?

[eliassenfredrik]

6th.

[Hughesy]

We should be challenging for top 6/7 each season.  However, if we ended a season behind Man United, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Everton and Liverpool, I don't think we should necessarily be complaining assuming we aren't miles off the pace.

[Guest tollemache]

It'll come down to injuries. We're still not strong enough in depth for the loss of a couple of first teamers not to have a real impact, where the likes of Spurs tend to have experienced, quality cover. If we're lucky with injuries we could push for 4th but the squad we'll start next season with (assuming no big departures) should be able to hold its own in mid-table even if we're not.

 

I suppose if you average it out and assume a normal number of injuries spread over the whole squad... we should probably look at a strong bid for top 6. Everton this season kind of thing

[Wil]

As it stands top six should be possible. Just behind the top three it's very competitive, but the recent additions have really strengthened our squad and I think we should be right in there. Would say we are at least on a par with Everton and Liverpool. Not sure how far behind Spurs and Arsenal we are either. It's all about key players staying fit though, with us and any of those teams, I mean imagine if Hatem could play the whole season......

[Ste]

Top 10 as a bare minimum.

[Stifler]

It depends, no cup runs and no injury concerns then we should push for a CL spot, a cup run or injuries then Europa league, no cups runs at all and injuries then anywhere from 8th to 10th.

 

In all honesty it shows how thin our squad is, if we play like we can then there is no reason why we can't give the teams at the top a run for a CL spot, but a few extra games and add an injury in there then we are battling for a top 10 finish.

[Guest icemanblue]

Time travel. Or, at the very least, significant strides towards world peace.

[taxfree]

Top 6. No doubt at all.

[Mole_Toonfan]

We have the first eleven to finish in the top 6 and the two games against Spurs tells me we are not a million miles away.

 

But we sorely lack some strength in depth in forward areas and that will be the downfall in the end, but if we were to genuinely strengthen our forward depth.

 

Then we should be in the top 6 and looking to push the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham all the way like we did last season. At the moment it is between 6th-8th but if we were to add some depth then i'm looking at 4th-6th.

[Yorkie]

For us to plummet from the Champions League places to a relegation battle in the space of a summer, with (more-or-less) the exact same squad of players, was pretty damn abysmal. I wouldn't argue with anyone who says we may have overachieved last season, but the fact of the matter is - we were right up there so the squad is capable of it. Ba's departure is a loss - but don't forget we won six games on the bounce last year without him scoring. Overall I'd say the squad is now better than last season's - so there's absolutely no reason for why we shouldn't be replicating/building-on our recent success.

 

We look a million miles away from relegation imo (too bloody right), so if we can drag ourselves up to mid-table - Pardew will have bought himself some time as far as I'm concerned. I wanted him out after Reading, but now he's got the squad he deserved after last season, I think we can allow him some patience.

[Guest tollemache]

What might help us next season is the likes of Swansea, Liverpool and Everton getting into Europe and suffering in the league. Without digging out the stats to prove it, there does seem to be a yo-yo effect among teams good enough for top half finishes without having much depth, and if we keep our squad intact over the summer it could be our turn to benefit from that.

[The College Dropout]

Think many over-rate our squad.

[Elbel1]

I would say top 6

With some quality additions, and a bit of luck, we could have a decent run in both cups, win the Ashes and eliminate world hunger

[Ryan]

Top 8 should be the aim with this squad. If we can add another decent striker and a few better backups I'd say top 6.

[Shearergol]

Right manager, no Jonas, no Ameobi = 5th/6th

[binnsy]

Should be able to compete for the Champions league spots,  return to last seasons defensive solidity and keep everyone fit without the distraction of europe and as daft as it sounds we could even push for the title!  obviously the chances of our starting 11 staying injury free are slim so i would settle for top 4! lol

[leffe186]

What might help us next season is the likes of Swansea, Liverpool and Everton getting into Europe and suffering in the league. Without digging out the stats to prove it, there does seem to be a yo-yo effect among teams good enough for top half finishes without having much depth, and if we keep our squad intact over the summer it could be our turn to benefit from that.

 

I think this is incredibly important. More games generally mean more injuries (look at Ben Arfa), and you definitely benefited from no Europe (and not many other cup games either ) when getting fifth. Only three teams can comfortably compete on so many fronts simultaneously (Manchester and Chelsea), while Spurs are getting there and Arsenal are slipping back a little.

 

I think that next year there will be eight teams who are really not that far from each other, and the rest. At that point, squad depth, other competitions and injuries, and the managers, are the factors that differentiate us. Less than eighth would be a poor season for you. I'd say anything from 6-8 would be par, and you should probably look at taking advantage of no EL to at least look like challenging for fourth.

[Troll]

We were completing for Champions League last season, and that was with Pardew.  With the improvements last month and discounting the manager, there's no reason we're not capable of doing it again.

[Kanj]

We were completing for Champions League last season, and that was with Pardew.  With the improvements last month and discounting the manager, there's no reason we're not capable of doing it again.

 

I agree with this. Our squad is there to compete for CL spots imo.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Think many over-rate our squad.

 

What makes you say so? most  think with 2-3 quality editions we can finish top 6 and on paper i don't see a reason to disagree.

 

We definitely shouldn't be below top 8 on paper, no way in hell the likes of West Brom and Swansea are better.

 

We finished 5th last season and since then we have added Sissoko, Mbiwa, Debuchy, Gouffran, Anita and a few more fringe players.

 

This season has been awful for many different reasons but we still have quality players in most positions.

[Cajun]

I think our first 11 is quality tbh;

 

                      Krul

 

Debuchy    MBiwa      Colo    Santon

 

            Cabaye  Tiote/Anita

 

                    Sissoko

 

      HBA            Cisse        Gouffran

 

Not a weak link in the house imo.

 

It's just when two of the front 3 get injured where we struggle. We have enough at the back (will have to replace Colo in the summer) and enough central midfield types. We have players good enough to do a job if ONE of the front 3 are missing but if two of them are missing it's too much on the remaining 'purple', for example when Gouffran went off against Spurs there wasn't enough spark with Jonas and Marveaux either side of Cisse. We could live with Marveaux, Jonas, Obertan etc.. next to Cisse and HBA/Gouffran but two of them either side of Cisse/Gouffran and we are going to really struggle.

[Skeletor]

Throw in Aubameyang (to play anywhere in the front 3), a Colo replacement (inevitable it seems) and a new back up central defender to replace Williamson and we'd get top 6.

[Mole_Toonfan]

I think our first 11 is quality tbh;

 

                      Krul

 

Debuchy    MBiwa      Colo    Santon

 

            Cabaye  Tiote/Anita

 

                    Sissoko

 

      HBA            Cisse        Gouffran

 

Not a weak link in the house imo.

 

It's just when two of the front 3 get injured where we struggle. We have enough at the back (will have to replace Colo in the summer) and enough central midfield types. We have players good enough to do a job if ONE of the front 3 are missing but if two of them are missing it's too much on the remaining 'purple', for example when Gouffran went off against Spurs there wasn't enough spark with Jonas and Marveaux either side of Cisse. We could live with Marveaux, Jonas, Obertan etc.. next to Cisse and HBA/Gouffran but two of them either side of Cisse/Gouffran and we are going to really struggle.

 

[The College Dropout]

Think many over-rate our squad.

 

What makes you say so? most  think with 2-3 quality editions we can finish top 6 and on paper i don't see a reason to disagree.

 

We definitely shouldn't be below top 8 on paper, no way in hell the likes of West Brom and Swansea are better.

 

We finished 5th last season and since then we have added Sissoko, Mbiwa, Debuchy, Gouffran, Anita and a few more fringe players.

 

This season has been awful for many different reasons but we still have quality players in most positions.

 

People are saying CL places a lot. I'm not so sure.

 

Defensively, 3 out of our 4 defenders have questions over their ability to defend well in this division. It might take another year for them to adapt. The other defender is Saylor, so we need another CB to replace Colo who will also need time to adapt.

 

Up front I don't know where the goals will come from if Cisse has another quiet season. Last year between him, Ba, Best and Shola they got 36 league goals. He and Ba alone got 30, another 4 from Best.

 

We are also more reliant on a good injury record and form than everyone in the top 8 except the L'pool teams. Spurs have done well without Adebayor and Defoe as well as  Sandro for large parts of the season. Without Cisse, Gouff, Tiote we would lose to any first choice Spurs side imo. Colo & Cisse have been poor all season and we need them or their equivalent to be on form 90% of the time to challenge top 6.

[The College Dropout]

I think our first 11 is quality tbh;

 

                      Krul

 

Debuchy    MBiwa      Colo    Santon

 

            Cabaye  Tiote/Anita

 

                    Sissoko

 

      HBA            Cisse        Gouffran

 

Not a weak link in the house imo.

 

It's just when two of the front 3 get injured where we struggle. We have enough at the back (will have to replace Colo in the summer) and enough central midfield types. We have players good enough to do a job if ONE of the front 3 are missing but if two of them are missing it's too much on the remaining 'purple', for example when Gouffran went off against Spurs there wasn't enough spark with Jonas and Marveaux either side of Cisse. We could live with Marveaux, Jonas, Obertan etc.. next to Cisse and HBA/Gouffran but two of them either side of Cisse/Gouffran and we are going to really struggle.

 

On paper that's great but let's take a closer look.

 

The CB's - One is unproven in this division and will probably need time to adapt like other French CB's in the division. The other has been poor this season largely and is unlikely to be here next season.

 

Both fullbacks questionable defensively. 1 needs time to adjust to the league, the other needs development time. Will they both have caught up to the pace/positioning defensively by the start of next season?

 

Midfield does look strong. We may even be able to loan out Bigi.

 

If Cisse has another season somewhat similar to this we have a MAJOR problem. There's not much off the bench in terms of goals either.