Next season

[The Butcher]

We lost 14 games this season. That's nowhere near good enough.

 

The attack is really good, but the defence is equally bad. Not having a proper DM as a squad option will keep costing us points imo.

 

Really hope we improve as a defensive unit next year. Better bring back the top level shithousing as well if we want to compete with the best.

 

 

[Conjo]

Without going into transfers, there's four things I'm hoping we do better next season:

- playing out of a high press

- less aimless clearances that just ends up inviting more pressure on our goal

- taking our time a bit more on the ball in transition when we don't have runners in good positions 

- squad rotation BEFORE injuries starts cropping up

 

A bonus fifth: make our midfield harder to play through 

[TRC]

As a super early prediction I have the top 3 locked with City, Chelsea and Arsenal. I think the next few spots are up for grabs though. 

[madras]

15 hours ago, Conjo said:

Without going into transfers, there's four things I'm hoping we do better next season:

- playing out of a high press

- less aimless clearances that just ends up inviting more pressure on our goal

- taking our time a bit more on the ball in transition when we don't have runners in good positions 

- squad rotation BEFORE injuries starts cropping up

 

A bonus fifth: make our midfield harder to play through 

The rotation thing. We did, but players got injured. Isak and Wilson were swapping almost game for game in, Barnes got injured while.playing instead of Gordon, Murphy instead of Miggy in Milan or do we want 5 maybe 6 changes per game ?

 

Bonus fifth, that comes with not having to play inexperienced 17yr olds and players who are still injured and having a midfielder banned for most of the season.

[ATB]

18 hours ago, Conjo said:

Without going into transfers, there's four things I'm hoping we do better next season:

- playing out of a high press

- less aimless clearances that just ends up inviting more pressure on our goal

- taking our time a bit more on the ball in transition when we don't have runners in good positions 

- squad rotation BEFORE injuries starts cropping up

 

A bonus fifth: make our midfield harder to play through 

Agree on Every point. Especially our ability to play from the back without aimlessly longballs that just put us on defence. To defend so much risk goals, but also fitness.

 

Thats also why I'm so desperate to get a new goalie and to not play Burn..

[Dr Jinx]

Ritchie out Minteh in

Dummett out Tosin in

Targett (5m) out Kelly in.

Almiron (22m) out ? In

Dubravka (4.5m) out ? In

Karius out - promote youth
Wilson (15m) out ? In

 

I don’t think we need to sell any of the Crown Jewels. But we could potentially bring in 30-40m with those fringe players. That would pay for that Goalkeeper.. am guessing we’ll have a budget similar to last summer.. around 100m?

a 40m winger and a 60m striker and we should be good.

 

We’re stacked in midfield. But concerns about Willock.. will he be able to regain fitness?

 

 

[TheBrownBottle]

I'd be happy with further consolidation (KK's least favourite word) in the top seven tbh - while getting rid of more deadwood.

 

If Man City win the FA Cup, I'd also be pretty hopeful that we finally break that trophyless streak.  A trophy next season and top six / seven.  Fuck it, I can dream.

[Fezzle]

2 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

Ritchie out Minteh in

Dummett out Tosin in

Targett (5m) out Kelly in.

Almiron (22m) out ? In

Dubravka (4.5m) out ? In

Karius out - promote youth
Wilson (15m) out ? In

 

I don’t think we need to sell any of the Crown Jewels. But we could potentially bring in 30-40m with those fringe players. That would pay for that Goalkeeper.. am guessing we’ll have a budget similar to last summer.. around 100m?

a 40m winger and a 60m striker and we should be good.

 

We’re stacked in midfield. But concerns about Willock.. will he be able to regain fitness?

 

 

You arent getting £20m for Dubs/Wilson man

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Fezzle said:

You arent getting £20m for Dubs/Wilson man

Dubravka wouldn't be likely to command much more than a nominal fee.  Wilson 10-12m I reckon.

[Dr Jinx]

A guide price, Wilson doesn’t leave for less than 10m.. we get something for Dubs.. 

[TheBrownBottle]

9 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

A guide price, Wilson doesn’t leave for less than 10m.. we get something for Dubs.. 

Given his age and form, I honestly think you'd struggle to get a seven figure sum for Dubravka

[Fezzle]

Hes 36 in Jan and has one year left on his contract, off your tits thinking we get all our money back on him

[Dr Jinx]

Possible re Dubs.. ?‍♂️ it depends on who needs what. If he chooses to go to Saudi we may get something. Howe publicly freezing him out like that though doesn’t strengthen our position for negotiation.

[Geogaddi]

Hard to say as it depends on the transfer window but I fancy us to finish above Villa and Spurs next season, we weren't far behind them this season and that was with pretty much everything going wrong for us that could have ,we can't possibly be that unlucky again. Even having Pope and Joelinton fit this year would have got us above them.
 

Chelsea and Man United you just never know but would probably expect them both to improve, would expect Liverpool to have some sort of post Klopp dip. Man City and Arsenal likely to be clear of everyone else again.

 

Either way I would expect us to challenge for the top 4 next season.

 

 

Edited May 21 by Geogaddi

[Conjo]

3 hours ago, madras said:

The rotation thing. We did, but players got injured. Isak and Wilson were swapping almost game for game in, Barnes got injured while.playing instead of Gordon, Murphy instead of Miggy in Milan or do we want 5 maybe 6 changes per game ?

 

Bonus fifth, that comes with not having to play inexperienced 17yr olds and players who are still injured and having a midfielder banned for most of the season.

 

Agree on the bonus fifth - that will (or should) naturally improve with not having as many injuries. I'd still like to see it though  Consistently through a whole season.

 

I see rotation as being subbing players some time after the 60th minute mark here and there, but to rotate more within the starting 11. Not 5-6 changes per game obviously, but more than the rare but occasional Isak - Wilson or Almiron - Murphy swaps.

[Ginola14]

this season was such a slog, even as a fan it was exhausting, so glad it's finally over,

 

it'll take a while to get used to 3 games a week so assuming we qualify for the ECL I think I'd be happy with top 6 and really going for the cups 

 

[Likelylad]

5th next season (get CL) and win a cup. 

[FloydianMag]

1 minute ago, Likelylad said:

5th next season (get CL) and win a cup. 

PL didn’t get a 5th CL place this season and might not next depending on how well English clubs do.

[Likelylad]

Yeah, it's not a guarantee. I just felt this year was a little bit of anomaly with regards to how poorly English clubs did in Europe. 

I think we'll make a better showing next year. 

[Optimistic Nut]

35 minutes ago, Ginola14 said:

this season was such a slog, even as a fan it was exhausting, so glad it's finally over,

 

it'll take a while to get used to 3 games a week so assuming we qualify for the ECL I think I'd be happy with top 6 and really going for the cups 

 

 

Ah I think it's been class watching Gordon, Bruno & Isak in full flow and the likes of Hall, Tino and Miley emerge. Glimpses from Joelinton & Barnes in their cameos late season to show what's to come, Pope back.

 

Throw in us absolutely howking teams by 3-4 goals pretty regularly and even for all the disappointments I think it's been fun. Another 6-7 games and I think we'd have closed right in on Villa & Spurs.

[kingxlnc]

Genuinely has been an entertaining season, I've been fully all in for most games. Disappointed slightly with 7th, felt 6th would have been fairer for us than Chelsea, who literally were bottom half most of the season it felt. Chelsea have done a Roeder 2006/7 seaon by their late season form I have to say - but perhaps ECL is better than EL for next seasons prospects so can't complain

[Elma]

1 hour ago, Likelylad said:

Yeah, it's not a guarantee. I just felt this year was a little bit of anomaly with regards to how poorly English clubs did in Europe. 

I think we'll make a better showing next year. 

 

It would be nice if we got in the Conference League, won it, and that co-efficient boost gave us the Champions League with 5th ?

[madras]

3 hours ago, Conjo said:

 

Agree on the bonus fifth - that will (or should) naturally improve with not having as many injuries. I'd still like to see it though  Consistently through a whole season.

 

I see rotation as being subbing players some time after the 60th minute mark here and there, but to rotate more within the starting 11. Not 5-6 changes per game obviously, but more than the rare but occasional Isak - Wilson or Almiron - Murphy swaps.

Re rotation.... and Barnes thats when he got injured. Willock out nearly all season cuts down the options as did Tonali's suspension, Longstaffs injury and Joelintons. We had a 16yr old keeper on the bench in Europe in September just to get numbers there.

[BergenMagpie]

Anyone felt like we took some undeserved points in PL this season? Only game I can think about is the away win against Fulham where we were lucky not to be losing hard by HT. Draw wouldve probably been more fair. 

 

On the flip side there were so many games we deserved to get more points form

[Wolfcastle]

Without Europe and as things stand and even just half the injuries we had last season I'm confident we'll challenge for the champions league - the better transfer dealings the merrier. For all the issues this season we'd have been there this year but for Pope getting injured.

With Europe we'll challenge for Europe again but probably not the CL. Again as things stand. Bigger more flushed out squad the better.