Next season

[PauloGeordio]

We’ll kick on, and continue with an upward trajectory  

 

 

Edited May 25 by PauloGeordio

[SAK]

We can’t have another injury hit season so I reckon we’ll get 4th next year.

[nufc123]

3 minutes ago, SAK said:

We can’t have another injury hit season 

If so we are doing something wrong.

[TRon]

1 hour ago, Unbelievable said:

With no European football commitments in midweek I imagine the club’s target for next season will be to qualify for CL..?

 

I think that will always be the minimum target under this ownership, but we'll need to have a much stronger bench next time round to have any chance of competing for it.

[Karjala]

Top 5 and a cup semi final

[Holloway]

Next season will see us edging closer to having poor players at this level not being in contention for minutes and it will make the difference between skirting about 3rd tier European competition and having a realistic challenge to the top 3

[Bizza]

Good cup run and qualifying for a European competition 

[TRon]

Just now, Bizza said:

Good cup run and qualifying for a European competition 

 

 

That was my benchmark for this season more or less.

[Holloway]

I see Tino and Hall better suited to wingbacks than fullbacks, I hope Eddie is considering this for certain games

[Mountain]

2 hours ago, PauloGeordio said:

We’ll kick on, and continue with an upward trajectory  

 

 

 

Agreed!

[Jonas]

Were only going to get stronger. This time next year we'll be stronger than we are now.  That's all you can realistically expect and ask and all that's in the clubs hands (cup draws, officialdom are in the laps of the gods).

[duo]

I am going for 3rd spot in the league 

[Pilko]

Top 5, easily. As for the cups, who knows, but no reason we can't do well.

 

The cup draws, injury luck & Tonali thing went against us in a huge way this year. Finishing where we did was a great achievement and I'm firmly of the belief that we were Pope's shoulder away from 5th place this season.

 

An extra season's experience and learnings for them all to lean on too which never hurts.

 

Add Tosin, Kelly, a keeper and 2-3 others - Ritchie, Dummett, Dubravka, Karius and Almiron out the door - and we look in spectacular nick. A few more decent U19 punts wouldn't go amiss too as the underbelly of the squad, Miley aside, hurt us a lot last year. 

 

If Bruno goes, we'll be able to bring in a few more big hitters on top with the cash.

[black_n_white]

Anything less than 6th now and Howe will be under huge pressure.

[huss9]

need to be aiming for 3rd.

arse and citeh way ahead but we can match the rest.

[Myleftboot]

2 hours ago, PauloGeordio said:

We’ll kick on, and continue with an upward trajectory  

 

 

 

 

[Stifler]

Even though today was disappointing, and it robs us of a European place that is usually the reward for our placing, the club really does need to have a difficult look this summer, which is what they need to do every summer really.

 

We are now 2 seasons into the 5 year plan to win something, and cups aside, we are not within 3 years of competing.

Our squad isn’t good enough, and we have arguably spent too much on positions that were not really a priority over places that need urgent attention.

The RW position has been a problem since before the takeover and is still a problem now. We need to take a long hard look at our injuries as well, the season before this one was probably an anomaly in lack of injuries for us. Something is a miss with our medical or physio department.

 

We need to start getting our gaps filled. We can’t keep getting stop gap players like Wood, Burn, and if we get a new keeper, then I’ll include Pope in that.

 

On a wider aspect, the club need to start making decisions on what’s happening both with SJP, and the training ground, and communicate that with the fans.

 

I touched on it a bit in the transfer thread earlier as well, but the club possibly need to weigh up the pro’s and cons of taking a hit on going over budget and setting our squad up for the long term with a points deduction for 1 season, a la Everton, and Wolves.

We probably also need to be a bit more ruthless going for sponsorships. We need that training kit deal etc.

 

Sooner or later we need to make those massive steps, and I honestly think it needs to be this summer. We have Man Utd who despite winning today, are probably the worst Man Utd side since before SAF, a Liverpool team who will be on the transition, a Chelsea team who keep shooting themselves in the foot with hiring and sacking managers, a Spurs team who going through a biannual tradition of being decent, and then tailing off, and an Aston Villa side wanting to break into that group of clubs alongside ourselves. We really need to put our foot in the door and force our way in, and shut it ahead of anyone.

[huss9]

51 minutes ago, Stifler said:

Even though today was disappointing, and it robs us of a European place that is usually the reward for our placing, the club really does need to have a difficult look this summer, which is what they need to do every summer really.

 

We are now 2 seasons into the 5 year plan to win something, and cups aside, we are not within 3 years of competing.

Our squad isn’t good enough, and we have arguably spent too much on positions that were not really a priority over places that need urgent attention.

The RW position has been a problem since before the takeover and is still a problem now. We need to take a long hard look at our injuries as well, the season before this one was probably an anomaly in lack of injuries for us. Something is a miss with our medical or physio department.

 

We need to start getting our gaps filled. We can’t keep getting stop gap players like Wood, Burn, and if we get a new keeper, then I’ll include Pope in that.

 

On a wider aspect, the club need to start making decisions on what’s happening both with SJP, and the training ground, and communicate that with the fans.

 

I touched on it a bit in the transfer thread earlier as well, but the club possibly need to weigh up the pro’s and cons of taking a hit on going over budget and setting our squad up for the long term with a points deduction for 1 season, a la Everton, and Wolves.

We probably also need to be a bit more ruthless going for sponsorships. We need that training kit deal etc.

 

Sooner or later we need to make those massive steps, and I honestly think it needs to be this summer. We have Man Utd who despite winning today, are probably the worst Man Utd side since before SAF, a Liverpool team who will be on the transition, a Chelsea team who keep shooting themselves in the foot with hiring and sacking managers, a Spurs team who going through a biannual tradition of being decent, and then tailing off, and an Aston Villa side wanting to break into that group of clubs alongside ourselves. We really need to put our foot in the door and force our way in, and shut it ahead of anyone.

not sure about that.

we now have an excellent RB, LB with potential, decent keeper, 2 international central midfielders, Botman , world class striker and soon to be world class attacker in Gordon.

 

we needed to spend big on tripps, burn, wood, targett at the time also

 

 

Edited May 25 by huss9

[maze]

On the back of a remarkable season 22/23, and some of the hype afterwards, I’m not particulary impressed with this season tbh.

Sadly, we have been plauged with injuries and fatigue, which has made us vulnerable and inconsistent. 
 

Compared to the Ashley-era saying this is just plain stupid, but in light of the owners 5-year plan to win something we do seem a bit off-track. 
 

My biggest fear however, is witnessing how rigged and corrupt the system is when clubs outside of the «established elite» try to compete. It does seem like an impossible task. 
 

We have to get an end to that Ca$hworth-saga and move on. I’m looking forward to the new season, but I’m not as optimistic as some to a top 5 placing. 

[Dr Jinx]

With the lack of European football we can probably muster a strong league campaign but I don’t have confidence that we’ll be challenging for anything. Even with the players we have. 4th is probably the best that could happen.

 

I can be more than happy with that in relation to where we were only just a few short years ago but the side of me that wants that constant progress is more just concerned that we’re pretty much writing the coming season off to wait for the FFP rule changes for following season. Killing time essentially, but also fucking some of our players over too, like Bruno who deserves the best version of this club immediately.

 

[Ketsbaia]

Think we'll get top 4 next season but hopefully there'll be the safety net of 5th-place being good enough to qualify.

 

[Mountain]

2 hours ago, Stifler said:

Even though today was disappointing, and it robs us of a European place that is usually the reward for our placing, the club really does need to have a difficult look this summer, which is what they need to do every summer really.

 

We are now 2 seasons into the 5 year plan to win something, and cups aside, we are not within 3 years of competing.

Our squad isn’t good enough, and we have arguably spent too much on positions that were not really a priority over places that need urgent attention.

The RW position has been a problem since before the takeover and is still a problem now. We need to take a long hard look at our injuries as well, the season before this one was probably an anomaly in lack of injuries for us. Something is a miss with our medical or physio department.

 

We need to start getting our gaps filled. We can’t keep getting stop gap players like Wood, Burn, and if we get a new keeper, then I’ll include Pope in that.

 

On a wider aspect, the club need to start making decisions on what’s happening both with SJP, and the training ground, and communicate that with the fans.

 

I touched on it a bit in the transfer thread earlier as well, but the club possibly need to weigh up the pro’s and cons of taking a hit on going over budget and setting our squad up for the long term with a points deduction for 1 season, a la Everton, and Wolves.

We probably also need to be a bit more ruthless going for sponsorships. We need that training kit deal etc.

 

Sooner or later we need to make those massive steps, and I honestly think it needs to be this summer. We have Man Utd who despite winning today, are probably the worst Man Utd side since before SAF, a Liverpool team who will be on the transition, a Chelsea team who keep shooting themselves in the foot with hiring and sacking managers, a Spurs team who going through a biannual tradition of being decent, and then tailing off, and an Aston Villa side wanting to break into that group of clubs alongside ourselves. We really need to put our foot in the door and force our way in, and shut it ahead of anyone.

 

Really good post and very insightful. I think what happened today could be a blessing in disguise for the project we are all taking part in. So I'm very positive going forward and can't wait for this Summer's transfer business, seems like our higher ups are aggressivley ON IT, which is amazing. Gonna be a fun few months.

[nufcjb]

All i can say is hopefully, a pattern from the past will re-emerge next season.

 

93-94 - Did absolutely brilliantly in our 1st season in Prem and no European football distractions. Qualified for the UEFA Cup. Finished 3rd.

 

94-95 - Started the season well, played in the UEFA Cup. Faded towards the end of the season dissapointingly. Did not qualify for Europe. Finished 6th. 

 

95-96 - Started adidas deal with grandad collar and blue and maroon hooped shirts. So close to the title. No European football distraction. Brought in a keeper, a defender, a winger and a striker in the summer.

 

Compare that to now.

 

22-23 - Howe 1st full season in charge. Played brilliantly and no European football distractions. Qualified for the Champions League. Finished 4th.

 

23-24 - Started the season well, played Champions League football. Faded midway through the season. Did not qualify for Europe. Finished 7th.

 

24-25-?

Restarting deal with adidas with a maroon and blue hoooped shirt. No European football. Rumoured to be signing a keeper, a defender, a winger and a striker.

 

So my prediction for next season?

"we're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Brentford and get something, and... and... I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!" 

[Oregon_Geordie]

Personally think we're better off out of the conference crap.

 

We simply don't have the squad and I'd rather we kick on and get back into the CL the following year rather than role out dummet and ritchie midweek and stack up injuries and fight for 7th again.

 

All steam ahead on League and Cups. Get that 11 ready and intense again and get top 4 and win a fucking cup!

Totally behind Eddie still too, some mongs knocking about today post fa cup melt down. Sigh!

 

 

Edited May 26 by Oregon_Geordie

[ExiledGeordie]

I want us to be less of a soft touch again away from home and I want to see us being more ruthless both in mentality and clinically. The Liverpool home game was a prime example. Not really knowing how to close it out and floundering then getting nervous. But that also comes down to personnel with someone like Miggy fluffing his lines with finishing or failing to put in the killer pass (from memory) to finish Liverpool off.