Will we make top4?? + when + how?

[Netty]

Nope, I think (hope) we'll give the top four a good run for their money but doubt we'll make it next season. Plus I think (hope), we'll have a good cup run & add to our ever growing trophy cabinet!

 

[Legend10]

I think any sort of success in the league will see Ramos taken from us anyway. Personnally i think the heady hieghts of 5th nearly 4th, under Jol are not going to be repeated any time soon. We'll be great to watch, we'll be significanlty more competetive and consistent than last year but too short of 4th.
Don't forget other teams will also build next year. We don't only have to add quality to what we have, we also have to add more quality than the rest of the league are going to do. i think people forget that other teams are allowed to buy players too... if only they were banned from buying.

Of course other teams will buy, however will our main rivals for a european spot strengthen as much as we are likely to?

Wenger has already come out and said that Arsenal will make only 1 significant signing over the summer and it's certainly debatable how much money Arsenal have to invest in strengthening their team.

Liverpool are in the middle of boardroom turmoil and it has to be doubtful that they will have bundles of money to spend and have 2 owners who currently can't agree on anything let alone spending 10's of millions of pounds. It's also possible that rafa will leave in the summer and where does that leave torres and the rest of the latin contingenet who are currently at the club.

Everton are never big spenders in the market and money is notoriously tight at Goodison and it's unlikely to see them going on a spending blitz.

Mike ashley has had a financial hole put in his pocket at Toon and although they will obviously spend its debatable how much they have and they have few sellable assets. they also have no european football to attract top class players.

Villa have a pretty prudent owner who wasn't really splahing the cash last summer or in january, plus Villa already have a small squad and in all likelihood no european football to offer.

Blackburn have very little money and seem to have a hand to mouth existance.

City have money but no european football to offer and a pretty poor team that needs massive investment.

Pompey will no doubt spend and in harry they have 1 of the shrewdest operators in the market and they could well improve next season.

West ham have already come out and said that they drastically need to cut their wage bill and have bought a ridiculous amount of players in the last 18 months and are more likely to be sellin than buying.

But overall from 3rd place down to us I see us as being in the position to strengthen more than anybody else. We are a profitable club without debt and although money is flush in football the credit crunch will still be biting and I think that we will see a quiter summer than recent years.

 

[tRiKS]

Of course other teams will buy, however will our main rivals for a european spot strengthen as much as we are likely to?

Wenger has already come out and said that Arsenal will make only 1 significant signing over the summer and it's certainly debatable how much money Arsenal have to invest in strengthening their team.

Liverpool are in the middle of boardroom turmoil and it has to be doubtful that they will have bundles of money to spend and have 2 owners who currently can't agree on anything let alone spending 10's of millions of pounds. It's also possible that rafa will leave in the summer and where does that leave torres and the rest of the latin contingenet who are currently at the club.

Everton are never big spenders in the market and money is notoriously tight at Goodison and it's unlikely to see them going on a spending blitz.

Mike ashley has had a financial hole put in his pocket at Toon and although they will obviously spend its debatable how much they have and they have few sellable assets. they also have no european football to attract top class players.

Villa have a pretty prudent owner who wasn't really splahing the cash last summer or in january, plus Villa already have a small squad and in all likelihood no european football to offer.

Blackburn have very little money and seem to have a hand to mouth existance.

City have money but no european football to offer and a pretty poor team that needs massive investment.

Pompey will no doubt spend and in harry they have 1 of the shrewdest operators in the market and they could well improve next season.

West ham have already come out and said that they drastically need to cut their wage bill and have bought a ridiculous amount of players in the last 18 months and are more likely to be sellin than buying.

But overall from 3rd place down to us I see us as being in the position to strengthen more than anybody else. We are a profitable club without debt and although money is flush in football the credit crunch will still be biting and I think that we will see a quiter summer than recent years.

We possibly can strenghten more than most of them but don't be fooled into thinking those best case senarios for the other teams will all come true.

Arsenal will buy more than one.

Liverppol dispite turmoil have already backed Rafa up with 18m for Mascherano. Besides the DIC stuff will be sorted and they'll have plenty of cash forwhat i hear and believe.

I wasn't considering Blackburn or West spam but yes i was reconing on villa, Everton and Man city having the potenial baxking and pull to add more strength and quality. Along with portsmouth too. At the moment it seems on league form we are beihind those pretneders...
So we have to;

1. stengthen to catch up to where they are now,
2. then strengthen to catch up to the additons they'll make
3. and then strenghen again to nip ahead of them.

That is a tough task and one i don't think can be accomplished in the period of time from now until Ramos gets a better offer.

 

[Kendall]

I think our league position means we've taken a big knock to what kinda of player we can attract and yet people tell me this has been a good season.

In terms of progression, we're going to struggle to make the top 7 next year

 

[ultimateloner]

We can spend alot more money but not even that would help. Alot depends on what our competitors do.

 

[onemorespursfan]

Taking our 'rivals' for the European places, I believe that Villa had a great run of form and then had a few injuries and they have been pretty poor this year (for a side that was close to 4th in December)

Portsmouth will have the added difficulty of European football and Harry has never managed someone to the top but to the next tier.

Man City will spend loads on new players and a new manager in the summer. I cannot see them having as much fortune in the team instantly gelling as happened this year.

Blackburn and Everton are very consistant but their bigger players will be linked away for the clubs. I would be interested to see what they can replace them with.

West Ham are lacking a manager that will take them anywhere and with our loss to Newcastle almost guaranteeing King Kevs survival, I can't see them doing extraordinary amounts in the summer.

Not all of the above is guaranteed but with our worst season in a while unlikely to be repeated, a few extra points from the last few games (following the exit to PSV) and a few team amendments I would think we have as good a chance as anyone of challenging.

Whether we get close or even into the the top 4 remains to be seen but certainly 2 or them are there for the taking and I would not be comfortable as a fan of Arsenal or Liverpool or maybe even Chelsea with the player and manager changes that are forecast in the summer.

The Euro is currently at the lowest it has been for ages and therefore our best players are cheaper for the overseas teams. Watch the tide of players leave our shores this summer. Whose are the most likely to be taken. Apart from a couple or three in our team, we will be relatively unscathed.

In conclusion, not sure if we will make top 4, but I would like to think that we will be a great deal better than this year and the others around us may not be as good.

 

[striebs]

IF
- Bale remains fit
- King remains fit
- King starts being a Captain like Danny Blanchflower or Dave McKaye
- Berbatov doesn't go
- Woodgate stays fit
- Sign a top keeper
- Add 2 perhaps 3 outfield players of the same quality as Hutton , Woodgate
- Ramos adjusts to the Prem quicker than Rafa

THEN we SHOULD get 4th place .

but that is an unrealistic amount of if's

 

[ackie]

The premiership is a tough and competitive league.
Ramos did great with Sevilla but it may take him 2 seasons.
I think we will challenge for it next year but whether we make it is another thing.
I believe we will win another domestic next season and possibly in Europe.
I too am looking forward to summer signings.
I think many of us want too many players out too soon. We need to get rid of deadwood, but i won't place Jenas, Hudd and Lennon is that category. They can be good back up for games in CC or in Europe weak teams. We signed players like Tiago, Modric, Capel, Benzema and a strong dictative, good passer commanding defensive midfielder and let these players dictate our team in the premiership, we should finish top 5 with CC or FA Cup and Europe!!!!!!

 

[lukespurs7]

I suppose at the end of the day it is hard to say. Alot of you have made some very valid points.
POSITIVES:
1)Ramos and Poyet will know the team/squad better next year.
2)We will hopefully have a stronger squad in the places we lack quality in.
3)It will be a fresh start as opposed to tem coming into the job halfway through in the mids of a mini crisis on and off the pitch.
4)Berbatov could stay and could get even more service from an improved midfield.
5)Who knows how other teams may do, alot of teams have really improved this season but the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool could easily slip up, as someone said Arsenal have over-achived in the league a bit and if Liverpool were to get Torres or Gerrard injured our squad isn't too far off.+ they have turmoil amongst their owners and therefore upset fans which can reflect on the team.
6)We won a trophy so no reason why we couldn't win one again even though i'm not expecting us to, and we've shown under Ramos and Poyet that we can on our day give each of the big 4 a match- we even beat Chelsea and Arsneal and were very close to beating man.u and liverpool.
7) Our defence should be much better at defending set-pieces and individually, Bale should be back, we will have Hutton and Woodgate from the start of a season and mabye a new GK, aswell as a fully fit leadly king or new CB.

So alot of reasons to be optomistic. I would say about the negatives i.e Berby could leave and so on but lets forget about them and think that if alot of those positives are to come true then i suppose it shows we have a chance even though unfortunately because it seems we yet again need to re-build our squad then it may require yet more patcience. A change of manager not only affects the short-term in which everything may be changed i.e training,diet etc but also the long-term whereby certain players and staff aren't happy anymore and again that consistency is lost which we were gaining with Jol which was giving the fans confidence.

Realistically next season is too early i'd take 5th or 6th, any lower would be dissapointing and we should aim for about 56-62 points realistically. You never know and next season we may really crack on. A good start is important as we've not had one for a while.

AND of course the signings we make will have a big impact. May be good or bad.

 

[lukespurs7]

The premiership is a tough and competitive league.
Ramos did great with Sevilla but it may take him 2 seasons.
I think we will challenge for it next year but whether we make it is another thing.
I believe we will win another domestic next season and possibly in Europe.
I too am looking forward to summer signings.
I think many of us want too many players out too soon. We need to get rid of deadwood, but i won't place Jenas, Hudd and Lennon is that category. They can be good back up for games in CC or in Europe weak teams. We signed players like Tiago, Modric, Capel, Benzema and a strong dictative, good passer commanding defensive midfielder and let these players dictate our team in the premiership, we should finish top 5 with CC or FA Cup and Europe!!!!!!

good shout. Yes we should look to improve but unless some of those players are really unhappy and wan't out there is no way we should sell them as they are all fairly young and are quite clearly talented and have shown it over the past few seasons. Arguably they may not be top4 standard, but we should be able to bring in enough quality to compensate for that in the summer and clear out all the players we really don't need i.e :Gardener,Stalteri,Ghaly,Lee.Y.P,Chimbonda???,Rocha,Robinson???,Assou-eketto,ifill, mabye one of:boetang,tainio,taarabt but only if nesseccary. Then bring in players in positions we actually need and we would save alot of time and money and have one hell of a squad.

 

[ackie]

good shout. Yes we should look to improve but unless some of those players are really unhappy and wan't out there is no way we should sell them as they are all fairly young and are quite clearly talented and have shown it over the past few seasons. Arguably they may not be top4 standard, but we should be able to bring in enough quality to compensate for that in the summer and clear out all the players we really don't need i.e :Gardener,Stalteri,Ghaly,Lee.Y.P,Chimbonda???,Rocha,Robinson???,Assou-eketto,ifill, mabye one of:boetang,tainio,taarabt but only if nesseccary. Then bring in players in positions we actually need and we would save alot of time and money and have one hell of a squad.

Agree - sell Robbo, Gardner, Lee, Chimbonda, Tainio, Stalteri, Rocha

Loan = Boateng, Taarabt and Bae

Sign - anyone of the following: Tiago, Gattuso, Poulsen
Capel
Benzema (if Berba goes)
Huntelaar or Kuranyi

Just to name some!

 

[EZSpur]

Like everyone else here, i'd absolutely love it if we made the top 4 next season, but the truth is i think it will take at least another season just for us to gel.

However, saying that, this season has been a bit topsy turvy throughout - with our team, we've had key players missing, ie King, Bale, Robbo and Lennon not playing so well, new players like Kaboul being blooded to early etc

But then also in the league, we've seen teams like Villa, BBurn and Pompey doing much better than expected.

So!! Who knows! If we buy some decent players, get rid of some of our fringe players and get into a good rythm early, then we might have a chance, just as Everton are doing this season!

Although people say a good, strong finish to the season is key, i personally think we need a flier at the beginning of the season to set us on our way! This season we had such a crap start, i think it really affected our players and then when injuries set in, our consistency was all over the place!