Realistic expectations for 2020-21?

[Havre]

Levy doesn't appoint managers to win things. He appoints them to have us in there competing. It's the if you don't shoot you don't score principle.

If you actually mean what you wrote there then you set the bar higher then the club does and are just waiting for him to fail.

Levy got a decision to make. Hire:

Coach A: Win things
Coach B: Competes

So Levy then goes for Coach B because he values that more than winning?

As for my expectations I think 85 points is within reach assuming N'Dombele can last for longer than 12 minutes a game and we are generally OK in terms of injuries. At around 85 points anything could happen.

I can't see us running away with things Liverpool and City have done earlier (even if Leicester also kind of did that), but Liverpool will obviously regress some and City are not exactly a young team. If Sane leaves and the likes of Silva, Aguero etc. start to feel their age then they could very well end up around 80 points again. Not impossible for us to reach that level next season. Far from it.

On the "down side" anything worse than this year would be very disappointing.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

All depends if Jose gets backed or not, because the teams that finished above us have/will strengthen

 

[Havre]

All depends if Jose gets backed or not, because the teams that finished above us have/will strengthen

I don't buy into this at all. City would forever win the league if it was just a question about "strengthening" as in buying new players.

And even if one believe in that way of thinking I would be surprised if anyone could strengthen more than we potentially could with N'Dombele firing on all cylinders.

 

[Marty]

The only thing I expect for next season is more points than this season. We should be hitting at least the low 70s even if we make no additions to the squad, and that will give us a fair shot at top four. This year's 66 for top four was a very low tally and one we cannot expect a repeat of.

A points total in at least the low 70s and deep runs in all cup tournaments will be a decent season, though we have to count ourselves among the heavy favourites for the EL and we really have to aim to reach one domestic final as well.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

I don't buy into this at all. City would forever win the league if it was just a question about "strengthening" as in buying new players.

And even if one believe in that way of thinking I would be surprised if anyone could strengthen more than we potentially could with N'Dombele firing on all cylinders.

We are not competing with City though, we are competing with United & Chlesea both who will strengthen their squads massively from last season as Chelsea already have which can only improve them.

Our main issue last season was our defence because we didn't have a problem scoring goals if you look at the stats, improving our CDM/Defence should be our main priority.

 

[Havre]

We are not competing with City though, we are competing with United & Chlesea both who will strengthen their squads massively from last season as Chelsea already have which can only improve them.

Our main issue last season was our defence because we didn't have a problem scoring goals if you look at the stats, improving our CDM/Defence should be our main priority.

It's the principle. If Liverpool can overtake City without "strengthening" why is this some sort of prerequisite for us to catch other teams that we "strengthen" more (or at least on par)?

Surely if we can go backwards as we did this season while actually bringing in some very expensive players that same thing could happen to others? While not spending a lot of money a team could also improve?

Don't get me wrong. I hope we bring in some great players this summer, but I believe our success or lack of, will depend a lot more on how the players that are already here perform than whoever we bring in do.

 

[WePlayWednesday]

Seeing how much better the team played after the restart, Jose seems have got through to them. With the benefit of his coaching and tactical approach, I think we should be aiming at least for top 3, and the FA Cup, as well as a decent attempt to win the Europa.

 

[WePlayWednesday]

All depends if Jose gets backed or not, because the teams that finished above us have/will strengthen

I suspect Jose already has the transfers done and dusted. He can’t have joined without dictating certain demands. I think our last minute antics will still happen for a cheeky bid for a Van der Vaart type, but only after the main business...

 

[13VanDerBale13]

It's the principle. If Liverpool can overtake City without "strengthening" why is this some sort of prerequisite for us to catch other teams that we "strengthen" more (or at least on par)?

Surely if we can go backwards as we did this season while actually bringing in some very expensive players that same thing could happen to others? While not spending a lot of money a team could also improve?

Don't get me wrong. I hope we bring in some great players this summer, but I believe our success or lack of, will depend a lot more on how the players that are already here perform than whoever we bring in do.

Liverpool already had a world class team the year they missed out on the title by a single point & won the CL, they already had the foundations of a great squad which is why they hardly did any business.

I agree that signing players is not the be all and end all, looking at our squad though, there does seem to be quite a few gaps that need to be filled in, lets not forget we were fortunate that our injured players had a chance to play the rest of the season.

I hope Jose can continue to coach the players & they show more of the form they have been showing since the season restarted, i just hope he gets help from the board in certain areas to really push us forward

 

[Havre]

Liverpool already had a world class team the year they missed out on the title by a single point & won the CL, they already had the foundations of a great squad which is why they hardly did any business.

I agree that signing players is not the be all and end all, looking at our squad though, there does seem to be quite a few gaps that need to be filled in, lets not forget we were fortunate that our injured players had a chance to play the rest of the season.

I hope Jose can continue to coach the players & they show more of the form they have been showing since the season restarted, i just hope he gets help from the board in certain areas to really push us forward

But you would have thought that there were less gaps come fall 2019 than spring 2019?

I agree that there are gaps. I also believe that one of those gaps might already be plugged if we can get N'Dombele going.

I could very well see us being in a situation where Chelsea and Utd "strengthen" more in terms of high profile players, but that we end up being a better team than them next season. If we end up with PEH the main issue still remaining for me are the full backs. Not sold on Aurier yet, but he is a lot more useful now than he used to be. On the left it can't really get any worse and hopefully Sessegnon and/or Cirkin can at some point support even if we don't buy anyone.

That said. I am not trying to convince you that your expectation is wrong. We could of course very well struggle to pass any of the teams above us in the league this year - and that spending money will influence our chances to change that - even if I believe it is probably less important than you seem to believe.

 

[sausage]

It's the principle. If Liverpool can overtake City without "strengthening" why is this some sort of prerequisite for us to catch other teams that we "strengthen" more (or at least on par)?

Surely if we can go backwards as we did this season while actually bringing in some very expensive players that same thing could happen to others? While not spending a lot of money a team could also improve?

Don't get me wrong. I hope we bring in some great players this summer, but I believe our success or lack of, will depend a lot more on how the players that are already here perform than whoever we bring in do.

Exactly. I just don't know how people can still believe that spending = success thing. Every season one or two teams spend big, and it very rarely actually has any relevance to their achievements.

Let's also not forget that quite a bit of Man Utd's resurgence has been due to what can only be described as some sort of 'refereeing bias'. As a result, a simple change to the implementation of VAR could have had a significant impact on the league table. Might do going forwards.

We went backwards after spending quite a bit of money. This is this season's 'spend' totals:
(based on https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/transfers/wettbewerb/GB1. I've tried to order the biggest spends, ignoring some of the irrelevant small spending/lower table ones)

Villa: £140m
Man Utd: £127m
Us: £88m + Lo Celso final fee (so about £110m-£115m?)
Arsenal: £96m
City: £88m
Wolves: £87m
West Ham: £58m
Everton: £35m
Leicester: £14m
Liverpool: -£28m
Chelsea: -£100m

There's no real link at all between spend and league position, other than, generally/historically, lower table big spenders risk relegation trying to break into the top half/top 6. Villa did that this time, but it's been seen often before.

What Liverpool have shown is that spending 'wisely' is more important than winning some sort of transfer spend cup. So, rather than expecting the club to 'spend big' to win things, they need to spend 'right'.

That surely has to involve bringing Campos in at any cost. We've very, very rarely (if ever) spent 'big' and got it right. It has to be the right players for the system Mourinho wants.

 

[wrd]

How's this for realistic

Lloris
Aarons Alder Sanchez Davies
Hojbjberg
Ndombele Lo Celso
Moura Kane Son

Gazza
Castagne Dier Min-Jae Sess
Sissoko Winks
Bergwijn Dele Brooks
Wilson

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Hojbjberg

OK, I have a new realistic target, that the spelling of Höjbjerg is widely accurate across the SC community.
It's easy enough to start with a H, continue with an o with diaeresis - ö - before the really tricky part of going jbj.

 

[wrd]

OK, I have a new realistic target, that the spelling of Höjbjerg is widely accurate across the SC community.
It's easy enough to start with a H, continue with an o with diaeresis - ö - before the really tricky part of going jbj.

Is there a way to get the diaeresis on the keyboard without pasting it from elsewhere?

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Is there a way to get the diaeresis on the keyboard without pasting it from elsewhere?

WellI I just have it on my keyboard as one button, but on windows systems it should be alt + 0246
So it becomes H+ALT0246jbjerg.

 

[wrd]

WellI I just have it on my keyboard as one button, but on windows systems it should be alt + 0246
So it becomes H+ALT0246jbjerg.

My attempt was closer than that tbf

 

[Dillspur]

Hard to know.

If Pool don't add any quality they could find it tough next year, their form since the restart has been poor and that could easily roll into next season.

Chavs have been spending in places they don't really need, if they don't address their defense and keeper they are catchable. Even with a top 4 finish and a potential FA cup, I think the jury is still out on Frank, he got his "free hit" let's see how he reacts to real pressure.

UTD have made good signings and will probably do the same in the summer, but I'm far from convinced by OGS. This will be his 2nd full season in charge, he's got to be under pressure to get UTD to challenge?

City lost a lot of games last season, is it possible that teams are defending better against them and being more selective when attacking?

Gooners?

I don't think Leciester will be as close to the top 4 and despite everyone praising Wolves we still finished above them.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us finish anywhere between 3rd-6th. We got Jose in to win something, so minimum has to be a trophy and top 4.

 

[Oscar22]

Trophies for me, league cup, FA Cup, either will do. I’d love to think we could go all the way in the Europa League.

We need to win a trophy, to shut the entire world up about how long it’s been, to get rid of the first thing commentary teams beat us with at the start of every season, and to finally change this mentality that seems embedded in the club that causes us to always go out in the semi final, or get to a final and not show up.

This is what José was brought in for, finally getting some silverware in the cabinet.

 

[spurs mental]

I think that Liverpool and City are significantly better than us, so I cannot see us catching them, Chelsea have strengthened significantly so ditto.

This only leaves ManU as a reasonable target and I think they are improving from an attacking perspective. If they can either get De Gea back into previous form or replace him then I can see them doing well.

Perhaps it's a stylistc thing but the games I have watched since lockdown haven't given me huge confidence that we are on the cusp of greatness. The PPG is obviously decent but doesn't feel sustainable. I think we will be good enough to compete for a Europa spot with Arsenal, Wolves and Leicester (maybe Everton if they can ever sort themselves out) and have a decent go in the cups.

Who knows - maybe Liverpool will run out of puff, Chelsea implode, ManC get bored of Pep and have a crisis. Perhaps we will purchase a CDM and it will be the missing piece many seem to think.

My feeling is that we were on an upward trajectory for many years, that then stopped and whilst Jose has done a decent job we haven't yet started up again - but who knows?

That's the spirit

 

[GutBucket]

Think we will finish 5th, 4th if Kane doesn't get annual ankle injury. Liverpool and City are too good and first 2 spots are theirs. Chelsea made good signings, best case they don't adapt fast enough and implode but I doubt it happens. Pulisic will be scary good next season, looks better with every game. If United buy Sancho they will get top 3 easilly, if not then we will battle them for 4th. Hojbjerg, Korean CB, Castagne, Brooks, Willson will make us more balanced and better but not elite.