| Optimism 20:13 - Aug 3 with 8686 views | CiderwithRsie |
What with a decent pre-season and transfers (both in and out) looking roughly what most of us want, there seems to be a fair bit of optimism washing around this place.
Now I tend to the Happy Clapper end of things but can I just ask that we dial it down a tad, or at least put an Optimism Trigger Warning in front of posts, until we've actually got our first win, because I've been here before and its the hope that kills you. |  | | |  |
| Optimism on 20:37 - Aug 3 with 6274 views | daveB |
I think we've had a good pre season and i really like the transfer business so far, still a few weeks of the window left so might lose a few but feeling optimitic for the new season, we've got a decent squad who could be challenging for the playoffs this season |  | | |
| Optimism on 20:46 - Aug 3 with 6253 views | OakR |
As Clive has alluded to, feeling optimistic before the season starts is the optimum time to do so!
I think we are right to feel confident with the transders in and out so far, Julien has had a season, lots of our players are now in their second season at least in the Championship, 8th place for the playoffs.
It might all go wrong - hopefully the reactions post a run of wins or post a run of defeats are more balanced than in the past. Let's see where we are at Christmas. | |
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| Optimism on 22:02 - Aug 3 with 6091 views | BushRanger82 |
The real test is on Saturday, in a cup game against a London side.
We win that game, and we will have good reason to feel optimistic. |  | | |
| Optimism on 23:05 - Aug 3 with 5947 views | Lblock |
I remain unimpressed with the squad as it lack’s physique, experience and pace in separate areas.
Not seen much of either GK but fair play in signing two. Hugely necessary but that alone should mean questions need asking of the hierarchy and poor previous planning.
At the back the only defender you’d call fit with pace is Mbengue.
Unfortunately I don’t particularly rate him but hopefully he’ll be more measured this season and able to cross the ball or keep it under control when he runs with it.
Championship experience back there……. Limited to Sir James of the Dunnes really as we’re likely see more solar eclipses than JCS this season as per usual.
Midfielders no real change.
This Kamara chap might be a revelation but after two plus years of inactivity I doubt it.
So an injury prone bunch that failed to protect the back five remains with Poku bound to disappear like a Club 18/30’s rep as the end of August ticks by….. the only pace available remains Smythy.
Strikers look fine with the first choice two.
Thereafter it’s a bit “oh dear” for me.
Love the industry of Alfie but clinical he is not, Kolli is the film that can’t write its own ending and this Obikwa fella no less than a comedy story.
Need far more depth but maybe a couple of these kids might do the business in a few flashes.
For me the best transfer business done so far has been to get Celar out; that is a major achievement.
In summary…. Best 11 all available, on form and committed half a chance.
If not then there’s problems [Post edited 3 Aug 23:08]
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| Optimism on 23:35 - Aug 3 with 5907 views | ed_83 |
We've spent decent money by our standards, the coach has had a year with the squad, the CEO's had a couple of years to bring in his players and staff... I think it's perfectly reasonable to be feeling relatively optimistic, and looking for progress.
Nobody's saying that's guaranteed though, or that we'll be challenging the parachute payment teams, but aiming a little higher than 16th feels totally justified to me! It's nice to have a bit of optimism given that everything since Warburton left has felt so chaotic. | | | |
| Optimism on 23:45 - Aug 3 with 5876 views | CiderwithRsie |
| Optimism on 22:02 - Aug 3 by BushRanger82 |
The real test is on Saturday, in a cup game against a London side.
We win that game, and we will have good reason to feel optimistic. |
You're all scaring me.
Give me that cup win and I'll be talking about Wembley with the best of you, but I'm struggling to think of the last time anyone here used the phrase "Cup win" unironically.
Still, sod it, it's good to dream. | | | |
| Optimism on 05:05 - Aug 4 with 5652 views | Match82 |
I can squint and see a playoff team assuming better than average fitness/health and everybody getting back to peak form.
Both of those feel pretty unlikely, but screw it, if there's ever a time to dream it's preseason! |  | | |
| Optimism on 09:41 - Aug 4 with 5342 views | TheChef |
As ever:
- Let's see what the squad looks like on 1st September.
- Let's see where we are after ten games. |  |
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| Optimism on 09:44 - Aug 4 with 5309 views | Hunterhoop |
| Optimism on 23:35 - Aug 3 by ed_83 |
We've spent decent money by our standards, the coach has had a year with the squad, the CEO's had a couple of years to bring in his players and staff... I think it's perfectly reasonable to be feeling relatively optimistic, and looking for progress.
Nobody's saying that's guaranteed though, or that we'll be challenging the parachute payment teams, but aiming a little higher than 16th feels totally justified to me! It's nice to have a bit of optimism given that everything since Warburton left has felt so chaotic. |
Agree.
If not this season, then when?
Next summer, we will have to sell someone/several players for serious money (unless Ronnie goes to Burnley this window for daft money). There’s no reason to think we’ll replace starters badly, but there is always a risk.
If you can get by without selling this summer, you have a pretty settled squad that you’ve spent over £25m on, several exciting players coming into their 2nd or 3rd season at this level, a head coach in his second, a relatively small turnover of players this summer, and a DOF/CEO entering his 3rd full season with a year “auditing” the club before that.
This is the year. This is the year we take a big step forward. Top 10, but we should absolutely be targeting the play offs. I doubt we’d win them, but it would be massive. Our standing in the league would quite literally be different. If we had to sell one or two of Madsen, Kone, Burrell, etc, next summer (almost certainly will), we would be able to attract a higher calibre of players to replace them than if we have another season in 15th/16th. That is how the player trading model is meant to work. |  | | |
| Optimism on 08:05 - Aug 5 with 4926 views | NorthantsHoop |
I am quite optimistic for the new season, we have some solidity, a few decent signings and the manager has commited for an extended period. Obviously the proof of the pudding etc, but we should be looking up rather than down. A big bonus will be the returm of Illias Chair, he has looked back to form on his outings so far in pre-season, was very impressed with him against Fiorentina. |  | | |
| Optimism on 08:13 - Aug 5 with 4873 views | TwoHalves |
I’m an optimist, me. Staring at my freshly drawn pint of Harvey’s in the Red Lion before the Bromley game the other night, I thought, ‘yeah, that glass is half-full’. | | | |
| Optimism on 08:22 - Aug 5 with 4840 views | Tonto |
The bookies and most of the championship podcaster "experts" have us in 16th/17th. So worse rhan last year. |  |
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| Optimism on 08:30 - Aug 5 with 4815 views | JamesB1979 |
We have spent money but I don’t buy the view that that means we need to finish top 10. Lots of clubs have spent and we’ve almost needed that to stand still. Until we start selling and reinvesting in the squad it will always be difficult.
Having said that, if we can keep our best players fit. And the defence with the new goalie is an improvement on last season, then we could make playoffs. I have quite liked the way we’ve played in pre season but does that actually mean anything? I guess we will know on Saturday or maybe week on Saturday…. | | | |
| Optimism on 08:38 - Aug 5 with 4799 views | daveB |
| Optimism on 08:30 - Aug 5 by JamesB1979 |
We have spent money but I don’t buy the view that that means we need to finish top 10. Lots of clubs have spent and we’ve almost needed that to stand still. Until we start selling and reinvesting in the squad it will always be difficult.
Having said that, if we can keep our best players fit. And the defence with the new goalie is an improvement on last season, then we could make playoffs. I have quite liked the way we’ve played in pre season but does that actually mean anything? I guess we will know on Saturday or maybe week on Saturday…. |
Top 10 should be the aim, there are a lot of things that can go wrong to stop that happening but the aim of everyone at te club should be a top half finish and with the squad we have that is achievable. We basically wasted half a season last year and were still only a few wins off the top 10 | | | |
| Optimism on 08:41 - Aug 5 with 4784 views | loftboy |
| Optimism on 08:38 - Aug 5 by daveB |
Top 10 should be the aim, there are a lot of things that can go wrong to stop that happening but the aim of everyone at te club should be a top half finish and with the squad we have that is achievable. We basically wasted half a season last year and were still only a few wins off the top 10 |
Surely top 8 should be the aim otherwise what’s the point? |  |
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| Optimism on 08:50 - Aug 5 with 4745 views | dmm |
I battle to keep that imposter we call optimism in check around this time of year. After a lifetime of following our team I should know better but I can still be like a kid eagerly waiting for the first match of the season, believing we're going to storm the league. And then... |  | | |
| Optimism on 09:21 - Aug 5 with 4667 views | wombat |
| Optimism on 08:50 - Aug 5 by dmm |
I battle to keep that imposter we call optimism in check around this time of year. After a lifetime of following our team I should know better but I can still be like a kid eagerly waiting for the first match of the season, believing we're going to storm the league. And then... |
14th for me id say if the impact injuries dont kick in to early
One concern i do have , we have brought in two new keepers , charles seems to be number one and everyone is raving about him and he does seem better than some of the outfield players with his passing , but we havent seem him tested that much with that sort of saving the ball so far , hes gone through a couple of games with not having a shot to save ward had the second half at wimbledon and honeslty didnt impress atall esp on a rumoured three year deal at decent money . so will be intresting to see how charles does in a competive game when hes actually being asked to save a few shots before I fully make my mind up about him .
we still need at least two in as well sqaud still look unbalanced in a few areas |  |
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| Optimism on 09:24 - Aug 5 with 4658 views | JamesB1979 |
| Optimism on 09:21 - Aug 5 by wombat |
14th for me id say if the impact injuries dont kick in to early
One concern i do have , we have brought in two new keepers , charles seems to be number one and everyone is raving about him and he does seem better than some of the outfield players with his passing , but we havent seem him tested that much with that sort of saving the ball so far , hes gone through a couple of games with not having a shot to save ward had the second half at wimbledon and honeslty didnt impress atall esp on a rumoured three year deal at decent money . so will be intresting to see how charles does in a competive game when hes actually being asked to save a few shots before I fully make my mind up about him .
we still need at least two in as well sqaud still look unbalanced in a few areas |
What areas? Obviously a box to box midfielder would be good. But can we afford if we don’t sell? If we sell Edwards or Kone to do that, we need to replace them too. | | | |
| Optimism on 09:51 - Aug 5 with 4592 views | wombat |
| Optimism on 09:24 - Aug 5 by JamesB1979 |
What areas? Obviously a box to box midfielder would be good. But can we afford if we don’t sell? If we sell Edwards or Kone to do that, we need to replace them too. |
centre mid for sure and possibly centre back , morrison hasnt had a great pre season which is a shame as he looked ok before , we cant rely on clark salter long term so leaves us with dunne and edwards if he dosnt go to burnley late on in the window. kone hasnt looked sharp atall in pre season not sure why but looks slow to the ball and slightly heavier than he did last season if we lost a striker id say it would be burrell who clubs might go for , everyone likes pace up front
poku has looked sharp in pre season but how long will his hamstrings last ?
so yeah centre back and centre mid prob. | |
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| Optimism on 10:01 - Aug 5 with 4552 views | Hunterhoop |
| Optimism on 08:41 - Aug 5 by loftboy |
Surely top 8 should be the aim otherwise what’s the point? |
Quite. You have to aim high. Realistically ambitious. Otherwise what is the point?
Millwall, Luton, Blackburn, Bristol City, Hull…they’ve all made the play offs in the last 5 years. It can be done. And now it’s a top 8.
Of course some other clubs have bigger budgets and have spent more money. But we stood still around 15th-18th when we didn’t have much money to spend, when we had Ossie Kakay at RB, or Seb Polter or Conor Washington up front…Christ, that Gareth Ainsworth squad finished 18th on 56 points.
If we could stand still, when everyone else was spending more money, during that period with those players, we have to be better against the competition now. We have to aim higher.
Target should be top 8.
Expectation should be top half.
Any lower is a failure in my eyes (unless we have brought in £20m in player transfers and can reinvest to give it a right good go next season).
We have to have some standards. | | | |
| Optimism on 10:25 - Aug 5 with 4465 views | Stainrod |
Do we know where our squad sits in the Championship in terms of spend? Would be surprised if it was top 8. So yes right to be aiming for top 8 for all the positive reasons expressed on this thread. But finishing, say, 10th to 12th would not be a failure. Finishing in our customary 16th birth would be failure. | | | |
| Optimism on 10:31 - Aug 5 with 4437 views | Tonto |
Saw a you tube thingy on the VALUE of the squad according to transfer market (not spend though). We were 14th in the championship
i appreciate transfer market isnt massivley accurate but those inaccuracies are probably equal across all 24 teams, so relative its probably right
Found it: https://youtube.com/shorts/PcE
[Post edited 5 Aug 10:35]
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| Optimism on 10:33 - Aug 5 with 4436 views | TomMorgz7 |
I'm optimistic, I like what we've done so far, and despite rambling on about injuries the other day, both Kone and Madsen seem not to be as bad as previously thought (touch wood). I think the Millwall game will somewhat temper that, but there's no reason not to go to Portsmouth on opening day without a healthy dose of optimism. A fast start (admittedly a generous opening few games) and who knows? |  | | |
| Optimism on 11:08 - Aug 5 with 4299 views | nix |
| Optimism on 10:25 - Aug 5 by Stainrod |
Do we know where our squad sits in the Championship in terms of spend? Would be surprised if it was top 8. So yes right to be aiming for top 8 for all the positive reasons expressed on this thread. But finishing, say, 10th to 12th would not be a failure. Finishing in our customary 16th birth would be failure. |
I agree.
One of the pods had us at 17th. Not because we have a poor squad or manager or had got worse from last season but their reasoning was that a lot of teams had spent even more.
We should obviously be aiming for 8th but I don’t think top half would be failure. Anything less would be a disappointment. |  | | |
| Optimism on 11:22 - Aug 5 with 4254 views | Hunterhoop |
| Optimism on 11:08 - Aug 5 by nix |
I agree.
One of the pods had us at 17th. Not because we have a poor squad or manager or had got worse from last season but their reasoning was that a lot of teams had spent even more.
We should obviously be aiming for 8th but I don’t think top half would be failure. Anything less would be a disappointment. |
Yeah, agree. Sorry, if that wasn’t clear. Top half wouldn’t be a failure. That would be progress. That’s why I was saying, aim for Top 8, expectation should be to be top half, anything less is disappointing and should be deemed a failure IMO.
I genuinely think this squad, without a major departure, with a manager in his 2nd second season, and starters in their 2nd or 3rd, should finish somewhere between 7th-12th in this league. Injuries may prevent that, but that is part of running a club. There’s no excuses for injuries preventing us progress when you’ve had two bad seasons on that front and made no changes at the helm of that area. | | | |
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