Season expectations 2017-18

[peter w]

I don't think we will finish more than a few places higher than last season but I am confident that with the incoming players the games will be less boring and the whole season more entertaining than last.  It will be a platform for the big push that will come in 18/19.

I'm more confident now than 1 week ago but i've always thought that this was a 3rd season job. if we don't go up next season I think we'll belt it in the 3rd season.

[SoccerHQ]

Respect, but for me too much hangs on the first dozen games.  Get those right and my expectations will change.  However, I think the bedding in of new players and establishing new and better ways of playing makes the season start uncertain.  To win the league the way we want to we have to have the best team playing in the best way.  There is no room for making it up as we go along.

I'd say last season was all about bedding in and regrouping at this level. Try to shake off the shackles of the dismal premier league seasons and slowly get a winning feeling running though the club again. We've got in a few new players but nothing on the scale of 8-9 we've seemed to get in every summer for the last 3-4 years.

This year to me is promotion or bust as I really think it will get harder if we don't make it this season.

[Matt Collins]

Getting a bit worried about Wolves' buying!

[LukeJames]

Getting a bit worried about Wolves' buying!

It will all end in tears, filling your team half with kids from Portugal on huge wages and half with Dave Edwards, Danny Batth etc is a dangerous formula

[Gareth]

Wolves are just a halfway house for Mendes production line now, all appears to be a bit of a racket... they'll have days where those flair players turn up and they look good but I'd bet they have more days when they don't.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

I guess it doesn't matter how much parachute payments are if you are not allowed to spend the money

Parachute payments are supposed to cover the higher wages that clubs were committed to in the PL until they can balance the books in the Championship.

But don't most of our players have clauses in their contracts reducing their pay upon relegation? The upside for them being a lower transfer value on their head making them more attractive to other teams when relegation occurs. Think that's what happened with GanaGueye last year.

Yes, they have but this is nowhere near enough to match Championship income.  In the past when gate money provided most of the income it was not a problem but now PL wages are driven by TV income, being relegated is like falling off a financial cliff. Just look at our income last year if you take away the parachute payments.

Absolutely

If we dont go up this season we are really in it. Sky money alone will have dropped from 65 odd million to 13. Even with signing shitter players and paying them less losing that amount of money has got to hurt

[tomd2103]

We're going up. There's too much proven leadership in this side now not to get this right. The Championship is massively average and I still believe over the course of 46 games we will be the best side. I'm not suggesting we'll walk it. I'm not suggesting we'll play Big Ron football either. But we will have overall too much quality and squad depth to outlast every other team.

I agree that the squad is good enough to go up, but I don't see where the goals are coming from at the moment due to the way we set up..  I still maintain that the right type of centre forward could bring it all together though and Bruce has got to try and break the shackles of his negative mindset. 

[Gregorys Boy]

Should be able to get into the play-offs at least.  Think the defence should remain solid, and if we get a better balance going forward and at least another good striker to help out Kodja then should be there or there abouts.  Right now I still have doubts and think it will be another tough season.

[Ads]

I'd be excited about Wolves signings if I knew who any of them were and had seen any of them play. My knowledge of 20 year old Portguese kids is limited. I expect that applies to the Dogheads supporters as well.

The one person on here who had seen some of last years play told us how they were going to tear up the league and fortunately they day.

This new strip of piss looks 10 years old. 1996, they should be in primary school.

[brian green]

I too am somewhat more confident than I was a couple of weeks ago.  I am factoring in that even Steve Bruce is starting get the message about playing less turgid meat and two veg football.  Even if he isn't, the one good thing about older players is that they will not be backward in telling Bruce where he is going wrong.  As for the prospect of reduced parachute money, I know I will be in a minority but I believe that having too much money leads to waste and bad decision making.  Using our resources wisely is the key to success.  Wise with money is the last thing we have been since MON flounced.

[mr underhill]

Agree with that Brian, our profligacy over the last ten years has been mind boggling.

[Clampy]

I'm fairly optimistic and i'm looking forward to it. For a change, other than the Terry signing, pre-season has been largely un-eventful on and off the pitch which is not a bad thing and was one of reasons why I thought keeping the manager would be a good idea. Time will tell if it works obviously.

[Matt Collins]

I'm in the Clampy camp

[Clampy]

I'm in the Clampy camp

Haha. You get a 'Clampy Camp' badge.

[dave shelley]

Oooer Missus, Camp Clampy.