Realistic Expectations

[AV82EC]

Interesting too that Leicester's form on resumption was pretty dire - in fact they've looked ordinary ever since we beat them in the Cup.

That’ll be the influence of Brendan Tactical Genius Rogers.

[cdbearsfan]

They even managed to lose to Norwich.

[Hairbandinho]

16th? Newcastle will soon overtake us once the Saudi thing gets confirmed. I think Leeds will be ok with Bielsa. Albion, Brighton, maybe WHAM may be in the relegation mix with us.

[cdbearsfan]

Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Leicester, Wolves (for now), maybe Everton and Newcastle (if the sale goes through) should be fairly safe.

Everyone else starts the season knowing that they could be in a relegation battle.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I'll take anything above 17th in year one!

Me too. Actually, I'll take 17th. It's a massive leap from the Championship to the Premier League and our squad at the moment is nowhere near ready to challenge some of the other lower Premier League teams. Staying up - without having to go through any last game dramas to do so - would be my realistic expectation. With some great games along the way

Last game dramas? what was I thinking?

[robbo1874]

I’d expect an improvement over this season. Can’t see us going down. Despite what Purslow said last year about wanting to challenge at the top, I reckon top 10 is a realistic target in the second season back. Not saying we’ll do it, just that it should be our target. I think a lot depends now on Grealish staying or going. Assuming he does leave for around 70-75 mill- that’s 3 quality players in for that money. From his and Smith’s comments I reckon they’ve agreed he can go if someone stumps up and he wants to go to wherever it may be. Love it if he stays though. If we can resolve that question early, we’ll be better placed to strengthen in other positions and hopefully be settled relatively by the start of the season. I don’t want it dragging on for weeks. Either get it done early, or rule it out. Fk getting dragged into some protracted haggle with Utd or whoever, which is what presumably they will try and do. Hopefully if they’ve agreed he can go, there will be a clear price tag and timeframe attached to it. May be done already for all we know.

[Toronto Villa]

Worth digging this up again because I think one or two us are getting a little carried away with where we should be. Created by the start we had, some of the results and individual performances. But at the start of the season, if someone had a crystal ball and told us that having finished 4th bottom on the last day of the previous campaign, after 23 games we'd be sitting above Tottenham, Arsenal and Wolves, 4 points back of Everton and the champions Liverpool, the latter with 2 games in hand, not one of us would have believed it.

Irrespective of the past few games where we have been a bit up and down and squeezed in something like 7 games in 25 days we have had a superb season with 15 still to go where in all likelihood we will finish just around where we are now. Finishing in the top 10 would have beyond most of us interms of our realistic expectaions at the start of this season.

[Des Little]

Mid table mediocrity will do me just fine this season, thank you very much!

[Meanwood Villa]

Season we've had would be disappointing to drop out of top 10 now.

[Risso]

Worth digging this up again because I think one or two us are getting a little carried away with where we should be. Created by the start we had, some of the results and individual performances. But at the start of the season, if someone had a crystal ball and told us that having finished 4th bottom on the last day of the previous campaign, after 23 games we'd be sitting above Tottenham, Arsenal and Wolves, 4 points back of Everton and the champions Liverpool, the latter with 2 games in hand, not one of us would have believed it.

Irrespective of the past few games where we have been a bit up and down and squeezed in something like 7 games in 25 days we have had a superb season with 15 still to go where in all likelihood we will finish just around where we are now. Finishing in the top 10 would have beyond most of us interms of our realistic expectaions at the start of this season.

All fair points, but it's just so dispiriting seeing us enter into another period where the football is dire after such a good start to the season. From feeling we can beat anybody on our day to wondering where the next win is coming from.

[Legion]

Dirty Leeds next weekend.

[260475]

Top 10 (per my Ladbrokes venture pre season) is acceptable, great even.

Much better season than I really expected, Martinez definitely has made the difference.

[PaulWinch again]

A top 6-10 finish would be amazing progress. We’ve got to continue to strengthen and develop the squad.

[Toronto Villa]

Worth digging this up again because I think one or two us are getting a little carried away with where we should be. Created by the start we had, some of the results and individual performances. But at the start of the season, if someone had a crystal ball and told us that having finished 4th bottom on the last day of the previous campaign, after 23 games we'd be sitting above Tottenham, Arsenal and Wolves, 4 points back of Everton and the champions Liverpool, the latter with 2 games in hand, not one of us would have believed it.

Irrespective of the past few games where we have been a bit up and down and squeezed in something like 7 games in 25 days we have had a superb season with 15 still to go where in all likelihood we will finish just around where we are now. Finishing in the top 10 would have beyond most of us interms of our realistic expectaions at the start of this season.

All fair points, but it's just so dispiriting seeing us enter into another period where the football is dire after such a good start to the season. From feeling we can beat anybody on our day to wondering where the next win is coming from.

True but relative to other sides around us and vying for those same spots we are not much different in terms of form. Of the sides I mentioned Everton have been marginally better, Liverpool and Spurs terrible, Wolves have recently improved and Arsenal are massively average. Even Chelsea just at the top of those teams had to fire their manager to get back to any form. So yes of course it’s been a struggle of late and like everyone I hope Jack is back quickly and we can get back to a bit of the brilliant football we were once playing. But even if we don’t the general form we’ve showed in the past couple of months will get us to around 56/57 points which last season was good enough for around 8th I believe.

[Risso]

January and Feb's form of 10 points from 9 games would see us finish on 52 points, which last year would have seen us end the season in 11th. We should be perfectly capable of winning the next 4 games, even without Jack, but I also wouldn't be shocked if we didn't win any of them.