Realistic Expectations

[passport1]

McGinn has already given an interview  stating that Europe is the target this season. Consolidation  be damned.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Europe should definitely be the target, and if all the new players click and we are lucky with injuries it could happen. Same as last year, where we were not lucky with injuries and it didn't. That's why I went for 8-11th as too many imponderables and still think we wil get walked through in midfield fairly often if we don't toughen it up.

But we definitely could make Europe, and am hoping we get off to a flyer.

[Ad@m]

I think weirdly the pressure is now on.

The three players bought in to replace Grealish will be earning much more collectively in wages than Grealish.  If we don't get in to Europe soon FFP is going to really start to bite, and we no longer have a £100m asset sitting there waiting to be sold in case of emergency.

I'm certain the club are targeting the UEFA Cup (or whatever its called these days) as a minimum.

[richtheholtender]

I think weirdly the pressure is now on.

The three players bought in to replace Grealish will be earning much more collectively in wages than Grealish.  If we don't get in to Europe soon FFP is going to really start to bite, and we no longer have a £100m asset sitting there waiting to be sold in case of emergency.

I'm certain the club are targeting the UEFA Cup (or whatever its called these days) as a minimum.

Not as much than of he signed a new contract though surely? We've got very smart people the last thing on my mind, ever with these in charge is FFP.

[mike]

Jonathan Wilson in the Graun patronising the arse off us, 'predictable wailing and rending of garments', 'talented local kids always leave for richer more successful clubs', Villa will use the Jack money to 'consolidate in the Premier League' - sorry, are we the size and wealth of Brighton now? Is this the same Wilson who rails socialistically against the entrenched inequalities of modern football, coming across (as he often does) a slathering shill for 'modern elite football'? These same people are tipping Leeds and Everton to challenge for Europe, and I guarantee if our manager were (modern elite) Marcelo Bielsa they would take a different view. But clearly the record-holder for appearances in Pseud's Corner (presumably for another unbelievably boring Sunderland story with references to Louis Althusser shoehorned in) considers anything called Dean Smith, with a background at Walsall and Brentford, insufficiently foreign to represent cultured (modern elite) football to be beneath his coat attention.

I hope we win the league with long balls to a front two of Ings and Tuanzebe.

Just read that piece. It’s that kind of shit that makes this all the harder to take isn’t it. That our aim is (and should only ever be) ‘consolidation’. 

Time will tell of course, but I’m not totally convinced the signings do actually improve us over all.  We need more signings.  If the outlay is just the Grealish money what the hell is the actual point of having all this money? 

And your point about Dean Smith right too, he doesn’t get the respect he deserves because he isn’t seen as exotic enough..  Given his jack less win record I think he’ll be under pressure if we start badly. 

Fuck consolidation.  Progression is what we expect. 

In the words of Rio Ferdinand on Dead Ringers 'yeah, a trillion per cent.'

[Rudy65]

I think we should all have a degree of pre season optimism despite the G word. The new signings seem exciting.
However, I’ve posted in the Dean Smith thread that the relatively easy start on paper does potentially put him under pressure if the new signings don’t gel and hit the ground running. I suppose that’s my one concern, the first team as it were not having enough time together before the Watford game.
It’ll be interesting to see the line up on the first game but I doubt if he’ll play all three of Ings, Bailey and Burundia, my guess would be Bailey on the bench with Traore (if fit) or El Ghazi in.
Anyway, top 6 will be tough to achieve, with the top 4 already pretty much nailed on. Feels like a number of clubs, us, Leeds, Spurs, Arsenal, Leicester, will be scrambling for those two places.
As well as the new signings gelling, my other major concern is centre midfield. I love McGinn, but I just don’t see a centre midfield of him with Nakamba or when rested Luiz a top six midfield. I know we’re trying to sign Ward-Prowse, but if that doesn’t happen it seems a priority area for me.

It’s a great opportunity to push on. The teams you mention plus West Ham and Everton are either not as strong as in years gone by or imo won’t be as good this season as last ie West Ham and Leeds. No reason why we can’t aim for the consistency Leicester have shown recently.

[danno]

It doesn't seem as if many other teams in have been that active in the market either? Think Arsenal have been as busy as us but that's about it.

[LeeB]

Jonathan Wilson in the Graun patronising the arse off us, 'predictable wailing and rending of garments', 'talented local kids always leave for richer more successful clubs', Villa will use the Jack money to 'consolidate in the Premier League' - sorry, are we the size and wealth of Brighton now? Is this the same Wilson who rails socialistically against the entrenched inequalities of modern football, coming across (as he often does) a slathering shill for 'modern elite football'? These same people are tipping Leeds and Everton to challenge for Europe, and I guarantee if our manager were (modern elite) Marcelo Bielsa they would take a different view. But clearly the record-holder for appearances in Pseud's Corner (presumably for another unbelievably boring Sunderland story with references to Louis Althusser shoehorned in) considers anything called Dean Smith, with a background at Walsall and Brentford, insufficiently foreign to represent cultured (modern elite) football to be beneath his coat attention.

I hope we win the league with long balls to a front two of Ings and Tuanzebe.

I saw the piece there last night and couldn't bring myself to read it, no doubt he wrote it riding a unicycle and wearing plus fours with basketball socks, the hipster twat.

[Monty]

Arsenal and Spurs have actually strengthened so surpassing them will be especially tough. Gil and Romero will make Spurs better, while White, though overpriced, will definitely stop the Arse leaking so much.

[Ad@m]

Any nobber who says Man City are "more successful" than the Villa deserves to be ignored.

[john e]

Jonathan Wilson in the Graun patronising the arse off us, 'predictable wailing and rending of garments', 'talented local kids always leave for richer more successful clubs', Villa will use the Jack money to 'consolidate in the Premier League' - sorry, are we the size and wealth of Brighton now? Is this the same Wilson who rails socialistically against the entrenched inequalities of modern football, coming across (as he often does) a slathering shill for 'modern elite football'? These same people are tipping Leeds and Everton to challenge for Europe, and I guarantee if our manager were (modern elite) Marcelo Bielsa they would take a different view. But clearly the record-holder for appearances in Pseud's Corner (presumably for another unbelievably boring Sunderland story with references to Louis Althusser shoehorned in) considers anything called Dean Smith, with a background at Walsall and Brentford, insufficiently foreign to represent cultured (modern elite) football to be beneath his coat attention.

I hope we win the league with long balls to a front two of Ings and Tuanzebe.

Why are you so Surprised there’s plenty on this thread that think exactly the same
Consolidating, mid table, can’t compete with those above us yet

Challenging for European places is where next season should be heading for

[sickbeggar]

The consolidation bit is just common sense. If you lose a player who rightly or wrongly seems to have had the team built round him, then you'd expect it to be a blow however much you spend in replacements. We'd be saying the same about any of our rivals and wondering how much they'd been weakened rather than expecting them to suddenly launch a CL campaign

[algy]

I'm split. I think, given we've lost our talismanic rat, if we stay in the top 10 we'll have done alright really in the circumstances. However, I can't help looking at the table and thinking that we should aim higher than that.

If we get in to Europe (any competition), i think we'll have had a successful season. Really wonderful progression as a club and a good base to work towards CL football from. A tiny part of me thinks that the summer's events might actually have a positive effect on the squad and push us on to 4th-6th territory.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Jonathan Wilson in the Graun patronising the arse off us, 'predictable wailing and rending of garments', 'talented local kids always leave for richer more successful clubs', Villa will use the Jack money to 'consolidate in the Premier League' - sorry, are we the size and wealth of Brighton now? Is this the same Wilson who rails socialistically against the entrenched inequalities of modern football, coming across (as he often does) a slathering shill for 'modern elite football'? These same people are tipping Leeds and Everton to challenge for Europe, and I guarantee if our manager were (modern elite) Marcelo Bielsa they would take a different view. But clearly the record-holder for appearances in Pseud's Corner (presumably for another unbelievably boring Sunderland story with references to Louis Althusser shoehorned in) considers anything called Dean Smith, with a background at Walsall and Brentford, insufficiently foreign to represent cultured (modern elite) football to be beneath his coat attention.

I hope we win the league with long balls to a front two of Ings and Tuanzebe.

I saw the piece there last night and couldn't bring myself to read it, no doubt he wrote it riding a unicycle and wearing plus fours with basketball socks, the hipster twat.

You can't take anything in that communist rag too seriously.

[LeeB]

Communist?