Realistic Expectations

[LowerNorthStand]

Being realistic survival would be great..

[wittonwarrior]

We look very much the same type of team that gained promotion in 1975. We will win a fair few at villa park but will struggle away. My fear would be injuries to the spine, Heaton, Mings and jack

[john e]

if after spending well over a 100 million quid we still can't finish above Newcastle, Sheff Utd, Brighton &HA then we will deserve to go down

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We look very much the same type of team that gained promotion in 1975. We will win a fair few at villa park but will struggle away.

The key is maintaining our home form which had been horrible for far too long. On that note, Bruce gets rare praise from me. Make Villa Park a happy place and we'll pick up points on the road.

[Monty]

I think there's a good chance it'll take some months to gel properly and we might look like we're in for a scrap come Christmas, but hopefully once it all comes together we can go on a run to safety - indeed, if we hit a good run in the new year we might even do something in the cup...

[Sexual Ealing]

Look at the table now chaps and chapesses. You won't see us that low all season. This prediction has been brought to you by my holiday rum.

[maidstonevillain]

McNulty's predictions from the Beeb. Difficult to argue against.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49236095

"A season of consolidation is in prospect at one of the great old clubs"

[Dogtanian]

Realistically, we have to forget the amount of money we have spent on the squad.  Partly because it was so threadbare at the start, and partly because we started so far behind the average Premiership club.  Just because we have outspent teams this summer, doesn't mean we will necessarily be able to out perform them in the table.

Survival to lower mid-table is a realistic expectation at this stage, to be adjusted depending on how we get on over the first few months of the season.  If we stay up this season and the owners invest similarly over the next couple of seasons, then we can start dreaming big.  But we've all been there when a rich owner decides he doesn't want to play anymore.

They key thing for me is that we have a good manager and backroom staff with a good attitude and philosophy.  We know how rare that can be and it is worth its weight in gold.  For me, even if we don't gel as quickly as we would like and struggle, we need to stick with that team.  Because it can take 6 months for a player to fully settle and show his best, so no matter how good and how many signings we make, we may have to wait till next season to see the full potential of that squad, whichever division that is in.

[hilts_coolerking]

McNulty's predictions from the Beeb. Difficult to argue against.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49236095

"A season of consolidation is in prospect at one of the great old clubs"

I'd be delighted with 14th.  It would be a hell of a platform for the season after.

[paul_e]

McNulty's predictions from the Beeb. Difficult to argue against.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49236095

"A season of consolidation is in prospect at one of the great old clubs"

I'd be delighted with 14th.  It would be a hell of a platform for the season after.

I think that's a pretty safe bet, we'll probably do better than it. Most of the people saying we'll struggle are using a lack of premier league experience as the reason now, but that's just the same thinking as filling the squad with ageing championship players to get promotion, which didn't really work for us.

Experience helps, but it's not the only way to get anywhere. Having a squad with the right personalities all pull in the same direction and play a style that suits them is just as good a plan, it's what Wolves did last year so why are we more likely to 'do a Fulham' than 'do a Wolves'? I think the way we've gone about our squad building and identifying players shows a very clear plan , you can see how the players compliment each other and we're already seeing the wide players on both sides form partnerships, we're already seeing the midfielders running beyond Wesley knowing he can play them in. I honestly think we'll surprise a fair few people this year and be well out of the nonsense at the bottom all year. I went 8-12 on vote and I've seen nothing since that makes me doubt that.

[Damo70]

I also went 8th-12th although realistically it could be 8th-14th.

[Sexual Ealing]

I guess the only difference with Wolves is that they played together for a season before going up. That is the only reason we'll have to settle for the League title rather than adding the World Cup, the Eurovision Song Contest and Rear of the Year.

[Dogtanian]

I guess the only difference with Wolves is that they played together for a season before going up. That is the only reason we'll have to settle for the League title rather than adding the World Cup, the Eurovision Song Contest and Rear of the Year.

There's only one contender for rear of the year - John McGinn.  It's like Captain America's shield for the wee one.

[Ger Regan]

I'm most looking forward to not being the dullest team in the league, which is a significant improvement from the last time we were in it. Whatever happens this year, it won't be boring.

[Rudy65]

McNulty's predictions from the Beeb. Difficult to argue against.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49236095

"A season of consolidation is in prospect at one of the great old clubs"

I still don't see any reason why we cant finish above West Ham or Everton. Both have bang average squads in my view