Teams we'll finish above next season

[Meanwood Villa]

Might be a bit premature seeing as we hope our squad will look different in four weeks' time, other teams will be thinking the same I am sure.

Nonetheless the season is only a week away from starting so I have got to thinking where we might finish. Hoping it won't be a struggle again but most sensible approach would be looking at it from the bottom up, who will we be better than.

The newbies

Fulham
Leeds
Albion

One of these will go down, could well be two, maybe all three. It's imperative we use our extra season's experience and finish above all these lot.

My tips to struggle

Palace
Sheff U

Palace finished the season abysmally and could well carry that forward into the new season (like Watford last year). Hodgson is a wily manager but this might be the year they are in a prolonged struggle. Personally I think Sheff U will have second season syndrome and I think they'll go down with two of the promoted teams. Wilder is a genius with what he's done but I think the difference in playing budget will start to tell. So above these two as well.

Relatively comfortable last season, might drop off this season

Brighton
Newcastle

I think last summer I would have been confident of finishing above both these two. Newcastle in particular were a surprise. I think the fallout of another failed takeover might take its toll and hopefully Bruce will produce one of his dire runs to send them plummeting down the league. Brighton are a bit of a nothing team but were never in too much bother last year. I reckon they'll be around 15th/16th again this time. I was wrong last summer about us being better than these but I'll be right this time.

More established teams we can catch

Burnley
Southampton
West Ham

Perhaps a bit generous to West Ham putting them in this bracket given their struggles last season but looking at their squad they really underperformed. Southampton had a great second half of the season and Ings is a quality striker. Burnley are just a really solid team, always do enough to be comfortable. Realistically this is the bracket we should be looking to finish in. One of these lot could easily drop off this season, like West Ham in season just gone, so not inconceivable we can finish above one of them. We'll have done well to finish above all three I think.

"Levels"

Everton
Leicester
Wolves

Would dearly love the wheels to come off for Wolves but I still think they'll be better than us next season. Hopefully not for much longer. I think Leicester might have a hangover from blowing CL last season but again a bit too soon to catch them. James looks a good signing for Everton. Could be a flop but I'd be very pleasantly surprised if we finished above them next season.

Snowball's chance in hell

Man City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Man U
Arsenal
Spurs

Enough said.

So 10th to 13th is plausible. Maybe a bit optimistic in light of lack of transfer activity but I'm hopeful we've got some irons in the fire. The kind of season we'd have been pissed off about a decade or so ago would do just nicely now.

Jack to win player of the year.

[RamboandBruno]

Like you say bit early to say because of potential signings for us and other teams.
As things stand think WBA and Fulham will struggle, think Leeds will start well, surprise a few teams but fade after Xmas and may we’ll be in the mix.
I agree with you about both Palace and Sheff Utd. Think West Ham will be in the mix as well.

I had Newcastle bang on for relegation last year and was suprised. If they get Fraser, Jamal Lewis and Callum Wilson ahead of us, I think they will be mid table. Think Brighton have a good manager and decent team and won’t be in trouble this time out.

I’m hoping we won’t be in the mix, that is wholly dependent for me on us getting two forward players in as a minimum. If I was a supporter of another club doing this, I’d have us as things stand aline fighting relegation again. With my villa blinkers on, 2 or 3 big signings this week and we’ll be mid table.

My tips for the bottom 3 today before anymore signings would be

West Brom
Sheff Utd
West Ham

With Fulham, Leeds, palace very close.

[Risso]

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess before the transfer window closes, but as things are today, then I don't think we'd be finishing above many teams at all.

[Dante Lavelli]

We will be in the mix with:

West Ham
Palace
Fulham
West Brom
Burnley
Leeds
Villa

Gap

Newcastle

Gap

I think Brighton and Southampton will be close to the likes of Everton/Leicester/Wolves

Then you have the top teams

[themossman]

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess before the transfer window closes, but as things are today, then I don't think we'd be finishing above many teams at all.

My first thought too. As it stands we look like relegation certainties based on lack of goals which is why it all feels a bit twitchy waiting for the next signing. Ignoring other areas of weakness and cover, if we add a good striker (say Abraham) and a good wide player who can score goals then we’re mid table. I really think that’s how finely it’s balanced as of now.

[algy]

Depends on how the transfer window pans out. Assuming we're going to end up spending somewhere in the £60m-£100m range, I'd hope we'd be safe come the last few games of the season, so lower mid table. The optimist in me says that if we continue with the post-lockdown  performance levels, somewhere in that 10th-12th bracket is achievable. The pessimist that if we don't improve, we'll struggle because at least one of the promoted sides - probably Leeds - will have a decent first season.

[ChicagoLion]

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess before the transfer window closes, but as things are today, then I don't think we'd be finishing above many teams at all.

The current squad is bottom 6, add a proper centre forward and it’s mid tableish.

[Rigadon]

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess before the transfer window closes, but as things are today, then I don't think we'd be finishing above many teams at all.

The current squad is bottom 6, add a proper centre forward and it’s mid tableish.

Agree with that.  The promoted clubs will struggle as they nearly always do. I took zero interest in the likes of Sheffield Utd or Southhampton etc last season, but these types of teams are only ever losing one or two key players / manager away from struggling.

[edgysatsuma89]

I don't have a definite opinion on who we'll finish above but if any one of 11 teams got relegated (including us) I wouldn't be surprised at all. The league is that open. I'm leaning towards Fulham and West Brom to go back down if I had to bet but the 3rd team... loads of options.

[Villa Lew]

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess before the transfer window closes, but as things are today, then I don't think we'd be finishing above many teams at all.

The current squad is bottom 6, add a proper centre forward and it’s mid tableish.

Agree with that.  The promoted clubs will struggle as they nearly always do. I took zero interest in the likes of Sheffield Utd or Southhampton etc last season, but these types of teams are only ever losing one or two key players / manager away from struggling.

Yeah Southampton is a good example, imagine if they were to lose Danny Ings in this window, then they would be in trouble.

[N'ZMAV]

Birmingham City.

[Axl Rose]

I think we'll probably be near the bottom with our team and management team, currently.

But who knows.

[themossman]

It makes you realise we are actually in a pretty good position really. Poor teams at the bottom are often carried by a prolific/in form striker (Ings, us and Benteke was the perfect example). The fact that we scraped by with effectively no striker for most of the season is encouraging if we get the next couple of signings right.   

[ozzjim]

We are 2 really good players in forward areas from being 14th-10th. I don't think a centre forward changes it that much, we need a wide player too.

Trouble is, there are a few sides making some decent signings, so it is going to be very tough.

West Brom, Fulham and Villa would be my bet with the current squad. Get 3-4 really good signings, the last spot is up for grabs. I thought Sheff U might suffer this season but apparently they are close to 4-5 new players.

[ktvillan]

I've been thinking for a while "if not us, then who" and it's difficult to identify much obvious cannon fodder this time around, as it was last season when, for example, I'm not sure many would have predicted Bournemouth to go down, and possibly Watford too.   I couldn't come up with many candidates. 

The  promoted clubs usually have at least two you can see struggling, especially the play-off winners.  So Fulham probably out of that lot.  Leeds have a good manager and seem to be making some strong improvements so difficult to see them going back down.  Boggies also have a decent manager but he did struggle sometimes with West Ham.  Possibles I'd say. 

Of the rest:

West Ham -  I don't rate Moyes and they seem to be a bit short of cash so they could struggle again unless they get some of their expensive flops firing.  Sounds like a bit of dissent in the ranks too over the sale of Diagana.

Newcastle - mediocre manager with a tendency to go on extended losing runs.  Disenchanted fanbase who will turn on them quite quickly I think.  Could be another candidate. 

Burnley - always seem to have enough to grind out sufficient wins and draws. 

Brighton - I think will do ok under Potter with Lallana on board as well. 

Palace - Can't see them struggling to be honest, Woy has them too organised and solid and they can grind out results here and there.  Eze will give them extra creativity and make them less dependent on Zahar.

Sheffield Utd - I don't think they will be "found out" or suffer second season syndrome, but I don;t think they'll be as comfortbale as last season.  They are well drilled and a solid unit.   Much could depend on Ramsdale stepping up to replace Henderson.

With 4-5 appropriate signings we should be capable of 10th-15th.  Without significant improvements we will be in the mix again, without a doubt.