Could we?

[curiousorange]

The key to it, as always, is consistency. More 7 out of 10 days, less blowing two goal leads.

One thing I would say: we've gone from 14th to 7th to 4th in three seasons. The potential is there. The right signings and some luck with injuries...

[Pete3206]

A good season for me:
5th-6th place in PL
24th place or higher in the CL
Bother one of the domestic cups for a change

[Chris Smith]

A good season for me:
5th-6th place in PL
24th place or higher in the CL
Bother one of the domestic cups for a change

I doubt Unai would consider that a good a season.

[Legion]

Why not?

[Baldy]

With a couple of new additions and when all fit and raring to go we could have a great starting eleven and bench. Summit like:

                                     Martinez
Walker-Peters    Konsa                    Mings            Digne

                            Kamara           Luiz

Bailey                               McGinn                      Olise

                                       Watkins

Subs: Olsen, Cash, Torres, Moreno, Rogers, Buendia, Tielemans, Diaby, Duran

Maybe not win the league but certainly close the gap.

Would probably have to sell Ramsey, Carlos and a few fringe players.
 

[Clark W Griswold]

Is the likelihood of winning the league next season any less likely than us going from Fulham away (Gerrards last game) to 4th placed finish 20 or so months on? I'd say not. And remember, Leicester did it even more out of nowhere than if we did next season.

Do i think we'll do it? No, but it's certinaly not impossible. A lot depends on Man City, because with Pep still there and a big signing or two again this summer and it's going nowhere else. It's like the SPL at the moment.

[Brend'Watkins]

We’ll give it a good go. Injuries are the undoing of us and the rest but as much as we need Mings back we need quality cover for him too. I’d take top 4 again but there will be more of a challenge from Chelsea, ManU and Spurs should they manage to get their act together.

[Risso]

Why not?

Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.

[SoccerHQ]

To win the league nowadays you need 90 points at least.

We pretty much limped to 68 points.

Another 22 points on top of what we produced for most of this season....pretty remote.

We also conceded far too many goals once Kamara was injured so need to sign a decent quality DM just to even stand still I suspect.

Playing CL will also take far more out of us than many of the Europa Conference games did.

I'd be happy with top 6 and 60-65 points next season and having a really good domestic cup run.

[Legion]

Why not?

Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.

My post was towards the thread title, not the preceding comment.

[not3bad]

In my opinion we should keep reaching for the sky, but keep our feet on the ground.

[Risso]

Why not?

Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.

My post was towards the thread title, not the preceding comment.

Ah apologies then.

[SaddVillan]

There's been quite a debate as to how injuries affected our season and how we might have done had had less bad uck. The figures below are taken from a BBC article - they DO NOT include Emi Buendia's absence because he was injured pre-season.

Most individual players injured
Spurs 23
Liverpool 21
ManU 21
Villa 20
Chelsea 20
Newcastle 20
Arsenal 14
Man City 14

Separate injuries
ManU 45
Chelsea 43
Newcastle 41
Villa 39
Spurs 37
Liverpool 35
ManC 26
Arsenal 23

Worst injury weeks per club - most players out in one game week
Chelsea 11
ManU 11
Newcastle 11
Villa 10
Liverpool 9
Spurs 9
Arsenal 7
ManC 4

Days lost through injury
Newcastle 1,950
Chelsea 1,745
ManU 1,620
Spurs 1,402
Liverpool 1,383
Villa 1,236
Arsenal 898
ManC 672

There's a clear correlation between the numbers and where we finished.

City and Arsenal were the least affected by injuries, whatever metric you chose to use. They were able to rotate players for the right reasons and could play the same partnerships, shapes and formations, whereas we were constantly chopping and changing - especially defensively.

If we can get our injuries down towards those of City and Arsenal, then that should help us immeasurably and with 4-5 Monchi signings, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to push on in the league and you never know ... ... The Holy Grail, 68 years and counting.

[Monty]

There's been quite a debate as to how injuries affected our season and how we might have done had had more luck. The figures below are taken from a BBC article - they DO NOT include Emi Buendia's absence because he was injured pre-seasin.



Most individual players injured

Spurs 23

Liverpool 21

ManU 21

Villa 20

Chelsea 20

Newcastle 20

Arsenal 14

Man City 14



Separate injuries

ManU 45

Chelsea 43

Newcastle 41

Villa 39

Spurs 37

Liverpool 35

ManC 26

Arsenal 23



Worst injury weeks per club - most players out in one game week

Chelsea 11

ManU 11

Newcastle 11

Villa 10

Liverpool 9

Spurs 9

Arsenal 7

ManC 4



Days lost through injury

Newcastle 1,950

Chelsea 1,745

ManU 1,620

Spurs 1,402

Liverpool 1,383

Villa 1,236

Arsenal 898

ManC 672



There's a clear correlation between the numbers and where we finished.

City and Arsenal were the least affected by injuries, whatever metric you chose to use. They were able to rotate players for the right reasons and could play the same partnerships, shapes and formations, whereas we were constantly chopping and changing - especially defensively.

If we can get our injuries down towards those of City and Arsenal, then that should help us immeasurably and with 4-5 Monchi signings, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to push on in the league and you never know ... ... The Holy Grail, 68 years and counting.

Great stuff Sadd - what an achievement finishing fourth was given all that. And Emery, isn't it amazing that he never even mentioned it? It means the pundits don't talk about it because they really are as easily distracted as a rabbit. But why should we care? Emery knows what's going on.

[Legion]

Why not?

Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.

My post was towards the thread title, not the preceding comment.

Ah apologies then.

No worries. Reading back I can see why.