A week before season starts - predict our finishing position?

coluka said:
I prefer to call it realism, based on perceived quality.

Currently we have bought a showroom full of potential, we do not know what quality it is when the chips are down. We really do not have any proven quality in the final 3rd, bar Akpom

Crooks isn’t a forward but he’ll pop up with a few as per usual, akpom is the only known goalscorer and to expect him to get 20 is a big ask with less quality around him as far as we can tell, and he is currently injured and not match fit and he may yet be sold. I don’t see goals in this team as is, and thats fairly realistic, not doom and gloom. The question is about now, not what we have on 2 September.

Hopefully once some ‘quality’ new additions are brought in and people have seen us play 4 or 5 games with the potential in the kids, some of us may hold a different opinion. Nowt wrong with a bit of honesty rather than kid ourselves, surely?
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I guess time will tell, but like the majority of clubs in the champo we will have lot more quality come September, Carrick will of learnt a lot from last season to improve the team I am very confident we will do very well again
 
I think the views on here are pretty refreshing and considered. Not too much over optimism and expectation given who isn’t here this season from the last and a lot of hopeful rather than tried and tested signings. Not sure how folk think with who we lost and who we signed we can finish above Leicester (clear winners for me), Leeds and Southampton but I think you can add a strong season from Stoke, Sunderland (who have bought well) Sheff Wed with a bit of money and Coventry who are still a good side without Gorkyes but with money to spend. Sadly I remain of the view Akpom will go to Lens but key will be when he goes and how much and what time Carrick has to get replacements in? 8th still looks like a good season with this squad for me. Some very big clubs with large home crowds - in excess of ours in the Championship this season.
 
I think we do well from October onwards, August and September will be about getting players back from injury, finding best combinations of players and bedding new players who are to be bought and new loanees coming in, Ramsey if he comes will hopefully settle quickly. I think we finish 4th, maybe a bit less fluid than last season but more importantly less frail and more able to dig in.
 
I would have to say I am in a state of confusion about our chances now .
With akpom.....and a good left back
Top 2 is possible
Without those 2 features I would be delighted with a play off spot
But being realistic without those 2....
8th or 9th.
 
Duffman said:
I think the views on here are pretty refreshing and considered. Not too much over optimism and expectation given who isn’t here this season from the last and a lot of hopeful rather than tried and tested signings. Not sure how folk think with who we lost and who we signed we can finish above Leicester (clear winners for me), Leeds and Southampton but I think you can add a strong season from Stoke, Sunderland (who have bought well) Sheff Wed with a bit of money and Coventry who are still a good side without Gorkyes but with money to spend. Sadly I remain of the view Akpom will go to Lens but key will be when he goes and how much and what time Carrick has to get replacements in? 8th still looks like a good season with this squad for me. Some very big clubs with large home crowds - in excess of ours in the Championship this season.
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We will be within the top 5 for home attendances very few will get bigger gates than us
 
coluka said:
I prefer to call it realism, based on perceived quality.

Currently we have bought a showroom full of potential, we do not know what quality it is when the chips are down. We really do not have any proven quality in the final 3rd, bar Akpom

Crooks isn’t a forward but he’ll pop up with a few as per usual, akpom is the only known goalscorer and to expect him to get 20 is a big ask with less quality around him as far as we can tell, and he is currently injured and not match fit and he may yet be sold. I don’t see goals in this team as is, and thats fairly realistic, not doom and gloom. The question is about now, not what we have on 2 September.

Hopefully once some ‘quality’ new additions are brought in and people have seen us play 4 or 5 games with the potential in the kids, some of us may hold a different opinion. Nowt wrong with a bit of honesty rather than kid ourselves, surely?
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It's always realism. Why is it people who are optimistic are never realists.
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
It's always realism. Why is it people who are optimistic are never realists.
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Optimists…… They are hopeful and confident about the future. We all know football does not always pan out how you hope, it may or may not do. You can’t be confident either that the team will hit the ground running as preseason performance and results clearly do not justify confidence.

Losing to Hartlepool, Real Betis, as of now Ligue 2 Auxerre, beating Rotherham, Vitoria SC and drawing with Bradford and York. I understand preseason is not just about results, but footballers still want to win too. As of this second we have played 6.5 games, scored 7 and conceded 7 hardly anything to tantalise the taste buds. We suspect there will be a few better quality players to come in, there bloomin well needs to be. We are weaker, not stronger than last season by a fair way (imho), you really do not need to be Einstein to see that. Realists call things as they see it, they may be wrong or right too, but it is more evidenced based than hopeful, realists do not show imaginative idealisation, granted, but rely on a close observation of outward appearance.

Do you hope Michael Carrick, Kieran Scott and Gibbo are optimistic or realistic about the state of the squad as it currently stands? If they are optimistic after preseason, Gibbo will not be having his cheque book open very much, if he is realistic, he will be looking to plug the several gaps that Carrick identifies with better players, probably loans. If he thinks lets wait and see where we are at Christmas, we will be lower mid-table with the squad as is, thinking I wish I had been more realistic and the better players at that time, will head elsewhere on loan.
 
That's a pessimistic view col. The optimistic view would be that pre season results are irrelevant and have frequently shown to have no bearing on the following season.

Why is it that people with pessimistic views label themselves as realists but optimists don't?

In your post it's like you are even scared to use the term pessimist and have instead substituted it with realist.
 
Top half from what we know now, but until the window shuts we can’t assess how strong we are or the opposition.
 
7th with activity over the next few weeks plus January plus Chuba having the scope to move that by at least 3 in either direction.

But right now as things stand, 7th.
 
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