Would finishing 8th be a good season

I think we are slightly over achieving with our squad. I said 8th-12th in August

We papered over the cracks in January, but the truth is most of the players are not fit that came in due to lack of game time at their parent clubs. If we want to be top 2 and assure promotion we need the following

We need a goalkeeper who can be trusted
We need a tall mobile strong Centre Half, someone who is a thorn in both boxes
We need 2 wingers with pace
We need 2 strong centre forwards with some pace

I really doubt we have the money to fix the weaknesses for next season. With a fair wind, I can not see us challenging the top 2 next season, maybe 22/23 if we get recruitment right, but thats a big if
 
It's not just the money though is it? We had plenty of that and wasted it on dross.
It's the intelligence to find the right players.
I think trust in our recruitment department is at an all time low.
 
Wouldn’t say we are weaker like. Ayala barely played. Clayton was finished. Friends was poor until Warnock came in. Randolph would be brilliant in this team. Shottons a decent squad player but he wouldn’t start. Nmecha is on par with Akpom but is playing well now. Or was last time I Could be arsed to check. Gestede nothing needs to be said.

Overall we have
I think we are slightly over achieving with our squad. I said 8th-12th in August

We papered over the cracks in January, but the truth is most of the players are not fit that came in due to lack of game time at their parent clubs. If we want to be top 2 and assure promotion we need the following

We need a goalkeeper who can be trusted
We need a tall mobile strong Centre Half, someone who is a thorn in both boxes
We need 2 wingers with pace
We need 2 strong centre forwards with some pace

I really doubt we have the money to fix the weaknesses for next season. With a fair wind, I can not see us challenging the top 2 next season, maybe 22/23 if we get recruitment right, but thats a big if

Think we might need to sell someone worth a bit of money to bring what we need in. Not sure who I would sell though.
 
On paper yes it would, however the issue is where are we heading with this football. We seem miles away from the consistency needed from a promotion charge, we have not really looked like putting a run together like Cardiff are doing.

We played a high pressing game in the recent wins, where was that yesterday, do they decide when to play that game and when not to bother?
 
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We played a high pressing game in the recent wind, where was that yesterday, do they decide when to play that game and when not to bother?

Surely that was the issue yesterday?

We played an incredibly high line whilst kicking in to the wind.

Two of their goals largely came from us being camped in their half and getting completely done on the break, and they weren't the only chances like that.

Might have partly been overconfidence from how well we started in the first 10 minutes, because it was incredibly risky and cost us.
 
One of the biggest issues with where we are is the size of our squad - we just dont have the numbers to be able to rotate the first 11. Hall has been out for much of the season but thats meant we are 1 injury away from a crisis in defence. The midfield has lacked pace and penetration until January. The least said about the strikers the better but the fact that Watmore, Fletcher, Britt and Akpom combined have all scored 5 less than Ivan Toney tells its own story.

I never expected us to make the play offs, not really, on our day we look a good side but we are way to inconsistent and I always worried that the squad just wasnt big enough.

8th is a decent finish, anywhere in the top half is acceptable. But the club needs to sort out the recruitment side and stop buying over priced cr@p before we will be good enough
 
I would have hoped for a play off place with the players that we have but would accept 8th as a Work in Progress.
More importantly, I think retaining Mr Warnock's services and supporting him in the transfer market is the most important thing.
 
We could have more money for investment this summer, the Britt, Fletcher, Braithwaite mistakes (both transfer fees and wages) will be off the FFP calculations at last. We can push on again.

Yes we need an overhaul at CF, and some creativity and pace out wide, a CB to compliment Dael and a decent keeper. We're fine for FBs and workman midfielders.
 
Our squad is not weaker than last season whatsoever, with the exception of the goalkeeper.

There is not one player that left last year that I'd want starting this season, except for Randolph.

Ayala was a sick note last season, and is a sick note this season.
It is a game of opinions I guess.

I do still think we can finish 6th
 
It is what it is. there's a lot of spinning plates at the minute and we can't forget the impact COVID is having on the sport (less room between games, players having to isolate/take extra precautions, uncertain financial environment for clubs and players).

It usually takes 3 seasons minimum to turn a squad around from also rans into challengers, and you can either see us as being at the halfway point since Pulis left with his hands in his pockets, or still at season 1 looking to undo the situation Woodgate left us in.

To be fair I think Warnock is continuing the job Woodgate didn't have the experience to do, clearing out the squad Pulis gathered and bringing on the younger cheaper replacement players. So next year is the big push, hopefully with the fans back in the grounds.

In terms of players to sell to generate some cash I could see Saville, McNair, Wing, Coulson, Johnson, Browne being put in the shop window, but looking through the squad this morning any midfielder or attacker apart from Howson and Morsy, could be used to gain a fee.

I agree with Coluka - we need a permanant trusted keeper, and the entire attack scrapped and started again, but we could do with a known consistent striker to build it around (though so could 15 other teams in our league).
 
If any of us had all the answers and a magic wand, we would all be managing the winners of the Champions League. But we`re not.

I disagree, I've just not been given the opportunity. 😂

In answer to the OP it would feel like a poor season because we've been in touch for so long.

With a couple of signings and a bit of luck we could definitely challenge next season. There's no top team coming down. I do think we'd be pretty bad in the prem mind.
 
If we acknowledge that this project is a WIP
- What is the time period and how does NW fit into that?
- If we miraculously went up via the playoffs or automatically (obviously next year) - what is the PL plan.

What I am saying is - If we are building something we must have a short, medium and long term plan - for instance, if we were to fall short again next season would somebody else have to come in and start again/
 
If we acknowledge that this project is a WIP
- What is the time period and how does NW fit into that?
- If we miraculously went up via the playoffs or automatically (obviously next year) - what is the PL plan.

What I am saying is - If we are building something we must have a short, medium and long term plan - for instance, if we were to fall short again next season would somebody else have to come in and start again/
If it was, the transfer loans make no sense at all. Nothing to suggest any improvement by having them. One Good Bolasie performance and a Kebano goal hasn't been good enough, and we loaned out a better keeper than the one we play.
 
I disagree, I've just not been given the opportunity. 😂

In answer to the OP it would feel like a poor season because we've been in touch for so long.

With a couple of signings and a bit of luck we could definitely challenge next season. There's no top team coming down. I do think we'd be pretty bad in the prem mind.
Do we create our own opportunities or put such opportunities down to "luck"?
I`de say the former (y)
 
Would you say Warnock has maximised the potential from this squad and a true reflection is about 8th, would getting to the play offs be classed as over achieving, when you look at our squad compared to those around us???
With the squad pre window I would say we were over achieving - with a decent January window as we had I think 8th should be the minimum we are looking for. Last night was the first time I started to question Neil Warnock in my mind - as well as the players it’s his time to stand up and be counted. Hopefully last night motivates everyone at the club and we can put a run of form together to get higher up the league.
 
I don't think it's as easy as saying we should automatically be competing for the playoffs. Number of decent sides around us (some with PL experience) and other teams who have recruited better and/or have a clear long-term strategy (Brentford, Swansea etc)

I think until we address the strategic issue it's really difficult to understand where we should be aiming. At present it feels like promotion is the "goal" but equally it doesn't really matter if we don't go up.

Whilst I'm grateful for Warnock and think he's doing a good job I am nervous that this period simply kicks the long-term strategy point down the road.

Football is, at its heart, a short-term sport but teams have proven that having a longer-term strategy can reap rewards.
 
I said at the start of the season a top half finish would be a great achievement.

I've never felt that the play offs were realistic at any point, not enough quality in the squad and not enough strength in depth.

God help us if Warnock isn't in charge next season.
 
This time last year I’d of snapped your hand off with 8th . If we do peculiarly fluke the run in and get up by virtue of play offs we would get absolutely torn to shreds next season .
Nice deep breath and hopefully ( fingers crossed ) NW gives us another season and with all his contacts get a good spine in and a proper Captain have a crack next year
 
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