Trepidation for the 26/27 Prem season ?

[Vaibow]

Last season was a weird one for us..

The manager had decided by October he was gone, regardless.

Guehi was looking for a move, then got it in January.

We lost Eze.

We were playing in a cup that was testing us.. on many levels.. we scraped through.. but it exhausted us.

This season league cup has to be the victim... focus on FA cup and Europa, league obviously..

 

[martinelliff]

I'm trying to persuade myself that if we sign Tomiyasu and there's no further movements in or out that we can survive the coming season.

So, here goes:

Likely 1st XI

Henderson

Canvot Richards Riad

Munoz Wharton Kamada Mitchell

Sarr Mateta Pino
​

The back-up 2nd XI

Benitez

Tomiyasu Mingueza Lerma

Cardines Hughes Doucoure Sosa

Johnson Strand Larsen Franca
​

which leaves us with Matthews, Nketiah, Ozoh, Esse and JRS plus the Academy players (especially Drakes-Thomas).

I think we might just survive the drop with that and have ok runs in the cups.

Compared to last season we have lost Mark and Max, but gained Ming, Tomi and Chiek. If it stays like that the squad is okay. Players have to step up. Mainly the forwards, we dont let many goals in but obviously lack goal scorers from the attacking midfielders. It would be nice to get in one 'big' signing in. No idea who but might calm the doubters.

 

[sprites]

I'm trying to persuade myself that if we sign Tomiyasu and there's no further movements in or out that we can survive the coming season.

So, here goes:

Likely 1st XI

Henderson

Canvot Richards Riad

Munoz Wharton Kamada Mitchell

Sarr Mateta Pino
​

The back-up 2nd XI

Benitez

Tomiyasu Mingueza Lerma

Cardines Hughes Doucoure Sosa

Johnson Strand Larsen Franca
​

which leaves us with Matthews, Nketiah, Ozoh, Esse and JRS plus the Academy players (especially Drakes-Thomas).

I think we might just survive the drop with that and have ok runs in the cups.

If Doucoure gets fit, he starts next to Wharton every day.

 

[sprites]

Compared to last season we have lost Mark and Max, but gained Ming, Tomi and Chiek. If it stays like that the squad is okay. Players have to step up. Mainly the forwards, we dont let many goals in but obviously lack goal scorers from the attacking midfielders. It would be nice to get in one 'big' signing in. No idea who but might calm the doubters.

Agree - we need a signing of intent in the attacking areas. While I back Pino to actually deliver the goods this year, we need a third decent option to rotate with Pino and Sarr.

 

[mtp1958]

Looking at sages teams they score goals if he can get the midfield scoring , and we can find a goalscoring midfielder , then we have a better team with that alone

 

[doombear]

Last season was a weird one for us..

The manager had decided by October he was gone, regardless.

Guehi was looking for a move, then got it in January.

We lost Eze.

We were playing in a cup that was testing us.. on many levels.. we scraped through.. but it exhausted us.

This season league cup has to be the victim... focus on FA cup and Europa, league obviously..

Naturally - as it only gets you into the Conference League and we've already got the T Shirt for that. 😉

 

[PalazioVecchio]

considering how many games we must play, i have little hunger for either the Carabou nor the FA cup this forthcoming season. Play the B team and give them a run-out.

the Dip in form last mid-winter nearly got us relegated.

 

[park the bus]

considering how many games we must play, i have little hunger for either the Carabou nor the FA cup this forthcoming season. Play the B team and give them a run-out.

the Dip in form last mid-winter nearly got us relegated.

Finished 15th, flirted with relegation despite having players of international standard, indeed a number of whom turned out for the recent WC. What's going to be different this season? Lightweight squad that struggles after a few injuries. Same as it ever was. Bring it on.

 

[Save Dwindlehurst]

considering how many games we must play, i have little hunger for either the Carabou nor the FA cup this forthcoming season. Play the B team and give them a run-out.

the Dip in form last mid-winter nearly got us relegated.

Is that you Roy? 😬

 

[martinelliff]

If we get a point from the first 2 games I will be happy. After that we have a good run of winnable games until December and January, when we have a run of difficult games and the fatigue sets in. February and March all winnable. April and May very tricky. Expecting another rollercoaster but hopefully we can get the 10 wins we need before April. Forget the domestic cups, play the reserves, aim for the Europa as its our best chance of success. Sacrafice the FA Cup and Liverpool away in January and give the first team 2 weeks rest ready for the penultimate Europa group game.

 

[Jim_Cannon]

considering how many games we must play, i have little hunger for either the Carabou nor the FA cup this forthcoming season. Play the B team and give them a run-out.

the Dip in form last mid-winter nearly got us relegated.

Would love another FA cup run but would depend on our Europa run. Agree Carabou conflicts with the extra Europa games and need to play more of the fringe and younger players

 

[Jim_Cannon]

If we get a point from the first 2 games I will be happy. After that we have a good run of winnable games until December and January, when we have a run of difficult games and the fatigue sets in. February and March all winnable. April and May very tricky. Expecting another rollercoaster but hopefully we can get the 10 wins we need before April. Forget the domestic cups, play the reserves, aim for the Europa as its our best chance of success. Sacrafice the FA Cup and Liverpool away in January and give the first team 2 weeks rest ready for the penultimate Europa group game.

So difficult to call the early games. First game is often an anomaly. City who knows, will they take time to adjust to Maresca ?

 

[Jacey]

So difficult to call the early games. First game is often an anomaly. City who knows, will they take time to adjust to Maresca ?

City will need time to adjust and probably only beat us by two odd goals,rather than three..

 

[Canterbury Palace]

Bit doom and gloom on here, isn't it?

Sage being written off by some when he hasn't managed a game yet. Suggestions that Parish wants to flog all our players when, realistically, we've probably sold no more than one key player per transfer window over a few years period.

Squad is basically the same as last season at the moment. We've lost Lacroix and Clyne, signed Mingueza and, likely, Tomiyasu. Slightly weaker but not terminal.

There's a month of the window left and we're being linked with people. We still have Henderson, Mitchell, Canvot, Richards, Munoz, Wharton, Sarr and Mateta. Doucoure may finally come back. There are plenty of fringe players / new signings who may step up under a new manager.

15 years in the Premier League and three trophies in the last 18 months. Surely it's time to give Parish a bit of credit that he possibly knows what he's doing.

Things could be much worse, look at Newcastle

 

[Norbury Old Git]

Go and watch the video of “Sage in his own words”. This is the man who turned Lens into winners. Second in the French League 1 just pipped by the European Champions and won the French Cup. He will have the same expectations of every team he puts out. Will he be a modern day Brian Clough who turned a team of journeyman pros into champions? I don’t know but it might be fun finding out.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

Bit doom and gloom on here, isn't it?

Sage being written off by some when he hasn't managed a game yet. Suggestions that Parish wants to flog all our players when, realistically, we've probably sold no more than one key player per transfer window over a few years period.

Squad is basically the same as last season at the moment. We've lost Lacroix and Clyne, signed Mingueza and, likely, Tomiyasu. Slightly weaker but not terminal.

There's a month of the window left and we're being linked with people. We still have Henderson, Mitchell, Canvot, Richards, Munoz, Wharton, Sarr and Mateta. Doucoure may finally come back. There are plenty of fringe players / new signings who may step up under a new manager.

15 years in the Premier League and three trophies in the last 18 months. Surely it's time to give Parish a bit of credit that he possibly knows what he's doing.

Things could be much worse, look at Newcastle

We also have the advantage of buying a club shirt and being able to wear it instead of being half naked in sub zero temperatures.

 

[silvertop]

Finished 15th, flirted with relegation despite having players of international standard, indeed a number of whom turned out for the recent WC. What's going to be different this season? Lightweight squad that struggles after a few injuries. Same as it ever was. Bring it on.

Nothing. It's the Thursdays in Europe that is so damaging.

This season we have the same issue but...

There are 3 newly promoted teams and...

3 other teams of comparable size to us all playing Thursdays in Europe as well.

 

[JessieJ]

Bit doom and gloom on here, isn't it?

Sage being written off by some when he hasn't managed a game yet. Suggestions that Parish wants to flog all our players when, realistically, we've probably sold no more than one key player per transfer window over a few years period.

Squad is basically the same as last season at the moment. We've lost Lacroix and Clyne, signed Mingueza and, likely, Tomiyasu. Slightly weaker but not terminal.

There's a month of the window left and we're being linked with people. We still have Henderson, Mitchell, Canvot, Richards, Munoz, Wharton, Sarr and Mateta. Doucoure may finally come back. There are plenty of fringe players / new signings who may step up under a new manager.

15 years in the Premier League and three trophies in the last 18 months. Surely it's time to give Parish a bit of credit that he possibly knows what he's doing.

Things could be much worse, look at Newcastle

Good points, and even lifted my general trepidation about which i have eluded to here a few times. As for the Sage video, phew, I hope the players can take it on board and not go foo sulking that this nasty man is insisting that we work for a living.

 

[StandbyPalace]

No trepidation here. We have won trophiies in the last two seasons in a row, will be difficult to keep that run going though.
Always still look to avoid relegation first before building any other ambitions for the end of season. Staying in the Premier League again still counts as a success to me.
Unlike last season, the three promoted clubs havent spent much in the transfer window, I think two of them will go back down.
Being a big club and/or having loads a money is overated- just take a look at Newcastle, Spurs and West Ham who for various reasons have managed to f**k things up bigtime recently.
We are doing just fine, and will continue to do so.
We are sill on our way.🙂

 

[StandbyPalace]

Nothing. It's the Thursdays in Europe that is so damaging.

This season we have the same issue but...

There are 3 newly promoted teams and...

3 other teams of comparable size to us all playing Thursdays in Europe as well.

Good points. I think we will be better able to cope with playing twice a week this season, as long as we dont lose any more of our top players in this transfer window or to injuries/African Nations Cup. We missed Sarr massively when he was away last season, the next ANC is being held next summer this time.