Expectations for the season

As per the title, what do you expect from the season and what would you deem an acceptable finish (if the two are different)?

Being realistic, we have overachieved the past 2 seasons and there's going to be a natural limit to how far we can keep progression in terms of league position - unless we pull off a Leicester style miracle.

I'd say top 10 with getting out the group in the EL and a decent run in the FA/League Cup would be a good season but each to their own...

I'd be happy with that tbh- last season was a bit of a one off in regards to where a lot of teams finished and I fully expect the usual suspects to be at the top again this season

What do i expect & consider acceptable, top 10, get out of europa group, getting past first round of FA cup.

Anything above and beyond these what be good.

Be happy with that.

If we can get the full backs into play - Bertrand and Cedric then 10th as the formation relies on having good full backs that can deliver.

I want Europe every year

So if that means 17th and FA Cup- that would be a good season for me

Top 8

With a Wembley trip in a cup

Respectable top 8 finish

Decent showing in the Europa

Decent showing in the FA cup

Don't care about League cup

A home tie vs Skates in a cup

More improvement from the youth sides performances, good showing in the JPT

2 wow signings before end of window

Palatable football

Top 10 finish with a cup final (will take top 12 if its the FA cup or top 14 if its Europa)

OR

Top 8 finish getting out the group of Europa and decent cup runs

OR

Top 6 finish and nothing much in any of the cups

Top 10 and a proper tilt at the cups.

I'm not fussed about league position but REALLY want us to focus on cups.

Respectable top 8 finish

Decent showing in the Europa

Decent showing in the FA cup

Don't care about League cup

A home tie vs Skates in a cup

More improvement from the youth sides performances, good showing in the JPT

2 wow signings before end of window

Palatable football

Good call, and I think if your 7th line bears fruit, lines 1,2,3 and 8 will follow.

2 wow signings before end of window

On the cards or wishful thinking?

Top 10, passed the group stages in Europe and a decent cup run (quarter finals +) would be a decent season. Would be nice if we could start to get European football on a regular basis but I think that would be a tough ask given just how competitive the league is. This season is going to be extremely tough having European football added to the fact that Leicester gave the big boys a kick up the arse, which has resulted in them all (well not Arsenal obviously) strengthening, means the usual big six will be in their usual place leaving the rest us of us scrapping for mid-table/relegation places. The thing I'm not looking forward to is the inevitable meltdown, on here, when, in all likelihood, we don't improve our league position for the eighth season in a row ...

Good call, and I think if your 7th line bears fruit, lines 1,2,3 and 8 will follow.

A bit unfair to write off the season as a disaster if line 5 doesn't come to fruition though

With the addition of two offensive players..top six and last eight of Europa League plus FA Cup win..not much to ask

I think we will struggle this year. If we can get near mid table and learn some lessons I'll be happy with that.

Top 7 league

FA Cup quarterfinal

Knockout stage of Euro (last 32 or 16)

That'd be a really good season. Lower league position with better cup run or vice versa would be acceptable.

Mid table 9th plus or minus 2 places is acceptable to me given the competition in the league.

A cup run in any competition.

A decent, clear style of play.

Staying in the top 4/5 of the league for least goals conceded.

Top 8 is the benchmark now.

Club have shed loads of money, fantastic facilities, 14th lowest wages in the league and great kids coming through.

No excuse given the record TV monies and transfer profits over recent seasons not to be able to continue with kicking on.

Obviously I'd expect us to get out of the EL groupe and have a decent cup run in one of the domestic ones.

And the club have no excuse really for not delivering a top 8 finish. Even that is regression, but you have to accept that chelsea will do better this year and should finish above us. Liverpool regrettably the other team we can expect to improve and challenge us for our current position. But dropping lower than that would be very poor and entirely self inflicted. West Ham have had a poor pre season due to europa league qualifiers and if stoke and/or Everton overtake us then it would be pretty damn disappointing.

Top 8.

Get out of the group stages of the Europa League.

Have a good run in both cups.

This is achievable with a couple of additions to the squad imo.

Just require a little more from the board.

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No idea whatsoever really, could go any way, I'll wait to see how we start off to get a better idea of where we'll be at the end of the season.

Could be anywhere between 8th - 14th in the league.

Would like a decent run in a cup.

I just don't know what to expect, the progression we have made over the years has to slow at some stage, yet another new manager, loss of goalscorers and Wanyama, pledge to bring academy players through make me feel a bit negative this season, however, if Fonte stays and we keep the same back line then I am hoping for top 10 and a cup run. I know Koeman upset the board with his views on the youngsters last year but how many of us thinks that any of them would have improved us.

in line with the Bank of England I am downgrading my expectations for growth from a solid 6th to 10-15th

K

Top 8 is the benchmark now.

 

Club have shed loads of money, fantastic facilities, 14th lowest wages in the league and great kids coming through.

 

No excuse given the record TV monies and transfer profits over recent seasons not to be able to continue with kicking on.

 

Obviously I'd expect us to get out of the EL groupe and have a decent cup run in one of the domestic ones.

 

And the club have no excuse really for not delivering a top 8 finish. Even that is regression, but you have to accept that chelsea will do better this year and should finish above us. Liverpool regrettably the other team we can expect to improve and challenge us for our current position. But dropping lower than that would be very poor and entirely self inflicted. West Ham have had a poor pre season due to europa league qualifiers and if stoke and/or Everton overtake us then it would be pretty damn disappointing.

But at least 6 other clubs have significantly shed loads more money than us-arguably West Ham and Leicester will also be significantly better of turnover wise than us as well..We are in the next group and our final position, like last year, will depend on those bigger clubs under performing.

As football is supposed to be about winning trophies, I want to see us actually win something - so taking the cup competitions seriously is important. No reason why we cannot win one of the cups. I am expecting league form to be inconsistent with a considerably lower finishing position than last season and fewer goals all round.

Lower than 8th would be a disappointment unless a cup was won.

Top 10 finish with a cup final (will take top 12 if its the FA cup or top 14 if its Europa)

OR

Top 8 finish getting out the group of Europa and decent cup runs

OR

Top 6 finish and nothing much in any of the cups

This....

However looking at the squad, I can't see this as being realistic at the moment - need to have another look come September 1st...

after many years of watching/supporting Saints just to carry on supporting and enjoying being a Saints fan.

would still be here regardless of position or league. in fact some of the most enjoyable times for me was when we were in league 1.

good honest football, good honest real football grounds, mostly standing even enjoying the odd beer or 2 on the terraces a real throw back to pre premier league days.

one thing that I have learnt while supporting Saints is not to expect too much that way you will not be too disappointed come the end of the season

I´d really really really like us to finish above Everton.

Other than that, and to answer the question, I hope we will be fighting for a Europa league spot again but I expect us to be around 10th. The extra fixtures will take their toll on what looks a relatively thin squad.

The bookies have us getting around 51-52 points, a pretty big discount to what we got last season. I dont see us getting much less than that but we could do a fair bit better so worth a long bet there.

As per the title, what do you expect from the season and what would you deem an acceptable finish (if the two are different)?

 

Being realistic, we have overachieved the past 2 seasons and there's going to be a natural limit to how far we can keep progression in terms of league position - unless we pull off a Leicester style miracle.

 

I'd say top 10 with getting out the group in the EL and a decent run in the FA/League Cup would be a good season but each to their own...

I agree totally.

Look at the clubs that finished below us last season, you see Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton....it would be extraordinary if they were in the same positions next May.

These clubs have " big money " available, and spend it freely - surely they can't all be flops, yet again, so our task will be harder than most.

Clubs in the bottom half of the table will be glad to get to 40 points, and consider that to be " success" - (as we did for most of the 27 seasons we were up before)

.....Of course I want to see us improving even more, but even a 5th place finish wouldn't give us CL football, so we shouldn't complain.

IMHO ....it'll be a good club that finishes 10th next season, and anyone who condemns us if we end up in 7th place ..or lower needs a reality check.

other than that ..A good run in the Europa League.....or one of the cups would be a bonus for Claude Puel in his first season.

after many years of watching/supporting Saints just to carry on supporting and enjoying being a Saints fan.

would still be here regardless of position or league. in fact some of the most enjoyable times for me was when we were in league 1.

good honest football, good honest real football grounds, mostly standing even enjoying the odd beer or 2 on the terraces a real throw back to pre premier league days.

one thing that I have learnt while supporting Saints is not to expect too much that way you will not be too disappointed come the end of the season

This.

I know the forum police frown upon "look where we were 'x' years ago" posts, but for me the dark "will we still have a club to support tomorrow?" few days before Markus bought the club are still relatively fresh in my mind, so my expectation bar is never too high, regardless of what's happened in the ensuing years.

That said, my gut feel is that we'll comfortably finish top half this coming season.

Safe from relegation in mid-table (anywhere from 10th-14th).

I don't see enough quality in the squad going forward for us to seriously trouble the top 6-8.

Impossible to answer this until the transfer window has closed, which ought to be before the season starts but hey ho.

Top 6 = :pound it:, 7th -10th without much of a moan, 11th or 12th borderline hissy fit, 13th-17th I'd be slapping the wife about a bit, 18th-20th Murder-Suicide.

A cup would be nice.

 

The bookies have us getting around 51-52 points, a pretty big discount to what we got last season. I don't see us getting much less than that but we could do a fair bit better so worth a long bet there.

Bookies have probably been predicting us 10-12 points light for the last two seasons.

Was watching Sky's 'Premier League Years 15/16' the other day and it's easy to forget how terrible we were around November to January.

Even if we win less of the games we weren't supposed to win (like beating Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool etc.) if we have a bit of a stronger squad depth that hopefully should allow us to rotate players out of form more, make us more consistent and avoid that slump. Do that and we can easily could gain those 10-15 points to get 60 odd.

I mean Arsenal come fourth every year by basically beating everyone outside the top 6, if we can cut out the losses to the Bournemouths, Norwichs etc. then no reason we can't be near the top 6 again.

after many years of watching/supporting Saints just to carry on supporting and enjoying being a Saints fan.

would still be here regardless of position or league. in fact some of the most enjoyable times for me was when we were in league 1.

good honest football, good honest real football grounds, mostly standing even enjoying the odd beer or 2 on the terraces a real throw back to pre premier league days.

one thing that I have learnt while supporting Saints is not to expect too much that way you will not be too disappointed come the end of the season

I know the forum police frown upon "look where we were 'x' years ago" posts, but for me the dark "will we still have a club to support tomorrow?" few days before Markus bought the club are still relatively fresh in my mind, so my expectation bar is never too high, regardless of what's happened in the ensuing years.

 

That said, my gut feel is that we'll comfortably finish top half this coming season.

Agree on all levels

I'd also like to see us involved in some decent games on the European stage - and hope a couple of the youngsters step up and break into the first team.

I'd say around 10th is fair, so lets say 9-11th. I think it will take us a month or two to figure out how to score enough goals in this system, so the key is to have the defense play well right from the start.

Same as last season but much more clinical in front of goal.

Les and Co said champions league was our target. So I expect us to either do the same as last year or better. We are told the club is in safe hands and they know what they are doing. So let's see.

Having another new manager changes expectations drastically.

I would be very happy anywhere in the top 10.

Winning any kind of trophy would be fantastic, but I absolutely expect us to put in a good showing.

The only unacceptable finish would be relegation.

I feel that the club has taken a major shift in direction this year regarding longer term contracts and possibly looking into buying in more young players. My real hopes and aspirations are actually directed more towards the season after this one......Having said all that, I'm very optimistic for a surprise this season.

I agree totally.

 

Look at the clubs that finished below us last season, you see Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton....it would be extraordinary if they were in the same positions next May.

These clubs have " big money " available, and spend it freely - surely they can't all be flops, yet again, so our task will be harder than most.

Clubs in the bottom half of the table will be glad to get to 40 points, and consider that to be " success" - (as we did for most of the 27 seasons we were up before)

 

.....Of course I want to see us improving even more, but even a 5th place finish wouldn't give us CL football, so we shouldn't complain.

 

IMHO ....it'll be a good club that finishes 10th next season, and anyone who condemns us if we end up in 7th place ..or lower needs a reality check.

 

other than that ..A good run in the Europa League.....or one of the cups would be a bonus for Claude Puel in his first season.

I have to completely disagree with this. It is so negative and unambitious I am amazed... Even Les Reed has said we are aiming at champions league in the near future this summer.

And Everton? Spend freely.... They've signed an aston villa reject on the cheap and free transfer stek... There "promised" millions are from the sale of stones and lukaku.

We came 6th last season which means by your logic of "money = positions" we would get 8th on your above summary stating that liverpool and chelsea will come above us. Now explain the net spends of Arsenal, tottenham and Leicester, and Saints in your theory of budget = league positions.... then explain Newcastle, man city, chelsea last season....

Your basis is senseless, the top spenders did not outperform the rest, it was largely the opposite of that in fact.

As for expectations. We were 6th last year and have been a top 8 side now for effectively 3 seasons. We have had record revenues throughout this period, massive tv monies, transfer profits... we have even had a stable summer by our standards... yet you think we should be aiming happily to drop 4 positions and come 8th.... as a target.... for our ambition. Good god man, if Forster hadn't been out for the first half of last season we'd have got top 4!!!.... If clattenburk hadn't robbed us away vs leicester we would be the form team of England in 2016... and you think we should aim for 10th.... As it is we are the second best team of 2016.

I flat out do not understand unambitious views like this other than I guess you are easily impressed and made happy when your expectations are exceeded. Fortunately for the club and most of our fans we are a lot more ambitious and the very least we will be aiming at is top 8.

Les and Co said champions league was our target. So I expect us to either do the same as last year or better. We are told the club is in safe hands and they know what they are doing. So let's see.

I have a target of getting a night of hot passion with Holly Willoughby. Just because I have this target doesn't mean I will achieve it .....

I have a target of getting a night of hot passion with Holly Willoughby. Just because I have this target doesn't mean I will achieve it .....

Bit different isn't it. One is complete fantasy and one is to provide insight into the intentions of a company. It doesn't mean it will be next season or the one after that. It's the ambition of the club to do that. That is what they have been telling us. Is it our fault if we believe in what we are being told?

I have to completely disagree with this. It is so negative and unambitious I am amazed... Even Les Reed has said we are aiming at champions league in the near future this summer.

 

And Everton? Spend freely.... They've signed an aston villa reject on the cheap and free transfer stek... There "promised" millions are from the sale of stones and lukaku.

 

We came 6th last season which means by your logic of "money = positions" we would get 8th on your above summary stating that liverpool and chelsea will come above us. Now explain the net spends of Arsenal, tottenham and Leicester, and Saints in your theory of budget = league positions.... then explain Newcastle, man city, chelsea last season....

 

Your basis is senseless, the top spenders did not outperform the rest, it was largely the opposite of that in fact.

 

As for expectations. We were 6th last year and have been a top 8 side now for effectively 3 seasons. We have had record revenues throughout this period, massive tv monies, transfer profits... we have even had a stable summer by our standards... yet you think we should be aiming happily to drop 4 positions and come 8th.... as a target.... for our ambition. Good god man, if Forster hadn't been out for the first half of last season we'd have got top 4!!!.... If clattenburk hadn't robbed us away vs leicester we would be the form team of England in 2016... and you think we should aim for 10th.... As it is we are the second best team of 2016.

 

I flat out do not understand unambitious views like this other than I guess you are easily impressed and made happy when your expectations are exceeded. Fortunately for the club and most of our fans we are a lot more ambitious and the very least we will be aiming at is top 8.

I hear that, and understand where you are coming from.

It's a balance between the old lot who see 'ambition' as being mid table premier league club, considering our history and all, and the new lot who can't see why the last three seasons should be a 'one off' but rather part of an upwards curve.

Seems it's the age old battle between realism and idealism - those who think we need to remind ourselves how lucky we are to be where we are, and those who want to dream big.

Bottom line is in today's market it's impossible to predict what is good or bad before the season starts. I think the cup has changed less than the league in the last few years, and it has the same feeling it did 5-10 years ago. The Premiership just feels like a different beast. In that sense I would take a great cup run as being a good target to aim for this year, and somewhere mid table to Europe League places as solid affirmation of our stability and recruitment. I don't think it's being pessimistic, but that is my expectation for the coming season.

I have to completely disagree with this. It is so negative and unambitious I am amazed... Even Les Reed has said we are aiming at champions league in the near future this summer.

 

And Everton? Spend freely.... They've signed an aston villa reject on the cheap and free transfer stek... There "promised" millions are from the sale of stones and lukaku.

 

We came 6th last season which means by your logic of "money = positions" we would get 8th on your above summary stating that liverpool and chelsea will come above us. Now explain the net spends of Arsenal, tottenham and Leicester, and Saints in your theory of budget = league positions.... then explain Newcastle, man city, chelsea last season....

 

Your basis is senseless, the top spenders did not outperform the rest, it was largely the opposite of that in fact.

 

As for expectations. We were 6th last year and have been a top 8 side now for effectively 3 seasons. We have had record revenues throughout this period, massive tv monies, transfer profits... we have even had a stable summer by our standards... yet you think we should be aiming happily to drop 4 positions and come 8th.... as a target.... for our ambition. Good god man, if Forster hadn't been out for the first half of last season we'd have got top 4!!!.... If clattenburk hadn't robbed us away vs leicester we would be the form team of England in 2016... and you think we should aim for 10th.... As it is we are the second best team of 2016.

 

I flat out do not understand unambitious views like this other than I guess you are easily impressed and made happy when your expectations are exceeded. Fortunately for the club and most of our fans we are a lot more ambitious and the very least we will be aiming at is top 8.

Maybe, but I always hate stating an expectation before a season, only in fear of being ridiculed as arrogance from fans of other clubs. Perhaps I should get that viewpoint out of my head!

Also, maybe because it was literally 6/7 years ago since our L1 days that I always feel that as a club we are punching above our weight- which is why I have loved the past three season- beating some of the 'bigger clubs'

7th - 10th

On paper there are Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea who all have better squads and top managers. Then the likes of West Ham, Everton and Leicester will be competing with us for the positions below 6th. With our euro commitments I think 7th would be the most we can realistically hope for.

Unless we sign Messi.....

I have to completely disagree with this. It is so negative and unambitious I am amazed... Even Les Reed has said we are aiming at champions league in the near future this summer.

 

And Everton? Spend freely.... They've signed an aston villa reject on the cheap and free transfer stek... There "promised" millions are from the sale of stones and lukaku.

 

We came 6th last season which means by your logic of "money = positions" we would get 8th on your above summary stating that liverpool and chelsea will come above us. Now explain the net spends of Arsenal, tottenham and Leicester, and Saints in your theory of budget = league positions.... then explain Newcastle, man city, chelsea last season....

 

Your basis is senseless, the top spenders did not outperform the rest, it was largely the opposite of that in fact.

 

As for expectations. We were 6th last year and have been a top 8 side now for effectively 3 seasons. We have had record revenues throughout this period, massive tv monies, transfer profits... we have even had a stable summer by our standards... yet you think we should be aiming happily to drop 4 positions and come 8th.... as a target.... for our ambition. Good god man, if Forster hadn't been out for the first half of last season we'd have got top 4!!!.... If clattenburk hadn't robbed us away vs leicester we would be the form team of England in 2016... and you think we should aim for 10th.... As it is we are the second best team of 2016.

 

I flat out do not understand unambitious views like this other than I guess you are easily impressed and made happy when your expectations are exceeded. Fortunately for the club and most of our fans we are a lot more ambitious and the very least we will be aiming at is top 8.

Totally agree. The last 3 seasons we have progressed: 8th, 7th, 6th. So, we should be aiming for 5th this season to maintain that steady progress.

I concede that because of our smallish stadium size we only get the 12th biggest gates in the country but we have, apart from a short spell in the late 70s/early 80s and the last few seasons, arguably been throughout our history, for our size, one of the most underachieving clubs in the country. Most clubs of our size have a spell in their history when they win a few trophies. I feel that now is our opportunity to do just that. We should not let it slip away. It might be decades before we get another chance like this.

I have to completely disagree with this. It is so negative and unambitious I am amazed... Even Les Reed has said we are aiming at champions league in the near future this summer.

 

And Everton? Spend freely.... They've signed an aston villa reject on the cheap and free transfer stek... There "promised" millions are from the sale of stones and lukaku.

 

We came 6th last season which means by your logic of "money = positions" we would get 8th on your above summary stating that liverpool and chelsea will come above us. Now explain the net spends of Arsenal, tottenham and Leicester, and Saints in your theory of budget = league positions.... then explain Newcastle, man city, chelsea last season....

 

Your basis is senseless, the top spenders did not outperform the rest, it was largely the opposite of that in fact.

 

As for expectations. We were 6th last year and have been a top 8 side now for effectively 3 seasons. We have had record revenues throughout this period, massive tv monies, transfer profits... we have even had a stable summer by our standards... yet you think we should be aiming happily to drop 4 positions and come 8th.... as a target.... for our ambition. Good god man, if Forster hadn't been out for the first half of last season we'd have got top 4!!!.... If clattenburk hadn't robbed us away vs leicester we would be the form team of England in 2016... and you think we should aim for 10th.... As it is we are the second best team of 2016.

 

I flat out do not understand unambitious views like this other than I guess you are easily impressed and made happy when your expectations are exceeded. Fortunately for the club and most of our fans we are a lot more ambitious and the very least we will be aiming at is top 8.

It's their opinion sweetheart, which they're entitled to, in response to the question of where they think we will finish NOT where they'd like us to aim for.

I want us to aim for top 4 every season but, being realistic, that's unlikely to happen this season.

I am not convinced by our attempt to establish a diamond midfield. I've watched the last four matches and whilst the teams are mixed and only Van Dyjk was playing of what should be our first choice back four. I don't see Redmond as a clinical finisher Or Tadic as an effective 10. I prefer Tadic and Redmond wide and Long and Austin playing off each other. Those four would be useful in last years formation but they won't all play in the diamond. Long is our best front man but Austin is far and away our best finisher.

I fear this is a coach with a pre determined system rather than playing a system that the players suit. The players are being made to fit the system which often ends in failure. I just don't want us to have a bad start with a loss of confidence and be well down the league with a team management struggling to see where the next point is coming from. Looking at having to make a change to try and survive.

I want us to blast off and average a couple of points a game but I'm not at all sure we can adapt.