NickG

Its excitement, optimism, enjoyment - more reality than the bed wetting moaning. Why shouldn't people be proud and big up their own club on their own club forum?

How has Harry done compared with his relegation rivals? Heard talk sport on Friday saying he had had enough time??!! Hughes sacked after playing us.....only 12 games into the season! He had about 6 weeks before transfer window. Look at difference at saints (who had less room for improvement and Sunderland). He spent miles more than anyone else, had decent players already, had good loans available to him. He arrived the table was; Newcastle 14 Norwich 14 Stoke 13 Sunderland 12 Wigan 11 Villa 9 Reading 9 Saints 8 QPR 4 So the great manager outspent and managed to change the gaps as follows Newcastle fell 3 more behind Norwich fell 4 more behind Stoke fell 4 more behind Sunderland fell 5 more behind Wigan same gap Villa fell 5 more behind Reading caught up 5 Saints fell 11 more points behind He is sh1t.

No English 18 year old played as much in prem this season. (There is a 17 year old!) One 19 year old played more (AOC). No 20 year olds. 18 is incredibly young for prem CM. Plays England u19.... Think most clubs would be excited if that was indication of ability and readiness of youths.

May even find some who said you would have to be deluded to think this squad could do that well next season

Thought all season that we would be mathematically safe before the last weekend. Just thought could see enough attacking quality to get wins - even if not grinding out draws, when forwards click would get enough points. Since beating Villa away thought would have relaxed end of season. So many teams right at bottom either play each other, or have hard run ins, I was happy after beating Reading that our points total plus GD was enough to stay up.

Sleep easier? Have you been worried about relegation? Think threat went few weeks ago. Without another point (and we will get a few) we would stay up imho.

Target (I.e. an aim, something to look towards) of 6-9th for next season, as we sit 11th, after poor start with late joining players / young squad, really ain't that strange! You may think the club should aim lower than 6-9th, your opinion, which is fair enough.

Just in case Turkish is concerned that his arrogant dismissal of those daring to suggest top 12 NEXT season....

But you reckon its deluded that this squad could finish top 12 next season...you have looked bit silly with your views lately.

Agree. Think he was playing very well yesterday. Good attitude, chasing, physical. Good runs and passing. Scored the goal. But those free kicks were wasted. Think some do feel the need to slag off a player, he is one of our youngest and most skillful. How many of these did we have about Rodriguez? Including comments such as " why the f### did we sign Rodriguez?" Enjoy the building of a squad. Think some struggle to recognise quality and view things simplistically - which is why had us being relegated all season - quality has been clear, always said comfortable safety.

I dont think its odd that team are aiming higher. Be very surprised if there are no additions, first team level, for next season. Level of those will give good indication as to how high / how quickly club are aiming. One thing which is hard to predict is when will top sides underperform?

Good to hear players targeting top 10 this season....shows how high target within the club would be with same squad next season

Wellbeck, Bale, Walcott, hazard, oscar?

Reckon Schneiderlin could be included in young player? Think he is 23, Clyne's 22? Either way think he had been our player of the season. 1 Schneiderlin 2 Lambert 3 Cork Good impacts but not over as much of season; Rodriguez, Shaw, Clyne, Boruc, Lallana, Puncheon (prob well up in people's ratings until recently) Yoshida

Wouldn't go as far as that, wouldn't be total shock if didn't happen

I do this more for me but know some like these.. If teams continue with their current form for their remaining fixtures this is how the table will finish. Most teams have 6 games left so have added their points from their last 6, teams with 7 I have added points from their last 7. Where same points higher place is based on current goals difference. 08 - WBA 51 09 - Fulham 50 10 - Saints 47 11 - WHU 47 12 - Swansea 45 13 - Newcastle 45 14 - Wigan 42 15 - Aston Villa 42 16 - Norwich 41 17 - Stoke 35 ---------- 18 - Sunderland 33 19 - QPR 31 20 -Reading 23 10 points from last 6 games for top half finish? H against 11th, 15th, 19th current form. (think they are even worse based on away form) A against 10th, 17th, 18th current form.

Wigan to stuff QPR. Their great manager needs to be seen for what he is.... He came in, inherited half decent squad for relegation battling side. He spent fortune signing samba, Remy, Ben haim, jenas... How has he done? Since manager Gained 5 points on reading. None on Wigan Dropped further 5 behind villa Dropped further 10 behind us So further away from rivals for safety. Want them to lose every game.

If we only lose to spurs we could well be top 8 this season.

This current squad looking good for next season.... Football starting to settle to teams rightful levels Last 8 games form... Man U. 22 pts Arsenal 19 Spurs 16 Liverpool 14 Man C 14 Saints 14 Surely you would have to be deluded to think this team won't be targeting top 6 and comfortably finish within top 12?

Tbf wasn't that long ago people doubted he would be good enough for the championship. Wasn't someone teased for comparing with Torres? Funny how it turned out, it is silly comparison - class apart in premiership - but not way round would expect! Ignoring name, reputation, age etc...how many forwards from any club would have improved our season , if they had been here instead of him? Very few.

As he has misrepresented me before I thought would give him the benefit of any doubt and make it crystal clear.

So Clyne, Shaw, Rodriguez, Schneiderlin, Ramirez are all now good enough for top 6 sides, plus Lambert is better than Rooney, only 5 players to go to be top 6 side

If you agree I am making sense that is fine, you don't have to pretend I said something I didn't just so you can have a made up argument! Either I am not being clear, sorry if that is the case, you are being thick or you are just trolling. However, giving you the benefit of any doubt, will try to make it simple .... Current squad.... This season we are 12th. Bad start. Goalkeeper issues, first month or so without Yoshida, Ramirez, Cork, Shaw, confidence knocked with hard start etc. It is a matter of opinion whether we are still same squad and likely to repeat that spell. My opinion is it is unlikely to happen again. For the last 20 plus games / 5 months we are the 8th best side. Next season with same squad.. Manager...impression from recent games is he may further improve performance. Boruc is now settled and is getting better and better. Shaw, Clyne, Yoshida, Morgan, Cork, Lallana, Ramirez, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Puncheon, Forren....even Fox are younger than peak age for players, fairly safe to assume some will be noticeably better next season. Probably only Guly and Lambert will be at age their performance may drop. Target... Therefore if I heard Cortese or MP had set the same squad a target of finishing 6-9th I would not be surprised and think it was a reasonable target - hence the OP! This is based on facts (currently 12th/long period performing 8th / most players young / players generally improve towards 28/29) But also opinion ( amount players will improve, that how good we were in August / Sept is of little relevance to how good we will be). I don't care if anyone disagrees, it is an opinion. You may take different view, but it doesn't stop mine being rationale and reasoned. You then seem to have trouble understanding the difference between 'target' and 'prediction'. A simple example for you - Man City can have winning title as fair target, achievable and something to aim for. My prediction would be a top four finish for them. Do you understand that is not saying they should settle for 4th? So thinking it is fair for NC to set a target of 6-9th is wholly consistent with also thinking we will finish in top 12.. I.e. will meet target or fall just short. Not a 'massive disappointment'! I wouldn't say anyone is pessimistic for not expecting 6th, quite reasonable view. You ask how we are going to be 20 points better off, Everton in 6th are 17 points ahead of us. Last 20 games we have 29 points. This is 1.45 per game. If we had just been that good all season we would be 11 points better off- so 6 points behind 6th. I think you say MP has improved us further...another 6 points better maybe? I'm not offended by yours, or anyone else's genuinely held views. I'm not offended by your name calling, as said before, if a 12 year old with problems called me names I wouldn't take offence and I have no idea who most on here are so would be silly to take offence. (Again, not saying you are that 12 year old but highlighting why silly to take offence here). But, I do think it is a shame when a very small minority such as you arrogantly put others views down with 'just happy clappers' 'deluded' 'unrealistic' 'Ali' etc repeating on and on and on, misquoting, lying etc, ....just makes this boring for others wanting to hear a range of opinions. Worth remembering the unrealistic clappers have continually been proven most realistic, accurate posters!

Think he could be a top keeper, has ability to do the good stuff, but whether age will lessen silly mistakes? At 21 he is still young for keeper, although Man U and Arsenal happy with 22 year olds, still has few years to prove good enough. Prem keepers - Under 25 - , man u 22, arsenal 22 25-29 - Man c, stoke, Sunderland, spurs, Norwich, Swansea, villa, reading, 30+ Chelsea, Liverpool, west ham, Fulham, QPR, Wigan, Everton, west brom, Newcastle, saints

Turkish - wrote this before you toned down your last post, which is more reasonable, but point stands; You are getting as bad as CB and his West Ham / Man U thing for stubbornly sticking in hole you have dug! Realistic target.... Something to aim to, stretch yourself, aspirational, achievable if things go very well, maybe not probable but not impossible. You may not agree with it but many on here agree - the most recent large chunk of the season (3/4 of season) has us 8th, gaining 6 less points than Everton who are 6th over those last 5 months - tberefore 6th is not absolutely impossible. Why would it be? We all know several reasons we struggled for first two months, but ever since then we have performed at the right sort of level. So, rational reasons why 6th is a realistic target. Opinions should vary, but it is arrogant, disrespectful of fellow posters and ruins so many threads with dismissive name calling such as "seriously deluded" so valid opinions. Maybe take time to see where others are coming from? Maybe be open minded to change to their view, or respectfully disagree? It is also quite clear the difference between the two points. One was what a realistic target would be (as explained above) The other was my view that I would be surprised if, even if season doesn't go perfectly hitting target, we finish outside of top 12. We are 12th now btw. Personally think we have only very slim chance of relegation and that chance will soon go.