We will struggle this season

[hasper57saint]

That 'ace' reporter in the Mirror Brian Reade (He's a Liverhampton fan who predicted we'd get relegated last season because of the 'best players' leaving) suggests,yet again, we'll struggle and go backwards.Klopps flopps however are capable of being league Champions.... as he reported last year!!!PMSL

[Dan Johnson]

Who cares? He's still been replaced. If we always have to replace a lost asset with a player of exactly the same mould, we'd never be able to change our style of play....which we seemingly have done (3 CMs).

 

We'd also never progress, replacing like with like.

[nta786]

We'd also never progress, replacing like with like.

 

Agree, I bet you if Hjoberg was black no one would still be banging on about a like for like replacement.

 

He is still around 6ft 1/2 anyways, near same height as Wanyama.

[Pedro]

Speaking to a staff member, the priority signing we are working on right now is a striker "obviously". Still a long way to the end of the window so things will happen.

[Chez]

We'd also never progress, replacing like with like.

 

so, in simplistic terms, a big static striker who scored 20 goals having replaced another big static striker who scores 10 wouldn't aid progress?

[Chez]

Relying on Austin and J-Rod to stay fit and bang them in is suicidal.

 

their fitness worries me too, but there is that Shane Long fella too s'pose.

[Chez]

Speaking to a staff member, the priority signing we are working on right now is a striker "obviously". Still a long way to the end of the window so things will happen.

 

Nice. Always exciting when it comes to strikers. Wonder what type of player we are looking at, small and pacey, a fast dribbler, a big man like Pelle or something else...

 

That's the beauty of the closed season, you get to dream about making a couple of top notch under the radar signings that become the next Henry or Mane, whilst wondering if you can replicate the form from last year having lost a couple. No point in sweating over it. Enjoy the ride...

[mattyd]

My view is that we will have an acceptable squad in place by the end of August but will need some investment in January when the high number of games takes its toll. I do not think we will go down and I am impressed with last nights result as a positive omen for the season.

[mrfahaji]

That 'ace' reporter in the Mirror Brian Reade (He's a Liverhampton fan who predicted we'd get relegated last season because of the 'best players' leaving) suggests,yet again, we'll struggle and go backwards.Klopps flopps however are capable of being league Champions.... as he reported last year!!!PMSL

 

I've never liked Reade. I remember reading some of his atrocious articles about us around the time we sacked Dave Jones.

[captainchris]

I

Nice. Always exciting when it comes to strikers. Wonder what type of player we are looking at, small and pacey, a fast dribbler, a big man like Pelle or something else...

 

That's the beauty of the closed season, you get to dream about making a couple of top notch under the radar signings that become the next Henry or Mane, whilst wondering if you can replicate the form from last year having lost a couple. No point in sweating over it. Enjoy the ride...

Wasn't the 'Black Box' supposed to be ahead of the game though or something??? Talk about BS, smoke and mirrors......

It appears we are groping around or replacements would have been here by now.....

It does amaze me we are still prepared to let players go easily before replacements are lined up.....

Q the happy clap chaps lol.... Well it is dull on here at the moment you must admit....:-)

[Block34]

I

Wasn't the 'Black Box' supposed to be ahead of the game though or something??? Talk about BS, smoke and mirrors......

It appears we are groping around or replacements would have been here by now.....

It does amaze me we are still prepared to let players go easily before replacements are lined up.....

Q the happy clap chaps lol.... Well it is dull on here at the moment you must admit....:-)

 

Dull for sure, but depressives such as your good self do tend to raise a chortle or two for which we thank you.

[ally_uk]

Bunch of wet tarts on here obviously Claude needed time to analyze current players and find out where to strengthen we will sign more players. Miserable gits! Never happy look how far we have come we march on

[whelk]

Not sure a football fan talking ******** really justifies a blanket response about mental illness.

 

Toughen up

[CB Fry]

Not sure a football fan talking ******** really justifies a blanket response about mental illness.

You should be in the loony bin, you loony. Get in the loony bin.

[Yorkshire Saint]

If we go down - we go down

If we struggle to stay up - we struggle to stay up

If we do a Leicester - we do a Leicester

 

I will still follow the club I love through thick and thin.

Thank god I was not born a City, Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea etc fan ... So glum

[deadpanmatt]

I bet Leicester fans said the same last season.

 

This kind of rubbish bores me. I bet Chelsea fancied their chances last season based on their squad.

[Yorkshire Saint]

I bet Leicester fans said the same last season.

 

This kind of rubbish bores me. I bet Chelsea fancied their chances last season based on their squad.

 

I think some struggle with perspective in life.

Go live and develop some cultural intelligence.

[Saint-Fred]

I bet Leicester fans said the same last season.

 

This kind of rubbish bores me. I bet Chelsea fancied their chances last season based on their squad.

 

Why comment then?

We are in a similar position to Leciester having had a real run of form at the end of the season. We even matched them for a change of manager and have bought unknowns rather than high profile signings! Makes it exciting?

[Yorkshire Saint]

It's a football forum, perspective can't really be judged. You could be overly positive or negative on here then not give a **** when away from here. I care what happens and get bored close season like anyone but obviously we have no control over any of it and it doesn't matter that much anyway. Still be exciting when the season starts regardless.

 

I'm with you, but the personal criticism some label on here sometimes comes across obsessive with a complete disregard for alternative opinion. Hence the perspective comment.

[beowulf]

Why comment then?

We are in a similar position to Leciester having had a real run of form at the end of the season. We even matched them for a change of manager and have bought unknowns rather than high profile signings! Makes it exciting?

 

Sorry, doesn't thrill me much. Having just signed a Bayern Munich player that couldn't get into the side and was subsequently sent on loan to clubs, and Redmond who has showed some promise it has to be said.

That's just not good enough considering the money we have from TV rights and transfers. Its commendable to tie our best players to contracts(if that means much these days)but we need to strengthen the squad asap.I know we have some time yet but when you look who the other clubs are bringing in we look to have a real battle on our hands this season.

[angelman]

beowulf, you are not alone in mentioning increased TV money. Let me ask you, do you think that the owner should have her loans repaid before buying £30m+ players?

[OldNick]

beowulf, you are not alone in mentioning increased TV money. Let me ask you, do you think that the owner should have her loans repaid before buying £30m+ players?

She has loaned to her own business, has she not? I would be amazed if she was not drawing interest on that money and as she is a billionaire leaving a small amount (to her) and it is working is clever business.

The club has become even wealthier this season, our costs have not gone up as much and we have lost over the last 3 years the majority of our highest wage earners. The unknowns who arrived would most probably been on lower salaries until they proved themselves.

[hutch]

Her loans were converted to equity (shares)

[buctootim]

Her loans were converted to equity (shares)

 

She still lent it money will likely want to be repaid, reasonably enough.

 

Having the club self funding but with a beneficent owner in the background to act as a backstop during tough times is the perfect setup imo.

[OldNick]

She still lent it money will likely want to be repaid, reasonably enough.

 

Having the club self funding but with a beneficent owner in the background to act as a backstop during tough times is the perfect setup imo.

but as she owns the club she is lending herself the money.I didnt notice her selling the club to anybody.

[buctootim]

but as she owns the club she is lending herself the money.I didnt notice her selling the club to anybody.

 

You're playing with semantics. Is there a point in there?

 

She put money into the loss making club in order to equip it to rise from league 1 to the PL. At some stage she will want to recoup that money. Whether its done as repayment of a loan or as a dividend on shares is neither here nor there.

[OldNick]

You're playing with semantics. Is there a point in there?

 

She put money into the loss making club in order to equip it to rise from league 1 to the PL. At some stage she will want to recoup that money. Whether its done as repayment of a loan or as a dividend on shares is neither here nor there.

but it was her own loss making club. If you buy a property that is a wreck and do it up it is still yours and you have enhanced your property. You dont go and sell the front door to get your money back.

It is an asset that is convenient to place 30m( I cant recall what the loan was) into so that it provides interest or dividends. Just another arm of her investments.

As it is a football club that we all have invested in we give the owners more slack than if it was a high street store.

[beowulf]

beowulf, you are not alone in mentioning increased TV money. Let me ask you, do you think that the owner should have her loans repaid before buying £30m+ players?

 

Who's talking about 30 million players? There are quality players out there for much less. As for the owner we will always be grateful to Markus for his investment and subsequence running of the club. I think it was a very shrewd investment by the Liebherr's. A new stadium,infrastructure,youth set up and large fan base was there, so after debts were paid and with clever management by themselves we have moved from div one to the premiership. But what concerns me now is the lack of investment in the team, I know the season hasn't started yet but if we don't strengthen the squad we could find ourselves back in the championship then you may ask what will our owner do then?

[Matthew Le God]

Who's talking about 30 million players? There are quality players out there for much less. As for the owner we will always be grateful to Markus for his investment and subsequence running of the club. I think it was a very shrewd investment by the Liebherr's. A new stadium,infrastructure,youth set up and large fan base was there, so after debts were paid and with clever management by themselves we have moved from div one to the premiership. But what concerns me now is the lack of investment in the team, I know the season hasn't started yet but if we don't strengthen the squad we could find ourselves back in the championship then you may ask what will our owner do then?

 

This is just daft, as is your opening post of this thread. Its Saints Web forum bedwetting at its worst.

 

Two types of clubs generally get relegated each season...

 

1) those that are newly promoted

2) those that have been struggling for a few seasons and it eventually catches up with them

 

Saints are in neither category, yes we've sold a few players but the squad just came 6th. The quality in the squad is significantly above a relegation struggle.

 

It takes a lot more than losing 3 important players from a squad of 20+ to turn a team from 6th to relegation. That is without even looking at the quality of the replacements, plus there is still a month of the transfer window left. van Dijk, Alderweireld and Mane were all signed right at the end of the window and we had superb seasons with them.

 

I'm guessing you wrote the club off in the summer of 2014 & 2015 as well? Have recent seasons taught you nothing? The recruitment department at this club is superb, they know what they are doing. Of course they'll make some mistakes but they have had far more successes than failures over the last 7 years of Liebherr ownership.

[beowulf]

This is just daft, as is your opening post of this thread. Its Saints Web forum bedwetting at its worst.

 

Two types of clubs generally get relegated each season...

 

1) those that are newly promoted

2) those that have been struggling for a few seasons and it eventually catches up with them

 

Saints are in neither category, yes we've sold a few players but the squad just came 6th. The quality in the squad is significantly above a relegation struggle.

 

It takes a lot more than losing 3 important players from a squad of 20+ to turn a team from 6th to relegation. That is without even looking at the quality of the replacements, plus there is still a month of the transfer window left. van Dijk, Alderweireld and Mane were all signed right at the end of the window and we had superb seasons with them.

 

I'm guessing you wrote the club off in the summer of 2014 & 2015 as well? Have recent seasons taught you nothing? The recruitment department at this club is superb, they know what they are doing. Of course they'll make some mistakes but they have had far more successes than failures over the last 7 years of Liebherr ownership.

 

 

Lets see how we do next season then? You just cant carry on selling your best players and losing successful management teams season after season, it will catch up with you eventually.

If we keep the team as it is I can see us struggling,we have a good defence but the squad for covering injuries etc is not strong enough. Midfield, looks average at best and I cant see many goals coming from them,Forwards look distinctly injury prone with no cover.Now there's bedwetting at its worst lol....

[Dalek2003]

Lets see how we do next season then? You just cant carry on selling your best players and losing successful management teams season after season, it will catch up with you eventually.

If we keep the team as it is I can see us struggling,we have a good defence but the squad for covering injuries etc is not strong enough. Midfield, looks average at best and I cant see many goals coming from them,Forwards look distinctly injury prone with no cover.Now there's bedwetting at its worst lol....

 

I agree and the rumours about Fonte are making me even more pessimistic. We have lost three very important players and not replace them with players of equal calibre. I think we will do well to stay clear of relegation this year.

[angelman]

I agree and the rumours about Fonte are making me even more pessimistic.

 

I find this very hard to believe that it is actually possible.

[Give it to Ron]

I agree and the rumours about Fonte are making me even more pessimistic. We have lost three very important players and not replace them with players of equal calibre. I think we will do well to stay clear of relegation this year.

 

Poor effort must try harder. 2 / 10

 

 

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[Saint IQ]

Lets see how we do next season then? You just cant carry on selling your best players and losing successful management teams season after season, it will catch up with you eventually.

If we keep the team as it is I can see us struggling,we have a good defence but the squad for covering injuries etc is not strong enough. Midfield, looks average at best and I cant see many goals coming from them,Forwards look distinctly injury prone with no cover.Now there's bedwetting at its worst lol....

 

Why do you think we'll keep the team as it is? Does all evidence of the last few seasons suggest that? Do we always make all of our signings before the end of July? Does any team in the whole division?

 

It's worse than bedwetting concluding we will struggle with over 5 weeks of the transfer window left. I would suggest it's utterly stupid and the person will have a severe lack of foresight, patience and analysis of previous evidence.

[Fabrice29]

Lets see how we do next season then? You just cant carry on selling your best players and losing successful management teams season after season, it will catch up with you eventually.

 

I would also like to point out you cant keep improving every season either. In a league of 20 sometimes you will finish lower than you did the season before. However, if and when we do finish lower than we did in the previous season it might not be because we've sold our best players every year and losing successful management teams. It might be (and I expect next season it will be) because teams around us have the power to improve. We've done very well over the last seven years in recruiting, I dont see why any reason why that doesn't continue if we keep implementing the same processes that have been successful. The club have done more than enough over the last few years to earn our trust and have proven themselves time and time again. Whatever happens, I trust that we will go into September with a squad that people who have got us to 6th will be happy with and will believe is in a good position. League places at the end of the season might not show that but there are so many variables to that. We need to forget sixth this year and just focus on ourselves. Finishing ahead of the likes of West Ham, Everton and maybe Liverpool should be our aim. Taking advantage of any failings like Chelsea last season is possible if we stay ahead of the rest but ultimately the likes of Reed and any manager/recruitment team he chooses have earn't our trust by now and have our best interests at heart.

 

As for the squad...as you say the defence is fine, although a right back would be nice, luckily it seems they have that in mind. Midfield looks average at best? It's the same midfield as last season minus Wanyama but he's been replaced by Hoijberg who comes highly rated. I dont really see how you can complain with that and where you think it needs strengthening unless you know something about Hoijberg that the people who have scouted and recruited him dont?

 

The strikers...the injury records concern us all but again I'm willing to trust the medical team who have clearly given Austin and Rodriguez the OK. Mane is a huge loss of course but we have signed Redmond who has potential. He's only 21. I think Mane was similar when we signed him? That's the gamble teams like us have to take. We also look like we are changing tactics slightly and there was a good post on this forum somewhere showing how we maybe slightly over stocked if we are playing a diamond.

 

Things are OK and I really dont get the yearly meltdowns. Do people not think the recruitment team have proven themselves to be quite good at the job so far?

[CB Fry]

I would also like to point out you cant keep improving every season either. In a league of 20 sometimes you will finish lower than you did the season before. However, if and when we do finish lower than we did in the previous season it might not be because we've sold our best players every year and losing successful management teams. It might be (and I expect next season it will be) because teams around us have the power to improve. We've done very well over the last seven years in recruiting, I dont see why any reason why that doesn't continue if we keep implementing the same processes that have been successful. The club have done more than enough over the last few years to earn our trust and have proven themselves time and time again. Whatever happens, I trust that we will go into September with a squad that people who have got us to 6th will be happy with and will believe is in a good position. League places at the end of the season might not show that but there are so many variables to that. We need to forget sixth this year and just focus on ourselves. Finishing ahead of the likes of West Ham, Everton and maybe Liverpool should be our aim. Taking advantage of any failings like Chelsea last season is possible if we stay ahead of the rest but ultimately the likes of Reed and any manager/recruitment team he chooses have earn't our trust by now and have our best interests at heart.

 

As for the squad...as you say the defence is fine, although a right back would be nice, luckily it seems they have that in mind. Midfield looks average at best? It's the same midfield as last season minus Wanyama but he's been replaced by Hoijberg who comes highly rated. I dont really see how you can complain with that and where you think it needs strengthening unless you know something about Hoijberg that the people who have scouted and recruited him dont?

 

The strikers...the injury records concern us all but again I'm willing to trust the medical team who have clearly given Austin and Rodriguez the OK. Mane is a huge loss of course but we have signed Redmond who has potential. He's only 21. I think Mane was similar when we signed him? That's the gamble teams like us have to take. We also look like we are changing tactics slightly and there was a good post on this forum somewhere showing how we maybe slightly over stocked if we are playing a diamond.

 

Things are OK and I really dont get the yearly meltdowns. Do people not think the recruitment team have proven themselves to be quite good at the job so far?

Also, the uncharted territory of Thursday - Sunday plus the extra games and distraction of the EL is going to be a huge factor. If that knocks us back a place or two then I wouldn't be surprised.

 

We'll be competitive come September 1st and we will compete on all (most) fronts, we'll probably give the League Cup the swerve this season.

 

There's plenty to be excited about.

[Bobbyboy]

I think the one statistic that makes me a tad concerned is that one from Adam Blackmore a few weeks ago where he noted Pelle and Mane had 44 goals between them the last two seasons, and that is a big gap to fill. Hopefully Redmond and Austin can take up that role (J-Rod I think is more of a bonus now if he comes good) but that the one stat that worries me. Defence seems ok, certainly much better than the first year we came up, and midfield also doesn't bother me really although it would have been nice to strengthen.. but Victor just went missing so much last year that it doesn't seem such a huge loss. We'll see of course.

 

But that stat on the goals is the one thing I keep coming back to, shouldn't be so paranoid but that's a lot of goals. Sorry if that's classed as wetting the bed.

[FloridaMarlin]

Like all but the top five or six (yes, I know we were top six last season) at the start of the season, every PL club looks around to see if there are three worse teams than them.

 

I can see at least half a dozen worse than us.

 

Granted, nobody has a divine right to PL status and although they have been run like a whelk stall for a few years, few would have seen a club of Newcastle's club go down.

 

But providing we don't make the huge, calamitous cock-ups off the field they made - and I don't really see any signs of that, despite the Chicken-Littleism of some on this forum - we should be safe.

 

Now THAT might sound like a lack of ambition, but like it or not, that's the basic aim of most clubs ,and I don't think we are vastly different.

 

Work from the premise of getting a minimum of 40 points, and anything else is a bonus.

[beowulf]

Why do you think we'll keep the team as it is? Does all evidence of the last few seasons suggest that? Do we always make all of our signings before the end of July? Does any team in the whole division?

 

It's worse than bedwetting concluding we will struggle with over 5 weeks of the transfer window left. I would suggest it's utterly stupid and the person will have a severe lack of foresight, patience and analysis of previous evidence.

 

'If we keep the team as it is I can see us struggling'

 

What part of that sentence don't you understand?

[St_Tel49]

I

Wasn't the 'Black Box' supposed to be ahead of the game though or something??? Talk about BS, smoke and mirrors......

It appears we are groping around or replacements would have been here by now.....

It does amaze me we are still prepared to let players go easily before replacements are lined up.....

Q the happy clap chaps lol.... Well it is dull on here at the moment you must admit....:-)

 

Yeah! Having a dour, depressive attitude is sooo much better. I prefer to dream. You are welcome to your nightmares.

[Saint IQ]

'If we keep the team as it is I can see us struggling'

 

What part of that sentence don't you understand?

 

We will struggle this season- Name of the thread.. that you made.

 

No point making it until end of August or you could actually make the thread in the name that you just said and that would be more acceptable

 

FWIW if we sign no one else and let go no first team players I can see us struggling....To make the top half, even with a couple of attacking signings top half will be an achievement if we have a good run in Europe and/or the cups

[beowulf]

We will struggle this season- Name of the thread.. that you made.

 

No point making it until end of August or you could actually make the thread in the name that you just said and that would be more acceptable

 

FWIW if we sign no one else and let go no first team players I can see us struggling....To make the top half, even with a couple of attacking signings top half will be an achievement if we have a good run in Europe and/or the cups

 

I did go on to say ' is that going to be our only incoming?'

 

I am totally underwhelmed by our incomings SO FAR,I can only hope, as I'm sure you do, that we have something 'up our sleeve 'so to speak because its not good enough so far.

 

Anyway 'Peace Brother' we both support the same team its only banter,come match day we will both be there for the team we love.

[hypochondriac]

Puel has said he's happy with it. Might be more signings or might not, but he's happy.

 

Personally I think we've replaced Wanyama well and defence and midfield look great. But we've always done well at defensive midfield and being solid. How many goals do we think are in the squad?

 

Perhaps Long will improve by a couple, maybe 12. Austin, it's been a long time since his decent season now, if he stays fit, maybe 10+. Redmond, 1 last year, optimistic at a better club let's say 5+, Tadic hopefully 8+. After that, we're looking at the couple of goal players like Romeu, Davis, VVD.

 

It's not enough is it.

We will clearly be signing one or two more. That's just something that all managers say. There has been no indication that we won't be addressing the attacking options, the club aren't silly.

[Reynoldson!!]

Puel has said he's happy with it. Might be more signings or might not, but he's happy.

 

Personally I think we've replaced Wanyama well and defence and midfield look great. But we've always done well at defensive midfield and being solid. How many goals do we think are in the squad?

 

Perhaps Long will improve by a couple, maybe 12. Austin, it's been a long time since his decent season now, if he stays fit, maybe 10+. Redmond, 1 last year, optimistic at a better club let's say 5+, Tadic hopefully 8+. After that, we're looking at the couple of goal players like Romeu, Davis, VVD.

 

It's not enough is it.

 

Redmond scored 6 last year

[Professor]

Not certain I've calculated this quite right but if not feel free to correct me. Are we now in balance on first team players coming and going excluding any stepping up from the development squad? 5 players from last year gone, and 5 in, if you include January's recruitment of Charlie Austin pending Pelle moving on. The other two leavers that the media would focus on, Mane and Wanyama, both had issues which make them replaceable, such as attitude and availability, making it debatable as to how much of a loss they are.

 

The players that have come in all add depth and skill to the squad:- Charlie Austin, Nathan Redmond, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Alex McCarthy and Jeremy Pied.

Others might disagree (the pessimists will always disagree) but to me, this looks as good a set of players as we had last season added to which some of the players who were already here will have developed and improved. Seems to me that recruitment has gone well, we have a very keen manager with fresh ideas and several players in the squad who must have had their confidence boosted by the experience of Euro 16.

I'm confident we'll be in the top 6 in the table come mid-September which should be enough for the glass half-empty fans to begin to have some faith in the club.

[mattyd]

To be honest maintaining the squad is insufficient when other teams are improving. We need competition at CB (Yoshida is not good enough), we need an attacking ball crosser and a defensive midfielder. With six more games than usual we need a little more depth. You cant expect players to play every match at their highest level with over 46 games minimum. Moreover, the CB situation is that when one of the regulars is out we struggle.

[Professor]

To be honest maintaining the squad is insufficient when other teams are improving. We need competition at CB (Yoshida is not good enough), we need an attacking ball crosser and a defensive midfielder. With six more games than usual we need a little more depth. You cant expect players to play every match at their highest level with over 46 games minimum. Moreover, the CB situation is that when one of the regulars is out we struggle.

As I see it, the club have improved the squad both from players brought in and from players already here. I don't agree that the measure of improvement is on how much a club spends on players, some of who the likes of Chelsea and Man U may well find are prima donnas, just as they have found in the past. At CB we have Gardos as well as Yoshida and we don't know yet whether Puel has decided that Stevens may have reached the required level. The attitude of some fans is that a player has to be foreign or he can't be any good. Reminds me of Sam Allardyce when he was overlooked for the England job and said he might have got the job if his name was Alladycci.

 

Clearly, a lot depends on Claude Puel and his assessment of the squad but he and his team are professionals whereas with all due respect, those of us on here are mostly a bunch of amateurs who probably know less about the game than we think we do. Surely its better to be positive about our club and the people running it especially because of the track record over the past few years.

[beowulf]

Not enough quality depth in the squad for my liking.

Of our 3 first choice strikers,2 have serious injury histories.

Redmond looks good and the Danish lad might be, but is that going to be our only incoming?

With the money that must be available are we going to have to wait for a 'panic transfer window' come January?

Very sad to see Sammy Lee go.

We seem to want to continue our good fortune on a shoestring, we will be lucky if we do.

 

Still think this a possibility,I must say we have done better than I thought though. Virgil has been brilliant and Austin's goals have helped.We must strengthen the squad in the transfer window.

[Dalek2003]

15th is more optimistic than some years.

 

The more I think about the prospects for saints this season, the more gloomy I get. Still, Hull will surely struggle.

 

LOL !

[Saint_Tony]

I think the problem is that a lot of people seem to think finishing lower than last year represents failure; it doesn't. We've already done well in the Europa, and I wouldn't write us off in a match up between ours and Arsenal's B team.

The performance yesterday was unforgivable, but not as bad as some ( see Bournemouth away, Stoke at home last season).

The lack of goals is frustrating, but hopefully this improves, we are creating a lot more chances than other teams.

It's quite possible we may finish as low as 14th, but any sort of success in the EFL cup or semis of Europa would be an achievement.

We need to accept there will be some poor performances with all the games we have. And when we have a shocker, I will still have a moan. But it's really not all that bad. Remember last season when we had around 20 points going into the new year? After Everton and Liverpool we have some very winnable games through December and christmas, with a break from the other competitions.

 

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