Predictions for 2021-22 Season

[saint1977]

49 minutes ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Perraud, Tella, Salisu and yes, Adams, are all way too good for the championship. Then you've got the replacement for Ings who hopefully will be, and maybe another signing

Adams yes but that’s a crazy statement overall. Tella - looks promising but dozen or so starts and 1 PL goal. Perraud should be a PL level player but let’s see, Salisu started to look decent back end of last season but no more PL experience than Tella really. Did do the business in La Ligue for Valladolid tbf.

Then RH seems to be suggesting the Ings money will go on 2-4 players. More craziness. Salisu would have been c35-40% that figure last summer - we won’t be buying his type of potential - we are looking more at Mikeal Nilsson and Stig Johansen type signings in comparative values hoping one of them comes good.

Lets just get the relegations out of the way and finally be free of Gao and co, even if it’s a long way back. 

[Cumbria Saint]

Last year I predicted 7th and halfway through the season that was looking on the pessimistic side. But then injuries and some poor decisions wrecked confidence which is critical and easily lost. We never recovered. But, apart from losing Ings the team is much the same as that first half season, with most of the squad available and looking very fit.

If we can replace Ings with someone half decent I think we'll be a comfortable 14th/15th. If not it's going to be a long, hard season. I'm going for 14th.

Looking forward to Salisu, Adams, Tella, Perraud and Livramento having great seasons.

[moonraker]

I don’t see us as relegation scrappers, we do need a consistent goal scoring forward.  I predict 13th - 10th.

 

[Vancouver Saint]

Relegated if this squad doesn't change. 17th if we bring in a 10-15 goal striker. 17-12 if we buy a decent goalkeeper to go with him. 

[CB Fry]

6 hours ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Perhaps I've misrepresented the thread a bit there, but Sheffield United isn't a good comparison. They were team of championship level players who massively overachieved for one season and bought a striker who failed. We have a squad which needs some reinforcements but in essence it is a Premier League quality squad

Errrr, right you are. We've finished 17th, 16th, 15th in the lat four seasons, with really just the one "good" season (11th) amongst that.

We have a handful of genuine Premier League quality players, were we're not some super squad.

You'll have to remind me how "Premier League quality" we were in the half season since January. At that's without us getting all nervous/jittery/etc in front of full stadiums again. Remember that?

Unless we sign a couple of miracle signings who genuinely take the roof off we are in the relegation mix for certain and then just a case of whether we can scrape up. I accept we might do that, its not impossible.

By all means be all jolly and confident but please don't try and intellectualise your own optimism. Fundamentally, we're shit mate.

[CB Fry]

7 hours ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Perraud, Tella, Salisu and yes, Adams, are all way too good for the championship. Then you've got the replacement for Ings who hopefully will be, and maybe another signing

I'll give you another "Premier League quality squad" including Antti Niemi, Jason Dodd, James Beattie, Peter Crouch, Claus Lundekvam, Rory Delap, Matt Oakley, Kevin Phillips, Anders Svensson, Fabrice Fernandes, Graeme Le Saux. If you've decided Tella and Perraud are already Premier League quality then we can be as optimistic about Prutton and Higginbottom as well. Plus Quashie, Bernard, Redknapp and Camera. Plus we've spent big on Van Damme and Jacobsson. All way too good for the Championship, that's for sure.

Edited 8 August, 2021 by CB Fry

[whelk]

For those who think we are nailed on for relegation, the bookies don’t think so.

I always think they over estimate us though

 

Edited 8 August, 2021 by whelk

[JRM]

Predictions are what we think will happen, not what we want to happen, got to base it on the squad we see today combined with the knowledge its unlikely we'll be able to sign a striker who will replace Ings contribution. We're also looking to sell Vestergaard from what I hear. 

That £70M loan with Wonga style interest rates needs to start being repaid before the debt cripples the club, we've got a terrible run of fixtures to start the season that is not going to help our momentum, desperately need a flukey win at Goodison to give us a headstart. 

[CB Fry]

31 minutes ago, whelk said:

For those who think we are nailed on for relegation, the bookies don’t think so.

I always think they over estimate us though

 

Send one thousand pounds to my lawyer in escrow immediately.

[Miltonaggro]

Thought Saints may have learned the lessons of previous summers but it appears not. Seems Vestergaard will follow Ings so we will likely need a finished article goal scorer and a first team centre half to essentially stand still from the end of last season (when we were shite). All supporters can see that this side desperately needs an injection of new blood. Three or four more in, five including the keeper we aren’t going to get, so final place will be effected by transfer acumen - a flawed and high risk strategy for any club let alone SFC. Add to this a manager who currently looks beaten and frustrated before a ball is kicked and it’s difficult to be optimistic. So, if this seemingly disconnected Board sanction what is needed and we get some backbone and luck (Tella turning in a Pahars type season per se) we could end up around 14/15. No investment or poor investment and I think we are down this time. 

[macca155]

If we start the year being pessimistic, then there really will be only one outcome.

Yes things are pretty desperate but Saints are not alone in this. Newcastle, Palace, Wolves, and Burnley are weaker this year, and the three promoted sides lack PL experience.

That queasy feeling we have, is about how the team will fare against the big sides. Against our 7 peers the squad still looks competitive. I'm holding on to that.

We are in a sort of Championship plus league. The target has to be to win that.

Horrible restricted ambition, but it buys time for the club to be sold.

First 5 fixtures are ghastly. I hope RH has a decent plan.

[austsaint]

46 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Thought Saints may have learned the lessons of previous summers but it appears not. Seems Vestergaard will follow Ings so we will likely need a finished article goal scorer and a first team centre half to essentially stand still from the end of last season (when we were shite). All supporters can see that this side desperately needs an injection of new blood. Three or four more in, five including the keeper we aren’t going to get, so final place will be effected by transfer acumen - a flawed and high risk strategy for any club let alone SFC. Add to this a manager who currently looks beaten and frustrated before a ball is kicked and it’s difficult to be optimistic. So, if this seemingly disconnected Board sanction what is needed and we get some backbone and luck (Tella turning in a Pahars type season per se) we could end up around 14/15. No investment or poor investment and I think we are down this time. 

Good analysis.  No one wants to be a doom and gloom merchant before a ball is kicked in another Prem season, but the lead up and recruitment has a depressingly familiar feel about it.  If you take a line through performances from January  and consider the skidding around relegation places since 2017, the spectre of relegation is glaring at the Club.   I found it bewildering that Shane Long featured in so much of pre-season, wtf??   Some are talking up Nathan Tella as a starting partner to Adams??   He might step up as a significant attack option, but at this stage it's hopeful rather than guaranteed.    The three or four players needed to bolster this squad are crucial, and the much needed replacement(s) for Ings will probably decide our fate.

[saint lard]

11th. 
we will surprise many…including myself. 
this will only happen if we rid ourselves of Hasenhüttle in good time. 
if not….relegation battle. 

Edited 8 August, 2021 by saint lard

[Chapel End]

52 minutes ago, saint lard said:

11th. 
we will surprise many…including myself. 
this will only happen if we rid ourselves of Hasenhüttle in good time. 
if not….relegation battle. 

Lol

And get who in?

Certainly not Howe

[saint michael]

Weaker squad than last year at this moment. Really poor defence and tactics. Awful goalkeeping situation. Loss of ings will hurt us if not replaced. A lot depends on how the three promoted teams do and the others fighting at the bottom at the end last year do.

Therefore another year of ups and downs in a relegation dog fight. Think we have every likelihood of getting in a really bad run like last year so will be amazed if anything not in bottom 3. Manager and coaching team key to me with the poor squad we have. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

14 hours ago, Chapel End said:

Yep, sad bunch of quitters. 

Let's hope the squad aren't. 

But that’s exactly what they are. 
 

When the going gets tough, they hide. 

[AlexLaw76]

We were woeful for almost the entire 2nd half of last season.

We go into the next hilariously weaker. Ralph's tactics leave our awful defence completely exposed, and that appears to not be changing. 

I have little faith that we will bring in starting quality players, and the continued purchase of crap/squad fillers goes on.

This is the year we go down and we will deserve every moment of it. Ralph will probably be gone by Easter, one way or another - tragically

 

Champions - Chelsea

FA Cup - Usual suspects

League Cup - Usual suspects

Surprise of the season - Brentford

Saints to finish - Bottom 3

Managers to not be in charge come end of the season 

Ralph, Arteta & Dyche

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 8 August, 2021 by AlexLaw76

[Turkish]

11 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We were woeful for almost the entire 2nd half of last season.

We go into the next hilariously weaker. Ralph's tactics leave our awful defence completely exposed, and that appears to not be changing. 

I have little faith that we will bring in starting quality players, and the continued purchase of crap/squad fillers goes on.

This is the year we go down and we will deserve every moment of it. Ralph will probably be gone by Easter, one way or another - tragically

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The talk of cheap options that we can develop to replace our main sources of goals doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. I think Ralph is a good manager but he’s at a basket case club only going one way. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

The problem is, when you’re as shite as we appear to be, you need to grind out some results. We just haven’t got the players, mentality, or manager to do that. We’ll probably out play some sides for periods of games, but without Ings are we really going to take advantage of that?
 

When we play badly or are under the cosh, we concede. It’s as simple as that. I hope I’m wrong, but nothing I’ve seen preseason leads me to believe next season will be any different. Ralph needed to realise he dodged a bullet last season and adjust tactically this. I don’t see any sign of this happening, so where are the points coming from?

When we play badly we’ll lose, and when we play well we won’t pick up as many points as performance deserves. 
 

 

[ErwinK1961]

10 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

The problem is, when you’re as shite as we appear to be, you need to grind out some results. We just haven’t got the players, mentality, or manager to do that. We’ll probably out play some sides for periods of games, but without Ings are we really going to take advantage of that?
 

When we play badly or are under the cosh, we concede. It’s as simple as that. I hope I’m wrong, but nothing I’ve seen preseason leads me to believe next season will be any different. Ralph needed to realise he dodged a bullet last season and adjust tactically this. I don’t see any sign of this happening, so where are the points coming from?

When we play badly we’ll lose, and when we play well we won’t pick up as many points as performance deserves. 
 

 

Sadly, I think you have this spot on.

[Supersubpuckett]

i think we're nailed on for relegation - we clearly lack the squad quality to compete 'man for man' and won't have the momentum of just being promoted to carry us for a while. Aside from the post-lockdown section of the previous season and the start of last, we have pretty consistently shown relegation form... and now we've lost 20 goals a season through Ings with the club doing it's usual job of making signing a player look like the most painfully difficult task in the world!

 

I would love to proved wrong but I think our time has come and the bvllsh1t 'strategy' of being self-sustaining just doesn't work in the premier league.

[hackedoff]

15 hours ago, Vancouver Saint said:

Relegated if this squad doesn't change. 17th if we bring in a 10-15 goal striker. 17-12 if we buy a decent goalkeeper to go with him. 

Looks like relegation then.

[Lighthouse]

4 minutes ago, Supersubpuckett said:

now we've lost 20 goals a season through Ings

Even leaving aside the fact that Ings has only once got close to 20 Premier League goals, I do wish people wouldn't make predictions based on the assumption that we take him out the team and play every game with ten men next season.

We're clearly looking at bring options in, if we can find a striker who will score ten and another who will score five, we've comfortably replaced Ings' contribution. It's not a guarantee but neither is it a mountainous obstacle.

[Doctoroncall]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

Even leaving aside the fact that Ings has only once got close to 20 Premier League goals, I do wish people wouldn't make predictions based on the assumption that we take him out the team and play every game with ten men next season.

We're clearly looking at bring options in, if we can find a striker who will score ten and another who will score five, we've comfortably replaced Ings' contribution. It's not a guarantee but neither is it a mountainous obstacle.

Plus the fact he would have repeated it. However in the absence soothsaying it seems prudent that we have a replacement or a player that can enhance the team in same way from last season. 
 

being optimistic and that the team are focussed on the manager’s why if playing (who can tactically adapt) I’ll say 15th place

[Dark Munster]

20 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Good point, however I just can't see the club with current leadership signing anyone who will make a difference.  Like it or not, Ings will be a big loss. The fact he did f**k all from December and the team were in free fall shows how much of a loss he will be.  They'll have to pull of some genius transfers to replace him AND find a decent centre back AND find a '6'.

If Ward-Prowse is also sold as per the rumours (whether agent or not), then that's the free kicks from last season wiped off.

No, sorry, not feeling it right now, but by the end of August, I'd of course love to be amazed ... 

Edit: I want to also caveat my own post because many friends will say I'm a 'happy clapper' usually. 

Absolutely this. As many have said, we desperately need to find a goal scoring replacement. Of course the club knows this, but an affordable, reliable PL level goal scorer is as rare as hens' teeth. Hopefully a miracle can happen, but if not we're fucked.

[nta786]

@Lighthouse

Do you reckon we could do a poll for this thread? Something like this?

a) Champions b) Top 4 c) 5-7 d) 8-10 e) 11-14 f) 15-17 g) Relegated

It'd be a better way of gauging thoughts too, feel like we don't do polls on here anymore incl. for stuff like MOTM 

[Totton Saint]

If Redders Tella Armstrong and Theo hit form I can see us being OK and even better. We need to keep Ward Prouse though. Also KWP toplay at his best

[whelk]

11 hours ago, nta786 said:

@Lighthouse

Do you reckon we could do a poll for this thread? Something like this?

a) Champions b) Top 4 c) 5-7 d) 8-10 e) 11-14 f) 15-17 g) Relegated

It'd be a better way of gauging thoughts too, feel like we don't do polls on here anymore incl. for stuff like MOTM 

Think you might be able to do away with a and b

[whelk]

Adam Armstrong for golden boot though

[Turkish]

On 07/08/2021 at 23:00, Turkish said:

And mine. We were utter shit last half of last season and seen nothing to suggest this will turn around. There is no momentum or positivity around the place. The squad is weaker, we can’t defend and we’ve just lost our only reliable source of goals. Plus we’ve got a very tough start and we all know what this lot are like when things go against us. We do have some talented players but we’re a sinking ship and I think this could be the year we go under. Unless of course there are somehow three teams worse than us.

Revising this to champions league.

[whelk]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Revising this to champions league.

Mine is going up a place every time I see an Alex Crook tweet

[Chapel End]

Sure we will see some back tracking on here now.

I will stick to mine though because mine was based on the obvious, we were going to make additions to the squad and it seems they are pretty decent ones

[Ex Lion Tamer]

On 08/08/2021 at 00:30, CB Fry said:

I'll give you another "Premier League quality squad" including Antti Niemi, Jason Dodd, James Beattie, Peter Crouch, Claus Lundekvam, Rory Delap, Matt Oakley, Kevin Phillips, Anders Svensson, Fabrice Fernandes, Graeme Le Saux. If you've decided Tella and Perraud are already Premier League quality then we can be as optimistic about Prutton and Higginbottom as well. Plus Quashie, Bernard, Redknapp and Camera. Plus we've spent big on Van Damme and Jacobsson. All way too good for the Championship, that's for sure.

Dodd, Le Saux, lundekvaam were well past their best by that point and probably not premier League quality. Beattie left halfway through the season and his head was already out the door in the first half. Delap was always awful

Edited 9 August, 2021 by Ex Lion Tamer

[SKD]

25 minutes ago, Chapel End said:

Sure we will see some back tracking on here now.

I will stick to mine though because mine was based on the obvious, we were going to make additions to the squad and it seems they are pretty decent ones

10th place? 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Obviously we don't know how well Armstrong will step up but if he bags some goals and doesn't get injured all the time then he could end up being an upgrade on Ings

[whelk]

Revise your gloom fuckers. We are making some exciting additions. 15th

[SKD]

1 minute ago, whelk said:

Revise your gloom fuckers. We are making some exciting additions. 15th

Until we improve our defence, personally, I still think we’ll struggle. 

[Minsk]

39 minutes ago, SKD said:

10th place? 

He said 10th-14th. Why are you just concentrating on the higher end of that? I don't blame him for not raising to your bait.

Personally, I think we will finish somewhere between 12th-15th. If I had to pick one exact spot, 14th.

As you think we will finish 20th anything higher will have meant Ralph has exceeded your expectations, no? And, in such a circumstance, you will be giving him great praise at the end of the season, yes?

[CanadaSaint]

51 minutes ago, whelk said:

Revise your gloom fuckers. We are making some exciting additions. 15th

15th?

Bedwetter. 

[Saint86]

BBC5 live have just been discussing the predictions for the season. Might have been Chris Sutton, but whoever it was "fears for us" as a relegation side this year 🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫

Personally think we'll be midtable - somewhere between 8th and 13th.

[rooney]

11 hours ago, Saint86 said:

BBC5 live have just been discussing the predictions for the season. Might have been Chris Sutton, but whoever it was "fears for us" as a relegation side this year 🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫

Personally think we'll be midtable - somewhere between 8th and 13th.

Most of the pundits have "fears for us" at the beginning of the season.

[tajjuk]

I'm going to say maybe sneak top half or just comfortable mid table. so like 9-13th. 

We have lost Ings so yes that is a big hole, but I think Che is improving and will do better, I think Tella is improving, and I think Armstrong will be a decent signing.

Add in that I think Perraud potentially improves us and offers something different, Romue is now back fit and Salisu I think will become a key defender and adds some more pace in the back line, and it looks like Broja could also add some physicality in the forward positions we don't have.

So I think overall we have more depth, we have more options that can give us different things in the team, which is where I think we were let down last year. Not enough depth to cover injuries and not enough off the bench or in the squad to change games or to keep the performance up. 

Of course I'd like to see a few more in, another centre-back that might improve on Vestergaard if he goes would be great and would love to see a GK because I don't think either of the two we have are good enough, but I think that seems the least likely option. Another forward thinking centre-mid option would also be great. 

 

[Eric The Red]

I am thinking more of the same, i.e. encouraging good runs followed by an inability to even get a draw against 9 men, overall though I do feel some of our signings can give us more depth and options from the bench so will go for a mildly optimistic 12th-15th

[trousers]

10th

[tunit]

13 hours ago, Saint86 said:

BBC5 live have just been discussing the predictions for the season. Might have been Chris Sutton, but whoever it was "fears for us" as a relegation side this year 🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫

Personally think we'll be midtable - somewhere between 8th and 13th.

The 'expert' pundits say we're relegation fodder every year. Even under Poch and Koeman one or two were saying we'd struggle. Only difference is this year they might have a point. I honestly have no idea how we'll go this year. We've all seen how we can play with no injuries and proper rest times and I think if we can replicate that then a top half finish and a chance at europe is actually possible. But then again the second half of last season is certain relegation form. 

[Toadhall Saint]

11th - we’ll start poorly and then improve.

[Streaky]

Between 11th and 14th for me. All depending on injuries and if vestagaard leaves and is replaced. Think Armstrong will prove an excellent signing. If he can score 15 goals then we will be fine 

[macca155]

3 hours ago, rooney said:

Most of the pundits have "fears for us" at the beginning of the season.

In fairness most of our fans (including me) have that mindset at the beginning of the season, sort of comes with the territory of being a Saints fan.

We really won't know until we are 7 or 8 games into the season and the new squad has settled down and found their feet, and or each other.

On the positive side we scared the pants off pretty much every team we played for the first half of the season. That squad almost remains in place with some additions, so I doubt Saints will be the complete basket case some are predicting.  Watching Arteta desperately trying to hold on to a draw at the Emirates was a highlight for me, and hopefully they can find that spirit again. 

It all came to a crashing halt when managers worked out a counter strategy and injuries exposed a thin squad. The hope is that Ralph has learnt to pick the right team and has a strategy in place when things don't go our way. If they carry on like the end of last season, then we best start looking for directions to Preston.

[Paulwantsapint81]

With Chelsea being our new friend can see Frank Lampard being seen as an alternative to RH after getting difficult start out of way

 

[Saint Billy]

I won't even attempt to guess until the CB situation is resolved, for me our season hinges on this.