There's plenty of speculation about who is going to come and who is going to leave the club and UR & G will no doubt hit silly season anytime now. It's normally the first forum I check because I always get this silly little buzz of excitement whenever I see a decent player's been linked.
And it's from reading various comments on there that have led me to think that there's several Reading supporters out there that are expecting this season to be a massive promotion push. Examples being where people have said that we will have to try to keep hold of players like Kebe and Sigurdsson so that we stand a chance of going up.
I quite agree that if we do want to go up, then retaining our top players is really important. I don't believe promotion is the priority however. I am certain that there is an expectation that we perform to the maximum potential of the squad we have, although this won't be based around us holding on to our prize assets when the football World is struggling it's way through a huge financial crisis.
The number 1 priority for any sensible club right now has to be to balance the books and ensure that financially they are able to provide a sustainable future that allows us supporters to have their team around for years to come. In a way, it's a compromise that means we have to accept that we are not going to see massive wages being dished out or huge transfer fees being paid. In the same token, if someone wants to pay us a couple of million for a 21 year old player then we have to accept that long term it could be the best possible thing for the club to sell.
The counter to this is that we could speculate now, spend a fair few quid and cash in while other clubs struggle to compete and it could pay off with a lucrative promotion. Although we all now know that one of the most costly things a predominantly lower league club can do is to invest infinitely more heavily than they're experienced at doing so. Hull spent the kind of money we thought as supporters Reading should have spent in the PL, and now they're deferring their players' wages. Stoke are the exception to the rule at the moment, but how long is their tenure in the PL going to last and at what point will they start to earn significantly more money than they're spending?
People will argue that the whole point of competition football is to win cups and get promoted and I agree in a big way, but when you really boil it down, and I mean REALLY boil it down, what percentage of your involvement with Reading FC is linked to the league we play in?
For me you've got the banter, the piss ups, the pies, the something to do on a Saturday afternoon, the Hobnobbing, the footie rumours and gossip, the arguments about who's shit and who's not, the little bit of magic when your winger skins his full back, the LOLz when the same winger goes arse over tit trying to look like Pele, the ever increasing amount of teenage birds at games, train journeys back from Crewe etc etc etc......
Sure, these are all enhanced by being Premier League, but that enhancement is nowhere near as big as all of those things being associated with Reading FC. Imagine as a Portsmouth supporter. All of the above may still apply, but if the club did fold, how amazingly dull would they all be? And Portsmouth may be an extreme case study, but it seems that every day there's another club talking about going in to administration.
The club may well prove us wrong and shell a few quid out this season but I doubt it. I guess my point is then that if and when we do sell of our top players, and if and when we don't compete for those fringe PL/Championship players that the likes of Forest et al do, then don't get pissed off, just remember that unlike most others, we're a club that wants to be around for many years to come. And if that means that we have a few league games away to the likes of Chesterfield (remembering we as fans are no better than their fans and therefore deserve nothing more as supporters) and Brentford, mixed in with the odd season where we play the best teams in the World, then we should be delighted that we can do all that with Reading, instead of say, AFC Reading or the MK Royals.
Finerain will NOT agree, nor will many others, but I couldn't care less. Bring on the mediocrity and whatever else we can achieve on top. Fcuk it, bring on a relegation season. Just don't go bust by investing in overpaid mercenaries who may or may not get us a few games in the much overpriced Utopia that is the Premier League.
2010/11 Expectation reality checker
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Super Kevin Bremner!
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agree 99%.
Good post.
Good post.
Mid table with a nice cup run = me happy.
I'm delighted you gave me a mention, shows I'm a big deal around these parts 
We should be aiming for top 6, nothing less. I don't expect automatic promotion, but the three sides coming down are awful and WBA and Newcastle have gone, on top of probably cardiff. Thats three sides promoted which we couldn't compete with this season, being replaced by three sides who will be in financial difficulty, already crap and will have to worsen their squads to stay afloat. I expect to finish ahead of every one of them.
A lot depends on how much we bring in. I'm relatively happy with williams signing and if we can get zurab and griffin as well we'll be in a solid position, more than capable of a serious play-off challenge and we DON'T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK TO DO IT. Of course you may have lesser expectations which you are thoroughly entitled too, however the quality of the championship this season will be far worse and we finished 9th last time out, a club is supposed to move forwards not backwards and with the experience our youth players got this season I expect to push on which is more than realistic.
If we finished 7th or 8th that it will have been an average season, nothing to write home about but equally we can take some positives from it.
We should be aiming for top 6, nothing less. I don't expect automatic promotion, but the three sides coming down are awful and WBA and Newcastle have gone, on top of probably cardiff. Thats three sides promoted which we couldn't compete with this season, being replaced by three sides who will be in financial difficulty, already crap and will have to worsen their squads to stay afloat. I expect to finish ahead of every one of them.
A lot depends on how much we bring in. I'm relatively happy with williams signing and if we can get zurab and griffin as well we'll be in a solid position, more than capable of a serious play-off challenge and we DON'T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK TO DO IT. Of course you may have lesser expectations which you are thoroughly entitled too, however the quality of the championship this season will be far worse and we finished 9th last time out, a club is supposed to move forwards not backwards and with the experience our youth players got this season I expect to push on which is more than realistic.
If we finished 7th or 8th that it will have been an average season, nothing to write home about but equally we can take some positives from it.
I want us to be challenging at the top
I want us to be around in 5 /10 / 20 years
I don't think we need to spend huge sums to achieve the first goal.
I'm not too worried if we challenge but miss out
I don't see the premiership as the be all and end all. Been there, done that, thankyou very much
Looking forward to 3 months without football and it all starting up in August with a healthy sense of expectancy !!
I want us to be around in 5 /10 / 20 years
I don't think we need to spend huge sums to achieve the first goal.
I'm not too worried if we challenge but miss out
I don't see the premiership as the be all and end all. Been there, done that, thankyou very much
Looking forward to 3 months without football and it all starting up in August with a healthy sense of expectancy !!
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Row Z Royal
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Play-offs or just outside - top 10.
If we avoid selling any of our starting XI and get griffin and zurab back in then i will be supremely confident of finishing in the top 2.
As Finerain has correctly noted there is quality leaving us and tripe joining us, and the season will start in august and not january like this year.
The bookies agree as they have already installed us as joint favourites.
As Finerain has correctly noted there is quality leaving us and tripe joining us, and the season will start in august and not january like this year.
The bookies agree as they have already installed us as joint favourites.
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Urinal Mint
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I still think we'll come up short in search of a Play-off place.
Season prediction: 9th
Season prediction: 9th
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seahawk10
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FiNeRaIn I'm delighted you gave me a mention, shows I'm a big deal around these parts
We should be aiming for top 6, nothing less. I don't expect automatic promotion, but the three sides coming down are awful and WBA and Newcastle have gone, on top of probably cardiff. Thats three sides promoted which we couldn't compete with this season, being replaced by three sides who will be in financial difficulty, already crap and will have to worsen their squads to stay afloat. I expect to finish ahead of every one of them.
A lot depends on how much we bring in. I'm relatively happy with williams signing and if we can get zurab and griffin as well we'll be in a solid position, more than capable of a serious play-off challenge and we DON'T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK TO DO IT. Of course you may have lesser expectations which you are thoroughly entitled too, however the quality of the championship this season will be far worse and we finished 9th last time out, a club is supposed to move forwards not backwards and with the experience our youth players got this season I expect to push on which is more than realistic.
If we finished 7th or 8th that it will have been an average season, nothing to write home about but equally we can take some positives from it.
I am with Mr. Big on this one. +1
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seahawk10
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I would also add that Madejski kept the relegated team together, for the most part, taking a shot at bouncing straight back up. I think he will do something similar in keeping this years squad together (not selling the key pieces but also not buying) hoping that our 2010 form rolls on to next season.
If we go into next season with the squad we have now plus Griffin and Zurab, then top 6 is a definite possibility. As mentioned the three teams coming down I cant see doing particularly well although I can see Norwich and Leeds (depending if the keep hold of Lambert and Beckford respectively) challenging the top 10 certainly. Forest and Leicester I imagine will be up there again, as will Cardiff if they dont go up, and I expect a couple of the others i.e. Boro and Bristol City to put up a bit more of a fight too.
Unlike this year where Newcastle and WBA basically kept there Premiership sides, the sides are all very similar, and we proved at the back end of last year we more than capable of beating anyone in the league, so why not? Having said that this all depends on whether we can keep hold of Sig, Kebe et al.
Unlike this year where Newcastle and WBA basically kept there Premiership sides, the sides are all very similar, and we proved at the back end of last year we more than capable of beating anyone in the league, so why not? Having said that this all depends on whether we can keep hold of Sig, Kebe et al.
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Compo's Hat
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We still lack a quality striker for this division who'll score 20 goals i'm afraid.
As it stands, i would be over the moon if we made the play offs next season.
As it stands, i would be over the moon if we made the play offs next season.
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Barry the bird boggler
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Promotion or bust please 
Compo's Hat We still lack a quality striker for this division who'll score 20 goals i'm afraid.
As it stands, i would be over the moon if we made the play offs next season.
Noel Hunt? With the way we were playing from Jan chances a plenty were being created and missed. I believe Noel could be that man.
PS Agree with SKB's original post 100%
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Agent Balti
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It's like I never left. I thought the days of multitudinous posting were gone, praise be Big Man.
By and large, I've got to agree with that. I think that when we arrived in the Premiership, things tended to lose a bit of 'soul' and here we are in our spiritual happy place of the Championship. It's step up from the old school comfort zone of the ol' Division Three and from what I remember when I used to frequent this place at bit more, boy, did some like to remind us of it constantly. It's all about the here and now.
But back to the here and now. I feel SKB's point sums up what I feel most of us should realistically expect. To justify us either running away with the league or getting royally turned over (if we lose Gylfi, Federici and don't obtain Griffin or, the now less likely, Zurab,) is just madness. We simply won't, we're far too well organised on and off the pitch these days. Given we are now on an even keel and won't have to suffer like we did last summer, we should be able to hit the ground running. It's not that we're too good, we're just 'in a good place' as a squad.
We too have to be pretty cute (but not in the teenage birds sense!) in the transfer market, and by getting Williams in early shows we are not going to be content with just bringing up kids from the academy to do the job. What it also suggests is that we don't, won't and cannot splash out oodles of the folding stuff to get in what we need. I would highly suspect that we'll likely get 2, maybe 3 more players in - and maybe the same going outbound of first team calibre. No doubt summer loans from our academy to the lower leagues are a given. If I were a betting man, we'll definitely spend less than £2m, possibly not even £1m...no matter who we sell.
...and I don't even think we need to. Sure, we need Griffin/Experienced Right Back to sign. We would like another striker, but I don't feel it's absolutely necessary. We need a bit more discipline from Mills and Hunt to return. (Armstrong is clearly shot.) People may say we need a 20 goal a season man, but do we? Look at last season when we we're by and large, pony...5 players scored 9 goals or more (in League and Cup, for the pedants.) Not many teams in this Championship can boast that kind of stat - and we didn't even get into the play-offs! Now, I'm not saying a 20 goal a season man isn't necessary, of course, if he's available and within range, shoot for the stars...but it's not essential.
All in all, we should for 2010/11 hit the play-offs, providing we don't lose Gylfi. Even if we do, I still think we're strong enough to mount a pretty consistent challenge, providing we can root out performances away from home like Plymouth and Watford. If, and it's a big if, we can add more to the squad than we lose in terms of quality then, by buggery, we could even win the damn thing. The quality coming down is 'variable', they will lose more players than they get in and even then the will need time to gel. What is coming up doesn't blow me away either. Nobody is going to spend big this season, so we're sitting pretty as we are. There are plenty of teams suffering financially more than we are, and will continue to suffer (Preston, for example. Sheff Utd, maybe.) Plenty of dross that just won't go away (Scunthorpe, Watford, Coventry, Barnsley.) Only Leicester, Forest, and possibly Cardiff, if they screw the play-offs up, are anything to be scared of.
By and large, I've got to agree with that. I think that when we arrived in the Premiership, things tended to lose a bit of 'soul' and here we are in our spiritual happy place of the Championship. It's step up from the old school comfort zone of the ol' Division Three and from what I remember when I used to frequent this place at bit more, boy, did some like to remind us of it constantly. It's all about the here and now.
But back to the here and now. I feel SKB's point sums up what I feel most of us should realistically expect. To justify us either running away with the league or getting royally turned over (if we lose Gylfi, Federici and don't obtain Griffin or, the now less likely, Zurab,) is just madness. We simply won't, we're far too well organised on and off the pitch these days. Given we are now on an even keel and won't have to suffer like we did last summer, we should be able to hit the ground running. It's not that we're too good, we're just 'in a good place' as a squad.
We too have to be pretty cute (but not in the teenage birds sense!) in the transfer market, and by getting Williams in early shows we are not going to be content with just bringing up kids from the academy to do the job. What it also suggests is that we don't, won't and cannot splash out oodles of the folding stuff to get in what we need. I would highly suspect that we'll likely get 2, maybe 3 more players in - and maybe the same going outbound of first team calibre. No doubt summer loans from our academy to the lower leagues are a given. If I were a betting man, we'll definitely spend less than £2m, possibly not even £1m...no matter who we sell.
...and I don't even think we need to. Sure, we need Griffin/Experienced Right Back to sign. We would like another striker, but I don't feel it's absolutely necessary. We need a bit more discipline from Mills and Hunt to return. (Armstrong is clearly shot.) People may say we need a 20 goal a season man, but do we? Look at last season when we we're by and large, pony...5 players scored 9 goals or more (in League and Cup, for the pedants.) Not many teams in this Championship can boast that kind of stat - and we didn't even get into the play-offs! Now, I'm not saying a 20 goal a season man isn't necessary, of course, if he's available and within range, shoot for the stars...but it's not essential.
All in all, we should for 2010/11 hit the play-offs, providing we don't lose Gylfi. Even if we do, I still think we're strong enough to mount a pretty consistent challenge, providing we can root out performances away from home like Plymouth and Watford. If, and it's a big if, we can add more to the squad than we lose in terms of quality then, by buggery, we could even win the damn thing. The quality coming down is 'variable', they will lose more players than they get in and even then the will need time to gel. What is coming up doesn't blow me away either. Nobody is going to spend big this season, so we're sitting pretty as we are. There are plenty of teams suffering financially more than we are, and will continue to suffer (Preston, for example. Sheff Utd, maybe.) Plenty of dross that just won't go away (Scunthorpe, Watford, Coventry, Barnsley.) Only Leicester, Forest, and possibly Cardiff, if they screw the play-offs up, are anything to be scared of.
I think we're in a position to compete near the top next season without breaking the bank. Our team ended last season in great form. We can offload Matejovsky and Cisse to trim the wage bill, I'm guessing Ivar has taken a cut in his new deal. Question marks linger over we can afford both Griffin and Zurab, we'll have to wait and see.
As for selling young players for the long term benefit of the club, they're currently on very manageable wages to us. I'll use the example of Sigurdsson here. I'd say based upon this season, his young age, his loyalty to the club and a lack of an obvious replacement in our squad, I'd say that Siggy is easily worth £3million to us, possibly £4million. If the club sells him for less I'll be very disappointed as I think that's not a good deal for the club in the long term. However, he's also only had 1 good season in the Championship and presents a risk to any buyer. I don't think he's worth over £3million to lower Premiership teams, which means that we may have to turn away a few derisory bids. I don't see him leaving though, I honestly think he's worth more to us than he is to potential suitors. The club will also consider that they might be able to get £5mill or so for him in 12 months time if he has another blinding season.
People have memories of the recent selling off of players such as Shorey, Doyle, Kitson, Hunt etc. This is a very different situation now. Those guys were on high wages, they had given their best to the club and were in decline. They had Premiership experience and wanted to play up there, fair enough. It was not sustainable to keep them. It's an entirely different situation now. I'd look back and ask people to compare our current stars attracting interest to the likes of Sidwell, Shorey, Kitson, Harper and other bright lights from 2002-2005 or so. JM showed his business sense. He saw them as assets who could create great value if we held on to them long enough. He was right and despite much interest, we never sold. He'll have recognized a similar asset in Siggy, he hasn't made over £200million for no reason.
As for next season, I do expect us to keep our best players because it's good business sense, it will aid the long term sustainability of our club. It's a young squad, it could be worth more in the future. I don't necessarily expect us to go after Premiership/Championship yo-yo players and compete financially with the likes of Forest. However I do think we've got a great manager who is capable of building a team to make up for this. Look at Blackpool this season and Burnley before, look at our 05/06 squad. It can be done, the 3 clubs with the biggest wage bills and transfer spends don't automatically go up.
McD could become a victim of his own success. Based upon where the club was when he took over, he'd have certainly done a decent job if he guided us to a 12th place finish next season. After the incredible run since February, that's won't be enough. We have evidence that this team can do better than that.
In summary, a load of vague points with no direction or common argument or point. I do think we can compete near the top though, probably not auto I'd say.
As for selling young players for the long term benefit of the club, they're currently on very manageable wages to us. I'll use the example of Sigurdsson here. I'd say based upon this season, his young age, his loyalty to the club and a lack of an obvious replacement in our squad, I'd say that Siggy is easily worth £3million to us, possibly £4million. If the club sells him for less I'll be very disappointed as I think that's not a good deal for the club in the long term. However, he's also only had 1 good season in the Championship and presents a risk to any buyer. I don't think he's worth over £3million to lower Premiership teams, which means that we may have to turn away a few derisory bids. I don't see him leaving though, I honestly think he's worth more to us than he is to potential suitors. The club will also consider that they might be able to get £5mill or so for him in 12 months time if he has another blinding season.
People have memories of the recent selling off of players such as Shorey, Doyle, Kitson, Hunt etc. This is a very different situation now. Those guys were on high wages, they had given their best to the club and were in decline. They had Premiership experience and wanted to play up there, fair enough. It was not sustainable to keep them. It's an entirely different situation now. I'd look back and ask people to compare our current stars attracting interest to the likes of Sidwell, Shorey, Kitson, Harper and other bright lights from 2002-2005 or so. JM showed his business sense. He saw them as assets who could create great value if we held on to them long enough. He was right and despite much interest, we never sold. He'll have recognized a similar asset in Siggy, he hasn't made over £200million for no reason.
As for next season, I do expect us to keep our best players because it's good business sense, it will aid the long term sustainability of our club. It's a young squad, it could be worth more in the future. I don't necessarily expect us to go after Premiership/Championship yo-yo players and compete financially with the likes of Forest. However I do think we've got a great manager who is capable of building a team to make up for this. Look at Blackpool this season and Burnley before, look at our 05/06 squad. It can be done, the 3 clubs with the biggest wage bills and transfer spends don't automatically go up.
McD could become a victim of his own success. Based upon where the club was when he took over, he'd have certainly done a decent job if he guided us to a 12th place finish next season. After the incredible run since February, that's won't be enough. We have evidence that this team can do better than that.
In summary, a load of vague points with no direction or common argument or point. I do think we can compete near the top though, probably not auto I'd say.
Compo's Hat We still lack a quality striker for this division who'll score 20 goals i'm afraid.
As it stands, i would be over the moon if we made the play offs next season.
Hopefully Noel Hunt can act like a new signing, he certainly looked good with Doyle before all the niggling injuries kicked in. We were also one of the highest scorers in the division last season.
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Great Knolly
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If we can keep most of the squad, we should be looking to win the league. We really ought to finish in top 4 . That's the reality.
We're a club that should be looking to win the Championship regularly. Shame we can't stay there and go for a treble one day. But if we win we get de-stabilised by having to go into the Prem. Only partly joking.
We're a club that should be looking to win the Championship regularly. Shame we can't stay there and go for a treble one day. But if we win we get de-stabilised by having to go into the Prem. Only partly joking.
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hiro
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High expectation can bring a huge disappointment, but I want to be ambitious and positive in this time after we had such incredible run towards the end of the season.
Getting one or two position better than this year should be okay for me, and most preferably, I want us to be in play-off spot and win at the Wembley, then we can wipe out the memory of our tears dropped 15 years ago.
Getting one or two position better than this year should be okay for me, and most preferably, I want us to be in play-off spot and win at the Wembley, then we can wipe out the memory of our tears dropped 15 years ago.
Our form for the whole of 2010 (before Mac had his first win) placed us
third behind "two Premiership squads" and a points-per-game average of
1.82 which equates to a 83.7 point season.
Our form since Mac became full manager is:
1 20 14 5 1 7 2 47 19 +28 47 2.35 Newcastle United
2 20 13 5 2 7 0 37 20 +17 44 2.20 West Bromwich Albion
3 20 12 4 4 7 3 41 19 +22 40 2.00 Reading
WITH THE EXACT SAME SQUAD should we not be
expecting a top three challenge next season and even a chance of top spot?
Many of our players are still on an upward curve.
Noel Hunt, if he still "has it" will be a great "new signing"
Federici
is young and keepers "mature" well into their thirties.
Pearce
I can only see him improving as an individual and in partnership
MILLS
I'd expect Millsy to be counseled and improve his discipline.
He should be a better, more experienced CB next year.
Siggurdson
Gylfi has had just one season at this level and ought to keep improving, not least in terms of strength and stamina.
CHURCH
IMO a very good player, who, if he learns to convert a better ratio
of chances to goals will be awesome. He's still very young, and we ought
to expect a better player next year.
LONG
Shane can still improve. He's not played THAT many league starts,
is still fairly young and can still improve.
HOWARD
Has shown real ability but took a long while to find his feet.
If he starts the season running, he might star
Kebe & McAnuff
I guess these are big "risk-factor" players.
IF they retain their confidence and continue as they have
done they could be responsible for us leading the table.
I guess there has to be a chance McAnuff will go off the boil,
something he's been accused of at various clubs, and we have
to hope and pray the new super Kebe will be here again next year.
The new left-back, just 24, is still improving, has good experience.
OK he's replacing a very good player in Bertie, so we need to wait and see.
But if we have 4 CBs Mills, Kish, Pearce, Ingi, that is pretty strong.
If we have Griffin at RB, Williams LB, that is very solid.
I'd hope that next year we'd have worked on getting a lower goals-against total
and Tabb (more of the same please) covered by Gunnar or Karacan, seems just
right for the defensive midfield slot.
We have decent keepers as back up, and a number of youth products
all with playing experience, HRK, Antonio, Henry, Davies, Bignall...
All in all, anything lower than 6th will look like failure. Obviously,
we may not get the loan players back, may lose, Feds, Gylfi, Long, Kebe...
Then it will depend on the replacements, and that's a big "who-knows?"
third behind "two Premiership squads" and a points-per-game average of
1.82 which equates to a 83.7 point season.
Our form since Mac became full manager is:
1 20 14 5 1 7 2 47 19 +28 47 2.35 Newcastle United
2 20 13 5 2 7 0 37 20 +17 44 2.20 West Bromwich Albion
3 20 12 4 4 7 3 41 19 +22 40 2.00 Reading
WITH THE EXACT SAME SQUAD should we not be
expecting a top three challenge next season and even a chance of top spot?
Many of our players are still on an upward curve.
Noel Hunt, if he still "has it" will be a great "new signing"
Federici
is young and keepers "mature" well into their thirties.
Pearce
I can only see him improving as an individual and in partnership
MILLS
I'd expect Millsy to be counseled and improve his discipline.
He should be a better, more experienced CB next year.
Siggurdson
Gylfi has had just one season at this level and ought to keep improving, not least in terms of strength and stamina.
CHURCH
IMO a very good player, who, if he learns to convert a better ratio
of chances to goals will be awesome. He's still very young, and we ought
to expect a better player next year.
LONG
Shane can still improve. He's not played THAT many league starts,
is still fairly young and can still improve.
HOWARD
Has shown real ability but took a long while to find his feet.
If he starts the season running, he might star
Kebe & McAnuff
I guess these are big "risk-factor" players.
IF they retain their confidence and continue as they have
done they could be responsible for us leading the table.
I guess there has to be a chance McAnuff will go off the boil,
something he's been accused of at various clubs, and we have
to hope and pray the new super Kebe will be here again next year.
The new left-back, just 24, is still improving, has good experience.
OK he's replacing a very good player in Bertie, so we need to wait and see.
But if we have 4 CBs Mills, Kish, Pearce, Ingi, that is pretty strong.
If we have Griffin at RB, Williams LB, that is very solid.
I'd hope that next year we'd have worked on getting a lower goals-against total
and Tabb (more of the same please) covered by Gunnar or Karacan, seems just
right for the defensive midfield slot.
We have decent keepers as back up, and a number of youth products
all with playing experience, HRK, Antonio, Henry, Davies, Bignall...
All in all, anything lower than 6th will look like failure. Obviously,
we may not get the loan players back, may lose, Feds, Gylfi, Long, Kebe...
Then it will depend on the replacements, and that's a big "who-knows?"
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