New Year...hopes?..

[Chester40]

....if you could lock down a position for the end of the season right now...what would you accept? Would you take top 6...or would you reject it to go for top 2?

Would you want new signings in Jan or just to trim the squad? A settled way of playing...? Everyone signed up on new contracts??

Personally I would take top 6 if offered now ...with money for new signings in the summer....smaller/leaner squad and Rowett under no pressure. In the play offs as a free hit and going for next season with  top 2 a must.

[Woodley Ram]

Top 6 but I’m greedy so 2nd place for me (as i think Wolves (or dingles as WBA call them) will be hard to stop.

[Coneheadjohn]

Top 2 is unrealistic,even considering how close we are.

After the first few games I was expecting an improving 8th or 9th.

I’ll take top 6 please.

 

[needles]

13 minutes ago, coneheadjohn said:

Top 2 is unrealistic,even considering how close we are.

After the first few games I was expecting an improving 8th or 9th.

I’ll take top 6 please.

 

How can it be unrealistic?

[Millenniumram]

I’d take top six if offered as imo this squad isn’t quality above about 10th, Gary is doing really well to get them where they are. We need to clear out more of the deadwood in January and get a couple of younger, energetic players in- probably a left winger and a cm.

Would also renew Thorne and Russell’s contracts, there’s no sense in letting players of their quality and age leave for free, no matter where we see them beyond the end of this season.

[Doodle]

18 minutes ago, coneheadjohn said:

Top 2 is unrealistic,even considering how close we are.

After the first few games I was expecting an improving 8th or 9th.

I’ll take top 6 please.

 

Pre season I thought we would be 8 th but I can’t understand how you think 2 nd is unrealistic now. I would suggest we have a better squad overall than Cardiff or Bristol plus an owner with a willingness to spend should we need a boost towards the end of Jan. I would gamble on 2 nd rather than guaranteed top 6. Mainly because I think Boro will be flying come seasons end. I can’t believe Pulis would have gone to that god foresaken place without the promise of money to spend 

[RamNut]

Start of the season i didn't expect top 6 however based on where we are now i wouldn't settle for top 6, we should be going for top 2.

play offs is only a 1 in 4 chance so the difference between second and third is huge.

furthermore if your aim is to survive in the Prem then take every opportunity to develop the squad.

having said that, january is a difficult time to find the right players.

i'm slightly surprised that the message is that we seem to be near the limit re FFP and we need to be frugal.

Ok we spent over 40m but it was over three or four years and we have recouped a big slice with hendrick, ince, hughes, and christie.

Defensively we seem ok. I'd prefer shacks to pearce as cover because wisdom can also cover right centre back.

attacking wise i'm happy enough with nugent, winnall and martin.

the holding midfield is ok.

the issue is whether the attacking midfield has got enough. Vydra and weimann have been huge plusses. But i'm not sure about the rest.

BJ tends to play more central, relying on fozzy to get down the wing, and ledley to cover. He seems to be the final member of gary's first choice trio.

i'm not sure that lawrence and johnny russell are quite good enough, so i would target everything on one more attacking player. Why not? 

all the u23s are a million miles away from first team standard and none are the answer.  Happy to be proved wrong.

We can afford to lose anya, bent, and maybe one or two more. Get some more u23s out on loan.

of all the players who have come to PP the one i liked the most is Grealish but that is pie in the sky. One extra spark could help us to secure 2nd instead of 3rd place and avoid the lottery.

[Ellafella]

In a way it's a strange question...

I actually like the way GR takes victory and defeat equanimously ("if you can treat those twin imposters just the same..." - Kipling); I think we will have a poor run eventually and I suspect we will finish quite solidly in 4th or maybe 5th place. That's realistic. I don't think GR will buy any big guns in Jan; I suspect 3-5 will leave. I really hope we keep hold of Chris Martin and Johnny Russell; without those guys we are uni-dimensional; with them we are 3-D. Playoffs are a lottery, but I suspect we would "prefer" to go up automatically next year. 

I always wanted GR as manager ever since I listened to him di-sect the pre-season  friendly against Burton Albion after the game in the car park {micro-scopically, with great precision) and I do think he will get us up automatically next year. He just has that OCD-esque mind that you know will accept nothing but the world as he wants it.  I remain not a huge fan of non-possession but I'll admit that it's very effective and done properly does produce fast, enjoyable football. Earlier this year, watching was a white-knuckle ride as it looked like teams were always all over us. Perhaps the "vision" could have been put over a little more....a tad churlish maybe but a great potential subject for @OwenB87 to do a MAC V ROWETT analysis in one of his "review shows". 

This season was always "top 6 is okay" for me but it took me a while to get over losing Hughes, and Bryson who were our CPU for the last 3 seasons. 

[Pearl Ram]

Good post Doodle and I agree. I’ve got to take my hat off to Rowett, we’re in fourth place, 2 points off second, still to play Bristol City and Cardiff at home, have a right go for the auto’s and see what happens. Poke caution, who dares wins.

[Mistaram]

10 minutes ago, RamNut said:

Start of the season i didn't expect top 6 however based on where we are now i wouldn't settle for top 6, we should be going for top 2.

play offs is only a 1 in 4 chance so the difference between second and third is huge.

furthermore if your aim is to survive in the Prem then take every opportunity to develop the squad.

having said that, january is a difficult time to find the right players.

i'm slightly surprised that the message is that we seem to be near the limit re FFP and we need to be frugal.

Ok we spent over 40m but it was over three or four years and we have recouped a big slice with hendrick, ince, hughes, and christie.

Defensively we seem ok. I'd prefer shacks to pearce as cover because wisdom can also cover right centre back.

attacking wise i'm happy enough with nugent, winnall and martin.

the holding midfield is ok.

the issue is whether the attacking midfield has got enough. Vydra and weimann have been huge plusses. But i'm not sure about the rest.

BJ tends to play more central, relying on fozzy to get down the wing, and ledley to cover. He seems to be the final member of gary's first choice trio.

i'm not sure that lawrence and johnny russell are quite good enough, so i would target everything on one more attacking player. Why not? 

all the u23s are a million miles away from first team standard and none are the answer.  Happy to be proved wrong.

We can afford to lose anya, bent, and maybe one or two more. Get some more u23s out on loan.

of all the players who have come to PP the one i liked the most is Grealish but that is pie in the sky. One extra spark could help us to secure 2nd instead of 3rd place and avoid the lottery.

Have to agree with most of what you say of course most of the teams in the division will be going for top two I can't honestly see us making top six with the squad as it is Everything depends on Jan transfers really still need legs in midfield  £2million will get you Josh Windass from Rangers he has the power pace and skill we need and he also scores goals Don't get the rubbish about Scottish football being rubbish ( ask Bryson )  If we don't add I would say we will finish 8th again  But two good signings it could be top two 

[needles]

Our squad is dripping with players who've done it at the top end of the Championship, 26 strong and they're all fit at this moment. We're playing pragmatic football, getting results. we're 2 points off the auto's, 7 clear of the play-offs, on an astonishing run of form.

Optimism lads, for ***** sake. 

It doesn't get a great deal better than this. If you can't believe tonight, when can you believe?

[Philmycock]

1 hour ago, coneheadjohn said:

Top 2 is unrealistic,even considering how close we are.

After the first few games I was expecting an improving 8th or 9th.

I’ll take top 6 please.

 

Why is Top 2 unrealistic? Are Bristol and Cardiff that much better than us?

[Parsnip]

1 hour ago, Chester40 said:

Would you take top 6...or would you reject it to go for top 2?

Why would we take top 6 now? Our defence are literally inpenetrable - top 2 is absolutely on. 

[RadioactiveWaste]

Solid top six finish.

We do it, we do it and its brilliant, we don't and its been a pretty successful campaign and we let GR carry on shaping next season.

Id not be horrifically upset if we missed the play offs by a whisker. Its be disappointing if we did, but as long as everyone was pulling the right way id still accept it.

[Wolfie20]

1 hour ago, RamNut said:

Start of the season i didn't expect top 6 however based on where we are now i wouldn't settle for top 6, we should be going for top 2.

play offs is only a 1 in 4 chance so the difference between second and third is huge.

furthermore if your aim is to survive in the Prem then take every opportunity to develop the squad.

having said that, january is a difficult time to find the right players.

i'm slightly surprised that the message is that we seem to be near the limit re FFP and we need to be frugal.

Ok we spent over 40m but it was over three or four years and we have recouped a big slice with hendrick, ince, hughes, and christie.

Defensively we seem ok. I'd prefer shacks to pearce as cover because wisdom can also cover right centre back.

attacking wise i'm happy enough with nugent, winnall and martin.

the holding midfield is ok.

the issue is whether the attacking midfield has got enough. Vydra and weimann have been huge plusses. But i'm not sure about the rest.

BJ tends to play more central, relying on fozzy to get down the wing, and ledley to cover. He seems to be the final member of gary's first choice trio.

i'm not sure that lawrence and johnny russell are quite good enough, so i would target everything on one more attacking player. Why not? 

all the u23s are a million miles away from first team standard and none are the answer.  Happy to be proved wrong.

We can afford to lose anya, bent, and maybe one or two more. Get some more u23s out on loan.

of all the players who have come to PP the one i liked the most is Grealish but that is pie in the sky. One extra spark could help us to secure 2nd instead of 3rd place and avoid the lottery.

Agree about Grealish but as you say, unrealistic but he's the type of player who could make a real improvement to what we currently have. Other similar players - Osborne, Bannan (playing a more advanced role) and Cairney at Fulham. Outside the Championship Bradley Dack (Blackburn) and James Maddison (Peterborough).

Got to be have a go at top 2 - that 2nd place is up for grabs so why not.

[Coneheadjohn]

1 hour ago, philmycock said:

Why is Top 2 unrealistic? Are Bristol and Cardiff that much better than us?

I think Bristol are a better team.

I haven’t seen much of Derby since early season so it’s an unbalanced judgement.

I just don’t feel we can sustain it.

If we lost any of the spine of the team we would struggle.

Hope I’m wrong.

Maybe my glass is just half empty today,

[RoyMac5]

1 hour ago, needles said:

Our squad is dripping with players who've done it at the top end of the Championship, 26 strong and they're all fit at this moment. We're playing pragmatic football, getting results. we're 2 points off the auto's, 7 clear of the play-offs, on an astonishing run of form.

 

Exactly as it should be with our squad which was strengthened with Wisdom, Ledley and Davies, plus the return of our two prodigals and Fozzy. How could we not be challenging for Top 2?!

[EnigmaRam]

Not quite sure how the play offs or even the top 2 are unachievable?! its 1 win away FFS.

at the beginning of the season we didn't have Ledley. Fozzy has been getting his match fitness back. Gary was getting his squad used to his tactics and style of play.

you only have to look at our bench to realise we have strength in depth and can not only cover injuries but can change it up when a different approach is needed in games.

im enjoying this season, the football is getting better, results are good and the atmosphere is getting better also.

lets have some optimism eh?!

 

[ram1964]

After a mediocre start the team continues to improve,mentally,physically whilst gradually developing as a team playing better football. Why arent we capable of 2 nd plaice ?I dont believe Cardiff,Bristol city,leeds have any a better squad than ourselves. Second plaice is achievable for us and to lower our sights whilst in our present position shows real lack of ambition. Personally not desperate to see new signings as the present squad are doing the business ,a good competition for plaices with GT back to strength,Vydra,Nugent,Martin as good as any in this division and Carson probably a top ten keeper in the country,with the likes of Keogh in front of him we appear to have a talented united resilient team equal if not better than most.

 

[KBB]

My hopes? We finally sign a player the bloke who sits behind me rates.

Seriously. He hates every single one of our players. Hates them. You should hear what he comes out with. This is what we contend with.