Expectations for next season.

[Danish Saint]

What are your expectations for next season?

 

Position, break-out player and so forth.....

 

I'm hoping for a mid-table finish with Lallana having a blinder of a season.

[saints-cris]

We came 2nd the last 2 seasons.. so naturally we will come 2nd again.

[dubai_phil]

We came 2nd the last 2 seasons.. so naturally we will come 2nd again.

 

Totally agree. Anything less than automatic CL qualification and NA will be out the door.

[saints-cris]

Totally agree. Anything less than automatic CL qualification and NA will be out the door.

 

My thoughts exactly.!

[hypochondriac]

17th I would be very happy with. Anything more is a bonus for our first season back IMO.

[Saint Without a Halo]

We came 2nd the last 2 seasons.. so naturally we will come 2nd again.

 

About time we were Champions then!

[Wes Tender]

I reckon we're good enough for 10th this season and higher the next.

[vince]

17th I would be very happy with. Anything more is a bonus for our first season back IMO.

 

I'd settle for a "Dalek", but hope for a much better mid table position. My expectation? Somewhere in between.

[Thedelldays]

I expect us to stay up

 

17th would be a fair season

16th-11th could be quite close and a pretty good effort

top 10 would be brilliant

top 6 would be incredible

 

we will get the odd pasting and we will lose at home to poor team(s)

 

I predict.......15th....start slowish...have a great run and get up to around 8th...drop away and end up 15th in a very tight group of about 5 teams where 1 win could have got us 11th.

 

we will be safe from relegation with 3 games to go

Edited 22 July, 2012 by Thedelldays

[Jack]

14th, FA cup semi. Tadanari Lee and Nathaniel Clyne to make big impressions.

 

Also a 4-0 win over Brighton in one of the cups, just to p*ss Poyet off.

[S-Clarke]

mid-table, if we finished 17th NA would be out of the door simply because we'd have lost most weeks.

 

I think we all know we won't win like we have been winning, but I'm sure the expectation amongst the staff and the players is to do AT LEAST as well as Norwich/Swansea. Anything less and there will be departures I'm sure.

[Verbal]

I reckon we're good enough for 10th this season and higher the next.

 

Agreed, Lord T - although I wouldn't be surprised if Adkins has been set a Europa place as a target for this season. Optimistic...

[Saint-Armstrong]

I have a feeling we will finish 14th.

[Avenue Saint]

Top 10.

 

Actually will be more specific and say 9th.

 

Come you Saints!

Edited 22 July, 2012 by Avenue Saint

[VectisSaint]

mid-table, if we finished 17th NA would be out of the door simply because we'd have lost most weeks.

Unless we draw a lot of games of course.

I am expecting somewhere about 12th. I hope we don't do so well that we qualify for Europe in any way, its a curse for newly promoted teams.

[James]

I expect around 14th with the current squad although may revise that come the end of the window.

 

Think Clyne and JRod will make big impressions.

[S-Clarke]

I expect around 14th with the current squad although may revise that come the end of the window.

 

Think Clyne and JRod will make big impressions.

 

I think Davis will also be bloody important for us, I think he's going to be a star in the middle of the park. Top, Top player.

[dubai_phil]

mid-table, if we finished 17th NA would be out of the door simply because we'd have lost most weeks.

 

I think we all know we won't win like we have been winning, but I'm sure the expectation amongst the staff and the players is to do AT LEAST as well as Norwich/Swansea. Anything less and there will be departures I'm sure.

 

I'd disagree with that.

 

IMHO everything about our club at the moment would say you are holding a "Dinosaur" opinion..... ie. It is only about success.

 

We are going to be playing in the CL. To get there we will take small steps along a (yeah yeah probably 10 year plan).

 

So the measures of success next year are obviously - Stay Up, but equally important IMHO Improve and create a base to build on - that base will be talent and team spirit.

 

NC will understand KPI's & NA has used that phrase in the past.

 

IF Nige retains the dressing room and we stay up that is the platform - the question IF we can stay up will be Are we moving in line with the plan, NOT about whether we finish as well as Norwich or Swansea. (Hell IF we did as well we'd lose NA anyway to a "Bigger" club

 

NC & the back room staff know what is needed

[dubai_phil]

I think Davis will also be bloody important for us, I think he's going to be a star in the middle of the park. Top, Top player.

 

I think it could also be Davis's year.

 

KD's chance to show what could have been

[Webby]

10th

 

James ward prowse to break through and S.Davis to be mr.consistent.

[S-Clarke]

Not sure he'd be gone, but there'd definitely be huge pressure. Forget NC, most of it would come from on here. We all know where and when the Adkins out threads are coming.

 

7pm on Sunday 19th of August?

[The Kraken]

For me its still entirely dependent on one or two signings; I'm convinced Jos Hooiveld and Jose Fonte are nowhere near good enough as a defensive combination to consistently cut it in the Premier League. Perhaps one of them alongside a new signing would be ok but I think they're both too prone to individual errors and we very much need a commanding leader for them to play alongside.

 

Get a proper decent CB in and I think we'll finish around 15th or 16th. Get 2 in (which despite Adkins hinting at I don't think we will) and I think 10th is possible. Get none and I think we'll get relegated.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Delighted with survival and I reckon deep down NC would be too as it entitles us for the bigger payments due the following year.

[Eric The Red]

I think lower mid table (that's 11th to 15th btw) is perfectly feasible as long as most of our new signings come off. If Rickie and Adam can perform as well as I hope then even top half is possible. BUT its a fine line (just 2 or 3 wins) between comfort and being embroiled in the relegation battle.

[The9]

I honestly don't know what to expect, thinking of starting a thread comparing our last non-relegated Prem team to this one player by player...

[It's There]

I thin you underestimate the talent- I say 6th... and that's dropping to it in the latter stages of the season.

[sammysaint]

I think lower mid table (that's 11th to 15th btw) is perfectly feasible as long as most of our new signings come off. If Rickie and Adam can perform as well as I hope then even top half is possible. BUT its a fine line (just 2 or 3 wins) between comfort and being embroiled in the relegation battle.

 

This.

 

If Lallana and Lambo prove there quality at this level i feel mid table is achievable, all other younger players need to improve as well like NC Cork MS etc.

[Colinjb]

Survival.

 

Any more will be outstanding.

[beatlesaint]

I expect us to be bottom come mid September given the fixtures we have.

We will rally by Christmas and have a decent New Year where we will finish about 14th.

 

Tadanari Lee and Nathan Clyne to shine, Rickie will not be club top scorer.

 

thats my predictions !

[dubai_phil]

Look, it's the PL.

 

Apart from the scousers with Carroll up front, nobody plays hoofball, it's all about flexible 4-3-3 to 4-5-1 type formations and pace up front.

 

Seabourne does have pace, he's been pretty awful when up against hoofball big CB's. What he did NOT have was maturity to use his brain. Now it MAY be that his "episode" has brought on that maturity and that is what NA & the team see.

 

Fonte & Jos together will get mullered by Citeh and the other top strikers. But Jos showed many times last year he reads a game well.

 

IMHO the missing link is a Right Footed CB with a brain and pace. Then Fonte becomes cover and we will manage

[trousers]

Top 8. No sweat.

 

Ward-prowes and Shaw to become 1st team regulars.

[Saint Garrett]

Schneiderlin to really stand out next season for me and for us to finish around 13th/14th. We're more than capable, although agree what has been previously mentioned...we need to sort out CB.

[ExSt Peter Saint]

Heart says top half, but head says a couple of places above relegation is more likely, but it does depend on what players come in over the next few weeks and how the strikers perform. I know premier league experience isn't everything, but we really don't have much at all.

I'd really like to think Lallana will be our star again and stay with us like LeTissier. If we can keep hold of our best players and build for a long stay in this league, I'll be very happy.

[sperm_john]

i'm going to be foolishly ambitious and say we will finish 5th, 6th or 7th

[Dalek2003]

For me its still entirely dependent on one or two signings; I'm convinced Jos Hooiveld and Jose Fonte are nowhere near good enough as a defensive combination to consistently cut it in the Premier League. Perhaps one of them alongside a new signing would be ok but I think they're both too prone to individual errors and we very much need a commanding leader for them to play alongside.

 

Get a proper decent CB in and I think we'll finish around 15th or 16th. Get 2 in (which despite Adkins hinting at I don't think we will) and I think 10th is possible. Get none and I think we'll get relegated.

 

A very astute post. I will make my official prediction in August based on our signings. Unless we strengthen in key positions, 17th will look like the most we can hope for.

[krissyboy31]

I'd settle for staying up two or three weeks before the end of the season and I think several of our player can make an impact, in the same way Allen and Sinclair did for Swansea and Holt did for Norwich.

[Nexstar]

Staying up would be brilliant and I feel it should be the expectation with the money we're spending and team we have built.

[Ampersound]

Head says 15th

Heart says 6th - no chance tho

[CB Fry]

I expect us to be bottom come mid September given the fixtures we have.

We will rally by Christmas and have a decent New Year where we will finish about 14th.

 

Tadanari Lee and Nathan Clyne to shine, Rickie will not be club top scorer.

 

thats my predictions !

 

 

 

I think opposite. Five points from the big three in August to get all the pundits falling over themselves to dish out the patronising pats on the head left right and centre. We'll be talk of the town except for losing to Wigan in the middle of it all just to keep everyone on MOTD chuckling away.

 

I think we'll have a Blackpool/Hull season. Blistering before Christmas nearly 30 points on board on NYD, hit the wall and limp in, but comfortably, 15th or 16th.

 

Hopefully good enough to keep Nige in work.

 

Lallana to struggle, Jay Rod to be a sensation. Cork and Morgan shine. We score billions of goals but still have terrible GD. We'll concede six about three times to the CL teams but also to someone like Fulham or Everton.

 

Sorry I can't be more specific but it's not even August.

Edited 22 July, 2012 by CB Fry

[sfc4prem]

16th

[Crab Lungs]

We often get tanked at Everton.

 

Therefore, at the moment, my only prediction is a tanking. At Everton.

[norwaysaint]

The start is going to be interesting. We've always made such bad starts until last season where we set the pace from the start. Looking at the first matches, it'll be impressive if we get another good start.

[Turkish]

If we get Danns and Lens or players of a simliar standard I stand by my prediction made in May of 12th.

[Teabag]

I hope for survival, stability and that the youngsters coming through will get the chance to shine.

[SaintJackoInHurworth]

I think Saints will finish somewhere in mid table obscurity, which I will be quite happy with. Our top priority is to avoid relegation, but having achieved that I would hope we could push on to finish at least 15th! Overall, I think the Premier League will finish something like this:

 

1. Man Utd – They will be better this year and their experience will see them through.

2. Man City – It’s hard to win it two seasons in a row, but they will push United all the way.

3. Chelsea – better manger than last season but a big gap to catch up with the Manchester clubs.

4. Arsenal – look set to lose Van Persie but will always grind out enough results to finish in the top 5.

5. Everton – They have got to have a season when they finally start well – maybe this season will be it!

6. Fulham – Good manager with a club that are improving year-on-year.

7. Spurs – dodgy manager losing his best players! If he doesn’t get sacked by February I can’t see them being much higher than this, despite their talented squad!

8. Liverpool – Good new manager but not impressed with how he has dealt with Carroll; nor with his transfer dealings. Their squad will probably be quite depleted at the start of the season or else a number of their players will be quite tired by mid-season and prone to injuries.

9. Newcastle – I still think Pardew got a raw deal with how he was treated by Saints. He is a good manager with some good players and has made some astute purchases. However, they will not quite hit the highs of last season.

10. Sunderland – Good manager and should be able to get them to push on to a higher finish this season.

11. Southampton – I think we will surprise a few people. We have been steadily strengthening the squad in the transfer market and (as long as we can purchase an extra central defender?) we should be able to do ok. The bookies have us odds on to finish in the top half, but that may be tight. However, I would hope we can finish in at least 14th.

12. Aston Villa – great manager, but a lot to change with not very much money!

13. Reading – Good manager trying to make astute transfer purchases, but hasn’t got the same sort of budget as Saints.

14. QPR – I don’t rate Mark Hughes as a manager and I think they could struggle again. However, he has made some excellent acquisitions so far, so this should help them to stay up or do even better.

15. Stoke City – They continue to surprise everyone, but have had to release a load of players and have only brought in one youngster from Rangers so far. On paper they shouldn’t finish this high up, but somehow they keep surprising everyone!

16. Swansea – The loss of Rogers could be bad news for them. Laudrup has a good record but he seems to ready to let some of their better players leave. Nevertheless, I still think he will keep them up.

17. West Brom – I’m not sure that Steve Clarke can emulate what Hodgson did with West Brom and they may struggle this year. However, they have some good players and the purchase of Foster from Brum is not a bad one.

18. West Ham – They could finish higher than this, but if they get on a bad run Big Sam seems clueless as to how to change things. I used to like him as a manager, but now I am not so sure. Apart from Maigi (perhaps, who knows?!) their purchases seem to be distinctly average so far and they have released, sold or lost a lot of good players. The loss of Robert Green is a big disaster for them.

19. Wigan – I think this will be the season that they finally lose their fight against relegation. They were already a weak squad and have just lost Rodallega. Martinez is not a great manager either!

20. Norwich – The loss of Paul Lambert is a massive disaster for the club. Their squad is lightweight and only Lambert could achieve what he did with such a squad.

[Saint Fan CaM]

I reckon on 15th which will be a reasonable season. But then there is the X-factor with Saints - the unknown. It was clearly not obvious just how good the team was in L1 and most of us thought we would get mid-table or just outside the play-offs in the Championship, but the team proved us wrong. We've strengthened...both organically with the existing players and by acquisition of some good new players. Perhaps we're better than we think we are - perhaps top 10 is not so crazy - stranger things and all that.

 

Stand-out players I think will be Billy Sharp who with the right service will look good and Schneiderlin alongside Davis. If he gets the chance I think Callum Chambers is the one to watch in the youth ranks. I reckon Clyne will show himself to be an excellent buy.

 

Players I think will struggle unfortunately could be Lambert, Fonte and possibly Lallana (the added pace of the game could expose his injury - worryingly options here are slim).

[Under Weststand]

With at least one CB added to the squad, I'd like to think we can get a lower middle table position. 15/16th would be a good first season back. I can see Lambert being pivotal next season, maybe not scoring as many as usual. But still vitally important, I see him being a Teddy Sherringham type influence to the team, whilst still chipping in regularly with important goals.

I also think Sharp, Rodriguez & Clyne will have big seasons for us.

[Cabrone]

Par for the course will be 17th.

 

Mid table would be an extremely good season.

 

Relegation would be dissapointing but not entirely unexpected.

[BotleySaint]

I'll be pleased with survival. I think it's going to a very tough season.

[AussieDog]

Man Utd, City & Chelsea will finish above us...and we could finish anywhere between them and Wigan who will finish bottom. Gut feeling is still top 10 providing we keep the team ethos going. Standout player either Schneiderlin or Rodriguez of the current squad. Have a feeling as well that Lambert and Lallana will both struggle unless they are at the top of their physical fitness levels. I'd be happy with 2 more signings - GK and pacy CB. Think Sharp is the "fox in the box" we've been missing but not sure how many games he will start in - may be our "supersub" though.