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Predictions for 2021-22 Season

Edmonton Saint

By Edmonton Saint,
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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

Posted
Posted
On 03/09/2021 at 15:52, Sheaf Saint said:

Well I'm gonna buck the trend here and say I think we will do alright and finish comfortably mid-table.

I know it all went to shit from January onwards, but people seem to forget that our form over the calendar year in 2020 was top four. That's no blip. The PL is an unforgiving league so you can't fluke a run like that. 

IMO the reason it all went so horribly wrong is because Ralph's system requires high intensity, that we were just incapable of sustaining due to the horrendous injury crisis and the condensed season, meaning we couldn't rotate and what fit players we had were being forced to play for 90 minutes twice a week without a break. It's no wonder our second half performances dropped off so much.

Yes we've lost Ings' goals, and that is a big miss of course. But Che has improved a lot from this time last year, and he and Arma already look like they are forming a decent partnership and between them I reckon they will easily score 20+ this year.

Now that Salisu has settled he already looks better than JV ever was, with Lyanco taking his place from last season as the unproven backup CB. 

Perraud looks to be at least as good as Bertrand was in his last couple of seasons, if not better, and we have decent cover at FB now, where we had none last season at all.

So our starting 11 looks only marginally weaker than the one that briefly topped the table last Autumn, and we have much better depth now to absorb any injuries we may suffer. With the season less condensed, and having our recovery facilities available to us again, injured players won't miss as many games as they did/would have done last season either.

So, despite the obvious weaknesses we have, I'm actually fairly confident we'll do OK, and I'm going to predict we'll finish somewhere between 9th-12th.

And, yes, if we end up really struggling then please feel free to stuff this post back down my throat any time you wish.

Well I know there's still a long way to go yet, but with the form we're in it's starting to look like even this (one of the most optimistic posts on this thread) could have been a little on the conservative side.

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woodsaint1

woodsaint1

Posted
Posted
On 07/08/2021 at 16:01, SKD said:

A long season where we can’t score and can’t stop others scoring. 

Rock bottom for me. 

Newcastle (18th) and Norwich (19th) to come down with us. 

Ralph to be gone within 15 games. Probably another very heavy defeat to one of the big boys. 

 

On 07/08/2021 at 16:04, SKD said:

Wager for charity on who’s prediction is closer? You decide how much. 10th place 😂😂😂

New York Yankees Reaction GIF by MLB

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Holmes_and_Watson

Holmes_and_Watson

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Posted

Based on an exhaustive 2 minute look at the league table at the start of the season, and considering the general financial clout/ overall squad depths of the clubs involved, I thought that a good season for us would be 14th.

I clearly was leaving myself space for "excellent" and "superb" seasons, that would take us higher. 🙂

Having a slightly gloomier outlook just makes it all the better to see us perform as we did before that minor blip last season (if not better). 🙂

 

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S-Clarke

S-Clarke

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These threads at the start of the season are always difficult. We'd just sold 3 starters (including our best player, Ings) so it was pretty much down the scouting to get us doing well, and they've done that. Tino, Perraud, Broja, Saisu, Lynaco to a degree coming to the fore etc have been excellent examples of our scouting replacing what we lost for less outlay.

I didn't see us comfortable top 10, I thought we'd struggle to replace Ings goals if I'm honest...but we have different strings to our game now - defensively, probably due to Salisu in the main, we have gone up 3 or 4 levels compared to last year. So we're not relying on 2 or 3 goals to win a game.

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TWar

TWar

Posted
Posted
On 07/08/2021 at 18:42, TWar said:

Damn you are all negative, I'm going 13th.

Wow what a negative thread. My attempt at positivity was only 13th.

At some point someone said we had enough quality not to be relegated and was laughed at!

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TWar

TWar

Posted
Posted
On 10/08/2021 at 09:58, tajjuk said:

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. 

 

Best prediction so far imo! Massive kudos to @tajjuk

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Saint86

Saint86

Posted
Posted (edited)
53 minutes ago, TWar said:

Best prediction so far imo! Massive kudos to @tajjuk

Not if we get 8th - Then I'm claiming it 😇

(would be a push but if current form continues....!) 

To be honest, I would love to see us go all out for the cup! The way we are playing (and with favourable draws) assuming we get past west ham, it could be a special end to the season - too much to hope for? 

Edited by Saint86
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John B

John B

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Not if we get 8th - Then I'm claiming it 😇

(would be a push but if current form continues....!) 

To be honest, I would love to see us go all out for the cup! The way we are playing (and with favourable draws) assuming we get past west ham, it could be a special end to the season - too much to hope for? 

Me too

 

But with Spurs City Liverpool and Chelsea likely to be in the QF a pretty daunting task

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tajjuk

tajjuk

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, TWar said:

Best prediction so far imo! Massive kudos to @tajjuk

Thanks though Armstrong has not worked out, at least yet. I was never worried about relegation, I think JWP said it on interview last night that we had (last year) a good first eleven but if we lost 2-3 players with injuries then we struggled a bit (and obviously lost 9 or even 10 at times last year) but this year the squad is stronger and its showing. 

1 hour ago, Saint86 said:

Not if we get 8th - Then I'm claiming it 😇

(would be a push but if current form continues....!) 

To be honest, I would love to see us go all out for the cup! The way we are playing (and with favourable draws) assuming we get past west ham, it could be a special end to the season - too much to hope for? 

100% go for the cup IMO, West Ham's form has been a bit up and down, plus they have a lot of games, with fellow European places challengers Wolves 3 days before and then Liverpool 3 days after, and a last 16 Europa league tie as well a week later, their attention might be elsewhere. I am sure West Ham's fans would love a cup win, but I reckon the club might be more focused on top 4, so maybe we see some rotation? 

Edited by tajjuk
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le_tiss

le_tiss

Posted
Posted
On 07/08/2021 at 16:01, SKD said:

A long season where we can’t score and can’t stop others scoring. 

Rock bottom for me. 

Newcastle (18th) and Norwich (19th) to come down with us. 

Ralph to be gone within 15 games. Probably another very heavy defeat to one of the big boys. 

 

Aged well :rolleyes:

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SNSUN

SNSUN

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What can I say although it was only around new years that we technically were in the relegation battle so... 😜

 

We also did bring in players that have helped. Tino's signing meant Perraud could bed in while KWP filled in... and we Brought in Small as Perraud's long time back up. Lyanco strengthened the squad at the back, and Broja, little did we know, was the striker we needed up front even after signing Armstrong.

 

Also we can praise the improvement of existing players like Fraser, who is back to his 2016 best,  Moi, the attacking midfielder we hoped we'd signed 3 years ago, and Che, who is starting to add goals a bit more regularly to his game. Heck even JWP keeps getting better.

 

We are rightly where we deserve to be this season and let's hope we stay top ten. Then try to keep the squad together in the summer (sans Broja if we can't do another loan), renew some contracts, and bring in a GK, CB, AM and Str and we can try to do what West Ham are doing this season.

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