tooninlondon 0 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 In at number 4 and rising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@yourservice 67 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 In the mix and then a drop to 6th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10972 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 You said 6th before, make your mind up man....   1 Christmas Tree (seriously), Happy Face (put £1 on it, but not my prediction) 2 3 4 Jeff Stelling, Stellar Stripes 5 Happy Face (real) 6 Trophyshy, JawD, duo, Fish 7 Baggio, J69, TicTacWoe, 2Bias, ADP, David Kelly, hostile_statue, Ant 8 Gemmill, dbsweeney, OTF, Sandman02uk 9 toonotl   Some big names yet to join the predictions on the eve of the opener. Depending on the day I'm having and the latest news report I change my mind, so sue me  Honestly, if Spurs lose Modric and don't replace him (Dempsey is being touted, but I see him going to Liverpool) and if they don't secure a striker (They currently only have Dos Santos and Defoe as recognised strikers), I can see them having a shocking season (by their standards).  Liverpool still haven't strengthened significantly and their new manager is going to make them hard to beat, but I can see them drawing a lot of games when the goals don't come.  Arsenal have been dramatically weakened and while Giroud and Podolski are good players, the only reason they were there or there abouts was RVP. They can't expect those two forwards to lead the line in their first season as he did in his last. Podolski has a roughly 1 in 3 ratio, Giroud's a little better, but in a poorer league. I don't know, losing RVP and Song may be telling.  Everton haven't strengthened, but I'm interested to see how Jelavic & Pienaar will do over the course of a full season.  Our competitors haven't strengthened imo. Right now I'm predicting anywhere between 4th and 8th, but I'm in a good mood and it's a fucking beautiful day in the back garden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nortoon 0 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 5th. (we are a better team than Liverpool, and im betting on us narrowly beating Spurs. Could probably mount a cl challenge but will fail again.) We will get 2 embarrasing results in domestic cups, yet give the Europa a proper go. Getting knocked out in the semis. We will also sign one more major player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniffer 0 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Anything less than 5th will be disappointing as its a backward step. Although we beat some top teams unexpectedly, we dropped more points against poorer teams to offset those wins. Â Keeping the squad together means we have the players capable of getting us there, providing they start to perform consistently. One outstanding game followed by a couple where they disappear is what seperates us from the teams that will probably finish above us. Â And pardew has to get over his love affair with obertan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10972 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Anything less than 5th will be disappointing as its a backward step. Although we beat some top teams unexpectedly, we dropped more points against poorer teams to offset those wins. Â Keeping the squad together means we have the players capable of getting us there, providing they start to perform consistently. One outstanding game followed by a couple where they disappear is what seperates us from the teams that will probably finish above us. Â And pardew has to get over his love affair with obertan. Â I see progress as mapped over a scatter plot graph, rather than a linear A-B-C-D line graph. So while 6th would be lower than last season, it's still be part of a positively correlated chart of our progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniffer 0 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 It can't be positive if its going down. Just saying like. Â Seriously, if we don't progress, we may not be able to hold this nucleus of players together after next season. Assuming that we do now. Then we'll see a scatter plot. Â I'll take 6th if we win a cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Bells tits 1 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 9th, bad cup run and 1/16 final in the EL. Think the Pardew era will go tits up this season. It usually does sooner or later in every club he has been involved in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4841 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 You said 6th before, make your mind up man....   1 Christmas Tree (seriously), Happy Face (put £1 on it, but not my prediction) 2 3 4 Jeff Stelling, Stellar Stripes 5 Happy Face (real) 6 Trophyshy, JawD, duo, Fish 7 Baggio, J69, TicTacWoe, 2Bias, ADP, David Kelly, hostile_statue, Ant 8 Gemmill, dbsweeney, OTF, Sandman02uk 9 toonotl   Some big names yet to join the predictions on the eve of the opener.  I think my words were challenge for the title and that we will improve on last year. That in itself does not say we'll finish 1st. I do however think we will finish within the top four and be playing champion league football next season. (Subject to no end of August closing down sale). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10972 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 It can't be positive if its going down. Just saying like. Â Seriously, if we don't progress, we may not be able to hold this nucleus of players together after next season. Assuming that we do now. Then we'll see a scatter plot. Â I'll take 6th if we win a cup. Maybe I wasn't being clear, I measure the progress over a number of seasons. Not just two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerbarton 24 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 My thoughts are we'll finish 6th, win the Europa League, win the FA Cup and quarters of the League Cup. Our first XI is capable of beating anyone. (Though we know with a few of them out we're capable of losing to anyone - see Brighton, Stevenage etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheMackem 0 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I think youse will finish 8th this season and reach the QF of the Europa League. Cisse will score 20 goals and youse will beat us at SDA and lose to us at the SOL. Â (ready for abuse) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10972 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I think youse will finish 8th this season and reach the QF of the Europa League. Cisse will score 20 goals and youse will beat us at SDA and lose to us at the SOL. Â (ready for abuse) Fairly reasonable predictions to be honest, bar the losing to you lot. We don't really do that much. I reckon we'll take 4 points from you, 3 at home, 1 at yours. Not because of Geordie delusion or owt. Simply that you've not really strengthened from last year, you're still going to struggle to score goals and your defence is another year older... Â Welcome to the board anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenL 0 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 It can't be positive if its going down. Just saying like. Â Seriously, if we don't progress, we may not be able to hold this nucleus of players together after next season. Assuming that we do now. Then we'll see a scatter plot. Â I'll take 6th if we win a cup. Â What if we get more points, but we end up finishing a place lower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniffer 0 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Then I don't see that as progress. Â If Man City finish second with more points than last season, how do you think they'd feel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10972 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Then I don't see that as progress. Â If Man City finish second with more points than last season, how do you think they'd feel? I think the sensible ones would look at the difference 5 years can make in football. 2008 they were on the brink of the abyss, now they're challenging for the title again. It's still progress from where they were. Hell, 15 years ago they were in what is now League 1! I'm sure the grounded fans would look at their remarkable resurgence and be delighted with the progress they've made. Â Sure they'd be disappointed that they didn't win the league, but they'd be mental to think they're going backwards. Â If we finished 6th, but competed in Europe, stayed in the cups to the finals, is that not Progress? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JawD 99 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I'd say it was. One place down in the league to 6th (where i think we will finish) plus getting to group stages of Europa and beyond is progress. Â Also take in to account that we often do worse in the league following qualification for Europe. Â There is one more significant factor though. Pardew has said that league is the priority. IMO Ashley has had a sniff of the Champions League potential and sees the earnings from that a better goal than any cup. So from that we will field strongest teams in the league and rotate for cup games. Â In this care, you would then have to say we should be aiming for 4th. Â Really depends what the cups take out of us, how lucky we are with injuries and how long we lose players to the ACN. Â On that, if we really want to try and qualify for the CL, we need a forward to step in when the ACN in here unless he thinks Shola and Benny can step up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CabayeAye Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 1. Man City 2. Chelsea 3. Man Utd 4. Newcastle 5. Arsenal 6. Liverpool 7. Tottenham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa Lazaru 0 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I can see anywhere from 4th to 8th for us so should go for the middle of that at 6th, but am feeling optimistic so will go with 5th! And considering that is with the fixture pile up we could have from europa league and tiredness coming into play in games after we've played on thursdays it shows how much confidence the manager and players have brought to the fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StellarStripes 0 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 We arent going to get anyone else in going off AP's comments today about being happy to go with what we have. Â Looks like we are going to go with Krul, Simpson, S.Taylor, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye, Tiote, Jonas, Ben Arfa, Ba and Cisse as our 1st choice 11 in either the 442 and 433/4231 system. Â Anita will probably play a lot of games in place for Jonas in the 4321/433 system. Marveaux, Obertan and Amalfitano will prove ample cover out wide. Gosling, Abeid and Bigirimana will cover centre mid. We are very very well stocked in midfield. Â R.Taylor will cover the fullbacks when fit, as will Perch and Tavernier who AP says today will get chances. Ferguson could get a chance at LB in the cups too. Perch can play CB but it looks like Williamson will be our only CB cover until January which is a worry. That you lad Satko in the reserves could get a call up to the 1st team squad at some point this season, so could young Remie Street. Â Clearly we are going to lean on the young lads a lot this year but why not? Thats the clubs policy and its probably a good time to blood them. Â I think we will do business in January with Debuchy more likely then but my biggest dissapointment of this window, while im delighted we have kept all our key players, is the fact we havent brought in another striker. Vuckic will get a few outings upfront i reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 20759 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 We will prob play them hoping to come good so they can then flog them on for a nice tidy profit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CabayeAye Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 We will prob play them hoping to come good so they can then flog them on for a nice tidy profit. Â Bar Carroll, who have we ever sold for a profit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Milner nzogbia given bassong .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Foster and Best in this window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2207 Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 I think 8th or 9th. Can't see us replicating last season I'm afraid, plus we'll get more injuries and we haven't strengthened the first team much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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