2025/26 2025/26 Season: How's It Going?

Ian

Ian

Player Valuation: £1.5m
I thought it would be interesting to get our thoughts on the season as it progresses. We've got threads for individual players, individual matches and specific topics such as transfers, owners, etc. but this is for our expectations and analysis of the season in general:
  • What are we realistically aiming for?
  • How are we progressing (or regressing as the case may be)?
  • As the season goes on, what's going well, what needs to change, do we need to adjust our expectations?
It would be a great source for vaulting if nothing else.

Initial thoughts and expectations, bless?
 


2-3 injuries and we are stuffed, that is before we factor in AFCON.
Paper thin squad, with last years inadequacies barely addressed.

At least there looks to be 3-4 clubs in a worse position than us this time.
 
I'm cautiously optimistic about the season - but disappointed about where we are right now. Yet, when I step back from things, it's probably not quite as grim as it currently feels. If you'd told me in May that our summer would include the retention of Jarrad Branthwaite and the loan signing of Jack Grealish, I would have said that we were serious about improving and we must be in line for a transformative window. If you'd told me we still wouldn't have a right side, retained Keane and Coleman, and were looking to drop over 40m on a teenager nobody else appears to be much interested in, I'd have asked if Moshiri was still at the club.

I think 8th place is a realistic target for a club of our means this year. I don't think we've done anything like enough to hold genuine hopes of achieving that, though. Perhaps that will change for the better in a fortnight. If we haven't done the necessary business, the summer will have to be considered a failure and the Friedkins will look less transformative than we hoped they would be.

One thing I really don't want to hear this year is "It's only the Mickey Mouse Cup, anyway" or "We should rest players for the Cup".

Given that half the league is already competing on the Premier League and European front, there is no excuse whatsoever for us not to go full pelt in both cups.
 
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Drico said:
I'm cautiously optimistic about the season - but disappointed about where we are right now. Yet, when I step back from things, it's probably not quite as grim as it currently feels. If you'd told me in May that our summer would include the retention of Jarrad Branthwaite and the loan signing of Jack Grealish, I would have said that we were serious about improving and we must be in line for a transformative window. If you'd told me we still wouldn't have a right side, retained Keane and Coleman, and were looking to drop over 40m on a teenager nobody else appears to be much interested in, I'd have asked if Moshiri was still at the club.

I think 8th place is a realistic target for a club of our means this year. I don't think we've done anything like enough to hold genuine hopes of achieving that, though. Perhaps that will change for the better in a fortnight. If we haven't done the necessary business, the summer will have to be considered a failure and the Friedkins will look less transformative that we hoped they would be.

One thing I really don't want to hear this year is "It's only the Mickey Mouse Cup, anyway" or "We should rest players for the Cup".

Given that half the league is already competing on the Premier League and European front, there is no excuse whatsoever for us not to go full pelt in both cups.
Click to expand...

Getting off to a good start in the league is key to being able to take the cups seriously. The resting players shouts usually come when we sit bottom of the table after 3 games with 0 points because people start prioritising survival over a cup run.

It’s why I hate this “wait until the window closes to judge” narrative that pops up ever year in the fanbase. How you start sets the tone for the entire season. If we lose our opening 2 games we’re immediately lumped in with the relegation pack again in everyone else’s eyes, which brings the anxiety in the fan base, the “must win” games start rolling in, every game becomes a pressure cooker again, it’s a horrific snowball. Starting the season well is absolutely key.
 

Drico said:
I'm cautiously optimistic about the season - but disappointed about where we are right now. Yet, when I step back from things, it's probably not quite as grim as it currently feels. If you'd told me in May that our summer would include the retention of Jarrad Branthwaite and the loan signing of Jack Grealish, I would have said that we were serious about improving and we must be in line for a transformative window. If you'd told me we still wouldn't have a right side, retained Keane and Coleman, and were looking to drop over 40m on a teenager nobody else appears to be much interested in, I'd have asked if Moshiri was still at the club.

I think 8th place is a realistic target for a club of our means this year. I don't think we've done anything like enough to hold genuine hopes of achieving that, though. Perhaps that will change for the better in a fortnight. If we haven't done the necessary business, the summer will have to be considered a failure and the Friedkins will look less transformative that we hoped they would be.

One thing I really don't want to hear this year is "It's only the Mickey Mouse Cup, anyway" or "We should rest players for the Cup".

Given that half the league is already competing on the Premier League and European front, there is no excuse whatsoever for us not to go full pelt in both cups.
Click to expand...
Can't disagree with any of that mate.
 
NeilMorepies said:
2-3 injuries and we are stuffed, that is before we factor in AFCON.
Paper thin squad, with last years inadequacies barely addressed.

At least there looks to be 3-4 clubs in a worse position than us this time.
Click to expand...
AFCON is always a concern when it comes around. At least we have players who can cover Gana and Ndiaye now. I haven't checked how we will compare to other teams at that time: I guess everyone loses players, but it's a question if how many and whether that can be adequately replaced.
 
Ian said:
AFCON is always a concern when it comes around. At least we have players who can cover Gana and Ndiaye now. I haven't checked how we will compare to other teams at that time: I guess everyone loses players, but it's a question if how many and whether that can be adequately replaced.
Click to expand...

I still don’t think we have anyone that can step in and do the job Gana can do. It’s why I keep and will keep banging the Brownhill on a free drum tbh. He’s the same type of player, high energy, presses all over the pitch. If Gana comes out this team now we are wide open in that area.
 
MikeH72 said:
Getting off to a good start in the league is key to being able to take the cups seriously. The resting players shouts usually come when we sit bottom of the table after 3 games with 0 points because people start prioritising survival over a cup run.

It’s why I hate this “wait until the window closes to judge” narrative that pops up ever year in the fanbase. How you start sets the tone for the entire season. If we lose our opening 2 games we’re immediately lumped in with the relegation pack again in everyone else’s eyes, which brings the anxiety in the fan base, the “must win” games start rolling in, every game becomes a pressure cooker again, it’s a horrific snowball. Starting the season well is absolutely key.
Click to expand...
Agree completely. The question then is, what's the hold up? Is it competence? Is it money? Is it the manager? This is really not the season for one of Moyes's patented slow starts. I think we can win tomorrow, regardless. If we do, that will buy us critical breathing space.
 

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