PL place target for the rest of the season

[magicjuan]

Exactly because our squad with the expected Jan additions is the comfortably the 7th best squad in the league they just need a half decent experienced manager.

Said a few weeks back that in the January window it's just as important, if not more so, who leaves as much as who comes in, we are as ever carrying a lot of dead wood. Good servants who had us top half but as age and injury have caught up with them, they've now become bottom half players. It's a world cup year and there should be enough fringe players from national sides who need game time and will put a shift in accordingly.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Who said "impressive"?

He had 5 PL games, and they were the only ones that anyone with any sense cared a flying one about:

Played 5: W2 L2 D1. It got us a very welcome 7 points...about 5 more than I;d have expected had Dutch Disaster remained in post.

Unsworth had to contend with 2 games per week, players who knew he'd be gone soon as first team manager because it was always known a new man was being sought, he was using the squad bequeathed to him by another (failing) manager who had no loyalty toward him.

He got us 5 places above where we were.

Denigrate his period in the dugout if you want, I doubt too many others will be of your opinion that it was "terrible".

Well said

 

[catcherintherye]

Who said "impressive"?

He had 5 PL games, and they were the only ones that anyone with any sense cared a flying one about:

Played 5: W2 L2 D1. It got us a very welcome 7 points...about 5 more than I;d have expected had Dutch Disaster remained in post.

Unsworth had to contend with 2 games per week, players who knew he'd be gone soon as first team manager because it was always known a new man was being sought, he was using the squad bequeathed to him by another (failing) manager who had no loyalty toward him.

He got us 5 places above where we were.

Denigrate his period in the dugout if you want, I doubt too many others will be of your opinion that it was "terrible".

Lets have it right, if Fat lad has the equivalent record for the remainder of the season (1.4 points per game) we get 34 points, which would get us to a total of 49 points. There's every chance we could finish 7h with that. That will be described as miraculous by some for Allardyce, yet disastrous for Unsworth. Odd, especially when you consider Allardyce will have a bundle to spend in January plus the return of McCarthy, Bolasie, Barkley, Mori & Coleman.

 

[deipnosophist]

One win against a West Ham side that is likely to be relegated doesn't change the fact that our squad is weak and unbalanced.

Big Sam has got a seriously big job on his hands.

With just 15 points from a possible 42, our Premier League survival is far from guaranteed.

if, over the remaining games, we can maintain our current points/possible points ratio, we'll attain the magic 40 points!!

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

top 17 then crack on next seaso!

 

[CRIMHEAD]

You can't tout the fact that Unsworth got us up several spaces without looking at the schedule at the beginning of the year. That's hardly fair. He also didn't have to get results in Europe.

But you also have to consider that a caretaker manager isn't going to be the response and respect they need to implement tactics. He couldn't have figured that Mirallas, Morgan, and others would literally ignore his instructions. Notice how when they got left out, the remaining cast actually carried out what he wanted them to?

 

[bignev23]

No reason we can't get 7th place if we get our shat together. Spurs in that position now 9 points ahead of us with Burnley in 6th who I expect will drop like a stone at some point.

 

[Yarrgh]

Either way I expect FSA to be gone from our club come the start of next season
Even 7th and a FA cup win won’t save him
Would you trust him with a summer transfer budget.
I doubt Moshiri will
He will give him enough to cover the holes in Jan buts that’ll be about it

You may well be right that about him getting the chop no matter what. After the last few weeks of hunting a manager, if we get started now we might have the new guy ready to go by next summer.

 

[davek]

I honestly couldnt care less, I dont mean that in a nasty way, but this season is done for me, utter nightmare which I just want to end.

All being told, after the last few months, just staying up is acceptable, just getting to May and putting this crapshow behind us.

Just staying up. It's November and we have 72 points to play for.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

One win against a West Ham side that is likely to be relegated doesn't change the fact that our squad is weak and unbalanced.

Big Sam has got a seriously big job on his hands.

With just 15 points from a possible 42, our Premier League survival is far from guaranteed.

Absolutely. There are 8 games from now until Jan 2nd. That's 8 games with our back line personnel. That includes the Derby, Man U, and Chelsea. 3 of the easier games are away - Newcastle, Bournemouth, West Brom.

 

[Yarrgh]

top 17 then crack on next seaso!

Just keep a grip on 21st!

 

[PeregrineT]

Think that's very optimistic but I guess not wildly so - those statistics are not unreasonable. Just can't square it with this team of whoppers who have done everything wrong, suddenly starting to do most things right. Shipping goals like they are flat out going out of style - I expect Allardyce to sort this but it will take time.

End of the day there are a lot of ordinary sides in the premiership, so out-competing the bottom 13 teams doesn't take miracles.

Yeah, some of the performances have been bad enough to make you question the talent, but the reality is we still do have talent. We have enough talent to have 1-2 good midfielders, a good keeper, and at least 1 good forward player. The reality is we get back Bolaise and Coleman, and at least 1 of the 2 should return to good form, which means if we shore up our defence with 2 defenders in the January window, thats at least 7-8 positions with good talent at. if you pick up a striker that puts you really just needing 2 players, 1 midfielder of the likes of Davies, and a winger like Lookman to show good form and you have a complete team.

Again it just comes back to the rest of the league past the top 6 is not that scary, and there are a LOT of games left. Throw in the fact we have played our toughest stretch already, and we are only 2 points out of 9th place, and if we play disappointing(by pre-season expectations) but solid football we will catch those teams.

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

Just keep a grip on 21st!

Our boys are 41st mush! In the fisticuffs league we are european place definitely

 

[davek]

Not gonna post a league position, but I reckon he might surprise us. If not this season, next one. If hes still here. And EL qualification would not have me falling off my stool.

Like, he is not the most likeable character, and carries a bag of alleged naughtiness. But an idiot he isnt.

Top ten is doable and I expect it. Bottom half unacceptable.

Just because he's supposed to be a "fire fighter" makes no difference. He'll have players back and players to bring in. He's two points off top ten right now. He's a football manager not a troubleshooter. Let's judge him on the criteria we judge all our managers on. I will be.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

Just staying up. It's November and we have 72 points to play for.

But 24 of those points are without any new players. With our backline, I'm not confident we can beat ANYONE. Not every team is going to have their Target guy and best striker injuried like West Ham.