What is an acceptable 2015/16 season?

[blue_aussie05]

Not all of them but a lot of them. His inability to keep a clean sheet earlier in the season. When was the last time Howard made a match winning save? The type Da Gea and Chelsea goalie make on a weekly basis? The defense don't trust him and that made us really nervous which lead to 18 mistakes that have cost us 18 goals.

The simple fact is Howard is the weakest link in our team

Maybe Southampton at home a few weeks ago, while it was still 0-0?

 

[meagher94]

To win something, anything. And to finish top 6.

 

[blue4eva77]

Not all of them but a lot of them. His inability to keep a clean sheet earlier in the season. When was the last time Howard made a match winning save? The type Da Gea and Chelsea goalie make on a weekly basis? The defense don't trust him and that made us really nervous which lead to 18 mistakes that have cost us 18 goals.

The simple fact is Howard is the weakest link in our team

You mean the same defence in front of him that saw us grab 72 points last season and 16 clean sheets in 38 league games ? Exactly the same defence, so im stumped about the trust comment. Apart from Stones, he has been playing behind the same players for years.

No denying that Howard has been below his usual standards this season. The defensive schoolboy errors are largely to blame, so its not just Tim Howard. Other silly errors like Barry dwelling on the ball at White Hart Lane and Besic v Chelsea as examples don't help either. For all quality players we have at our disposal, the attacking threat our team possesses, we simply haven't scored enough goals this season.

 

[Smiggs]

TOP 10

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

4th or 5th in the league and a League Cup final, FA Cup quarters at worst

 

[Aidey9]

I'll give my opinion after pre season and what recruiting we do.

We need to sign some good players for the positions we need and to obviously get a bit of strength in depth and we most definitely have to have a better pre season than last and be much fitter going into the new season!

Get those 2 right this time round and who knows? Combine them with a kind set of fixtures at the start and get off to a flyer then we could possibly challenge the top 4-5 again.

I'd also like to see us take both the League Cup & FA Cup seriously and try and win one.

 

[Aidey9]

We will have to wait until the transfer window is closed before we see what kind of team/squad we have going into next season.

Assuming we strengthen sensibly and keep the players we want to keep we should be somewhere between fourth and seventh imo.

However, if we finished anywhere in the top ten and successfully gave a lot of premiership experience to youngsters such as Ledson, Kenny, Galloway, Dowell, Long and maybe others then that too could be considered a success.

Good post! But going back to your last paragraph I think I'd rather see 1 or 2 of the young ones given a chance and a couple of them sent out on loan for a sustained period of time to get games and experience instead.

 

[Aidey9]

Without reading the rest of the thread yet, this is where I am at. I suppose "acceptable" would be a top 6 finish, but with a lighter load without Europe, and some young talent looking boss (26, 16, 20, 10, 11, 23) and the vets settling into roles (25?, 18, 6, 3, 24) The squad looks primed for a big year next year IF they can just retain the players here. A few additions would be ace (backup striker, back up center half, someone to relieve Seamus on occasion) but over all, just keep the team we have one more year, see if we can get that top 4 and then build onto this foundation after that since we will be flush.

The back 4 has settled and Howard and Barry both look better in front and behind them. Those 6 should be a good regular line up. McCarthy pushing up the pitch has made us more dangerous as he is willing to occasionaly run past Rom which Barkley, Lennon and Kev seem less likely to do (FWIW Osman and Pienaar do that as well, it opens up passing lanes and gives and added threat in the box). Naisy, Osman, Pienaar can all be reserves.

So all that said, I could see Besic being sold, and he may be able to bring enough to buy Lennon. We would then have to find a back up #6, but that is a position every championship team employs with players dying to move up and show themselves. So we will see, "Acceptable" is a top 6 and at least one good Cup showing, but I think the team could be one of the better in the league next year and I expect them to- with the same disclaimer that decimating the Stones, Barkley, McCarthy, Lukaku young nucleus could set them back to the middle of the pack again.

I wouldn't sell Besic though, he's definitely Barry's long term replacement and would suit the 4-1-4-1 formation we currently deploy more so than the 4-2-3-1.

 

[Aidey9]

Glib and sarky comments aside (everyone seems to want to be the funniest).

I want progress.

In any / many forms.

Youth development - we've got quality youngsters who I want to see push on and play / be tried.
Playing style - refined. I appreciate what martinez wants but it has to be balanced with everton and the English way. See last season and recent games. Tiki taka at fast pace with drive and purpose can work.
1st eleven transfers. Would rather spend more on quality than (spurs) on quantity. We haven't got a massive budget but we have top players and great youth. Players in prime to play for 2 years while youth develops is the way to make money and be great on the pitch.
Do this and play top togger and I don't care about a pot (see wigan, Portsmouth, Birmingham et al)

We're going places.

A post of sense, like it!