Southampton/Huddersfield are the level for next season

[k2bluesky]

I've enjoyed this year as much as any but our failure to beat Southampton and (possibly) Huddersfield over 2 matches is a slight worry as they will be the level of opposition for next year and we've seen this before with magnificent promotions only to be brought back down in the Championship by an inability to compete with the tactics + stronger, more skilful players we find there.

The two FA cup wins looked fine, v pompey/watford but that's the cup, when saints pushed up in the 2nd half they virtually stopped us playing (as they did in the 1st half at St Mary's) and you can bet that's what all the championship will do too, having fitter players who can do that for 90 mins, I think we will definitely need a plan B game, along with several new players.

 

[Simster]

So Pompey/Watford don't count because that was only the cup, whereas a narrow defeat in a completely meaningless match (for us) against Southampton, with them absolutely *desperate* to win is deemed worthy of worry?

 

[The Large One]

For an optimist, half a glass of milk is half-full.
For a pessimist, half a glass of milk is half-empty.
For you, it is sour.

- Jack-Jacques Livereau

 

[Marshy]

The style wont change, sure they will push further up the pitch to stop us knocking it around at the back.

We will just get better players in who can still do it...well i hope anyway

 

[NMH]

So Pompey/Watford don't count because that was only the cup, whereas a narrow defeat in a completely meaningless match (for us) against Southampton, with them absolutely *desperate* to win is deemed worthy of worry?

It is true.
No matter WHAT anyone could say to build up that game - the intrinsic fact remains that we can lose all our matches by tens of goals, and still be CHAMPIONS.
We still get backwards bender types (aka redneb) from Sadhampton on here drooling about their significant success - yet they LOST 10 games this season - and but for our penalty failure at theirs it would have been 11 !!

 

[big nuts]

Reasonable points made I think. We will improve under Gus and we will cope well in the Championship. Based on Saturdays performance by an impressive Saints side if we finish around 16 points above them next year we will win the Championship.

Southampton in my opinion will be in or around the playoffs next season if they go up, which I believe they will.

One area I think we slightly lack is pace. Apart from Bennett we don't have anyone with blistering pace who is a regular starter. That's why I'm surprised more team like Southampton & Stoke haven't tried to press us higher up the pitch, as we are not a quick side. If we had 3 speed merchants playing I could understand most team reluctance as they would be leaving to much space at the back. Maybe it's due to levels and the majority of teams we have played this season either don't have the fitness or wherewithal to produce these types of performances.

 

[Safeway]

It's alright because not both Southampton and Huddersfield will go up anyway, one of them will lose out in the play-offs.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I think the OP has some fair arguments regarding strength and fitness, and I am absolutely certain Gus is not naive enough to miss the point and address it during the summer by bolstering the side with championship quality/experienced players.

 

[Rookie]

Very difficult to judge anything from a game when the title was already in the bag Greer was missing and Murray went off injured. The squad will improve over the summer because we will want to finish high as we can not because of games at the end of this season

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

I'm with NMH on this one. Since Sept, except for our slight blip against the non-leaguers in the Cup, we've led the way. Huddersfield would probably be best equipped to come up with us. We've proved time and again we're the best and with a couple of major signings we'll be ok.

 

[severnside gull]

It's not a bad point in fairness although I think TLO has the perfect answer

We should have won at St Mary's and we had a bad day at the office at the Galpharm. Our two home games come when we have already achieved our goals for the season and no matter what we or anyone else might say the players are understandably less committed than they might have been so it makes it almost impossible to judge.

It will be harder to play from deep next year. We will need some better players and develop the ability to mix it more.

That is perhaps why Gus has said he will bring in six or seven players.

I think we will go in to next season with a reasonable chance of doing well and yes, maybe our expectations of being able to "do a Norwich" will not be realised but then if you don't aspire...............................

 

[fire&skill]

Virtually all of our players have remained fit throughout the season, with the obvious exception of one or two. Pulled muscles have almost been non-existent and many teams have been unable to maintain chasing us down (eg saints at St mary's). I don't think our fitness is in question at all.

We are a team with nothing to play for (indeed, a second string team yesterday) and saints and Huddersfield are DESPERATE for the points. Do you know what, we'll probably lose Saturday, and it WON'T MATTER.

The one or two glitches we had this season was dealt with by Gus and the team. Why will it be any different next season?

 

[BLOCK F]

Yes,we are all aware the squad needs strengthening if we are to make any kind of impression next season.
I am sure Gus already has his wish list firmly in mind.Let us hope we can get those players he wants(and needs!),get a good pre-season behind us,start to get used to Falmer and 'hit the ground running'....as we say every single year!

 

[moggy]

Apart from mk dons and Peterborough we failed to beat the other 4 top sides in the top 6 places.oh, and Rochdale just outside the playoffs
This current side would end up bottom half of the championship I'm sure if left unstrengthened but TB wants playoffs again so we sure to strengthenv right up

 

[The Large One]

These points would be valid but for the fact that both Southampton and Huddersfield both lost to teams they frankly shouldn't have lost to.

Hartlepool aside, we didn't.

 

[Perkino]

Saints are not championship level! have a look at the highlights from the match, they play league 1 football and hit it long to their giant footballers. They are big and bulky and try to bully their way to victory on our day we would have gone on to win but with Chaplow staying on for his assault on Casper and Murray going off injured we were trying to hold onto a 1-0 win which is hard against a hoof ball team with 7 players over 6'2.

Watford and Portsmouth are the championship sides we have played this season and we looked comfortable against them both. I'm not expecting us to walk the league but with our current squad we should finish about 10th so with a few additions we could move up into the play-offs

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

Perhaps another valid point being that the two clubs mentioned have put all their eggs in one basket, ie paying big money on players/wages, to get out of this league. One of them is going to implode, as the play-offs will be anti-climatic for their "superstars" to take. Guess my point is, unlike us, will they have the money available to strengthen even more?

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I do think people put too much weight behind the Pompey/Watford wins. Pompey were down to ten very early on and Watford played their reserve midfield. I am not saying there is no merit in the results or that we'll struggle next year, just that they shouldn't be looked on as clear indicators of the level this team can perform at.

It is a shame that the Saints/Hudders home games do mean diddily squat as it would have been good to really see how we fair against the other top teams in this League again.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Saints are not championship level!

Maybe not this season, but they have the support base, finance and infrastructure to strengthen and improve next year. The great thing is, we do to

 

[DJ Leon]

We've won the league, so absolutely NOTHING can be taken from our results against Southampton and Huddersfield, both of whom have everything to play for.