[Albion] 9 wins in each of the last five top flight seasons

[trueblue]

Granted a lot can happen in the summer but think we're a lot better placed to prosper next season than Palace and/or Burnley (bearing in mind the former might be okay and the latter a lot worse off if Dyche swaps Turf Moor for Selhurst). Southampton have potential to be very ropey, Wolves face an uncertain spell although the return of their strikers should turn them around and Newcastle are, well, Newcastle. Never harmonious. Then there's the obvious jump in standard again for Norwich & Watford and the even bigger jump for Swansea or Brentford. Replicate our form over the second half of this season and we'll be fine. Make the right signings, and it could be very exciting.

 

[Swansman]

It's not enough. End of. Cant keep dicing with bottom 6 and hope that three worse. Read somewhere that this is the first time a side has been 4 seasons in bottom 6 and not been relegated.

More positively, registered 6 wins & 24 points in second half; double that and mid table security beckons. Moreover the 7 defeats were, bar today, all by odd goal. Took lead in 3 (Wolves, Man U, Leics) and shot own foot in 3 others: WBA, Sheff U, Wolves. Defensively strong.

3 targets for next season: finishing; finishing; finishing.

But if not at least three teams are worse, its quite likely going to result in relegation...

 

[GT49er]

Newly promoted Leeds won twice as many games as us and rock bottom Sheff Utd won only two less than us. Nine wins will probably keep you up but not do a lot more, hence we are always in the bottom six. Talk of top ten is ludicrous. It would mean doubling the number of wins we usually get. We haven't got the firepower to do that. All through the side, we have players who are shot-shy in front of goal, particularly in midfield. We have signed too many players who are not goalscorers.
A new striker coming in will not solve the overall problem. The whole squad has to contribute more goals and we are likely to have to try and replace our best player in midfield.

The upside of this is that we would be trying to replace our least likely to score midfielder.

 

[boik]

Newly promoted Leeds won twice as many games as us and rock bottom Sheff Utd won only two less than us. Nine wins will probably keep you up but not do a lot more, hence we are always in the bottom six. Talk of top ten is ludicrous. It would mean doubling the number of wins we usually get. We haven't got the firepower to do that. All through the side, we have players who are shot-shy in front of goal, particularly in midfield. We have signed too many players who are not goalscorers.
A new striker coming in will not solve the overall problem. The whole squad has to contribute more goals and we are likely to have to try and replace our best player in midfield.

We don't need a lot more goals, just a few would have made a huge difference.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Seems it's enough to keep you up.

If that's the extent of our ambition, we will get caught out eventually.

 

[Swansman]

If that's the extent of our ambition, we will get caught out eventually.

Its going to be the main ambition for a long time to come just like it is for the majority of clubs in the league.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Its going to be the main ambition for a long time to come just like it is for the majority of clubs in the league.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

we got "something" in 23 games this season. Only 9 wins is disappointing in the context of how those opportunities were squandered, but it also shows how close we have been to a comfortable mid-table finish.. another 4-6 points from those draws and daylight robbery of defeats, is all it would have taken this year. This thread was making the point of how consistent we have been in terms of numbers of games won. The encouraging thing from the similar number of draws this season, is that we have not really gained points by hanging in there - the conversion of draws to wins looks more achievable than it has felt in previous seasons - to me at least. The "three teams worse than us" argument just baffles me - that is the very essence of a league table.. Man City have won the title because there were 19 sides worse than them.

 

[Swansman]

View attachment 137040

Are you implying that raising ambitions from (primarly) avoiding relegation to mid-table finish is going to automatically make it easier to gather points in the league?

 

[Is it PotG?]

Are you implying that raising ambitions from (primarly) avoiding relegation to mid-table finish is going to automatically make it easier to gather points in the league?

No.

No guarantees in this life.

Some less educated may examine the Leeds/Villa models, and as some have said the progress in 20201/22 will be interesting.

 

[Swansman]

No.

No guarantees in this life.

Some less educated may examine the Leeds/Villa models, and as some have said the progress in 20201/22 will be interesting.

Yes, and prior to this season "less educated" may have "examined Sheffield United models".

Raising ambitions does nothing. Improving the team and results are what would lead to better results, "having the ambition" means very little.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Yes, and prior to this season "less educated" may have "examined Sheffield United models".

Raising ambitions does nothing. Improving the team and results are what would lead to better results, "having the ambition" means very little.

Shirley raising ambitions results in improving the side. What other avenues would lead to it, changing the kit?

 

[Swansman]

Shirley raising ambitions results in improving the side. What other avenues would lead to it, changing the kit?

No. Improving the team.

Ambition - "a strong desire to do or achieve something."

If higher ambitions "surely would improve results", then everyone would have the ambition to win the league and everyone would end up in the top 5 or so. But thats not how it works.

 

[Is it PotG?]

No. Improving the team.

Ambition - "a strong desire to do or achieve something."

If higher ambitions "surely would improve results", then everyone would have the ambition to win the league and everyone would end up in the top 5 or so. But that's not how it works.

Absolute nonsense.

Ambition drives success. It doesn't happen by chance.

Ambition is the path to success, persistence is the vehicle you arrive in - William Eardley IV

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

No. Improving the team.

Ambition - "a strong desire to do or achieve something."

If higher ambitions "surely would improve results", then everyone would have the ambition to win the league and everyone would end up in the top 5 or so. But thats not how it works.

Quite right.

To suggest our main shortcoming is lack of ambition is ludicrous.

There again if we had more ambition we would of signed a £50 million striker.

 

[Swansman]

Absolute nonsense.

Ambition drives success. It doesn't happen by chance.

Ambition is the path to success, persistence is the vehicle you arrive in - William Eardley IV

Hard work, skill, quality and performance drives success. So you are right when you say it doesnt happen by chance.

But it also dont happen through empty words like "ambition". If Tony Bloom walks into the dressing room today and says "my ambition is to win 10 Champions League titles in a row", it doesnt get you anywhere nearer winning a single one.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Hard work, skill, quality and performance drives success. So you are right when you say it doesnt happen by chance.

But it also dont happen through empty words like "ambition". If Tony Bloom walks into the dressing room today and says "my ambition is to win 10 Champions League titles in a row", it doesnt get you anywhere nearer winning a single one.

You have to start somewhere.

Without ambition, you'll get nowhere.

Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings - Salvador Dali

 

[Swansman]

You have to start somewhere.

Without ambition, you'll get nowhere.

Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings - Salvador Dali

The ambition is to win every game, so thats your start. Unfortunately the opponents are often not interested in those ambitions, making it difficult to win every game.

Nice quotes by the way, but quotes does not make anything more or less true or real.

"The earth is flat" - Bersant Celina. But it isnt.

 

[Is it PotG?]

"The earth is flat" - Bersant Celina. But it isnt.

Sorry, you've lost me.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

Whatever you think of Swansman he certainly knows his football and his command of the English language is admirable.* I like his opinions and glad he contributes to debates on NSC.


*waitting for the pendant response........unlike your command of the English language