I think some people need to lower their expectations ahead of next season...

[Finchley Seagull]

We have a budget to stick to and wont break it-i am sure we could find more than will be supplied in this summers transfer budget but that would not stay true to the long term plans-

come on £22m on a couple of players or an Academy? which is really best for us..

Gus has many reasons to stay-his age alone is a major factor

I don't think anyone is saying we should go for broke to go up. However, it is difficult to be top six with a bottom half budget. We need to increase investment in the team as we have to fill another 5,000 seats next season. That is not a criticism of Tony Bloom as I am sure he realises this and will give Gus a very good budget for next season.

 

[sir albion]

I am sure I'll be flamed for being negative, but I think I'm being realistic. I think we have overachieved this season especially at the start due to the Amex effect and momentum from last season. I honestly think we won't do as well next season, unless we get some players in who can actually play the Gus way at Championship level. I think it is fairly obvious that we have very few players who play the way Gus wants to play. Our possession game worked in league 1 because of the lack of pace of the opposition, but at this level we need players who can play at a higher tempo and catch teams on the break. Most of the time (especially in the last few games) we find ourselves misplacing passes and even when we are retaining possession, we cannot break teams down because we play at such a low tempo it allows the opposition to get back in numbers. All I am saying is I think it will take a couple of seasons to source a whole squad who can play possession football at Championship pace, and I do not automatically expect us to make the play offs next year, just because we've had a good season this year.

We're an ambitious club with expectations,mr bloom has high expectations so why lower them?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Has anybody actually posted their expectations for next season yet?

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

I don't think anyone is saying we should go for broke to go up. However, it is difficult to be top six with a bottom half budget. We need to increase investment in the team as we have to fill another 5,000 seats next season. That is not a criticism of Tony Bloom as I am sure he realises this and will give Gus a very good budget for next season.

Key point here and they do need to be filled- i agree but again our budget may only be 10th to 15th at best,for now-i am sure we will not spend on relation to turnover what others do on our budget and rightly so-Blackpool went up on 8,000 gates to the Premier league so it can be done..

 

[pork pie]

I am sure I'll be flamed for being negative, but I think I'm being realistic. I think we have overachieved this season especially at the start due to the Amex effect and momentum from last season. I honestly think we won't do as well next season, unless we get some players in who can actually play the Gus way at Championship level. I think it is fairly obvious that we have very few players who play the way Gus wants to play. Our possession game worked in league 1 because of the lack of pace of the opposition, but at this level we need players who can play at a higher tempo and catch teams on the break. Most of the time (especially in the last few games) we find ourselves misplacing passes and even when we are retaining possession, we cannot break teams down because we play at such a low tempo it allows the opposition to get back in numbers. All I am saying is I think it will take a couple of seasons to source a whole squad who can play possession football at Championship pace, and I do not automatically expect us to make the play offs next year, just because we've had a good season this year.

I think you are right. BUT, I also think it will be unacceptable. Gus needs to learn some pragmatism, and adapt the style of play to the ability of the players we can afford. That is the crux of the problem. The guy's head is so far up his own arse, he refuses to accept things need to be done differently. I seriously doubt that we could ever afford the players to be able to play the way Gus wants on a sustained basis in order to achieve promotion. I looked at Vicente yesterday. He is a fantastic player with the ball at his feet. Unfortunately, if he loses the ball, he just appeals to the Ref for a foul, when he gets ignored, he does not do anything to try to close down the opposition, or try to win the ball back. In my opinion, he is too much of a "luxury player" for our team, and the dip in form since he started playing, is probably evidence of this fact. We need players willing to show some fight, who, if they lose the ball, bloody well try to win it back. Also, we make it easy for the opposition defenders when he is playing, by channeling nearly everything through him, so they simply "do a job" on him, and stop us playing.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Has anybody actually posted their expectations for next season yet?

I hope we finish the season-some long lost civilisation stated the world would end this year,finishing the season would be the best achievement of all time-

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Exactly, and as the poster above you says, we ended up 2 points ahead of Derby and Watford. Look at the squads they have and the money they've spent and that gives you another view on things, but we've still done well to finish 10th IMO. But the players we've spent BIG money on have largely failed to live up to expectations, Buckley apart. Hoskins cost us a lot of money, Lua Lua has hardly featured, Ryan Harley, CMS, and again Vincelot has hardly played.

Blackpool, Cardiff, Boro, Reading... all have picked up players on the cheap compared to us (Le Fondre, Jutkievitz, Kenny Miller, Matt Phillips, Kevin Phillips etc etc), or on free transfers, none of them spunked £1m transfer fee's over last summer. That seems the way to go. I'd much rather us spend a bit more on wages to get players LIKE Jason Roberts on a free, than to go and spend £3 million on Jordan Rhodes or others.

We tried to sign Kevin Phillips in fairness. How much did Jutkevicw cost? I would think it was a fair amount? As for the rest, Le Fondre I agree with but the more experienced Premier League players are out of our wage cap at the moment. This means we have to look to the lower leagues for players and they cost big money but obviously less in terms of wages.

CMS obviously hasn't quite lived up to expectation in terms of goals and I think our key for next year is to find a way to play to his strengths. Harley failed but £300k at this level is peanuts. Hoskins was down to his injury and if we sell him we may well get a fair bit of what we paid back. Buckley has been great and LuaLua has shown enough to justify us taking him on permanently. Vincelot at £100K has been value for money and filled in well when needed. Vicente has obviously been great after being written off by fans.

I don't think that is too bad a record considering how well we have done and if you look further back then Greer (£250K), Calderon (free), Bridcutt (free), Barnes (£100K?) and Noone (£300K) have all show they can compete at this level. I am confident he will find the right players this summer and we will be stronger going into next season.

 

[Beach Hut]

I think you are right. BUT, I also think it will be unacceptable. Gus needs to learn some pragmatism, and adapt the style of play to the ability of the players we can afford. That is the crux of the problem. The guy's head is so far up his own arse, he refuses to accept things need to be done differently. I seriously doubt that we could ever afford the players to be able to play the way Gus wants on a sustained basis in order to achieve promotion. I looked at Vicente yesterday. He is a fantastic player with the ball at his feet. Unfortunately, if he loses the ball, he just appeals to the Ref for a foul, when he gets ignored, he does not do anything to try to close down the opposition, or try to win the ball back. In my opinion, he is too much of a "luxury player" for our team, and the dip in form since he started playing, is probably evidence of this fact. We need players willing to show some fight, who, if they lose the ball, bloody well try to win it back. Also, we make it easy for the opposition defenders when he is playing, by channeling nearly everything through him, so they simply "do a job" on him, and stop us playing.

Same can said for Buckley, Noone and Lua Lua - all very bad at getting the ball back when the inevitable happens and we lose possession.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

I think you are right. BUT, I also think it will be unacceptable. Gus needs to learn some pragmatism, and adapt the style of play to the ability of the players we can afford. That is the crux of the problem. The guy's head is so far up his own arse, he refuses to accept things need to be done differently. I seriously doubt that we could ever afford the players to be able to play the way Gus wants on a sustained basis in order to achieve promotion. I looked at Vicente yesterday. He is a fantastic player with the ball at his feet. Unfortunately, if he loses the ball, he just appeals to the Ref for a foul, when he gets ignored, he does not do anything to try to close down the opposition, or try to win the ball back. In my opinion, he is too much of a "luxury player" for our team, and the dip in form since he started playing, is probably evidence of this fact. We need players willing to show some fight, who, if they lose the ball, bloody well try to win it back. Also, we make it easy for the opposition defenders when he is playing, by channeling nearly everything through him, so they simply "do a job" on him, and stop us playing.

So how do you explain Swansea then?

 

[Weststander]

Exactly, and as the poster above you says, we ended up 2 points ahead of Derby and Watford. Look at the squads they have and the money they've spent and that gives you another view on things, but we've still done well to finish 10th IMO. But the players we've spent BIG money on have largely failed to live up to expectations, Buckley apart. Hoskins cost us a lot of money, Lua Lua has hardly featured, Ryan Harley, CMS, and again Vincelot has hardly played.

Blackpool, Cardiff, Boro, Reading... all have picked up players on the cheap compared to us (Le Fondre, Jutkievitz, Kenny Miller, Matt Phillips, Kevin Phillips etc etc), or on free transfers, none of them spunked £1m transfer fee's over last summer. That seems the way to go. I'd much rather us spend a bit more on wages to get players LIKE Jason Roberts on a free, than to go and spend £3 million on Jordan Rhodes or others.

Or a combination of buying both:
A highly paid & experienced Roberts - type
AND a young star Rhodes.

 

[Dunk]

I expect European glory and to be the FA cup holders by 2015.

The premier league title will be a year later- you have to be realistic.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I think you are right. BUT, I also think it will be unacceptable. Gus needs to learn some pragmatism, and adapt the style of play to the ability of the players we can afford. That is the crux of the problem. The guy's head is so far up his own arse, he refuses to accept things need to be done differently. I seriously doubt that we could ever afford the players to be able to play the way Gus wants on a sustained basis in order to achieve promotion. I looked at Vicente yesterday. He is a fantastic player with the ball at his feet. Unfortunately, if he loses the ball, he just appeals to the Ref for a foul, when he gets ignored, he does not do anything to try to close down the opposition, or try to win the ball back. In my opinion, he is too much of a "luxury player" for our team, and the dip in form since he started playing, is probably evidence of this fact. We need players willing to show some fight, who, if they lose the ball, bloody well try to win it back. Also, we make it easy for the opposition defenders when he is playing, by channeling nearly everything through him, so they simply "do a job" on him, and stop us playing.

Now this is purely hypothetical, but how do you know, that with this same group of players, we'd have finished higher if Gus had been more pragmatic, or adapted the style of play as you've stated!?

I actually refuse to accept that, and would counter your argument that without Gus's single minded vision and conviction as a manager, we'd actually be down with the Leeds, Ipswich, Palace and P'Boro with the squad we've got.

Then again, anyone who can see a criticism in a player that has 9 assists, 3 more than anyone else in the team, as well as 3 goals (2 in a match winning cameo) in only 11 full appearances (+ 8 as sub) is someone I'm not really paying a lot of attention to if I'm honest...

 

[kevtherev]

Key point here and they do need to be filled- i agree but again our budget may only be 10th to 15th at best,for now-i am sure we will not spend on relation to turnover what others do on our budget and rightly so-Blackpool went up on 8,000 gates to the Premier league so it can be done..

Your right it can be done, as Holloway and others before him have proved. But it can't be done the way Gus wants it to be done, without spending large amounts of money. Because I can't see Gus ever putting together a team of misfits/free transfers and other clubs rejects and turning them into a side capable of promotion. I can never see Poyet being able to do that sort of job anywhere.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Your right it can be done, as Holloway and others before him have proved. But it can't be done the way Gus wants it to be done, without spending large amounts of money. Because I can't see Gus ever putting together a team of misfits/free transfers and other clubs rejects and turning them into a side capable of promotion. I can never see Poyet being able to do that sort of job anywhere.

We shall see come summers end how the squad shapes up-many were not predicting the additions we had last season and i think we shall be pleasantly surprised again-

I PREDICT £10 million spent this summer..there you go!!

Will that be enough

 

[Bold Seagull]

Your right it can be done, as Holloway and others before him have proved. But it can't be done the way Gus wants it to be done, without spending large amounts of money. Because I can't see Gus ever putting together a team of misfits/free transfers and other clubs rejects and turning them into a side capable of promotion. I can never see Poyet being able to do that sort of job anywhere.

He's basically been a manager for 2 and a bit seasons, won a title with a team looking destined for relegation, and was perhaps a bit of luck away from nailing a play off place in our first season back in the Championship. Any yet, you already know what he is capable of after such a short period of time, that for most other clubs and especially this one has been the most successful couple of seasons in decades. People like yourself leave me flabbergasted you really do.

 

[stss30]

Has anybody actually posted their expectations for next season yet?

People are implying that we're almost guaranteed to make the play offs next season, and unless we make some improvements throughout the squad I can't see it happening. That's not me being unambitious and happy to see us finish mid table. But I can't see us finishing above any of the teams who come down from the Prem this year, amongst others.

 

[kevtherev]

He's basically been a manager for 2 and a bit seasons, won a title with a team looking destined for relegation, and was perhaps a bit of luck away from nailing a play off place in our first season back in the Championship. Any yet, you already know what he is capable of after such a short period of time, that for most other clubs and especially this one has been the most successful couple of seasons in decades. People like yourself leave me flabbergasted you really do.

Listen to the interviews,,,all he goes on about is money, money, money all the time.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Listen to the interviews,,,all he goes on about is money, money, money all the time.

Think he could be hinting at somebody

 

[Foolg]

How much did Jutkevicw cost? I would think it was a fair amount?

£1 Million, and most of those goals were scored in an awful Coventry team. Both times I saw him against us he tore us apart, and for a target man was very very impressive with his feet.

 

[kevtherev]

Think he could be hinting at somebody

But that's the point isn't it?...Just how much does he want, when is enough, enough. True we don't have the budget of the West Ham's of this world. But how happy would you be if Poyet asked you for £3million pounds to go and sign a top striker this summer, or more?