[Albion] Where will we finish in the league?

[TomandJerry]

Well, what say you?

 

[portslade seagull]

As the squad stands 16th. Still need midfield reinforcements

 

[Han Solo]

It will be around 10th... not much higher, not much lower.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Too early for this question as we don't know the final squad. We might make 1 or 2 big signings which will alter people's opinions.

 

[Zeberdi]

It will be around 10th... not much higher, not much lower.

Come on - we finished just one place lower than that last season with a manager that didn’t want to be here and a third of the squad on the treatment table.

Given our impressive signings already this window of ACD, Minteh, Weiffer and of course your favoured Yalcouyé, a manager who has a proven history of using a system that is both more organised in defence and more aggressive in attack than De Zerbi-ball, surely you can afford to be a little more generous?

7-9 for me.

 

[Muzzman]

 

[Dave the OAP]

17th

 

[Silverhatch]

1st. The rest are all cheats, skint.

 

[Han Solo]

Come on - we finished just one place lower than that last season with a manager that didn’t want to be here and a third of the squad on the treatment table.

Given our impressive signings already this window of ACD, Minteh, Weiffer and of course your favoured Yalcouyé, a manager who has a proven history of using a system that is both more organised in defence and more aggressive in attack than De Zerbi-ball, surely you can afford to be a little more generous?

7-9 for me.

Still, new manager who needs time to condition the squad into his ideas and philosophy.

This is not like when Roberto took over what Graham had built. Fabio Hurzeler is taking reigns of a team that was psychologically and physically mismanaged.... it needs repair work. I think the first few months are going to be a struggle.

 

[Zeberdi]

Still, new manager who needs time to condition the squad into his ideas and philosophy.

This is not like when Roberto took over what Graham had built. Fabio Hurzeler is taking reigns of a team that was psychologically and physically mismanaged.... it needs repair work. I think the first few months are going to be a struggle.

I agree on both accounts - but I guess we are working on different timescales here - I think after the January window, by which time I expect the team and manager to be have reached a level where we are performing at our squad potential and we are hovering around 12th-13th, I think we’ll see a trajectory in the second half of the season very different to that of 2023/4.

Hürzeler turned around St Pauli who were hovering on the edge of the ‘no go zone’ into a top 5 finish in Bundes 2 in his first 6 months as manager. I think when you have a lot of broken eggs, if you have the recipe and right ingredients , it doesn’t take very long to make a good soufflé.

 

[pasty]

 

[Guinness Boy]

It’s a daft question now. I’ll vote the day before Everton, so long as I can change it the day after deadline day.

 

[Zebedee]

I've gone for 18th. Yet again our forward line doesn't look strong enough.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Dunno

 

[Flounce]

Still, new manager who needs time to condition the squad into his ideas and philosophy.

This is not like when Roberto took over what Graham had built. Fabio Hurzeler is taking reigns of a team that was psychologically and physically mismanaged.... it needs repair work. I think the first few months might be a struggle.

Corrected for you

 

[DJ NOBO]

Rebuild season, with some of our stalwarts either past their best or gone.
New signings unproven.
A strong league, as ever, in which no quarter is given.
11th would be fine. Expecting a place or two lower than that .
As ever, avoiding relegation is primary objective . No amount of happy clapping changes that

 

[el punal]

20th. The players are crap. The tactics are all wrong. Hurzeler hasn’t got a clue. The new kit is terrible. Why doesn’t Bloom spend money on players. The new fan zone is a complete waste of money. Blah! Blah! Blah!

P.S. All the above is based on a pot pourri of comments and opinions which various people have made. I’ve decided to put all this bollocks into a big bollocks box only to be opened at the end of the season. Thank you.

 

[Deadly Danson]

I think when you have a lot of broken eggs, if you have the recipe and right ingredients , it doesn’t take very long to make a good soufflé.

Hands down my favourite words of pre season.

 

[Kosh]

I’m going with a slightly uncomfortable 15th…

Roberto, for all his faults, had a certain aura and clearly commanded respect from his charges… his tactics were rigid, yet at their best, fluid… he acted and felt like a maverick and had huge respect from his betters… which, although could be viewed with a cynical edge, felt genuine enough.

I worry about a this new era, players are coming in ever more to make names for themselves and move on… and I’m struggling to genuinely warm to Fabian … that’s not to say he’s going to fail, but I’m not convinced it’ll be plain sailing and/or fanfare stuff…

My major concern relates to his judgement from preseason of who can cut it in the PL squad. Based on the level he’s previously had success at he might be in danger of overestimating some of our younger players, whilst fundamentally underestimating the actual quality of the PL… watching it and coaching in it are clearly two separate realities and looking at the ‘quality’ we’ve faced in pre-season, well, I’m not convinced that we should be expecting Ayari et al to be ready…

He clearly likes hussle, which we all do … the problem is maintaining high energy levels week in week out, whilst delivering a system that can cope defensively… I’m a bit worried he might be opting for all bustle and expecting that to overcome top level quality… I have other serious doubts tactically too, especially with such a high press and a squad not blessed with central defensive pace… even dropping a CDM in to cover quick counters doesn’t fill me full of confidence that we’re not going to get ripped apart… Everton will be very interesting

I’m more worried about this season than any since the last CH season.

 

[Eeyore]

It will be around 10th... not much higher, not much lower.

I'd say that's right. No more than 9 places either way.

I'm pretty sure we'll be top 20 this year.