[Albion] Will we do better than (those utter tossers) Boro?

[Bold Seagull]

That depends on whether the Albion can score more than 26 goals.

Obviously as it stands, not a snowballs chance.

Assuming PW can nail the biggest decision he and his team have to make this Summer, I'd like to think the Albion won't be that shite.

Really does depend on recruiting ex-Albion at this point. Get Barnes back.

 

[nicko31]

Slightly better

 

[sparkie]

It all depends on recruitment.

 

[Bwian]

If we are relying on most of the current squad then we could well do a Derby. There needs to be some very clever recruiting-which I'm sure is already well underway in identifying targets. We do at least have the advantage of not having to wait three weeks for the playoffs to finish before knowing which league we ae planning for.

 

[OzMike]

Gone with heart and said better, one prediction that would be nice to get.

 

[Silverhatch]

It really does need to be quality over quantity. Leicester's forum reckoned that Cambiasso galvanised their squad when they looked like they were disappearing down the plughole - especially when they'd been written off.

Oh for another (slightly fitter) Vicente.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

We will do better and survive. Especially when Ya-Ya Toure signs up!!!!!!!!!

If the Sun AND the Express say it........

 

[Simster]

So many things we have learnt from Boro this season.

* Gaston Ramirez is a FANNY. Well OK, we knew that the game before the season even started.
* Adam Clayton is not Premier league class. They are welcome to him. So glad he didn't come here.
* Signing a player for £6m who struggled to get into a bang average squad in the division below is NOT going to keep you up. So let's not sign Rudy Gestede from them.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Boro had NOTHING out wide which made them toothless. Their strikers weren't even being presented with the chances to miss.

Our best attacking options are our wide men. Going into the prem with the likes of Solly, AK, Murphy (quick and tricky) is a real benefit whilst Bruno is like a second winger down the right.

We already know that Dunk and Duffy are VERY good so we have a good basis for a team coming up. Obviously it's now down to Chris to find that guy he can rely on for goals. I have a feeling Baldock will be a bit of a gem for us with his work rate and running into channels which is vital in tough away games. Boro had Negredo up top by himself last night who is not mobile in the slightest. A great finisher but needed support.

 

[warmleyseagull]

Flicking through the final tables for last few seasons, anecdotally the biggest reason for relegation is not scoring enough. This seems more important than conceding too many. Boro's defensive record is not bad, their GS is abysmal, so a case in point.

PW was quoted in Guardian that the stattos at the club have been analysing what lessons might be learned from recently promoted teams; as a club owned by the probably the best better on soccer in history, based on a welter of analysis, we would hardly expect anything else.

Join these two together and I imagine there will be a concentration on ensuring offensive quality and variation in transfer window. If successful, there is no doubt we will do better. If not, we will struggle as much as Boro.

 

[Nixonator]

Better, based on our wide players hopefully stepping up (Solly, Knocky mainly), keeping hold of Stephens and some decent recruitment.

 

[crabface]

Our best attacking options are our wide men. Going into the prem with the likes of Solly, AK, Murphy (quick and tricky) is a real benefit whilst Bruno is like a second winger down the right.

My worry is that although we have some great wide men, the ball into the striker is not quick enough. We seem to dither around outside the box for to long which wont work in the premier league.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Boro had NOTHING out wide which made them toothless. Their strikers weren't even being presented with the chances to miss.

More about set up, than personnel, IMO.

To say they had NOTHING isn't true. They had Downing, whose delivery is better than anything we possess, and the lightning quick Adama Traore (signed by Villa on £70k/week )

 

[The Oldman]

Until we know our squad for next season I'm sitting on the fence and not voting. Our current squad will find life in the PL very difficult.

 

[Greavsey]

More about set up, than personnel, IMO.

To say they had NOTHING isn't true. They had Downing, whose delivery is better than anything we possess, and the lightning quick Adama Traore (signed by Villa on £70k/wee )

Agreed. The manager's approach has been appalling this season. I went to Stamford Bridge last night on a spare Chelski season ticket of my mate's and they were massively defensive in a game they needed to win to stand any chance of staying up.

This was epitomised by bringing on Pat Bamford to play as what seemed to be a second right wing back for the final twenty minutes. It's going to be tricky but I think Boro have provided a blueprint of how not to go about staying in the Premier League this season.

Incidentally, seeing Chelsea in the flesh was an eye opener for what we will be up against. Just amazing speed of movement and thought in the final third of the pitch. Pedro was particularly impressive..

 

[Brovion]

Like others I cannot answer as it's WAY too early. Ask again when the summer transfer window shuts - and then again after January.

 

[trueblue]

Can we find 12 wins next season?
Can see Hughton being far more methodical next season and targeting certain games with certain objectives,if we can target 12 wins all will be fine.key to get any transfer business done early and the squad settled.

Massive meltdown on NSC then when he does that and sets out for a point against the bigger clubs. Unless there's a run of fixtures in quick succession, I don't see much point in targeting. You can field a crap team against Man City and still lose to Hull the following week. I'd have thought Bournemouth have shown that, while not being ridiculously gung-ho, it's more important just to give it a go in every game and see where you end up. We'll almost certainly lose to Chelsea et al if we try to defend a 0-0 anyway, so may as well go down by 4 or 5 on the off chance we can catch them out. The key thing is to write those defeats off to experience, not panic into slagging off the players as shit (God help us as some can't resist that even when we're top of the league), and don't be afraid to lose.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

More about set up, than personnel, IMO.

To say they had NOTHING isn't true. They had Downing, whose delivery is better than anything we possess, and the lightning quick Adama Traore (signed by Villa on £70k/week )

Is that true? I was going to suggest that he would be one player of theirs worth taking. Not at that price though.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Boro had NOTHING out wide which made them toothless. Their strikers weren't even being presented with the chances to miss.

Our best attacking options are our wide men. Going into the prem with the likes of Solly, AK, Murphy (quick and tricky) is a real benefit whilst Bruno is like a second winger down the right.

They also fell into the trap of thinking you can play 4-5-1 with an average 1 up top.

I wager a wily old Fox like Glen will get much more change out of Premier League defenders than Gestede or Negredo ever did .

My worry is that although we have some great wide men, the ball into the striker is not quick enough. We seem to dither around outside the box for to long which wont work in the premier league.

Agree with this. March was quite guilty of this when he came on at Villa and Knockaert is definitely often guilty of wanting to beat his man before putting the ball in.

My two big asks of the team and CH next season is to play the percentages.

Teams who shoot or cross more create more chances - a very obvious thing to say but just watch MOTD and count the number of goals that go in through players legs, or crosses that do the same. Shoot/cross early before the defender is set and it will cause problems.

The second is that we adopt something of the Bournemouth approach and play without fear. If we're trying to win in the first place then we're likely to cause surprises.

I will be so disappointed if we play with fear or try not to lose.


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Is that true? I was going to suggest that he would be one player of theirs worth taking. Not at that price though.

Quite a big deal was made of it when they signed him, as their highest paid player, whilst still a teenager.