Seasons expectations?

[wcorkcanary 4,375]

On 22/08/2020 at 12:31, PurpleCanary said:

Heartwarming to see Adelaide Canary keeping going the proud tradition of place-name Canaries being among the most miserabilist. Already looks like a strong addition to the ranks of Highland, Midlands et al...

Oi!! I'm  a proud 'place name Canary' and in no way a miserablist. I fully back what we are doing and expect it to produce results, though maybe not instant, we are progressing  slowly in the right direction. Much prefer our current approach to  the old break the bank and hope for the best policy. 

[BigFish 2,003]

34 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

A fantastic transfer window so far, I can’t see anything other than finishing top. 

Saving your energy for a 2021/22 relegation season?

[Midlands Yellow 4,181]

11 minutes ago, BigFish said:

Saving your energy for a 2021/22 relegation season?

No, just a very balanced and thoughtful view by myself again. 

[PurpleCanary 5,651]

1 hour ago, wcorkcanary said:

Oi!! I'm  a proud 'place name Canary' and in no way a miserablist. I fully back what we are doing and expect it to produce results, though maybe not instant, we are progressing  slowly in the right direction. Much prefer our current approach to  the old break the bank and hope for the best policy. 

Oh! Cork as in the city or county!? I thought it was an arboreal reference...🌳

[wcorkcanary 4,375]

1 hour ago, PurpleCanary said:

Oh! Cork as in the city or county!? I thought it was an arboreal reference...🌳

Wesht Cark, it's a beautiful  part of a lovely County.  

[BigManInTheBarclay 75]

Hoping for automatic promotion.....not sure I could take the play-off rollercoaster again!

[Jersey Canary 159]

Top 6 minimum, top 2 probable if Pukki has his shooting boots on. 

[paddycanary 544]

5 hours ago, wcorkcanary said:

Wesht Cark, it's a beautiful  part of a lovely County.  

Indeed it is!

Does "paddycanary" count as a 'place-name' canary?

[TheGunnShow 6,244]

Time to bump this up with Huddersfield and the start of the league season around the corner. At least we've not got the Carabao to gum up the works, and of the five crown jewels, we've only lost Lewis so far.

[Capt. Pants 4,362]

28 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Time to bump this up with Huddersfield and the start of the league season around the corner. At least we've not got the Carabao to gum up the works, and of the five crown jewels, we've only lost Lewis so far.

And also added Ben Gibson to the mix. On paper, and relative to the league we are in, it's the strongest squad we've had since Farke arrived, and probably better than what Neil had.

[wcorkcanary 4,375]

On 27/08/2020 at 23:15, paddycanary said:

Indeed it is!

Does "paddycanary" count as a 'place-name' canary?

Don't  think so , more of a ' Ethnic Canary' really I suppose.  Maybe a ' Genetic  Canary' . A ' Whiskey  Canary' at a stretch. 

https://images.app.goo.gl/5Cg3vk1knXX4oCtb7

[Badger 2,421]

Top six should be the minimum target - we have explicitly stated it as our goal. I would obviously hope that we might do do better.

I would add that the goal is an end of season one. We might well have adjustment issues having to integrate a number of new players + I'm sure the confidence of some has taken a knock (e.g. Teemu).

[CirclePoint 208]

On 27/08/2020 at 09:14, wcorkcanary said:

Oi!! I'm  a proud 'place name Canary' and in no way a miserablist. I fully back what we are doing and expect it to produce results, though maybe not instant, we are progressing  slowly in the right direction. Much prefer our current approach to  the old break the bank and hope for the best policy. 

Absolutely agree with this. Given the current climate, I very much prefer the club's approach to financial responsibility. I can see the club building a strong, well founded financial model where we are not in the balance between administration and reckless spending every-other-season.

Promotion and immediate relegation was actually a really good thing for the club. We didn't spend stupid money when promoted. Webber negotiated and shored up all the contracts for the younger players to ensure the club had negotiating power, and once relegated, the parachute payments will not be spent on covering ridiculous journeymen wages to players who are looking elsewhere. The young players know they will get their game time at NCFC, if they are good enough. This creates an excellent youth development system that either produces quality players who play for NCFC, or they are sold for good money.

Those who are not happy with how the club is being run are probably financially unstable in their own personal lives. While, those who believe that the club lacks ambition because Deilia & Co. are not spending ten of millions to get back into the Premier League are either naive or simply lack the intelligence to understand what Webber and Co. are working towards.

For me, on and off the field, this is probably the strongest position the club has ever been in.

I for one am extremely excited for the coming season and believe we will bounce straight back.

My one concern is that Webber has set a timeline for his departure. I hope Delia & Co. can convince him to stay longer.

[CirclePoint 208]

7 minutes ago, Badger said:

Top six should be the minimum target - we have explicitly stated it as our goal. I would obviously hope that we might do do better.

I would add that the goal is an end of season one. We might well have adjustment issues having to integrate a number of new players + I'm sure the confidence of some has taken a knock (e.g. Teemu).

I'm honestly expecting an automatic spot. I think we're in really good shape.

[Indy 3,366]

To be honest I thought we’d be without Godfrey and Buendia (though still suspended for the first game) If we have the balls to go with Sorensen and Skipp with Placheta, Hernandez on the wings with Cantwell through the middle we could start the season in a positive manner.

Still think we’re top 2 in reality anything other than top 6 is a bit of a failure really.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Indy

[Badger 2,421]

4 minutes ago, CirclePoint said:

I'm honestly expecting an automatic spot. I think we're in really good shape.

I hope you are right, but I fear a relegation hangover at the start. (Perhaps the last 10 minutes at Luton is clouding my judgement).

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,993]

On paper, we will certainly be pushing hard for the top two, but I read yesterday that only two relegated sides have finished the Championship automatic promotion places in the last decade, which is quite staggering really.

The minimum requirement has to be the playoffs; anything less would be a failure. Top two is obviously the aim, but I don't think we should necessarily expect it or say the season is failure if we don't make it.

[TheGunnShow 6,244]

I think we'll start quite slowly, partially as a hangover. However if we keep such a squad for the most part, and considering the truncated nature of the season, I'd fancy our chances of coming on strongly in the second half.

[HazzaJet 260]

I think the most I would say at the moment is a top half finish, as we have no idea how strong the other teams will turn out yet - 2 years ago, were we really favourites to get promoted let alone win the title? I can’t really judge how a team will do until we’re about halfway through the season (although around Christmas last season, Ipswich were top of the league and ended up failing to even make the playoffs). We are one of the favourites to win promotion this season and I think we should do quite well though

However, for those that think we have a “relegation hangover” I don’t think it will affect any of our new signings, as they weren’t involved with us getting relegated, I also think they’ll only see it as 1 not 12 straight defeats and if the defeat to Luton does affect any of the players I can only see it affecting players who were involved with the match day squad

[paddycanary 544]

4 hours ago, wcorkcanary said:

Don't  think so , more of a ' Ethnic Canary' really I suppose.  Maybe a ' Genetic  Canary' . A ' Whiskey  Canary' at a stretch. 

https://images.app.goo.gl/5Cg3vk1knXX4oCtb7

Don't care much for Paddy, has a harsh, almost 'Scotchy' aftertaste. Good aul Jameson is yer only man, Powers almost as good & very similar, Crested Ten always a winner, Green Spot very smooth but a bit pricey. Has there ever been a better time to be an "uisce beatha" drinker?

[Tetteys Jig 831]

The signings of Skipp on loan with no permanent option and the fact we have (for now) kept nearly all our best players means we simply have to be targeting instant promotion. If we fail with that this season, they'll all be gone and it will become harder and harder the longer we go without going up.

[wcorkcanary 4,375]

25 minutes ago, paddycanary said:

Don't care much for Paddy, has a harsh, almost 'Scotchy' aftertaste. Good aul Jameson is yer only man, Powers almost as good & very similar, Crested Ten always a winner, Green Spot very smooth but a bit pricey. Has there ever been a better time to be an "uisce beatha" drinker?

Have say the Jemmy is my fave too. Don't  drink much but always have  a  bottle around at Christmas. 

[sgncfc 1,266]

The signings of Skipp and Dowell were masterstrokes, and hopefully Gibson will give us a bit more in defence too. I also think Martin could be a big player for us this year. Top 6 minimum, but unless I've missed some big transfer news so far with other clubs we really should win it again.

[Tumbleweed 106]

I'm hoping for top 6, and we should be capable of that on paper. I am not too worried if Aarons and Godfrey join Lewis in leaving, whilst promising, they were also partly responsible for an abysmal defence, despite injuries to the CBs. The money will be useful and we have replacements now. Gibson is a good experienced addition.

But what worries me are the tactics from Farke. If he sticks to his slow ball passing around the back sort of game with persistent advanced full backs I fear we will struggle badly. A bit like his first season. My memory of the Champs win was that we started to play with zip, good running off the ball, fast one touch, and playing through the lines. In the Prem we were slow, ponderous and predictable. So I feel this is the key.

We definitely have the firepower to do well. Whether it is going to get used properly we shall very soon find out......!

 

[BroadstairsR 2,263]

"But what worries me are the tactics from Farke."

A bit of truth in that I suppose, but he's now had two seasons in the Championship and a tough season in the PL to call upon.

 

It was his first managerial job and it was in a foreign environment.

 

He had a lot to learn, but he's no fool.

[Tumbleweed 106]

I agree, and certainly no fool. But what I saw after the Restart was us reverting to those Season 1 tactics and there was no pace, movement, creativity. We looked at our best (admittedly not very often!) in the PL when playing more stridently and moving the ball quickly, sometimes on the break.  He also experimented a bit which was good to see, but I had thought he had settled on a particular approach which worked well. I just hope we don't play too cautiously after being stung in that [continuing] losing streak......

For what its worth I think Ben Gibson could be our most important signing. Stability there may give us a better platform all over the pitch. Get Cantwell, Buendia, Henrnadez and Placheta working together in midfield at pace with  a strong CB pairing to fall back on could be great to see.

[Canary Wundaboy 1,365]

There's certainly going to be a lot of scrutiny over Farke and his tactics this season. We have on paper one of the best squads in the league, definitely capable of going back up. Player motivation, tactics and how we improve our performance at set pieces (both ends) are all areas that fall squarely under his jurisdiction, and he'll be judged on results. I don't think we look any good passing it slowly around, but when we put a bit of pace into the play and start one-touch zipping the ball about we'll beat anyone in this league. Hopeful that we'll see a lot more of that style this season.

[jaberry2 567]

I would expect us to finish in or around the playoffs. This is providing we can get a few early wins under our belts and build on our confidence again.

[cornish sam 969]

The problem last year was that, after the first couple of months, we struggled to find the space to zip the ball around and had to revert to the slow passing waiting for a gap, which inevitably led to us losing the ball instead. That should be less of a problem in the championship because of the signings injecting a bit more pace and the lower quality of the opposition.

[sonyc 5,542]

Expectations currently are 4th to 8th. I am neither bullish or bearish. We ought to be competitive though unlike last season.

Yet, I'm somehow expecting a slow start to the campaign and  wouldn't be surprised if we lost the opening game either...I just don't know what we are going to be like. It is so difficult to predict at this moment. Those first 10/12 games will tell us what we need to know. After a quarter of the season the trends are set for either struggle or dominance. Only occasionally do teams hit real form later into a season.