Seasons expectations?

[king canary 7,606]

I can't even begin to predict what is going to happen.

Squad still somewhat in flux, squeezed schedule, confidence shot from last season, wouldn't be surprised if we were top 6, also wouldnt' be shocked if we finished 12th.

[paddycanary 539]

Top 6

[nutty nigel 7,534]

It warms the cockles of my heart to see people expecting success for the project 🙃👍

[Bill 1,788]

promotion, title, open-top bus

.... in that order

the first half today at empty donkeys underlines that belief

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

I would not rule anything out this season. For this coming season i would be content with top 6 but the season after after the squad has settled i would be optimistic at getting automatic promotion.  It is a huge ask to go straight back up at the first attempt with a whole host of unanswered questions at this stage of the season. Which of our tried and tested players will still be here at the start of the season, what additional signings may we make, Of the new players that we have signed how good are they and or how quickly will they settle, last time it took  season 2 to get our overseas imports like Vrancic , Steipermann and Zimmermann to  settle and which of our long list of young yet untested talent will kick on and take their chances and which will disappoint. Automatic promotion cannot be ruled out if we have a fair wind and the answers to the above questions are mainly positive.

[......and Smith must score. 1,343]

2 hours ago, Uncle Fred said:

Mid table at best and me moaning Like a be atch through out the season 

Do bears s*it in the woods ? 🙂

[......and Smith must score. 1,343]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

I can't even begin to predict what is going to happen.

Squad still somewhat in flux, squeezed schedule, confidence shot from last season, wouldn't be surprised if we were top 6, also wouldnt' be shocked if we finished 12th.

This.

On paper we've got a very decent chance of a top six finish but we're notoriously slow starters and our wretched post-lockdown sequence may have done more damage than we might hope despite the new faces in the team.

If we do fail we've still have money in the bank ( or potentially with player sales ) and we've got next season's parachute payments to come so it wouldn't be an unmitigated disaster.

With a healthy dose of bias I'm going for promotion via the Play Offs.

[TheGunnShow 5,940]

2 hours ago, NeymarSmith said:

Sorry to do this @TheGunnShow but can I just say, that is an amazing quote. 

Hahaha obviously more than entitled to your opinion there but that is so negative a view it made me laugh. Even in your own fantasy you have out team get painfully close and then lose in semis on pens... We didn't even make the final and lose on pens! Hahaha

And also that is just impossible to say that already, we have no idea what whoever the opponents are or whatever!

 

Maybe I've taken this far too literal, but it made me laugh!

*Egg on my face and this to be bumped if this happens at season I'll have to happily way humble pie, with my drmic shirt on cause he wins golden boot 2021

I wouldn't say top 6 is that negative a view considering what amounts to quite a squad rebuild during a season that is going to be very compressed and therefore even more unpredictable than ever. And I agree we have no idea what the opponents are going to do, which is why I said quite explicitly "if you ask me for a prediction right now" - the key words are in bold, when I said that predo, I literally meant right now! 😉 

The worry I'd have is that Bournemouth or Watford decide to go do-or-die with their spending and get it to stick. Particularly Bournemouth, as they've now got £60million potentially ready to spend with the sales of Ake and Ramsdale (assuming they were paid pretty much in one shot, although that's not always the case).

 

[Robornio 107]

With the financial advantage of the parachute payments and holding onto most the squad from last year (ironically we could have an even better squad), I think it’s fair to say that anything less that Top 6 would be a disaster. As others have said, it’s a hard league with a lot of games, but I think we should be ok. 

[GenerationA47 752]

As every season - no expectations whatsoever.
 

Oh go on then, Norwich to achieve championship survival fo’ sho’

Edited August 21, 2020 by GenerationA47

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

Assuming we keep the crown jewels and bit more strength in depth in the striking dept. I'm expecting top 2 auto promotion. Anything out of top 6 with the Chump as it is this season and with the squad we've got would be complete and unmitigated failure.

[Crafty Canary 495]

Top 12

[Mello Yello 2,293]

Just to win more than 5 competitive games this season....Now that's progress..... 

[Jim Smith 2,317]

Anything other than promotion is a failure. No excuses this season. 

[norfolkngood 1,087]

If we Sign Another Striker then i am sure we will be top 6 most of season 

i have doubts over Pukki the way he faded Last season after his injury

left me wondering  if he can repeat anything like he did before ,

i  Think 4 of the golden Boys will leave Cantwell , Lewis , Aarons , Buendia 

Not Really Bothered by that As i think the Replacements have been bought and will do well

Farke's Big season Also has he Peaked ?  Can he repeat the Title Winning season or Get us up  (Not Many Do Return straight away )

So Heart says top 6 but with doubts 

[Midlands Yellow 3,984]

If Emi is still here and stays for the season Norwich will surpass their points total last time in this league. I’ll owe Nutty £20 but everyone’s a winner. 

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

Difficult to say until we know who will be here come opening day. On the balance of probability, though, I think we'll finish in the top two.

[......and Smith must score. 1,343]

1 hour ago, Mello Yello said:

Just to win more than 5 competitive games this season....Now that's progress..... 

To be fair they did manage to win three Cup games too so the pressure’s on.....

[1902 1,167]

Top 6 at least for me.

A) I think we have some serious quality at this level provided we dont lose too many before the start of the season. 

B) and I'm pretty sure that squad strength will be a huge factor this time around. We should have one of the larger squads with a higher proportion that will be able to step up for a reasonable number of games. By mid December, fixture congestion in what was always a tight footballing schedule, plus poor finances caused by COVID will probably reduce a lot of teams to having a fair few players that they would have desperately wanted to keep hidden for most of the season. We could, of course, be in that number, but I dont see many on our likely squad list that I would be worried about playing in the first team for 4 or 5 in a row, not sure that there are too many other teams that can say that.

I think it will be the footballing equivalent of trench warfare whatever happens.

 

 

Then again. I'm never actually right when it comes to NCFC so I'm pretty sure I just ballsed up any chance of a good 2020/21.

[sonyc 5,517]

1 hour ago, norfolkngood said:

Farke's Big season Also has he Peaked ?  Can he repeat the Title Winning season or Get us up  (Not Many Do Return straight away )

I think this is the interesting question. This season (and the first 10 games especially will set out the stall) is where DF will be under the most intense pressure since he came to us. He knows he has to produce. Has he peaked? My sense is that he is strong enough mentally to handle the pressure. And my big hope is that he can galvanise the group again of course. As keeps getting stated, we must "trust the process".

Edited August 21, 2020 by sonyc

[Bill 1,788]

5 hours ago, TheGunnShow said:

The worry I'd have is that Bournemouth or Watford decide to go do-or-die with their spending and get it to stick. Particularly Bournemouth, as they've now got £60million potentially ready to spend with the sales of Ake and Ramsdale (assuming they were paid pretty much in one shot, although that's not always the case).

dear god, I do wonder

they had a wage bill in excess of £110 million at the end of last season

they owe to various lenders £100million -- and as of 2019 they owed around £89m in transfer payments

In Sept 2019 they had to go to a bank to borrow £25m to meet transfer payments. that money being secured against future transfer payments - and with what was due in June 2020 the money you mention has long gone

Why do you think they promoted from within, as far as manager/coaching staff went

Why do you think that with only 3 weeks to go they have not signed anyone

At best, they will do a Huddersfield, at worst it could be them going belly up

 

 

 

[hogesar 9,671]

3 hours ago, Jim Smith said:

Anything other than promotion is a failure. No excuses this season. 

I dont get this no excuses for anything other than promotion stuff im seeing. Its almost acting as if there's no other teams in this league!

[BigFish 1,986]

4 minutes ago, hogesar said:

I dont get this no excuses for anything other than promotion stuff im seeing. Its almost acting as if there's no other teams in this league!

It is nothing more than a stick to beat the club with, the same was obvious in the MK Dons match thread. Set the bar unrealistically high and then if the club doesn't hit it start the moanathon. Always the usual suspects. By League position Watford and Bournemouth are stronger, and should have higher expectations.

As history tells us automatics would be a reamrkable achievement. Top 6 would be very very good.

Me, I am a fan. I am hoping for automatics. But expecting that is for fools. I expect us to be competitive, the outcome is a different matter.

[1902 1,167]

13 minutes ago, Bill said:

"they had a wage bill in excess of £110 million at the end of last season""

There are moments when I forget how ludicrous this has all become. Then I realise Bournemouth spent £2,000,000 a week on wages.

 

 

 

 

 

[1902 1,167]

3 minutes ago, BigFish said:

It is nothing more than a stick to beat the club with, the same was obvious in the MK Dons match thread. Set the bar unrealistically high and then if the club doesn't hit it start the moanathon. Always the usual suspects. By League position Watford and Bournemouth are stronger, and should have higher expectations.

As history tells us automatics would be a reamrkable achievement. Top 6 would be very very good.

Me, I am a fan. I am hoping for automatics. But expecting that is for fools. I expect us to be competitive, the outcome is a different matter.

I'm not so sure that's true, I agree that in an average season the Champs is a tough league and that your analysis of the prospects of relegated clubs is usually true, this season I suspect that the post covid fallout will reduce the number of competitive teams. I agree on automatic but playoff should be easier as I suspect it will be harder for the clubs with less resources  but a core of good players to make a run at 5th and 6th. 

[Mullet 293]

I agree with Neymar If you don't set out to win the league what is the purpose of playing. That goes for any sport it's all about winning, improving, and getting to the top, settling for being a top 26 club is negative.

 

[Bill 1,788]

16 minutes ago, 1902 said:

I'm not so sure that's true, I agree that in an average season the Champs is a tough league and that your analysis of the prospects of relegated clubs is usually true, this season I suspect that the post covid fallout will reduce the number of competitive teams. I agree on automatic but playoff should be easier as I suspect it will be harder for the clubs with less resources  but a core of good players to make a run at 5th and 6th. 

I think not

Watford and Bmouth has spent much of last season trying to avoid relegation - we spent much of last season preparing for promotion in 20/21

Hence the large number of signings - none of whom have been dependent upon us selling anyone

If we had sold two or three then tried to patch u the squad with a few ex PL journeymen and some lower league hopefuls, then yes your comment might have some validity - but this is not how it has been, Nor is it by chance.

Josh Martin has happened by, by luck. Nor is he some youth player thrown in to make up the numbers. And I don't see other CH clubs being in our position as regard squad and those in the 'pipeline'.

I'm hard pushed to recall a start to s season where we seem to be so well prepared - and the loss of any of those jewels will not see us scrabbling around for replacements.

Players like Trybull, Leitner and one or two others who we thought would be good enough for the CHs.......probably are. But not good enough for us.

And that is the difference

 

 

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,135]

All of our signings have been inexperienced or very young players. We're coming off of a damaging season for our mentality and we'll lose a handful of key players. I see us finishing upper midtable having a similar season to Farke's first, I think he'll try to make us a bit more solid, but as a consequence we won't get the ball forward as quickly and won't be too risky in possession.

 

On a positive note I think Idah and Martin will have breakthrough seasons, I think Cantwell will stay and have a similar season to the one Madison had that got him his move. on the more negative side I think the new signings are going to take a while to settle and adjust, I don't think any except maybe Dowell will star this year and I think our injury curse will carry on through this season. I think Pukki will struggle and leave in January and it's a pretty safe bet that  Byram and Klose will play less than 10 games between them.

I think our typical line up this year will be:

 

                     Krul

Rupp Zimmermann Hanley McCallum

           Tettey McLean

 Dowell  Cantwell Martin

             Idah

Vrancic, Hernandez and Placheta will often be used from of the bench. I think Sinani and Mumba will go out on loan, Sorensen is facing a massive step up and I fancy Tettey to still be the better option next year, Skipp is cover for McLean i imagine and Quintilla is a weird one, not sure a technical but physically weak fullback is going to work in our team. 

 

Think we'll finish 8-12th but will challenge for promotion again in the following seasons once we've readjusted and gotten over this relegation. 

[Bill 1,788]

3 minutes ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

All of our signings have been inexperienced or very young players. We're coming off of a damaging season for our mentality and we'll lose a handful of key players

Those 'key players' were young and inexperienced, or thought the latter when they broke in the first team not long back

And I would hardly describe those who will certainly be in the match day squad as inexperienced Quillan, McCallum, Sinani, Dowell, Sorensen and Placheta.

the club was relegated, the players have not had any mental breakdown or something... get a grip.

Most other CH clubs are still sorting out who will leave while they then wait to see who they can afford

If anyone can point to a squad stronger than ours then please let them do so

[Surfer 1,547]

Yes the unsaid things is most Championship clubs are looking to jettison high earners as the immediate priority, not build a squad. That is a huge advantage for us this year.