How optimistic are you towards our upcoming season?

[cambridgeshire canary 7,932]

You got a good feeling? Or are you one of the people on here who seem to think we are doomed? Or anything in-between?

[CANARYKING 720]

Tell you after five games

[Yellow Green Army 252]

Certainly not doomed but not confident either. Lack of midfield options concern me. If Hayden and the new chap Sara were fit and available then slightly more.

I would love us to push the boat out and get one of the two lads in from Coventry, Gustavo Hamer or Callum Ohare.

[vlad666 207]

I’m not optimistic. Although we’re in an inferior league the issues don’t seem to have been addressed. Results in preseason are irrelevant but I thought we’d have a formation and style of play nailed down.
It looks like Smith is going 4-3-3 which doesn’t suit Pukki. Time will tell but I’m not confident in smith. 

[Bert 236]

I think we will make the playoffs but not expecting promotion 

[Dean Coneys boots 1,550]

Pros - Pukki, Aaron’s and Rashica are still in the house 

cons- quiet window when we needed new faces, midfield lacking for first fixtures, no clear style and can’t score freely, short of depth after too many outs and not enough ins

I am concerned we haven’t done enough to prepare for a promotion push. Agree with ever word Sutton writes today 

[TheGunnShow 7,470]

Optimism is relative. I'm optimistic we'll be in the top half. I'm not optimistic that we'll hit the top two.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

Not particularly optimistic but I'm fickle and that can completely change in 3 days time

[rock bus 1,107]

Not very optimistic .. can see mid table mediocracy which will in fact be terrible for our business model.

It could change if the 2 midfield signings actually work out and players like Cantwell, Rashica, Sargent step up to the plate or one of the younger players has a stand out season.

As per my own previous thread, I'm not convinced by Smith but hope he can prove me wrong.

[Danke bitte 1,199]

I remain unconvinced by Smith but recognise he was dealt a fairly **** hand last season given none of the squad was his choice and was given nothing in January to even start to shape it.

I think we’re staring down the barrel of being patient again, watching a rebuild and recognising that not only is the starting 11 a team in transition but the club as a whole is too. 

I still don’t feel the midfield is a coherent unit yet and there’s an underlying hope / reliance on some players that really shouldn’t be here still but because of money means we have little choice but to retain them (McLean, Sorenson, Sargent, Rashica). 

I think we’ll be competitive, maybe push play offs but again my lingering concerns are around mentality when we’re on the back foot. I don’t expect autos. 

[RugbyCanary 107]

Midfield is still a problem. Smith doesn't seem to know his best side or formation. 433 doesn't suit pukki. Is 4231 to attacking? But would suit pukki.......to many eggs in the Sara/Hayden basket. Top 6 but no promotion this year

[The Bristol Nest 612]

We start without Sara, Hayden and Idah.

We have gained Hugill, Cantwell, Onel, Sinani and McCallum.

Omo,  Rowe,  Sprigget and Tomkinson have stepped up.

There is change there but is it a step up?

I just don't know, so optimistic but not excited yet.

That is because I can't see what a Smith team is trying to do, particularly in the final third.

[Haus 267]

got a feeling its gonna be a slow start, team looks disjointed at the moment, new signings will take time to gel/be ready as they missed all preseason.

I think we do have quality still at this level but players confidence looks shot at the moment.   The midfield is really iffy and we dont have much cover for injuries in several positions. 

Urgently need players to connect with Pukki again and feed him the balls he thrives off. 

 

I reserve the right to change my mind if we stick 3 past Cardiff.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Haus
edit.

[Block Y Seat 176 80]

It’s just a matter of getting all your ducks  in a row and flying in the same direction.

🤷‍♂️

 

 

[hepphep 175]

Bit more worried than on start of pre-season. I feel we should've been able to create more chances in addition to those crosses to Hugill against the opponents we played. Sara and Hayden might help with that, but I dont have impression of either as very creative players.

 

[Pyro Pete 2,395]

I would be more optimistic if all the midfield had the following tattooed on their arms: "Pukki thrives on through-balls, not crosses."

[CDMullins 503]

I think we'll return to the Prem,

Not because we will be particularly good, because there are so many questions about our rivals.

[smooth 114]

Tbh I felt that are last championship winning season we took a long while to get going. Buendia and cantwell were in and out and we didn't really find a gear till November. I didn't really feel we found a style.

We need to do that this season, we are a very strong opponent, but we have lacked self belief, conviction and cohesion and that was before Smith's time.

So I am optimistic that we have time in thus league. But also that we need to be strong, resilient and gave belief from the start. Players such as Sargent need to score early, that miss last season still haunts me much like when hux said brollies could not pass with his left foot, confidence us lost with your teammates.

We need to step it up and perform at a level showing we are championship title contenders. None of this no show every 4-5 games.

[Kenny Foggo 1,205]

Not solved the CDM role and feel we won't score enough. Top 10.

[lake district canary 4,878]

Not sure at this stage, I'm not sure Smith has the X factor that Farke had when turning a losing mentality into a winning one over the summer of the last relegation. I guess it depends largely on the players and how much they believe, but then that is what managers are for, to instill belief.

[KeiranShikari 1,524]

I read up on how Smith's Villa side were operating in the Championship and first season back up in the Premier League and I'm far more confident now than I was just having watched pre season.

Would be disappointed if we weren't top 2.

[Yellow Fever 4,415]

We'll start slow as always but I'm sure we'll come good after the first 6 games or so. 

I'm pleased (and somewhat surprised) that Cantwell has got his mind straight (again) in pre-season. I'd given up on him. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Yellow Fever

[Unhinged Canary 375]

Generally after a painful season in the Prem there's a period of mourning and then through the summer the spirits lift and I start getting excited about the new season.

It's just not happening this year. 

I hate feeling so pessimistic, but I just can't see us doing much this season. 

While Dean Smith seems a likeable enough bloke, there's just absolutely nothing about him.

I'm not optimistic at all, and to be brutally honest, I'm not even excited about the season starting.

That's what hurts the most.

[canarydan23 4,823]

We've got the squad to finish top two.

I'm not convinced we have the coach to do so.

[Dean Coneys boots 1,550]

I fear a slow start could also be followed by losing Aarons and Rashica - that would leave us looking terribly ordinary. 

for me the window isn’t going well. We needed a freshen up and to move on those who are mentally fragile. Instead we go into the first fixture with zero new faces. Disappointing 

[cambridgeshire canary 7,932]

34 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

Not sure at this stage, I'm not sure Smith has the X factor that Farke had when turning a losing mentality into a winning one over the summer of the last relegation. I guess it depends largely on the players and how much they believe, but then that is what managers are for, to instill belief.

Amusing given one of Farkes biggest criticisms was that he had no plan B when things went wrong 

[Ken Hairy 4,334]

I always try to be optimistic at the start of the season, and I'm massively looking forward to Saturday, but being honest no I don't see another promotion for us this season. However it wouldn't surprise me if it happened similarly I wouldn't be shocked if we finished 15th.

[Capt. Pants 5,152]

Not sure either way. I thought last season we had a very good transfer window and look how that turned out; complete and utter humiliation!

A very slow summer so far and my fear is Smith is winging it a bit, but that might still be enough to get promotion. It's a poor old league, surely we're good enough?

[sgncfc 1,345]

If you talk to pretty much any other Champs supporter they will tell you our squad is the strongest in the league. If our players turn up this season (which they didn't last year) we'll win it. However, they might not turn up again......

Players like Krul, Gibson, Giannoulis, Aarons, Cantwell, Maclean have to be better - in my opinion they were all pretty dreadful last year.

[Monty13 2,796]

I’ve always thought we were at our best when we had that one player who could get their foot on the ball, unlock opponents and make us tick.

Wes, Maddison, Buendia in the last 10 years.

I don’t see that player in this squad and it’s my biggest concern. I’m not optimistic without that additional transfer or someone stepping up which I haven’t seen so far.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Monty13