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lake district canary

Top six finish

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="spencer 1970"]the top 7/8 is pretty much sorted each season, you get the odd surprise but very rarely. I''d take a top half finish in a flash.[/quote]


Nothing is sorted at the start of a season imo.  The thing is, we''ve done it before, broken in to the top six - arguably as a smaller club than we are now - by the end of the season.  In fact we were the last "small" club in the premiership to do it, third in 93.   

We have to progress upwards, as to do the opposite is just to stagnate, mid table or fighting off relegation, sooner or later getting relegated.   Top half finish would be great, but as I said in the op, if we are anywhere near that top six with five games to go we will be looking at five cup finals to take points off the clubs above us and try and get into that top six. 



[/quote]

 

Not quite, Charlton, Ipswich, etc have done it and Blackburn have won the premiership, they are smaller than us

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[quote user="Its Character Forming"]

The top 6 teams are Man U, Man C, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool.  Below them it''s incredibly tight and as we saw last year a few points can make a big difference in places.[/quote]

 

ICF - depends on your interpretation of a "top team" - in years gone by a whole host of clubs could lay claim to that title. In your list, you included Liverpool, who were only 7th last season. What about Everton, they were 6th last season and 7th the season before? Would Newcastle qualify? After all, the season before they were 5th.

 

As LDC has correctly pointed out, there is much turmoil in the premier league at the moment, leaving Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool the only relatively "management stable" clubs. I would say that this year anything is possible - there are no forgone conclusions. Arsenal must be one of the favourites for the title, both Manchester clubs could very well be out of the top two places, Chelsea might have JM back - but how many times has a manager made a successful comeback - hence I believe that this season could be one of the few in the modern era, when the "unfancied" club comes to the forefront.

 

In support of LDC - why not us? We consistently upset the odds, do the unfashionable (according to the "experts"), double promotions, achieve a creditable 12th place 1st season in PL, defy the tipsters regarding the "2nd season syndrome" and improve to 11th place. Looking at the teams and the management in the PL this season - the contest is wide open. I don''t think we need fear any team - we''ve already shown that we can match and even beat any team both home and away.

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"and Blackburn have won the premiership, they are smaller than us"

however what role does size count when it''s set against money ?Blackburn had incredible spending power, as set against the other clubs when they won the titlehowever I don''t think anything is impossible, improbable as some on here have saidbut there is a sense the previous certainties (top six will always be top six) are not the certainties they were and we may well see a league when well organised and determined clubs offer a far bigger challenge than beforeeurope anyone ?

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I''m late to the party but well said LDC - someone who knows his football. Top six is possible, just as it was possible to win in Munich! Success in football, as in life, comes from taking opportunities and this is an opportunity which might not come around again for a while. We all need to chill a bit, just ride the wave and enjoy - this has all the hallmarks of being a memorable season, whatever the outcome.

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When did the 2012-2013 version of the Prem become substandard? Certainly last summer, we were doomed because the league was getting stronger and the promoted teams were viable contenders. Now on this thread, 2012-2013 was a down season and the upcoming one will be worse.

Or maybe some people are blowing smoke trying to look smart.

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I always enjoy LDC''s posts, the grass is always technicolor green but, I think there is the tiniest of risks we might be getting a tad carried away with our 11th finish.

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[quote user="Kangaroo Court"]Top 6 is completely delusional. If you start coming out with nonsense like that you''re just setting yourself up for disappointment.
[/quote]

 

Agreed, we need to be realistic, in the top ten would be a fantastic achievement. Signing Wolfswinkel was a good signing but we would need three or four more signings of a similar stature to finish any higher

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Should Ricky''s goals turn 3 draws into wins, then we would have finished 8th.

That would represent a reasonable target to aim for.

Imagine we find ourselves where WBA were at Christmas though, should we then say that we can ease off? Of course not, we push on and suddenly start having a go at a top 6 finish.

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Whilst being quietly optimistic about the impending season and feeling that survival will be easier for us than it was for the last two seasons, even without a single change of playing personnel.

 

Whilst being quietly encouraged by the signing of RVW and by some of the more concrete rumours such as talks with Toivenen and bids for both Olsson and Redmond.

 

Whilst having a growing faith in the ability of CH and his thorough and thoughtful approach to building our Club into something special, backed up his prowess in the market.

 

Whilst loving the place our Club is at the moment.

 

I stop short of getting carried away, which is what talk of a top six finish is.

 

A gradual consolidation and a realistic improvement is all I want and expect.

 

To forecast more leaves one with a danger of being caught with the proverbial omelette face.

 

Leave that to the peasantry south of us, who seem convinced that their bunch of freebies and borrowed players will ensure a play-off place for them next season. Did you know that Mick McCarthy was the "best" manager in the Championship, by the way?

 

Those with equivalent talk to this "top six" stuff rabbit on about them passing us on the way down. We''ll see!

 

Be moderate in our utterances, for although anything is possible, extravagant talk runs the risk of being made to look foolish.

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personally ive been thinking quite positive with the signing on RVW and a few other quality additions like him I believe we can finish in the top half plus have a decent cup run. A cup is a realistic way of getting into europe. Some wont want it because of the extra games and travel on our squad.

Personally I cant see anything better than seeing us in a cup final at wembley and watching us away in europe. Plus the mid week home european nights would be special. Granted it would be mainly against mickey mouse teams at first but I personally dont care.

My prediction 10th place and a cup final. Europa league football next season. People laugh at me when I say that but stoke managed it so why not us?

As for worrying about the last 4 games.. Crazy to be honest. No one knows how the season will pan out. Who would have though we would be missing ruddy most of last season? Yes if we are not safe coming into the last 4 games it will be squeeky bum time but our squad is more than capable of pushing on next season with a fit again ruddy, RVW plus a few more additions.

 

 

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I think we missed a massive chance last season of the league cup. If we''d beaten villa, i don''t think we''d have made a hash of Bradford City (if we''d drawn them) and then Norwich vs Swansea final would have been competitive, especially as we seem to be their bogey team.

The extra games may have seen us lose points and position though.

One observation to make is that we were around 7th when Ruddy got injured. As long as the spine of the team can stay injury free (I include Ruddy, Bassong, Snodgrass and Holt in this) then we will do well.

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[quote user="Kangaroo Court"]Top 6 is completely delusional. If you start coming out with nonsense like that you''re just setting yourself up for disappointment.[/quote]

Wrong.  The only disappointment would be if we were relegated.   Survival would be acceptable.  Mid table would be comfortable.  If we are towards the top six, say 8th or 9th,  by the final five games, then top six would be a reasonable aim.   Delusional?   I don''t think so.

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I think top 10 would be a massive achievement, as would 50+ points, anything between 10th and 16th I''d bite your hand off for and 17th would still see us into our fourth season, though it would be a disappointment.

Top 6.... Stranger things have happened, but can''t see it. We aren''t going to out do Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City, Spurs and Liverpool. We simply don''t have the resources to compete with them.

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cant believe people would be happy just finishing outside the bottom 3....

 

I think we will finish 8-10th.. small improvements every season. our fortunes will fare much better in the cups and we will reach the 1/4 finals of both cups.

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Jas, it''s not that we''d be ''happy'' to finish just outside the bottom 3, more relieved and content to push on to another year of top flight football. Agreed, there''s no point walking up the escalator at the speed it''s coming down, but there''s no rush to become champions. 17th place and our club will continue to grow.

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