I think we'll make a European place next season. Am I mad?

[StriderHiryu]

2018/19 was a transition season where we introduced a number of new players in key positions to the team and changed our style of play.

 

2019/2020 should be the season we start to deliver on Vichai's vision of competing for European places. That's why we got Rodgers and why we've invested in long-term infrastructure. If we don't get into Europe with the resources at our disposal, I would consider it to be a bad season. We don't know how other teams will strengthen but in Kasper / Evans / Ndidi / Maddison / Vardy we have the best spine of a team outside the top 6. 

 

It's time to start delivering, and I think we will.

[Christoph]

1 hour ago, Simoken said:

I'm sorry but as-much as id like to see us replace a giant in top6. I cannot ever see it happen for quite a while just yet. I think its just a silly pipe dream. You cant be too optimistic in football you are certainly shooting yourself in the foot with this kind of hope. I like this kind of positivity but you need to be more realistic and realize that the teams around us will be fighting too.

 

Emery has had 1 season and its obvious he would have a bad spell, Once Arsene buy some players that fit around his tactics/style you will see a different arsene come to play, worthy of top6. Many Utd will be the same. I think Ole will bring in a new squad that will compete, they have the bank for it.

 

Realistic approach will be:

 

- Finish 7th while breaking away from 8th spot with a 9 point margin.

- Making a final in FA cup and hopefully win.

 

I will be happy and find that realistic for us at this stage.

 

Think Emery has been told he will have like £60 mill to spend on players? It's something along those lines...might even be less. Arsenal probably need a new back 4 and whatever else. Unsure they'll be able to replace them. 

 

Chelsea might be affected by having no Hazard in their team, especially if they cant buy anyone to replace him. 

 

Man U i'd favour still hitting top 6 but you never know.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'd still assume we are going to finish somewhere between 7th - 9th next season but we have a decent chance next season as the other top teams aren't doing as well as they normally do. 

[The Horse's Mouth]

Since being in the prem this is the season to be most optimistic, United are a shambles, if they go into next season with OGS then that's another write off year for them. Arsenal are a shambles have a reported 50 million to spend, Chelsea may have a transfer ban and Spurs look liked they can lose a few key players in Toby & Eriksen. The league is quickly evolving into a top 2, clubs like us, wolves & everton should be very optimistic next season. If we sign Tielemans, get another striker & a winger in then we'll be laughing.

[ozleicester]

IF.... IF We can keep this squad, then i think we are a chance to push for top 6, Manu,Arse and Chel are all in a bit of a mess and we have BR talking about playing the way of a big club.... i can dream

[TheSomersetFox]

Looking forward to it. Think it’d be brilliant if the likes us of, Everton, Wolves, Watford etc all give the likes of Utd and Arsenal a proper run for their money next season. I think we’ve got serious potential to be the best out of those challengers too. 

 

Need Tielemans and a good window though, no doubt a few clubs will be going big this summer.

[lcfc sheff]

besides the Liverpool / Man City games I think we’ll have a chance against anyone next season. Don’t see many players leaving or Atleast that not obvious. 

[urban fox]

If Chelsea lose Hazard and have a transfer ban then they could struggle. Not sure Arsenal have the Cash to splash that they would need to drastically improve. Man utd on the other hand I think would be a totally different proposition if they get rid of Pogba. I believe it is him who is at the root of their problems spreading dissention and getting away with murder. If he goes and with their spending power I think they may be resurgent next year.

So on balance I think a top 6, or least a serious challenge is not undoable with the players we have at our disposal providing we can hang on to Tielemans.

If man utd want Maguire (and he wants to go there) then we should demand Martial as part of a swap (plus some cash coming our way). Apparently he is out of favour with OGS and would provide us with some wing cover.

Top 6 is certainly not mad. maybe a tad over optimistic for next season but we should be capable of at least giving it a go.

I think next seasons top half is going to be one of the most competitive for many years.

[Foxxed]

Regardless of the statement before your question I can definitely answer in the affirmative.

[danhaw]

I think the top 4 is still slightly out of our reach for next season. I think Man City, Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal will qualify for the Champions League with Man Utd, Chelsea, us and Wolves battling for 5th-8th. 

 

I'm not writing us off completely because looking at it, we have a very, very good squad and with a few big additions we could push further, but the top 2 will be the same, with Spurs and Arsenal improving from this season I.m.o. 

[CosbehFox]

For a current non top six club you need the following to happen:-

 

• The promoted sides have the ability to take points from the top six - a point for them is two dropped for the six. The top six teams have managed to get 12 easy points this season (excepting this weekend) whereas the chasing pack from 7th haven't cleaned up against Huddersfield and Fulham. 
• That the clubs clustered around 7th and 10th all beat the top six with regularity. 
• That Leicester at the very least avoid losing to the likes of Wolves, Everton and Watford. Our losses at Watford and Wolves have made sure we didn't get 7th this season. A loss to one of these is a two point swing. 
• We have to achieve a very good home record - 13 games excepting the top six at home makes 39 points, leaving something like 21 required from the other 25 games. Then you have a chance, say beat 4 teams away....that leaves 9 to get from 21 other games. 

[martyn]

All down to the quality of recruitment in the summer, and ability to hold onto our key assets (would hate to lose either of the full backs). We're in a good position with the manager we have and talent in the squad already.

 

Clearly we need to sign Tielemans or someone of similar quality on the ball in the middle of the park.

 

Then the clearest upgrade we can make is some genuine quality in wide areas. Gray doesn't cut it, Albrighton has been a great servant but it's time for him to be phased out into the role of squad player, and Barnes is still learning (although he'd be my first choice winger out of the current options). I think this will be Rodgers #1 priority given what he has said about the output he expects of his attacking players.

 

If we have to sell to help finance that, Maguire would be the one which would affect us least. 

 

Finally, we have to hope we can improve the squad depth whilst removing the dead wood, which will probably be the hardest task facing our recruitment this summer.

 

With that done, we're a very good side in the making - one which could easily mount a challenge for Top 6 given the malaise at some of the division's big guns.

[PaulW]

It's a certainty, as long as we don't get hammered in the transfer window.  The potential this team has for the next few seasons takes my breath away.

[Leeds Fox]

6 hours ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

This. 

 

And no, you're not mad, @FIF

 

But it could be a demanding transfer window:

- We have a number of players who could interest "the big clubs": not only Chilwell, Maguire & Tielemans, but also Ricardo, Ndidi, Maddison.

- We've got away with a lack of striking options this season. We'd be crazy to take the risk again next season, but could find it hard to remedy the problem as nothing suggests that Iheanacho or Slimani can be Plan B if Vardy gets injured, loses form or whatever. But can we afford a massive loss by moving one or both on, plus the (probably high) cost of bringing in an alternative striker of the requisite quality?

 

If we can keep most of our top players, can sign Tielemans or someone similar and can go into the season with a decent back-up for Vardy, I'd share your optimistic analysis.

 

It’d surely be a bigger loss if we don’t sell them and they aren’t up to our required standard. 

 

Moving them on for a fee adds to our transfer budget, keeping them and not playing them gains us nothing.

[The Year Of The Fox]

No you’re not mad

 

If Puel hadn’t lost us so many games against sides we should be beating then we’d be close to breaking the top 4 this season

 

Its one reason why I didn’t want us in Europe next season. Without any distractions I’m expecting big things of us

[Guest Manini]

Don’t think we can pin all our hopes on Tielemans. There’s a big chance he could go elsewhere, so I just hope, the stars have finally aligned and we’ve learnt our lesson from seasons passed and we have a replacement lined up of similar quality NOW. Not 2 week before the window shuts. Not in January, now. And if Youri doesn’t decide to sign we can get the business done early and focus on other areas that need investment. 

 

To be honest this doesn’t stop at Tielemans, I really ****ing hope we have our targets lined up already who we can be aggressive in targeting to get the window boxed off as early as possible. We spend too much time dicking about with transfers and it never feels like (last season aside) that we have a very direct plan of action going in to a transfer window. 

[Buce]

Well, it’s not mutually exclusive, mate. 

 

But, yes, with a good window I think we can. 

[urban.spaceman]

Some Man United fans are boycotting and unfollowing their social media accounts 

 

I actually saw one person saying that the fans had to be usesless “Considering how much shit they’d gone through in the last 5 years”. 

 

That’s the same 5 years in which they’ve won the Community Shield twice, League Cup, FA Cup AND the UEFA League while finishing second last season. 

 

Their sense of entitlement is astonishing and should be our motivation for usurping their place in the top six on a permanent basis. 

[spacemunky]

Gap between the top 2 and the rest of the league, so there's spots for the taking.

 

Like to see you guys add a proven goal scorer. Otherwise you're looking solid.

[HybridFox]

I thought it was possible last summer...and the summer before that too 

 

On our day we can beat anyone but it's the general consistency over a season which lets us down massively.

 

We were probably only a couple of wins short this season of securing 7th. And when you consider the freak defeats vs Southampton and Cardiff alone, they both made a massive difference.

 

I am cautiously optimistic with Rodgers though and I genuinely believe he can take us far.

 

Whatever anyone says of the Europa League, I cannot wait to visit places I normally wouldn't go on holiday! 

[Gamble92]

I actually think it will be a bit underwhelming not to make the top 6 now, and thats quite dangerous. We have set the bar quite high because we have a high profile manager and alot of the most sought after players in the country. 

 

As much as im a big fan of Maddison, Chilwell, Maguire etc. They are all very susceptible to believing in their own hype too much and making alot of wrong decisions and getting complacent. To be honest i don't think any of them are ready for a bigger team than us at present and they should all stay and prove they really are that good before they consider forcing moves. 

[Vardinio'sCat]

 

If we start well I'd say we are more than capable of 5th or 6th, given the teams we are fighting will have european distractions.

 

Brendan's really got them going, and you can see a certain swagger starting to appear. We've gone up a level.

[Raw Dykes]

19 hours ago, Simoken said:

I'm sorry but as-much as id like to see us replace a giant in top6. I cannot ever see it happen for quite a while just yet. I think its just a silly pipe dream. You cant be too optimistic in football you are certainly shooting yourself in the foot with this kind of hope. I like this kind of positivity but you need to be more realistic and realize that the teams around us will be fighting too.

 

Emery has had 1 season and its obvious he would have a bad spell, Once Arsene buy some players that fit around his tactics/style you will see a different arsene come to play, worthy of top6. Many Utd will be the same. I think Ole will bring in a new squad that will compete, they have the bank for it.

 

Realistic approach will be:

 

- Finish 7th while breaking away from 8th spot with a 9 point margin.

- Making a final in FA cup and hopefully win.

 

I will be happy and find that realistic for us at this stage.

I don't think it is a silly pipe dream to get top 6 next season. It won't be easy, but we already know nothing's impossible.

 

I'm not convinced Arsenal or Man Utd will be any better next year. Arsenal don't like spending, and I wouldn't trust them to pick up any bargains, either. Man Utd are just a total shambles at the mo. With Ole being a popular figure at the club, I can see him getting longer in charge than he deserves, which will mean more damage done with less time left to fix it. It's a recipe for a disastrous season for them. I won't be shocked if Man Utd have their worst ever PL finish next season. I think we can finish above them.

 

I think we can have a much better season than this one. If Rodgers can improve on all those awful results against poor sides at home due to Puelball, then we'll have a lot more points on the board.

[knitro]

To be honest I find Simoken's post to be the mentality of a 'stuck in my station' loser - nothing personal. There's no reason not be very excited about the club's future and trending direction - and we're not obligated to advanced at some preordained, iterated pace. Chiding excitement is pointless and show an alarming lack of confidence in the squad we see rising every week. We beat the likely champions (and took them to the wire last game) tied a frankly legendary Liverpool side, posted a very competitive record against the leagues best and only seem to be trending upward - our squad age is insanely low and is growing together. In any event, a far worse version of this team already won the ****ing title!

 

My ideal summer is keeping Chilwell, signing Tielemans and adding a winger and/or striker. If this happens I remain arrogantly confident of top 6. We lack some depth but will only have the league to contend with versus European commitments meaning barring injury our first XI should play every week. When Man Utd is rotating to play in Belarus in November we'll have a lineup I put against any in the PL raring to go - now imagine it with improvements!

 

Aside from that fateful champion season, there's never been a better squad and there's never been a better time to be a supporter of LCFC. 

 

[sylofox]

Do we think the OP is mad? that's not even debatable he's fecking nuts

 

As for Europe yep I can see us top six next season. 

[volpeazzurro]

13 hours ago, Manini said:

Don’t think we can pin all our hopes on Tielemans. There’s a big chance he could go elsewhere, so I just hope, the stars have finally aligned and we’ve learnt our lesson from seasons passed and we have a replacement lined up of similar quality NOW. Not 2 week before the window shuts. Not in January, now. And if Youri doesn’t decide to sign we can get the business done early and focus on other areas that need investment. 

 

To be honest this doesn’t stop at Tielemans, I really ****ing hope we have our targets lined up already who we can be aggressive in targeting to get the window boxed off as early as possible. We spend too much time dicking about with transfers and it never feels like (last season aside) that we have a very direct plan of action going in to a transfer window. 

1. Without selling Maguire there won't be much of a budget outside of possibly Tielemans, particularly if we can't recoup some money from our bad buys and I include Silva in that if Monaco don't want him. The club have invested heavily in other projects. 

2. You can target who you want but you can't buy who a club refuses to sell or who doesn't want to come here for whatever reason.

 

In an ideal world we'll of course use Silva in the Tielemans swap deal but at best it's 50 50 for me for all the obvious reasons. We need a striker but so do half the other clubs (same comment applies to the type of midfielder that Tielemans has shown himself to have promise in being). A lack of signing certain players doesn't show a lack of ambition by our club, they've proved in so many ways they've got it, it just shows that they can't always get who they want. At this stage of our development better to buy nothing and sell nothing than buy more squad fodder unless for sound development reasons. It will be another tense close season with early buys a great thing to do but always the hardest to achieve as clubs and players, for sound reasons, leave it to the end mostly.