Time to reassess expectations

[Guest bennytwohats]

12 minutes ago, SydenhamFox said:

Thank you. The reactions have made me realise what an irrational reactive bunch the great majority of posters are. 

The irony being I think your post was intending to counter the kind of reaction most people are accusing you of!

 

I kind of give up on this place on a day like today. The rational and sensible posts are lost in a sea of people who are foaming at the mouth about how shit we are. It’ll settle down, but trying to have a constructive conversation feels like pissing in the wind today.

Edited 24 August 2021 by bennytwohats

[An Away Move]

3 minutes ago, Simoken said:

LOL!!!! seriously its the 2nd game. I keep saying the same thing every year, We have got to be the most fickle minded fanbase in the PL. Deluded by winning the PL. those who are convinced already please delete your FT account. k thanks

You must be looking in some kind of mirror mate. 

[foxfan92]

1 hour ago, SydenhamFox said:

I can take the stick I’m getting. Not sure I can take the denial. So those of you posting so far think 4th or 5th is still on then? Ok then. 

Its so true! You can't afford to play even one bad game and have any expectations for the rest of the season. I remember when we lost badly to these twice last season and we were relegated!!! (So were Chelsea when they conceded 5 against West Brom).

[Happy Fox]

some gripes I have
 

I hate us playing one upfront peak Vardy it was fine but now it’s not working at all Vardy hasn’t got the legs to do it all by himself upfront anymore, we need to play 2 strikers upfront, Perez can get in the bin / bench he’s not a winger so don’t play him as one. Some team selections issues can be easily rectified.

 

but it’s far too early to judge us performance wise, although we beat Wolves we looked rusty and against West Ham the less said about it the better!, league table wise let’s just us take it one game at a time.

[Simoken]

2 minutes ago, SydenhamFox said:

You must be looking in some kind of mirror mate. 

?

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

20 minutes ago, Tielemans63 said:

To be fair, it seems a lot of people haven't bothered to read@SydenhamFox actual post. There's no throwing any toys out of the pram, he merely points out that the defensive injuries are likely to drastically impact on our progress this season - that seems a pretty rational summation to me and last night's performance is Exhibit A. Nothing entitled or childish about that.

Some of us didn't get carried away in the first place and realise a top 8 finish is still good. Still think we're good for that.

[Buce]

 

My expectations were fairly pessemistic to begin with, tbh.

 

I think we've overachieved in the last two seasons and I think 8th is about our level.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

Just now, Buce said:

 

My expectations were fairly pessemistic to begin with, tbh.

 

I think we've overachieved in the last two seasons and I think 8th is about our level.

Which is exactly where our budget is. Anything above that is a bonus. Some on here will realise we won the lottery last season.

[An Away Move]

4 minutes ago, Simoken said:

?

I’m not surprised you don’t understand. 

[teblin]

I think we will be 6th or 7th But have a good Europa league go. Assuming we can have some defensive players back

[Number 6]

Before a ball was kicked this season my thinking was that qualifying for Europe again and having a decent Europa run would constitute a decent season. I've seen nothing to change that.

 

Top 4 is too strong this season, they will be clear, but let's not pretend that the team finishing 5th will have been super consistent.

[fox_up_north]

Objectively, last night was just comical at points. Even Youri's goal was silly. But it cannot be ignored that we are probably using our 4th choice CB pairing and we seem to have relied on good runs early in the season to get us up to 4th/5th. That is unlikely to happen.

 

Personally, I'm hoping for top 6, accepting top 8 and a decent stab at EL this season. If I do that, then my enjoyment of the season vastly improves as I won't be mentally working out what's needed for 4th.

 

We had the chance, we blew it but we're still here and still a good team. Just enjoy it.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

When you lose 5-6 first team defenders you lose the foundation of your team. Particularly when you play out from the back - just look at Liverpool last season when they had that period of poor form.

 

To compensate I would play 2 out and out holding midfielders to give the makeshift defence some protection. I’d also bench Thomas - as good as he is, he is still developing. We need to utilize experience like Bertrand and Castagne in the full back positions.

 

Keep calm and carry on! 

[Tielemans63]

Just now, Chocolate Teapot said:

Some of us didn't get carried away in the first place and realise a top 8 finish is still good. Still think we're good for that.

I agree although I felt, before Fofana's injury, we had the potential to perhaps go one better and finish top 4 - that's not arrogance, that's because I felt we could be even stronger. I'd still be happy with top 8 and I also think we'll get it however it is not conceited to suggest that with a healthier squad we could be right up there. 

[moore_94]

Just now, SydenhamFox said:

I’m not surprised you don’t understand. 

Surely better to just explain it to him than to be condescending?

[Fox92]

3 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

My expectations were fairly pessemistic to begin with, tbh.

 

I think we've overachieved in the last two seasons and I think 8th is about our level.

Really? Aside from both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea who have a better squad than us? (On paper of course and before injuries).

I think us/West Ham/Everton/Villa/Spurs/Arsenal finsh off the rest of the top 10 but if I said the last month I'd have got laughed at. People think we're really good, people think we're not that good. There's never any middle ground.

 

Top 10, a good run in Europe and a good run in at least one domestic trophy is a good season to me.

Edited 24 August 2021 by Fox92

[fuchsntf]

1 minute ago, Fox92 said:

Really? Aside from both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea who have a better squad than us? I think us/West Ham/Everton/Villa/Spurs/Arsenal finsh off the rest of the top 10 but if I said the last month I'd have got laughed at. People think we're really good, people think we're not that good. There's never any middle ground.

I Think we are pretty middle...

[An Away Move]

8 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Surely better to just explain it to him than to be condescending?

I’m not in the mood after so many frankly ridiculous and quite rude reactions to my original post. His included. 

Edited 24 August 2021 by SydenhamFox

[Simoken]

8 minutes ago, SydenhamFox said:

I’m not surprised you don’t understand. 

In that case please explain that nonsensical comment, because i dont think you know either.

[An Away Move]

1 minute ago, Simoken said:

In that case please explain that nonsensical comment, because i dont think you know either.

No. I’ll leave it. 

[Gav_LCFC14]

The amount of pessimism after a single loss is outstanding. 4th would be overachieving, but 5th/6th can be a real target. 

 

[Simoken]

3 minutes ago, SydenhamFox said:

No. I’ll leave it. 

...

Edited 24 August 2021 by Simoken

[sm1]

We've won 2 of our last 7 PL games conceding 16 goals. With our long term defensive injuries, I cant see us not conceding a lot of goals. BR can remedy the problem somewhat by bulking our midfield up and playing Soumare. I think we'll finish between 7-9.

[Fox92]

13 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

In the grand scheme of things this club is only moving forward. Let’s not scrutinise everything because of one bad night.
 

How do you think Man City felt after we spanked them last season? They still won the league, league cup and got to a Champions League final.

 

Completely different budgets but point being: one result doesn’t define how we will move forward. 

Tbf they went out and spent 60m on Dias. We can't do that.

[An Away Move]

3 minutes ago, Gav_LCFC14 said:

The amount of pessimism after a single loss is outstanding. 4th would be overachieving, but 5th/6th can be a real target. 

 

Not with Fofana, Evans and possibly Vestergaard out long term. The whole thrust of my OP.