Bottom 3 PL..How do LCFC prevent this , next season…

[Bryn]

It worries me. The gap gets bigger every year. There’s a number of players in our squad who I don’t think can step up. But that’s a job for several months from now and it’s Maresca’s.

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

1 hour ago, String fellow said:

We already are! Of all the clubs in the top 2 tiers, City are 4th in the yo-yo club league table.

Birmingham City (32), Cardiff City (26), Burnley (24) then Leicester City (22) are the top four, the numbers in brackets showing the times each has changed division. 

Well historically yes but we haven’t been over the past decade.

[Chelmofox]

Next season is going to be a slog (assuming we go up of course!). We are very likely to lose Nacho, Ndidi and Vesty as their deals expire. From a rumour i heard I strongly doubt we will be signing Casadei, although i think there is a chance we could get Doyle.  There will be huge question marks over Vardy, and we haven't yet seen Cannon in action so we could go into the summer window without an established striker if Vardy retires (and even if he doesn't - im not convinced we rely on him for the 24/25 season).  Say what you want about Vesty's PL credentials, but he is currently the spine of our defence and style. For that to disappear is going to be tough. I'm not convinced about Coady, and Faes will have to rebuild his reputation in the PL. Is Hamza cut out for the PL in Enzo's style? Can we rely on Riccy P for an entire PL campaign?

 

So we already look like we are in a weaker position before the season starts.  Fatawu looks an amazing talent but he will find the quality of PL defending a huge learning curve. He will need to be given time. Mavididi is unproven at that level too. 

 

Recruitment will obviously be key, but i think it could be fundamental enough to feel like another rebuild, and we are in danger of playing in a pool of more expensive options, so will our budgets stretch to get enough quality. Get off to a slow start, and things could get panicky again. I have a horrible feeling the 'get it forward' brigade will have a field day quite early on. I think we could stay up, but next season would require a lot of patience and goodwill. 

 

Hate to say it, but this was the season to have stayed in the PL as the current bottom 4 are horrible. I can't see the standard being as bad next season. 

 

I'm just going to take the opportunity to enjoy this season for the time being  

Edited 30 October 2023 by Chelmofox

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

Next season is going to be a slog (assuming we go up of course!). We are very likely to lose Nacho, Ndidi and Vesty as their deals expire. From a rumour i heard I strongly doubt we will be signing Casadei, although i think there is a chance we could get Doyle.  There will be huge question marks over Vardy, and we haven't yet seen Cannon in action so we could go into the summer window without an established striker if Vardy retires (and even if he doesn't - im not convinced we rely on him for the 24/25 season).  Say what you want about Vesty's PL credentials, but he is currently the spine of our defence and style. For that to disappear is going to be tough. I'm not convinced about Coady, and Faes will have to rebuild his reputation in the PL. Is Hamza cut out for the PL in Enzo's style? Can we rely on Riccy P for an entire PL campaign?

 

So we already look like we are in a weaker position before the season starts.  Fatawu looks an amazing talent but he will find the quality of PL defending a huge learning curve. He will need to be given time. Mavididi is unproven at that level too. 

 

Recruitment will obviously be key, but i think it could be fundamental enough to feel like another rebuild, and we are in danger of playing in a pool of more expensive options, so will our budgets stretch to get enough quality. Get off to a slow start, and things could get panicky again. I have a horrible feeling the 'get it forward' brigade will have a field day quite early on. I think we could stay up, but next season would require a lot of patience and goodwill. 

 

Hate to say it, but this was the season to have stayed in the PL as the current bottom 4 are horrible. I can't see the standard being as bad next season. 

 

I'm just going to take the opportunity to enjoy this season for the time being  

I think Iheanacho will re-sign 

[BillyFOX12]

4 hours ago, kristianity77 said:

I want to know how Sheffield United have a point when apparently they are 0-0-9 in results? 😂

The same way Ward let 4 goals in with 3 attempts on goal.

[Bilo]

9 hours ago, Finnegan said:

I'm genuinely not even vaguely worried. 

 

We'd beat most of the bottom four or five now. We're a better side currently, we'll probably have the finances to invest properly when we go up, we've shown signs that we've turned a corner in terms of our transfer intelligence and we've got a significantly better coaching team than any of last year's promoted sides. 

 

I wouldn't swap Enzo for Kompany in a month or Sundays and I'd bet my house right now that he goes on to have a far more impressive career. 

 

More chance of us going back up and being top half than getting relegated and I mean that sincerely. 

 

 

Honestly, this is where I am.

 

We are better than Luton, Sheffield United and Burnley right now. We would give Bournemouth a game and beat Forest at home, who still look disjointed despite spending nine figures. The team as it is finishes 16th in my opinion.

 

Factor in Maresca's genuine acumen in the transfer window, the resources and ambition of the club, the attractiveness of the Maresca project and the momentum from a season of spanking this division and I just can't see us going down if we recruit well and keep the right players. I suspect we'll be more like Fulham last season. 

[Dan]

11 hours ago, Mark 'expert' Lawrenson said:

We will probably become a yo-yo club, I’m not saying we’ll go down next season (if we’re up) however I think we’ll become one of them mid to lower table teams flirting with relegation each season with 40pts the goal.

Honestly I don't agree at all. I think we've a lot more about us. We can fully retain this reputation with a strong first season back up. You only have to hear the way rival fans talk about us. You won't see people acting like they've won a big away cup tie when they've beaten Norwich or Watford.

 

We're better than this now. We've raised the mean of our natural level in the last decade. I think Maresca means these sorts of things when he says them as well.

 

We're rated outside of here higher than by a lot of our fans.

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

12 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

Honestly I don't agree at all. I think we've a lot more about us. We can fully retain this reputation with a strong first season back up. You only have to hear the way rival fans talk about us. You won't see people acting like they've won a big away cup tie when they've beaten Norwich or Watford.

 

We're better than this now. We've raised the mean of our natural level in the last decade. I think Maresca means these sorts of things when he says them as well.

 

We're rated outside of here higher than by a lot of our fans.

Hope you’re right! 

[ALC Fox]

If we keep the manager I think we'll be fine.

 

Recruitment has been exciting and we've been willing to spend in the Championship.

 

Some higher earners may still leave but that also frees up wages for new players.

 

We'll need to make signings no matter what, but when Maresca came in he immediately identified the keeper, CBs and midfielders he wanted to play his style.

 

We'll have targets that are more suited to the Premier League, surely.

 

For now, I'm enjoying the ride with fingers crossed that it continues and we do go up.

[FoxinNotts]

A lot of work to do.

 

- priority; ensure we have sufficient back-up/rotation for the ‘Ricardo’ and ‘Winks’ roles, with Premier league class of player. Currently this is Choudhury and Braybrooke is ear marked.

 

- Buy a quality Keeper as back up for Mads. I genuinely think we should get rid of three of the others

 

- let Vestergaard go and replace with a Prem Quality CB with a bit of pace and as good distribution as Vesty

 

- Replace those players whose contracts are coming to an end. (Maybe offer Ian, Dennis and Wilf new contracts?)

 

- Buy Akgun, Doyle & Fatawu on permanents

 

- Get another new number nine to replace those lost to compete with Cannon (and maybe Ian)

 

- Get a quality prem standard replacement for Wilf and Casadei

 

 

 

Edited 30 October 2023 by FoxinNotts

[Pliskin]

Don’t appoint Brendan Rodgers. 

[MattFox]

57 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

Honestly I don't agree at all. I think we've a lot more about us. We can fully retain this reputation with a strong first season back up. You only have to hear the way rival fans talk about us. You won't see people acting like they've won a big away cup tie when they've beaten Norwich or Watford.

 

We're better than this now. We've raised the mean of our natural level in the last decade. I think Maresca means these sorts of things when he says them as well.

 

We're rated outside of here higher than by a lot of our fans.

We’re basically a seen as a top half mainstay that had a freek season

 

The yo-yo/natural level thing comes more from our own fanbase (and ex players)

[Joe90lcfc]

People need to get a grip on here! We are not a premier league team this is why we were relegated, the gap is absolutely massive between the two divisions!! We are so far ahead because the standard of opposition is so poor, and teams  don’t take there chances, teams would have took there chances in the prem. 

 my opinion this team would be in a relegation battle is we were in the prem now, BUT we are not and we are doing what we need to do getting promoted, very wishful thinking we’re just going to jump straight into the top 10 next season if promoted 

[Joe90lcfc]

6 hours ago, James_lcfc said:

People vastly underestimate the quality of the PL on here.

 

Even the poorer teams are miles ahead of what you come up against in the Championship.

 

(Not including last years promoted sides as they are either still adjusting or absolutely terrible. Early days)

Yes this is my point to, just because we are walking the championship, doesn’t mean we are automatically a mid table premier league side! we certainly need a few signings if/when we get promoted 

[Jobyfox]

Despite the fact that I’m posting I actually hate threads like this.

 

1. We haven’t got promoted yet and whilst many think we will do - injuries and/or loss of form could still make us vulnerable. Threads like this just seem unnecessarily presumptuous 
2. We don’t know what squad we’ll have after the next two transfer windows and everything could look different. We could either be really ambitious or really passive in the transfer market 

3. We don’t know which teams will be relegated from the Premier League 

4. We don’t know which teams will be promoted 

5. We don’t know what the teams in the Premier League will do in the next two transfer windows

6. We don’t know how the other promoted teams will strengthen in the next two transfer windows 

 

What we need could look completely different in six or twelve months time. No doubt we will have plans and targets, but I bet they’re built with so many contingencies at this stage. 
 

Can’t we just concentrate on getting promoted first without this constant speculation about unknowns? 

[Dan]

1 hour ago, Mark 'expert' Lawrenson said:

Hope you’re right! 

Likewise  

[filbertway]

It'll be tough and we will need to recruit incredibly well.

 

Not sure that us spending the best part of 40-50 million (when Akgun and Fatawu are accounted for) in the 2nd tier represents an improvement in recruitment.

 

If we have aspirations to stay up its likely we will need to sign 10 or so players and pretty much all of them will need to be a success.

 

Weve seen how we struggle when inferior teams have the balls to press us, almost every team in the Prem will fancy their chances against us and have superior players.

 

Not to say we can't do it, but its not going to be the walk in the park that some seem to think it'll be

[lcfc sheff]

Core of the squad is strong.
 

defence 

 

We’ll need replacements and improvements on Faes,vestergaard and maybe Doyle if we aren’t to sign him. (I’d prefer a quicker CB).  Ricardo and Justin will do us nicely.

 

midfield 

 

ndidi is the obvious one. If he doesnt sign a new deal then we can either loan someone or sign a replacement. Wingers will be fine. Winks premier league class.

strikers

iheanacho again probably won’t stay.

Vardy to play second fiddle to a new striker and Daka will be gone so need two signing probably. 
 

6 new signings, mixture of loans / loans to buys/ and may have some money to spent on some permanent options. The rest of the team I feel will have no issues and can only improve. 
 

Edit* forgot about cannon, no idea if he’ll be good or not

 

 

Edited 30 October 2023 by lcfc sheff

[Chelmofox]

52 minutes ago, Jobyfox said:

Despite the fact that I’m posting I actually hate threads like this.

 

1. We haven’t got promoted yet and whilst many think we will do - injuries and/or loss of form could still make us vulnerable. Threads like this just seem unnecessarily presumptuous 
2. We don’t know what squad we’ll have after the next two transfer windows and everything could look different. We could either be really ambitious or really passive in the transfer market 

3. We don’t know which teams will be relegated from the Premier League 

4. We don’t know which teams will be promoted 

5. We don’t know what the teams in the Premier League will do in the next two transfer windows

6. We don’t know how the other promoted teams will strengthen in the next two transfer windows 

 

What we need could look completely different in six or twelve months time. No doubt we will have plans and targets, but I bet they’re built with so many contingencies at this stage. 
 

Can’t we just concentrate on getting promoted first without this constant speculation about unknowns? 

1 - It's going to be a monumental drop in form to miss out on automatic promotion. I think we are in such a position that the club need to be planning as if we are, and i don't think its a terrible thing to hypothesise what we might need next season to not replicate the current PL bottom 3. Although, there is nothing to say that Burnley don't sort themselves out and go on a nice little run and Forest nose dive (we can hope).

2 - Thats part of the fun in working out what will happen. Will be able to resign Wilf / Nacho? If not do we target replacements this coming window. Do we start targeting PL quality now in preparation for next season or do we wait? Will we lose a prized asset (KDH?). 

3 - Not an issue. Very likely the bottom 4 will feature heavily in it. Whoever is relegated, we need to perform better than them next season.

4 - Not an issue. Although Its highly likely we will be one of them. 

5 - Whatever, we will be completing with them for the cost effective resources. Are the likes of Brighton and Villa now buying a different caliber of player to us?  Who will be our biggest competition in the transfer market?

6 - Same as 5.

 

 

[Jobyfox]

15 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

1 - It's going to be a monumental drop in form to miss out on automatic promotion. I think we are in such a position that the club need to be planning as if we are, and i don't think its a terrible thing to hypothesise what we might need next season to not replicate the current PL bottom 3. Although, there is nothing to say that Burnley don't sort themselves out and go on a nice little run and Forest nose dive (we can hope).

2 - Thats part of the fun in working out what will happen. Will be able to resign Wilf / Nacho? If not do we target replacements this coming window. Do we start targeting PL quality now in preparation for next season or do we wait? Will we lose a prized asset (KDH?). 

3 - Not an issue. Very likely the bottom 4 will feature heavily in it. Whoever is relegated, we need to perform better than them next season.

4 - Not an issue. Although Its highly likely we will be one of them. 

5 - Whatever, we will be completing with them for the cost effective resources. Are the likes of Brighton and Villa now buying a different caliber of player to us?  Who will be our biggest competition in the transfer market?

6 - Same as 5.

 

 

Monumental drop in form?

 

It’s unlikely, but not inconceivable, that Leeds could have our form and we theres over the next 14 games. If that happened we’d be on exactly the same points with 18 matches still to play. 
 

A bigger drop in form might be as a result of significant injuries, which is exactly what’s happened over the last 3 seasons. 

Edited 30 October 2023 by Jobyfox

[Mike1983]

I reckon we qualify for the champions league in the next season, where we batter Bayern 4-1 in the first leg of the semis at KP, only goal from them is a cheap pen from Kane.

[murphy]

1 hour ago, Jobyfox said:

Despite the fact that I’m posting I actually hate threads like this.

 

.......

 

Can’t we just concentrate on getting promoted first without this constant speculation about unknowns? 

Wouldn't that make for a very dull forum?

 

Why not speculate about what the future holds?  Fantasize even?  We can't just stay in the present.  I think we've said all there is to say about QPR.

[Foxdiamond]

We've played 14 league games. If we had 14 remaining that for me would still be premature in getting so cocksure about going up. 

[Angus Scott]

The main thing we will need is a quality centre forward.

Vardy cannot perform at that level anymore, we desperately need to sell Daka & Nacho, even if he stays, is too inconsistent.

We will need to splash the cash a bit but I'm confident we will be ok, providing Enzo is still here

 

[Jobyfox]

18 minutes ago, murphy said:

Wouldn't that make for a very dull forum?

 

Why not speculate about what the future holds?  Fantasize even?  We can't just stay in the present.  I think we've said all there is to say about QPR.

Then talk about the Leeds game. 

 

Each to his own. I'm just expressing my personal preference