Blades 2012-13 Your Current Thoughts (Part 2)

[Highbury_Blade]

About 6 weeks ago, i asked you based on the then current squad, what you though the league position would be.

The vast majority thought we'd finish in the top half, over a 1/3 thought we'd be prmoted automatically.

Since then we've had a number of signings, and some good news from KMAc, so i ask you again, based on the CURRENT squad (ie: no williamson), where do you think we will finish?

Are you more/less optimistic now than you were 6 weeks ago?

 

[bartman]

of course we are going up

 

[axel smeets]

Ere, Walthy, why do you think we'll be relegated lad? Surely even you must have a touch of optimism regarding the perceived lack of quality in this division and the fact that we have managed to keep hold of KMac?

 

[Deleted member 875]

Walthy only sees the Blades half a dozen times a year, so therefore his opinion must be considered the expert opinion and he does know it all.

 

[dingledog]

We're going up, ask BB, I always believe that before any season, I am mainly left disappointed.

 

[alcoblade]

Play-off's for me, unless we sign a striker with a pedigree it this level.

UTB

 

[gavtheblade]

seems though were packing the defence with new faces-dont see miller and cofie firing us to glory though,as the squad stands of today,i cant see us above 6th im afraid.
we`ll struggle to score goals with the calibre up front.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Playoffs as things stand imo but difficult to say until the season gets underway.

On paper I would say we are one striker short of being a top two side. If we lose Quinn, we will need to replace him as well.

 

[metalblade]

7th -12th for me, Keeper worries, defence ok if Hill is only back up, wide men needed in midfield and not enough fire power up front will overall see us just fall short, A Warnockesque season showing a bit of promise but fading and failing after xmas. Just not quite good enough to mount a challenge.

 

[beightonblade]

DD is right...... Before a ball is kicked were always Champions.
Then reality kicks in and we're shown up for the underachieving pisspot outfit we are, however just once in a blue moon we scrape to victory, fingers crossed for a blue moon.!

Early 70's still the best.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Remember this time last year, everyone was slating Simmo, Collins, Doyle, Ched and Willo was everyone's favourite crock.

There's no reason to believe that DW can't get the team playing the same way, especially bearing in mind it's getting more like his team now. We'll be difficult to break down but the worry for me is have we got a 25 plus goals striker, have we got more than KMac to pull the strings and create as despite how good we were for 95% of last season, losing KMac for 10 games and Ched at the end cost us and we can't be so reliable on one or two.

I can't see us not being top 6 if we kicked off tomorrow but we still need one or two key additions to make the difference.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I hin we've now got a decent enough squad to make us certs for at least a playoff spot, but as ever do we have the quality up front to take us beyond that. My gut feeling says not at the moment.

 

[sheffielder]

A solid start and a bit more squad rotation and we will be champions imo

Schlupp and another winger would make me more confident though

 

[stannyblade]

I have voted Champions.

I really cant see us finishing below 3rd again. Unless we have loads of injuries

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Another question to ask for those that don't think we'll go up as champions(that includes me) is what teams do you foresee finishing above us this season?

 

[Kenilworth]

Play offs without more fire power and more supply from wide.
I think the defence is relatively solid - if Maguire stays and I think Howar will be OK in the sticks.
Worried about the pace on the flanks and the inexperience up front although there is some pace there now.

Teams I think will be pushing for Automatic are:
MKD - Will be the Champions IMO
Notts County - Curle did a good job last year when he took over and has added to his squad this.
Swindon - Spent a bit and on crest of success
Preston - they will be the Wendy of this season with the tactics they will employ

Of the relagated teams I think Donny will do the best out of them but play off contenders not auto.
Coventry will find it tough although I expect they will flirt with the play offs like we will.

Wouldn't rule out Creepy doing something similar to what Stevenage did last year

Dark Horses - Bournemouth

 

[Revolution]

Kenilworth - just for the sake of curiosity, what is it that makes you think Howard will be okay?

For myself, I think he's a complete unknown quantity. He hasn't played enough recently for us to say how good he is.

As for the rest of the side, the signings for the back 4 are encouraging, but they will have to be very good, because as things currently stand the team is likely to score about 25 to 30 goals less than it did last season. That is not fatal to our playoff chances (not that this would be any use, of course) if we concede a similarly low amount, but there don't seem to be enough goals for automatic promotion.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Highbury, I'm a lot more positive now than when you did the last poll. But is this the last poll? There's a month left of the transfer window and a lot could happen that could affect opinions.

 

[metalblade]

Bournemouth, Coventry, Carlisle, MK Dons, Notts County, Preston for the top six places, MK and Notts for top 2.
Outside bets on Donny, Brentford, Colchester and ourselves.

 

[JohnDenver]

I want to know what Broomers thinks.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

If we can get another forward in and keep the rest of our better players I predict this:-

1. Blades
2. Preston
3. MK Dons
4. Swindon
5. Colchester
6. Notts County

 

[sheffielder]

Dark horses are Oldham.

Strange how we are still favourites with the bookies considering how good everyone thinks these other teams are

 

[axel smeets]

PNE are an interesting choice for 2nd place. Westley, as some may know on here, is not exactly my favourite manager. His methods have been critcised at Deepdale and he seems to have alienated some players there. I think they will either do really well and be top 2, or they could be in a battle to stay up until he gets sacked.

 

[Kenilworth]

Kenilworth - just for the sake of curiosity, what is it that makes you think Howard will be okay?

Based on feedback from Balckpool fans - some of which has been posted on this site (or linked to) but I can't be arsed to go find it for you (Soz).

 

[mattbianco1]

I put champions just as I always do.

IMHO are there really 6 teams better than us in the league? I challenge anybody to prove me wrong. Therefore top 6 at least but probably top 3

 

[stannyblade]

I put champions just as I always do.

IMHO are there really 6 teams better than us in the league? I challenge anybody to prove me wrong. Therefore top 6 at least but probably top 3

Thats just what I said at work this morning. Would like another striker myself (permenant not loan)

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

PNE are an interesting choice for 2nd place. Westley, as some may know on here, is not exactly my favourite manager. His methods have been critcised at Deepdale and he seems to have alienated some players there. I think they will either do really well and be top 2, or they could be in a battle to stay up until he gets sacked.

I'm not a fan of such methods either. Its what I refer to as percentage football (prefer that term to "long ball") and it has always seemed like short termism to me. Its all about getting wins as quickly as possible using the most simple and direct possible approach.

I do however acknowledge that it works at lower levels where your opposition aren't quite as good and aren't able to combat it as easily, hence why I think they'll do well (Wednesday played the same way for most of last season). It will always however end up being short term solution because the higher you go, the harder it is to win games doing it.

The one half exception to the rule is Stoke and they're only achieving it through spending a lot of money on very good players which helps to carry it off. Having said that I still take my hat off to how well they've done.

 

[mattbianco1]

Too right Stanny

I think people are forgetting that we accumulated 90pts last season and have lost 3 players and a shit keeper.

We've got a GK now who can't be any worse than Simmo at crosses and the rest of the stuff is only natural to a GK surely i.e. actually saving shots.

We have got in 2 replacements for Lowton, one of which played 30 Championship games for a club who narroly missed out on a Play Off spot.

We don't know what the strikers are going to be like but if they all chip in with some, i can't see a problem. Nobody will score 30+ goals but if Cofie can get 10 to 15 and Miller can get 10 to 15. Cressy and Porter get 8 to 12 each

 

[ListerBlade]

I've voted second. I'm pleased with how the squad is coming together, and agree that we have adequately covered the losses and added some depth defensively and the youth prospects fill out central midfield positions.

I do think we need a winger (two if quinn goes), as for a striker, if the opportunity arises that we can get a proven striker within our means then we should add another, assuming that we are taking a gamble on unleashing the potential that Miller supposedly has.

By no means will it be simple, and based on our results against the (bigger) sides in the Division last season, I'd say second behind one of MK Dons, PNE (they will go one of two ways-great or relegated). I'm confident we can get past the other teams expected to challenge such as Notts County etc.

Be nice to be champions though-it would certainly make up for the way we missed out last season.

 

[ListerBlade]

We don't know what the strikers are going to be like but if they all chip in with some, i can't see a problem. Nobody will score 30+ goals but if Cofie can get 10 to 15 and Miller can get 10 to 15. Cressy and Porter get 8 to 12 each

I agree that Cofie and Miller could be 10-15 goal strikers, but I think Cressy & Porter getting 8-12 each is optimistic, between them maybe, but not individually.