I get there's a big difference between asking what would you realistically happy with next season, and where do you realistically think we'll finish next season, but I don't get where all of these top six comments are coming from.
We're about to potentially lose up to 16 players next season through contracts expiring, though some will get new deals. We're selling Archer back plus at least one to balance the books, despite spending relatively nothing last summer and coming down with parachute payments, and the wage bill reducing from out of contract players leaving.
The club is already talking up utilising loans, who likely won't arrive until late into the transfer window, so once again pre-season will be hampered, disjointed and likely poor from the lack of signings joining early doors and getting valuable minutes before the season starts. So unless the loan players have started regularly in pre-season for their parent clubs then they'll not be match fit and ready for game one..... again.
Sorry, but I'm just not that optimistic with the rabble of shit currently running this club still in charge, which they will be as no one is going to meet the Prince's valuation, or his demands to remain some control once sold.
I can only see a season of stability at best, if we can even manage that. I worry as we didn't even utilise free agents the last time we came down and only signed one permanent player, who we seemingly couldn't afford last time and have now been docked two points for.
What would I realistically be happy with is an odd question when you think about it, or maybe badly worded, as it's an opinion based on nothing, while where do you realistically think we'll finish is a totally different question. No offence to the O/P.