Deadbat's Season Preview and Predictions 21-22

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Interesting to read all the incomings and mostly outgoings at the various clubs - shows that COVID has had & is still affecting the ability of clubs to pay transfer fees.

Do worry about the imbalance within our squad & particularly the continuing loss of JOC.

However really looking forward to getting back to watching live football & enjoying the match day experience.

UTB
 

Stoke are about £100m down on transfers. If we don't go back up this season then anyone who dies need to be sold will be very much cut price.

Football is fucked
 
Excellent series of posts, really appreciate the effort!

I personally feel we'll have a really good season. The championship is probably the weakest it's been in a long time, with how comfortable Norwich and Watford both were last season being testament to the gap between the premier league and the championship. This gap is only widening, with a lot of the teams that did well last season likely to fall away completely this year (Swansea & Reading most notably).

Whilst we did have an incredibly poor season last year, a lot of people seem to have a case of conveniently negative selective memory, as Norwich finished the 19/20 season with less points than we had last season, and rounded off their campaign with 10 straight defeats. As poor as we were, even we didn't lose that many consecutive games; yet they went on to absolutely walk the league. Not that our situtation is immediately comparable with Norwich's, but it does demonstrate the gulf in quality between the divisions.

I'm not saying I expect us to win the league or anything, but I think that us, Fulham and West Brom should be expecting to be comfortably ahead of all the other teams, bar maybe Bournemouth depending on how Parker gets on. Naturally, the three of us all have new managers, so there is scope for things not working out, but I'd say that the three new appointees of the relegated teams are all remarkably fantastic appointments, on paper at least- with the Blades having snapped up the most proven at this level of the three.

With the division being so weak, I also think it's a good year to have come up, and I imagine that Hull, Blackpool and Peterborough will all be safe. The one thing I am categorically certain of is that Derby will finish rock bottom- it wouldn't even surprise me if they're not around Rotherham's record low points total of 23(?) from a few years back. I think I'd have preferred them to just go down and Wycombe stay up, as their presence is only going to inflate the points totals of the other 23 clubs.
 
Great Article - I think we will be in the mix - my Dark horses Hull City
 
I reckon play off too.. although I have gone for 5th

1st Fulham
2nd Bournmouth
3rd Boro
4th WBA
5th Blades
6th Milwall


22nd Peterborough
23rd Huddersfield
24th Derby
 
Brilliant as ever deadbat!!

I don’t think we will get off to a particularly good start, but I don’t think Fulham or West Brom will. Fulham - 7 of their starting 11 (last season) are no longer at the club, a they have a new manager that’s a lot of change. Despite the quality at the top of the pitch a centre back pairing of Alfie Mawson and Michael Hector shouldn’t fill any fan with the hope a flood of clean sheets are on the way and with an injured Tom Cairney who over the past few successful promotion seasons has made them tick absent not sure it will be the smoothest of transitions.

West Brom are an interesting one the freezing out of pereira and loss of Austin/Hal Robson will have a bigger impact than many have calculated IMO. When in the championship last time 48 of the 77 goals (62%) were either scored or assisted by these three players. Impossible to predict I know and the championship is weaker but without any replacements so is the West Brom attacking threat. Val ball may help.

Other than Ben Bloom and FourFourtwo many are predicting us to finish outside the top two. I find this strange, but then realise as a club our own fans are often head first, heart last (unlike the HMS across the city) and people Further a field view us as Long Ball loving, Bread line fans who support the worst team in premier league history even if the tabloids were premature with this tagline. But remember we have been here before, teams get promoted not expensive individuals and I think keeping the blades together not losing half of our first team or key players gives us the edge over Fulham and West Brom. Fuck em, I love being the underdog. UTB!!!
 
Agree with Willglynning, the championship is probably at its weakest for a while, I would go as far to say most of the teams we play will have a very similar lineup of players that we faced last time round albeit older and squads thinner. That puts us in a good place, because on paper we have far more fire power than last time and if the unthinkable happens and we can keep Sander upto January it would be surprising if we were sat outside the top 3.

The best teams that have depth will finish top of this division.
 
Thanks DB. If Bournemouth keep Brooks fit and don't lose any players in the transfer window I fancy them to win the league. West Brom and Fulham will be up there as will Swansea. The rest are a collection of difficult teams to beat such a Middlesbrough, QPR and a group of poor sides which include Hull, Derby, Coventry.

As for SUFC we haven't yet solved the biggest problem at LCB, Robinson is not the answer. We also don't have adequate cover for Egan and if he gets injured first game we have no aerial capability at the back. I watched a number of championship games last season and the ball is up in the air a lot. Most teams having a specialist long throw expert. We have to address this in the next few weeks as I can see a number of goals being conceded from set pieces/ crosses into the box again.

Good that we are being linked with strong midfield players like Viera and Garner but they need to be through the door soon.

It will be interesting to see how the current collection of players react to going a goal down. Last season they failed miserably. Whilst I am confident the new management team have the tactical nous to deal with adversity it remains to be seen how the players themselves respond.

It was encouraging in the Doncaster friendly that the ball was being moved forward quicker but there were still signs that some were clinging to the old slow system of build up play. It will take time for Slav to work out who can adapt and who can't, for that reason I don't see us challenging the automatic promotion spots.

If we hold onto Berge and Ramsdale, bring in two centre backs and Viera and Garner then we look capable of mounting a play off challenge. Without the additions my current prediction is we will finish just outside at 8th.
 
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An enjoyable read, agreed with most of it until he lost all credibility, I know it's about opinions and small margins, BUT, pigs to finish higher than Wimbledon, Morecombe and Cheltenham? Sorry Mr. Bat you are obviously on medication, have another go when you've finished the course, I mean above Morecombe 😂😂
 
Championship
1. WBA
2. Cardiff
3. Fulham
4. QPR
5. Blades
6. B'mouth

22. Coventry
23. Millwall
24. Luton

Prem
1. Man Utd
2. Lpool
3. Man Citeh
4. Chelsea

18. Brentford
19. Norwich
20. Burnley

L1.
Champs..Sunderland...RU...........Portsmouth... POW......Oxford
Down...Morecambe, Wycombe. MK Dons, Wimbledon

L2.
Champs..Salford....RU.....Mansfield...Bradford...POW Rochdale
Down....Barrow, Scunny.
 
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I have just bet on us to win the league, along with Citeh, Rotherham and Bradford as the other league winners.

I wouldn't have done that a few weeks ago, but with Ramsdale and Berge likely to stay, and with Mousset seemingly getting his shit together, I think that provided we add a couple of signings, we'll easily have enough for promotion.
 
Great report, few things that irked me.

Connor Roberts of Swansea is a right back
Dan Bentley is fucking rubbish
Matheus Pereira will not be at WBA past deadline day, he was already nailed on to leave and has today publicly said he wants out on social media
I'm not entirely sure how you're tipping Bournemouth so high
 
Deadbat said:
14) Nottingham Forest



Forest now seem cocooned at this level now and changes of ownership and manager has not really seen the promotion push fans would expect. Last season was a really poor one and in the end they finished 17th and if the season had gone on much longer, the unthinkable may have happened. Fortunately for them, local sides Derby and Wednesday were even more abject. Forest simply never got going and even the experienced Hughton seemed helpless to turnaround a side that looked completely without identity. The leading scorer was Lewis Grabban. With six goals. Six. He and Joe Lolley were seen as key men a few seasons ago but now both have flatlined. They need to find life quickly if Forest want to threaten near the top. Young players like Worrall, Yates and Mighten are the future but Hughton has often be seen as a defensive, pragmatic coach and the fans will only accept that if it is winning football they are seeing. Only one signing, the American keeper Horvath who will only back up Samba you would think; is not the summer of business Forest fans would have wanted but after a bloated squad of a year ago, they maybe need to prune sensibly first. Young winger Brennan Johnson might be one to look out for, having done very well at Lincoln last season and is now back in the fold.



Manager: Chris Hughton



In
Ethan Horvath (free, Club Brugge)

Out
Michael Dawson (released)
Glenn Murray (retired)
Yuri Ribeiro (released)
Sammy Ameobi (released)
Samba Sow (released)
Abdoulaye Diallo (released)
Michael Hefele (released)
Marcus McGuane (undisclosed, Oxford United)
George Shelvey (loan, Mansfield Town)
Sammy Ameobi (free, Middlesbrough)
Nikolas Ioannou (loan, Como)



Key Man: Joe Lolley - A year to 18 months ago and he was being linked with Villa and a number of other top flight sides. He has lost his way, not helped by Forest’s stagnation and was not even a regular last season. Needs to bounce back if Forest are going to be higher up the league.
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Good analysis and about right overall.

Only things I'd add is that Lolley has a chronic injury issue, so unless we've managed that correctly he'll likely stay in limbo this year too sadly. Also Grabban will be 34 in Jan, so if he leads the line all season I'll be surprised.

Our record 13m signing, and current flop, Joao Carvalho returns from loan too. He's got a superb eye for a pass, and fantastic technique, but hasn't seemed suited to previous managers or the Championship. A few kicks early doors and he's disappeared in the past. Hughtons system is way more suited to him though, and he's just starting to hit that age where players tend to peak, so he could be a surprise package.

Yates & Mighten were improving with every game last year, and should theoretically make their mark this year. But our ex-prem fullbacks Bong & Jenks are fucking wank, and we look like having to play fairly green academy lads in those positions at the mo.

I'll be happy with 15th or above with this squad tbh. Unless we add anyone significant the side is way too short on goals. Brentford are also in for Johnson, who I think we'll end up selling as his dad is constantly pushing for a move. A big shame as he is a quality player, who I fancy to be a top Champ/lower Prem player in 4-5 years time.
 
mancunianblade said:
Doesn’t stop them signing free transfers
Ravel Morrison
Sam Baldock
Phil Jagielka
Tom Carroll
Sone Aluko
Richard Stearman

and maybe a some more are all free transfer trialists

View attachment 117945
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Because of the rulings, I've read that they're limited to the amount of frees they can sign (some say 4, others say 2), and have a 5k wage limit too.
 

BrianBadonde said:
Great report, few things that irked me.

Connor Roberts of Swansea is a right back
Dan Bentley is fucking rubbish
Matheus Pereira will not be at WBA past deadline day, he was already nailed on to leave and has today publicly said he wants out on social media
I'm not entirely sure how you're tipping Bournemouth so high
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I have Bournemouth high simply as there is quality in their squad that few others teams have. That said when I made my prediction I had totally forgotten that Scott Parker was their manager
 
Roygbiv said:
I have Bournemouth high simply as there is quality in their squad that few others teams have. That said when I made my prediction I had totally forgotten that Scott Parker was their manager
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He could get promoted in every Championship season he has as a manager and I'd still be meh if we appointed him. He's just so beige.
 
I think one of Fulham or WBA will go up automatically. The second place could go to any one of 10 teams. Indeed, any decent side who can be consistent throughout the season are up imo.

Likes of QPR, Forest, Brum, Coventry will have much better seasons. I think Bristol City could go up. They have a run every season when they're unbeatable. One year they'll keep going.

I do think there is a lot of transfer activity to come in the league with the EUROs delaying everything so it's hard to say until the window is closed.
 
Really good review. Definitely helped give me a better flavour for what the other teams have been up to and where some of the threats may reside. Overall, I'm not massively concerned, so long as we can get our own house in order.
 
BrianBadonde said:
Great report, few things that irked me.

Connor Roberts of Swansea is a right back
Dan Bentley is fucking rubbish
Matheus Pereira will not be at WBA past deadline day, he was already nailed on to leave and has today publicly said he wants out on social media
I'm not entirely sure how you're tipping Bournemouth so high
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Bentley was Bristol City's player of the season. I know a Bristol City fan who also says they would have been in real dire straits without him.

We will see on Pereira but can only comment on who's here. I said he may leave as may happen with Berge.

I have given my reasoning for Bourbemouth being so high ....as I said people can disagree but tell me why.. why do you think Bournemouth will not do so well?
 
ChrisDysonHT said:
I think Bristol City will be Top 6 ... may be wrong though - dark horses for me ..... but what do I know lol
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Briz City are my top tip for relegation. No idea about us though. I had been confident until all these people started tipping us for promotion.
 
Deadbat said:
Out
Kevin Wimmer (free, Rapid Vienna)
Jordan Cousins (free, Wigan Athletic)
Liam Lindsay (undisclosed, Preston North End)
Connor Taylor (loan, Bristol Rovers)
Ryan Woods (free, Birmingham City)
Nathan Collins (£12.6m, Burnley)
Moritz Bauer (free, Ufa)
John Obi Mikel (free, Kuwait SC)
Benik Afobe (loan, Millwall)
Bruno Martins Indi (undisclosed, AZ Alkmaar)
Peter Etebo (loan, Watford)
Blondy Nna Noukeu (loan, Crawley Town)
Badou Ndiaye (undisclosed, Aris)
Lasse Sorensen (undisclosed, Lincoln City)
Sam Vokes (undisclosed, Wycombe Wanderers)
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Jeez that reads like a who's who of players we'd have bitten their hand off for a few years.

Shows how far we've progressed and they/the players have regressed.
 
Deadbat said:
Manager: Nathan Jones


In
Reece Burke (free, Hull City)
Fred Onyedinma (undisclosed, Wycombe Wanderers)
Allan Campbell (undisclosed, Motherwell)
Cameron Jerome (free, MK Dons)
Henri Lansbury (free, Bristol City)
Carlos Mendes Gomes (undisclosed, Morecambe)
Amari'i Bell (free, Blackburn Rovers)
Admiral Muskwe (undisclosed, Leicester City)



Out
Matty Pearson (free, Huddersfield Town)
James Collins (free, Cardiff City)
Brendan Galloway (free, Plymouth Argyle)
Harry Isted (released)
George Moncur (free, Hull City)
Kazenga LuaLua (free, Genclerbirligi)
Tiernan Parker (released)
Ryan Tunnicliffe (free, Portsmouth)
Jack Chambers (released)
Andrew Shinnie (released)
Corey Panter (loan, Dundee)
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That's truly the 1st team that looks stronger now than before.

They've bought well for this level.
 
Deadbat said:
Bentley was Bristol City's player of the season. I know a Bristol City fan who also says they would have been in real dire straits without him.

We will see on Pereira but can only comment on who's here. I said he may leave as may happen with Berge.

I have given my reasoning for Bourbemouth being so high ....as I said people can disagree but tell me why.. why do you think Bournemouth will not do so well?
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Careful me old. If you disagree too much or your opinion has too much variance (him being such a 'colossus') then he'll be 'living rent free in your head'

Or summat.

You're on thin ice mate.

pommpey
 
I'll add my two penneth for what it's worth.

I couldn't agree more with you regards the Top 4. IMHO that will the Top 4 come the end of the season it's just in which order.

I realise pre season predictions have to be done "pre season" but, for me anyway, all will be a lot clearer on the 1st of September when all the transfer business is completed. It's not like last season where squads were complete before a ball was kicked.

I'll start with our beloved. If we keep Rammers and Berge whilst adding Viera, Elliot and/or Garner and a quality LB/LCB like Davies then IMHO we finish 1st. If we lose Rammers and Berge and don't replace adequately then we may struggle to finish Top 6 if Slav takes a bit of time to make his mark on the style of play.

West Brom will almost definitely lose Perreira and I'm not convinced Ismael won't be a one hit wonder. Their incomings are solid if a bit unspectacular. Could finish anywhere in the Top 6/8.

Fulham have undoubtedly the best squad at present IMO but I'm really not convinced by Silva at all. Is he better than Parker? See below for my thoughts on him.

Muff have on paper a decent squad but, I may be on own here, but I really don't rate Parker. He had by far and away the best squad in The Champ when he got Fulham up though the play offs and had some real quality loans to supplement said squad last season and still got relegated. I also think they look the most vulnerable to players leaving before the window shuts. Brooks and Danjuma could well leave along with a couple of others so, a lot like us, it will depend on who they are replaced with.

In conclusion all the top 4 contenders have new men in the hot seat and IMHO we have by far the best appointment. I just hope the board don't let him down. Even though progress has been slow so far there's no evidence they will do and not many players that have moved have left me disappointed they haven't joined us and the ones that have look like having solid reasons why they have chosen other clubs.
 
Fulham, West Brom and Bournemouth all winning 2-0 at HT today.

If that isn't the top three at the end of the season I'll eat my boots.
 
Deadbat said:
2) Bournemouth



I am still not totally sure about Scott Parker yet which is odd to say as he has been a manager for a while now and not sure why he was targeted specifically by Bournemouth, who of course needed to upgrade from Woodgate – who did ok but was not really ready to take them on the next step. They were close last season but managerial changes, injuries and lack of consistency saw them not quite make an immediate return. Parker though has done it before with Fulham and is a year older in managerial terms of experience. It is not all about talent but you scan down the side and squad and they have not lost any key men and the forward/creative players all remain. David Brooks finally seems fit (scored a wonder goal in the opening round of the Carabao Cup) but we have heard that before so will wait and see. Ben Pearson gives them steel in the middle of the field to add to the quality of Lerma, Cook and Billing. Marcondes gives them a bit of a wild card – if he can find the form, he showed in his early days at Brentford then it just another option that defenses will struggle to cope with. Solanke, Stanislas, Danjuma and Brooks is a fairly frightening array of forwards. Defensively I am still a little concerned they have the back ups they need but with the striking options it might not matter! The key is keeping them fit and retaining them before the end of the window of course with Danjuma and Brooks the type of forwards some lower Premier League teams may be circling to pick off.



Manager: Scott Parker



In
Emiliano Marcondes (free, Brentford)
Leif Davis (loan, Leeds United)



Out
Nnamdi Ofoborh (free, Rangers)
Jack Wilshere (released)
Asmir Begovic (undisclosed, Everton)
Diego Rico (undisclosed, Real Sociedad)



Key Man: Arnaut Danjuma – Talented player that scored 17 goals and not an out and out striker either. On his day is too good for this level but he is still here and will be an important player for Parker as they attempt to go one better than last season.



1) Fulham



It might be a stretch for all the top 4 to be with teams with new managers but the three relegated sides and Bournemouth, do seem to have far stronger and deeper squads than any of the other sides. It might be seen as a lazy prediction to go with those as the top 4 but I just feel with the strength in depth and power/pace/goals these sides have up top, that it will be tough for any team to unseat them. Of course, if any of them lose players or have a bad start, then pressure ramps up and fan unrest may see boardrooms panic. Silva seemed an odd choice as he had lost his way at Everton and he has managed 7 clubs and is only 45. He did really well at Watford of course before and Fulham will hope his time away will have recharged the batteries. Fulham have become the perennial yo-yo side – the new West Brom if you like. They have things a better attempt last time but ultimately still went down in the end. Scott Parker moved on which seemed a surprise but the squad he left albeit bereft of many of the loan players he opted to use, still has plenty of quality. Cairney, Mitrovic, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro, Knockaert, Reed, Bryan, Carvalho, the list goes on. They should be too much for most teams and the fact they spent 12 million+ on a player in Wilson shows they still have the spending power that no other team will possess at this level. They have the best squad by some way. It’s a toss-up between them and their former manager, Parker who wins the league.



Manager: Marco Silva



In
Harry Wilson (£12.6m, Liverpool)
Paulo Gazzaniga (free, Tottenham Hotspur)



Out
Kevin McDonald (released)
Stefan Johansen (£630,000, Queens Park Rangers)
Marcus Bettinelli (free, Chelsea)



Key Man: Aleksandar Mitrovic – Did not really impress in the Premier League (again) but should rip up this league (again). Strong, powerful and scores goals. Tough to stop.





As a further bit of fun here are my predictions for the other leagues:



Premier League –

Man City

Other top 4 – Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd

Relegated – Watford, Burnley and Crystal Palace



League One –

Promoted – Charlton, Ipswich and Sunderland (Playoffs)

Other Playoffs – Rotherham, Sheff Wed and Wycombe

Relegated – Morecambe, Wimbledon, Cheltenham, Doncaster



League Two –

Promoted – Newport, Exeter and Salford

Other Playoffs – Tranmere, Forest Green, Mansfield, Port Vale

Relegated – Hartlepool, Stevenage



Champions League – PSG beating Barcelona



FA Cup – Man Utd

League Cup – Aston Villa
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Maybe you should have waited until the transfer window had closed
 

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