Is this our chance to close the gap & shine?

[Mumbo]

With a little bit more quality in the squad we could easily be sitting in 4th place right now.
Sufc are my team,who’s bigger or smaller is an irrelevance to me.
For most of my life Villa were a top team and the likes of Man City were poor relations......things change.
Even Chelsea were not invited to the party....deep pockets change everything.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Firstly, as a Leicester fan, let me add a few pointers.

Firstly as a Blade piss off with your Leicester City pointers. We don't need or want them.

Thanks - good luck with the lockdown.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Nagima]

I think the return from the Covid break has brought about a sense of reality. Top 4 is beyond us and we should be happy to achieve what we have so far. For longer term in PL we need more depth in the squad and real options up front. I feel the best approach is to be prudent and keep away from big money signings. It is going to take a few more years to establish ourselves in PL and we should plan accordingly. Recruiting from the championship. Scottish league. Scandinavian leagues and Dutch league should provide us with enough options and not break the bank.

 

[Champagneblade]

I think the return from the Covid break has brought about a sense of reality. Top 4 is beyond us and we should be happy to achieve what we have so far. For longer term in PL we need more depth in the squad and real options up front. I feel the best approach is to be prudent and keep away from big money signings. It is going to take a few more years to establish ourselves in PL and we should plan accordingly. Recruiting from the championship. Scottish league. Scandinavian leagues and Dutch league should provide us with enough options and not break the bank.

I think the issue this season will be how to remain competitive with a reduced budget.

Is there really much value on getting more expensive back ups?

Are we going to prioritise a player who is better than Baldock? Probably not. So we might consider keeping Freeman. Are we about to upgrade on Egan? Also probably not. Same with O'Connell and Stevens. Jags is a tough one as he's almost 39. But how to attract better when realistically we cannot afford better than those currently in the XI in defence and any new signing in defence will hardly play? I can see a rethink on these two with the reduced budget.

Midfield, Hendrick might be an attractive proposition because of no fee, but you can see this being a one for one with Lundstram who, if he doesn't sign may potentially be moved in to get some fee.

Clarke will leave and Robinson seems a bankable asset. Then it is just a question of how hard Freeman and Osborn push for a move.

I can see us being in for the lad Denis from Belgium and then not much else and even that may depend on us being able to offer European football.

 

[mattbianco1]

I think the issue this season will be how to remain competitive with a reduced budget.

Is there really much value on getting more expensive back ups?

Are we going to prioritise a player who is better than Baldock? Probably not. So we might consider keeping Freeman. Are we about to upgrade on Egan? Also probably not. Same with O'Connell and Stevens. Jags is a tough one as he's almost 39. But how to attract better when realistically we cannot afford better than those currently in the XI in defence and any new signing in defence will hardly play? I can see a rethink on these two with the reduced budget.

Midfield, Hendrick might be an attractive proposition because of no fee, but you can see this being a one for one with Lundstram who, if he doesn't sign may potentially be moved in to get some fee.

Clarke will leave and Robinson seems a bankable asset. Then it is just a question of how hard Freeman and Osborn push for a move.

I can see us being in for the lad Denis from Belgium and then not much else and even that may depend on us being able to offer European football.

If we're shopping in the free agents pool, I can see CWAK trying to pick up a few players that have a point to prove as we did with Leon Clarke and McGoldrick.

Hendrick would be a good addition but rumoured to be attracting Milan.

I can see us going for the likes of Clyne (Liverpool), Brady (Burnley) and Benteke (Palace). All 3 of those were once great - Clyne a few years ago for example was better than Baldock is now. It's all down to whether CWAK can redirect their careers.

In addition to that, there are other players who's contracts are due to expire:

• Johansen (Fulham)
• Osayi-Samuel (QPR) - would have to go to tribunal
• Hutchinson (Millwall) - that's definitely a CWAK style signing.

Would also like us to try and raid the relegated clubs - Cantwell (Norwich), i'd take Brooks back. Andre Green (Villa).

Some great players floating in the Championship too, some on loan from PL clubs but still look like good additions:

• Eze (QPR)
• Bogle (Derby)
• Benkovic (Bristol/Chelsea)
• Cash (Forest)
• Bielek (Derby)

If Brentford don't get promoted, they have tons of players to look at - Henry, Da Silva, Watkins, Mbeumo

I expect Paul Mitchell already has a big list of targets but i wouldn't be disappointed with 3 or 4 of the above joining.

Anyway, that's my scouting report

 

[Davalon]

Covid has and will have a big impact on us imho.

It's a huge shame because what has been achieved so far under Wilder is tremendous.

Next season was always going to be about survival again first and foremost but if we don't have the finance to make meaningful improvements to the squad, we can't expect rabbits out of hats from lower leagues.

We've had a good run with injuries but just a handful has shown our lack of depth.

Just hope most fans recognise this and stay fully behind them.

 

[Roygbiv]

Its going to be the same for us as it is for about 10 other sides. Look at Burnley, they can't even afford to extend the contracts of players they have and have only been naming 7 subs including 2 keepers and a set of youngsters. Palace fans were complaining last season about how they needed improvement as they had an aging squad but they couldn't afford quality. Brighton will be worried after two season of struggle and now with less money coming in.

Its going to be more difficult next season. The bigger clubs will be better and the likes of Southampton and Watford will probably get off to better starts. That said I don't think we're in any worse position than 9 or 10 others. In the same way that our excellent first 3 quarters of the season seemed to have led some fans into a fantasy world of being a top 6 club, the last 4 games has had the opposite effect and people think we are doomed. The reality is likely to be somewhere in the middle.

 

[ForgeBlade]

This is what we get for taunting the football gods for 3 years!!!!!

On a more serious note, next season is going to be tough, seriously tough. I don't expect us to be anywhere near challenging for the top 4/6 (which we were realistically doing pre-lockdown) and we, along with others, will have to cut our cloth accordingly.

The main thing in our favour is our management team. I have absolute faith in them to get the best out of what they have, and to recruit prudently and sensibly to strengthen us where we need it.