Four Four Two Season Preview

[Scampi]

In defence of FourFourTwo, the preview gets done, laid out and sent to the printers a while ago. Certainly before Birmingham's finances came to light this week.

I'm pretty sure anyone with any knowledge has been aware for some time that Brimingham are in the shit.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Despite being as mad as a march hare, no one could accuse you of being unrealistic.

If people are seriouisly expecting us to do much better than 12th there are going to be some very dissapointed fans come may.

It's a very tricky league and a big step up from Lg1. Not only that, who in our squad has proven Championship experience? I can really see us getting sucked into the struggle zone. In fact, if we finish anywhere above the bottom 7/8 I'll cry semen.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Forest will do well. They have finished in the play offs the last two seasons, McLaren is a decent manager and Greening is a great signing at this level. Birmingham on the other hand could be in all sorts of trouble.

Admittedly I did only base it on the one story BBC Sport - Luke Chambers fears lack of Nottingham Forest signings, but the BBC usually report pretty well.

 

[TS90]

A 12th place finish would not be immense. I mean it'd be good, don't get me wrong but for it to be a fantastic season, it'd probably have to end in a play-off place.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

...

 

[Don Quixote]

Does Gus really want to finish in mid table mediocrity? I'd say he's aiming a little higher than that, if we will be able to achieve it is another question though.

 

[The Grockle]

It's a very tricky league and a big step up from Lg1. Not only that, who in our squad has proven Championship experience? I can really see us getting sucked into the struggle zone.

I couldn’t agree more. I think we’ll start well but end up needing some decent results in the final 10 games to pull clear of the relegation zone.

I think we’ve signed some good players but no one who will set the championship on fire and we are arguable the third smallest team in the division, we definitely shouldn’t get ideas above our station.

My prediction would be 17th.

 

[strings]

I would be happy with 12th. Top half of the table and something to build on. Of course, in my heart I would love better than 12th, but my head says 12th will be a good result.

 

[Gwylan]

Does Gus really want to finish in mid table mediocrity? I'd say he's aiming a little higher than that

You could say the same of just about every manager in that league though.

I'd be well satisfied by 12th

 

[Sussex Nomad]

... and we are arguable the third smallest team in the division, ...

And the reasoning behind this is...

 

[severnside gull]

12th dull? I'd be doing somersaults

echo that*



*(the new "this")

 

[Silent Bob]

we are arguable the third smallest team in the division

We're really not.

12th would be satisfactory.

 

[piersa]

Also have man city winning the premiership with Blackburn, QPR and Wigan down

this is entirely possible

 

[crodonilson]

We can do so much better than 12th. The three promoted clubs from the season previous all finished above 12th and one of them was promoted automatically.

We cantered the league last season and the gap between the two divisions really isn't that huge. If I were Gus I would be targetting a top half finish and should we get off to a flyer no reason why we can't launch a charge for the play-offs.

 

[Box of Frogs]

I would be more worried if they were tipping us for promotion.

 

[The Grockle]

And the reasoning behind this is...

We might be similar in size to a number of clubs in the championship but IMO we can only claim to be bigger than Doncaster and Peterborough.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I said at the start of last season that if we finished 12th but played the football we had been, I'd be happy. In a higher league against teams with parachute payments, even with our new-found transfer budget wealth, I'd rip your arm off for the same this season. Give me six points off Palace and I'd take one spot above the drop zone, frankly. Parochial and small-minded, possibly. But I worry about the expectations of some people for this season.

 

[The Grockle]

We're really not.

12th would be satisfactory.

Care to name other teams were bigger than?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

We can do so much better than 12th. The three promoted clubs from the season previous all finished above 12th and one of them was promoted automatically.

We cantered the league last season and the gap between the two divisions really isn't that huge. If I were Gus I would be targetting a top half finish and should we get off to a flyer no reason why we can't launch a charge for the play-offs.

I think sitting on top of League 1 so early in the season gave a huge belief to the players and management that they had the tools to make a charge. An early push (or fail) will make all the difference in the first two months as to where we sit on confidence and belief. Football is so reliant on these traits.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

We might be similar in size to a number of clubs in the championship but IMO we can only claim to be bigger than Doncaster and Peterborough.

I personally couldn't care less who we are bigger or smaller than to be honest, but I can't go with that, there is no reasoning, you have just thrown the question to your statement back in your subsequent reply to another poster.