So, at this moment, where do you actually WANT us to finish this season?

[shahanshahan]

4 hours ago, Davefevs said:

1.

And then you recruit your arse off to try and get a team capable of staying up.

Me last season when supporting City Women...

(To answer the original question, I want the men's team to finish as high as possible)

[ZiderEyed]

5 hours ago, Gazred said:

High as possible init.

Stupid question 

 

 

Ambition for this evening too

[BarneyCity]

How about going up after an amazing championship season, yup enjoy the PL experience/grounds get relegated and share the £100m amongst the 10,000 of us that used to watch for years. Some sort of compo for the suffering! (That’s 10k each if your working it out)

[Engvall’s Splinter]

7 hours ago, Leveller said:

So, at this moment, where do you actually WANT us to finish this season?

 

The recent performances and wins have prompted renewed debates about whether we could, even now, scrape into the playoffs. There’s clearly an assumption this is desirable. But what do you actually want?

 

As far as I remember, before the season I predicted we’d be in the middle third (ie 9^th to 16^th) with the hope that we’d be in the top half of that (ie 9^th to 12^th). As it stands, we’re on course for that.

 

What are the possible outcomes from here? I’d suggest –

 

1 – have a great run in, make the playoffs, and by some miracle, win them and get promoted

 

2 – as 1 but disappoint in the playoffs and carry on in the Championship next year

 

3 – carry on with the current good form, but fall a bit short in 7^th or 8^th

 

4 – continue fairly well and end up 9^th to 12^th (top half finish)

 

5 – return to inconsistency (or worse) and end up back in the bottom half

 

I’ll assume no City fan actually wants option 5. What about the others?

 

For me:-

 

1 – much as I want to reach the top flight, I’m not sure I’d actually want it this season. If we went up now, would we crash and burn more spectacularly than any team has before? It’s possible. But no doubt some will argue that we might do a Brentford, or at least start a beneficial yo-yo era.

 

2 – making the playoffs but failing could be the worst disappointment of all! It’s the hope that kills you. To get to 6^th would require a fantastic run. To lose the playoff matches then would really hurt.

 

3 – might be the best result. 7^th would represent a great improvement on last season and on the early part of this. It wouldn’t be a disappointment unless we reached 6^th then fell back again. It ought to provide great platform for next season.

 

4 – like 3, but not quite as good. I wouldn’t be devastated if we achieved a top half finish and no better.

 

5 – God forbid. A return to inconsistency and finishing, say, 14^th would be a real disappointment now.

 

 

 

So – I hope we win every match I watch, but I’m not sure if I want the EPL yet, or defeat in the playoffs! What about you?

 

PS – please don’t take my views TOO seriously. By the time you read them, I will have changed my mind.

 

Strange post. 
 

Id like our club to have a season again in the top tier. Probably like most, right? A season up there would secure our future for a couple of years, may speed up additional investment, raise the profile, further consolidate the youth of Bristol as reds. 
 

If you are really talking about this season, I’d like to see progression. That’s what we’ve been sold. Therefore, top 8. 

[Robbored]

25 minutes ago, Engvall’s Splinter said:

. If you are really talking about this season, I’d like to see progression. That’s what we’ve been sold. Therefore, top 8. 

I’d like City to reach the the pray-offs.

[Maltshoveller]

Would love a season in the prem

even if it was just to see the rubbish some would be posting on here

 

 

 

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 hour ago, Engvall’s Splinter said:

Strange post. 
 

Id like our club to have a season again in the top tier. Probably like most, right? A season up there would secure our future for a couple of years, may speed up additional investment, raise the profile, further consolidate the youth of Bristol as reds. 
 

If you are really talking about this season, I’d like to see progression. That’s what we’ve been sold. Therefore, top 8. 

Yep even if we finished rock bottom on zero points I'd still take that because the money from that one season will give us an advantage to get back up there.

[cityexile]

To beat Hull in the sodding play offs.

[Mr Popodopolous]

17 minutes ago, cityexile said:

To beat Hull in the sodding play offs.

Ipswich and Hull if possible..in whatever order.

[REDOXO]

Top! 

[Leveller]

2 hours ago, Engvall’s Splinter said:

Strange post. 
 

Id like our club to have a season again in the top tier. Probably like most, right? A season up there would secure our future for a couple of years, may speed up additional investment, raise the profile, further consolidate the youth of Bristol as reds. 
 

If you are really talking about this season, I’d like to see progression. That’s what we’ve been sold. Therefore, top 8. 

Not such a strange post, since you’ve virtually replicated my OP thoughts.

[McNasty Filth]

I mean no disrespect to the OP, but I find this a very strange thread. 

[prankerd]

Surely the only option a fan would choose is to get into the playoffs?? Like who would  seriously think yeh id love to consolidate on our midtable mediocrity

 

To be fair even before peason left we had a possibility of being in and around the playoffs its just we would never pick up a long enough run together to get close.

But what i want and what i think we will do are entirely different, to see us battle well against prem sides, surprising the smug saints, only makes me want to dream higher... only i know ill be disappointed in the not so distant future. 

[redsquirrel]

if city can finish 6th, it would do me the world of good as i would have to accept the manager/staff changes were a good idea.

6th to 10th would be my expectations before that so i think its fair to say i can still expect the same if not better

[johnheadbcfc]

Why would anyone not want to get playoffs and promoted

[MelksRed]

17 hours ago, phantom said:

Champions of Europe with loads of armchair fans walking around all around the world in our kit

Ha - Manning would have some managerial profile to secure that this season. For me, anything above 15th would be good....considering the lived experience this season.  For the early part I was worried about going down...thankfully that looks to have abated. 

Can then get excited by the rebuild assuming that SL open his wallet.

Edited February 16 by MelksRed

[Leveller]

1 hour ago, johnheadbcfc said:

Why would anyone not want to get playoffs and promoted

Because, arguably, at this point we are nowhere near ready to cope with the PL and are unlikely to reach that point in one close season. Getting close this season and getting automatic next season might be better. That’s all.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Getting in to the play offs is only really a positive if you go on to win them.

Otherwise it's just disappointment, an extended season (and shorter close season) for the players, the real possibility of a negative hangover in August, and the club having to delay transfer activity while they wait to see which division we'll be in.

No one who has lived through all City's previous play off failures will welcome the prospect of another valiant defeat - or, even worse, a complete no show when it really matters.

7th -10th will do very well this season while we continue to build - this club really needs to go up automatically.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

14 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I want us to finish as high as we possibly can until its mathematically impossible for us to finish in that position. 

The expectations from the club was set. My own pre season expectations were to be top 10 and going into the last few games with a chance of play offs. I'm now starting to think it may just be possible. 

But you've been telling us that the season is over for weeks now -along with some pretty damning comments about our club.

You must be the greatest flip flop since Tutankhamun.

Less than two weeks ago @W-S-M Seagull wrote:

 

"And this is what makes me feel sick to the stomach. 

Fair enough they wanted rid of Nige. But they totally cocked up on his replacement. They said they wanted a head coach who could come in and take thus group of players forward. To better coach them blah blah blah. To continue upon the work of Pearson. I'd have got right behind that.

We have a decent squad of players. Whilst many laughed at the clubs claims we should be challenging and I did to some extent, I also believed that the right person could get this squad competing for the top 6.

But then we went for Manning. It was clear Manning would not suit the players we have. We've heard all this stuff about how we were looking for someone to play pressing front foot football and that just isn't Manning ball. 

So then we are left with two possibilities, the club didn't know what they were getting with Manning or that they did know and they decided to rip the plan just as that plan was coming to fruition in order to start a new plan. 

The situation we are now in is that we basically have to go down the road of ripping up this decent squad to rebuild it with players that suit Manning with no guarantee that will work and that's what gives me an uneasy feeling. If this goes wrong, which early evidence suggests it may then we're going to be spending another few years rebuilding the squad to shape it into a decent squad again. 

I think the frustrating thing is, it's a very long time since we've appointed a manager where the squad is already in place. He had a great opportunity and up until this point he's blew it. He didn't need to come in and rebuild the squad. Didn't need to develop youth, didn't need to build a culture etc etc. It was all bloody there for him. And because he's failed (until now) and hes their guy he has to be a success so now its "he needs his own players" "he needs a pre season" 

Its so demoralising. "

[elhombrecito]

Very odd question. I want us to finish as high as possible, as I always will.

[Mr Popodopolous]

53 minutes ago, Leveller said:

Because, arguably, at this point we are nowhere near ready to cope with the PL and are unlikely to reach that point in one close season. Getting close this season and getting automatic next season might be better. That’s all.

Getting automatic in the last few years..that tends to be reserved for Parachute clubs albeit Ipswich are giving it a damn good go and might yet break it.

You have 3 unusually large and strong clubs going down at once- next year could be different.

The last to definitively break the barrier though were Bielsa's Leeds in 2019-20, deserved Champions.

[ExiledAjax]

17 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Too much cheese before bed!

It would be fun though. 

I'd love us to get promoted, and I'd love it even more of we did it in a "cool" way.

Forest's recent promotion season was pretty close to the second season I describe I guess. First ten games W2 D2 L6. Then they win 21 of the next 36, finish 4th, and up they go. Must have been a hell of a fun season.

[exAtyeoMax]

1. Get in the playoff final v Ipswich Town, win 3-0. 

[The turtle]

Always as high as possible!

But once playoffs are gone. Just be safe, once achieved, i stop caring and don't even look at the table tbh. 

I get 11th v 16 often forms part of the debate on progression, attack/defending a manager. But it's just not a big deal to me. 

Edited February 16 by The turtle

[ExiledAjax]

2 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

You must be the greatest flip flop since Tutankhamun.

Is this genuinely a reference to Tut's restoration of the pantheon of Egyptian gods after his predecessor's shift to monotheistic sun worship? 

If so, magnificent.

[INCRED]

If we did make the play offs then that would in some way justify comments made by JL that the squad are good enough

If we did a Luton and got promoted, then we have shown in recent cup games with a little more quality we could mix it in the lower half of the premier league 

The worst scenario we get relegated but with better players and a bag full of cash to go again 

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

18 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I want us to finish as high as we possibly can until its mathematically impossible for us to finish in that position. 

Hahahaha this tickled me, it will never be mathematically impossible to finish as high as we can.

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

My desire is for us to be in the mix for promotion my hope is a decent run of football would be nice with our forwards hitting some form.

[W-S-M Seagull]

6 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

But you've been telling us that the season is over for weeks now -along with some pretty damning comments about our club.

You must be the greatest flip flop since Tutankhamun.

Less than two weeks ago @W-S-M Seagull wrote:

 

"And this is what makes me feel sick to the stomach. 

Fair enough they wanted rid of Nige. But they totally cocked up on his replacement. They said they wanted a head coach who could come in and take thus group of players forward. To better coach them blah blah blah. To continue upon the work of Pearson. I'd have got right behind that.

We have a decent squad of players. Whilst many laughed at the clubs claims we should be challenging and I did to some extent, I also believed that the right person could get this squad competing for the top 6.

But then we went for Manning. It was clear Manning would not suit the players we have. We've heard all this stuff about how we were looking for someone to play pressing front foot football and that just isn't Manning ball. 

So then we are left with two possibilities, the club didn't know what they were getting with Manning or that they did know and they decided to rip the plan just as that plan was coming to fruition in order to start a new plan. 

The situation we are now in is that we basically have to go down the road of ripping up this decent squad to rebuild it with players that suit Manning with no guarantee that will work and that's what gives me an uneasy feeling. If this goes wrong, which early evidence suggests it may then we're going to be spending another few years rebuilding the squad to shape it into a decent squad again. 

I think the frustrating thing is, it's a very long time since we've appointed a manager where the squad is already in place. He had a great opportunity and up until this point he's blew it. He didn't need to come in and rebuild the squad. Didn't need to develop youth, didn't need to build a culture etc etc. It was all bloody there for him. And because he's failed (until now) and hes their guy he has to be a success so now its "he needs his own players" "he needs a pre season" 

Its so demoralising. "

Strange post. 

I didn't see us beating Boro and Southampton after us going 6 games without a win so yes I did think the season was all but over. 

Those two wins have changed the dynamic and have put us back into contention which I'm delighted with. 

I'm not sure what you want me to do here? Do you want me to criticise us winning 2 in a row? It's almost like you don't want me to post positive things. 

The last two wins have put us on course for my pre season expectations. Now we just need to keep competing. None of that back 3 possession bs. 

I'm still very critical of how the club has been run. The two runs of 4 and 6 games without a win may well cost us come the end of the season. 

If there is something to criticise I'll criticise it, if there is something to praise, ill praise it. It's a simple concept MMR. 

 

 

[W-S-M Seagull]

6 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Getting automatic in the last few years..that tends to be reserved for Parachute clubs albeit Ipswich are giving it a damn good go and might yet break it.

You have 3 unusually large and strong clubs going down at once- next year could be different.

The last to definitively break the barrier though were Bielsa's Leeds in 2019-20, deserved Champions.

Sheffield United are down. 

The last two places in my opinion are between Burnley, Everton and Forest. 

Should be both Everton and Forest if the both recieved the correct punishments. 

Burnley you'd expect to once again be strong in this league so I'd rather they stayed up. 

Everton I'd imagine would be in a whole load of financial trouble if they came down. Possibly admin? They'd probably breach ffp again. Relegation would be catastrophic for them (good).

I'm not really up to date on Forest finances? I'm not sure they'd be in a position to compete either and will probably lose a lot of players? 

So next season thus division could be wide open. 

However that's of little concern to us as we're going to finish 6th and beat Mark Ashtons Ipswich in the play off final.