And so to the Premier League......

[ereford ammer]

I think we could have a good run against quite a few of the prem clubs. Like or loathe him, Sam will organise the team into a hard to beat unit for the next level. I just hope we get a few results against the big boys and get six points off Reading. A cup run would be nice this time.

[fjthegrey]

All of them. **** them all.

I expect us to take points off everybody next season. That's right. My post season tip, The Boleyn to be a God damn fortress next year and NOBODY to do the double over us.

[kevin miller]

O yes
Norwich, home win
Southampton, home win
QPR, home win
Stoke, home win
WBA, home win
Spurs, home win, just a feeling
Swansea, home win
21 pts so far!
Add the away points, **** we are in the Europa League!

[Baker's Dozen]

Next year we will be playing in Premier League Division Three:

Div 1: Champions League Chasers:

Man City
Man Utd…


…It's vital we get points in our division - if we beat anyone else, that's a bonus.

Sorry mate but I hate that **** of dividing up the division into "top four", "also-rans" etc.. For instance which section would you have put our team of 2002/3 at the beginning of the season? I'll remind those that might have been young at the time:


1 GK David James
2 DF Tomáš Řepka
3 DF Nigel Winterburn
4 MF Don Hutchison
5 MF Lee Bowyer
6 MF Michael Carrick
7 DF Christian Dailly
8 MF Trevor Sinclair
9 FW Jermain Defoe
10 FW Paolo Di Canio
11 MF Steve Lomas
14 FW Frédéric Kanouté
15 DF Gary Breen
16 MF John Moncur
17 GK Raimond van der Gouw
18 FW Youssef Sofiane
19 DF Ian Pearce
20 DF Scott Minto
21 MF Richard Garcia
22 FW Les Ferdinand
23 DF Glen Johnson
24 DF Rufus Brevett
25 MF Édouard Cissé (on loan from PSG)
26 MF Joe Cole (captain)
27 DF Shaun Byrne
28 MF David Noble
29 FW Titi Camara
30 DF Sébastien Schemmel
31 GK David Forde
32 GK Stephen Bywater
34 DF Clive Delaney
35 DF Anton Ferdinand
36 MF Daryl McMahon
37 MF Leon Britton
38 FW James Allen
39 DF Ezomo Iriekpen

That squad got relegated! An utter embarrassment at the time so the truth is that we just don't know.

[Viking_Hammer]

Sorry mate but I hate that **** of dividing up the division into "top four", "also-rans" etc.. For instance which section would you have put our team of 2002/3 at the beginning of the season? I'll remind those that might have been young at the time:


1 GK David James
2 DF Tomáš Řepka
3 DF Nigel Winterburn
4 MF Don Hutchison
5 MF Lee Bowyer
6 MF Michael Carrick
7 DF Christian Dailly
8 MF Trevor Sinclair
9 FW Jermain Defoe
10 FW Paolo Di Canio
11 MF Steve Lomas
14 FW Frédéric Kanouté
15 DF Gary Breen
16 MF John Moncur
17 GK Raimond van der Gouw
18 FW Youssef Sofiane
19 DF Ian Pearce
20 DF Scott Minto
21 MF Richard Garcia
22 FW Les Ferdinand
23 DF Glen Johnson
24 DF Rufus Brevett
25 MF Édouard Cissé (on loan from PSG)
26 MF Joe Cole (captain)
27 DF Shaun Byrne
28 MF David Noble
29 FW Titi Camara
30 DF Sébastien Schemmel
31 GK David Forde
32 GK Stephen Bywater
34 DF Clive Delaney
35 DF Anton Ferdinand
36 MF Daryl McMahon
37 MF Leon Britton
38 FW James Allen
39 DF Ezomo Iriekpen

That squad got relegated! An utter embarrassment at the time so the truth is that we just don't know.

But we´ve actually got a good manager this time around. There is no way someone like Big Sam would have been relegated with that squad, though the squad would have been quite different.

But to be fair to the above squad they did get relegated with a record number of points. A record I doubt will be broken....

[Baker's Dozen]

But we´ve actually got a good manager this time around. There is no way someone like Big Sam would have been relegated with that squad, though the squad would have been quite different.

But to be fair to the above squad they did get relegated with a record number of points. A record I doubt will be broken....

Having a record number of points means **** all if 17 or more teams have more than you. The point I'm making is at the beginning of the season would that squad have been placed in the bottom 3rd of the league?
With regards to the manager that we then had, he had managed to steer us to 7th the season before! Again, who knows? For instance the OP has Liverpool in the top section… currently they have NO manager… it's all pointless IMO

[sendô]

I don't see why we shouldn't be confident of a decent performance next season. We got the basis of a good PL standard squad with a few exciting players and a few good experienced players. A few additions and on paper we're solid mid table. Throw in the confidence from a good campaign this year and a decent manager that can grind out results when we play crap and we should be fine.

I honestly think that as long as we have Allardyce in charge (barring any crazy injury crises or mass player sales) we won't ever go down.

[sjb958]

Just thought of this...

Haven't almost all of our players got Premier League experience? I can't think of any of our players that haven't played in the Premier League apart from the obvious like Potts..... Surely this must stand us in good stead....

[Goldsmith]

Just thought of this...

Haven't almost all of our players got Premier League experience? I can't think of any of our players that haven't played in the Premier League apart from the obvious like Potts..... Surely this must stand us in good stead....

Demel, Maynard and Baldock spring to mind but you're right, the majority of our squad have PL experience and that can only help

[thejackhammer]

Green/Henderson
Clyne Tomkins Reid Olsson
Noble N'Zonzi
Nolan
Moses Cole Vaz Te

We'll be just fine.

[ParisTheHammer]

What will be will be, lets enjoy the fact we're up for now and start worrying about it next year.

[prophet:marginal]

What will be will be, lets enjoy the fact we're up for now and start worrying about it next year.

After Christmas?

[bubbles1966]

Ranieri/Wilkins in talks to take over at West Brom.

We have ourselves a relegation candidate.

[Matt of iron]

Ranieri/Wilkins in talks to take over at West Brom.

We have ourselves a relegation candidate.

Weird one that.

From Inter Milan to West Brom.

[bubbles1966]

If Martinez takes the Liverpool job then Hughton to Wigan looks a reasonable bet.

[thejackhammer]

If Martinez takes the Liverpool job then Wigan to go down looks a reasonable bet.

Amended

[Chelmo Hammer]

Much like every season with West Ham I think its pointless trying to predict anything, lets just enjoy the ride for now

[prophet:marginal]

Ranieri/Wilkins in talks to take over at West Brom.

We have ourselves a relegation candidate.

I like The Tinkerman, but this might be a bit of a weird one.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

All of them. **** them all.

I expect us to take points off everybody next season. That's right. My post season tip, The Boleyn to be a God damn fortress next year and NOBODY to do the double over us.

[hammer1975]

As posted by others elsewhere - a good start would make a massive difference
Not just in points on the board but style of play, atmosphere and ultimately chances of staying up

We still have a huge amount of 'confidence' players - and even super captain isn't enough on his own to single handedly gee up everyone if we go on a three or four game losing streak IMO

And without meaning to single him out - this is why we need an alternative to cole as the focal point IMO