CLUB: Crisps
LEAGUE PLACING: 8th
CUP PERFORMANCE: christ knows
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: lmao
TURKEYS: look we haven’t signed anyone alright
MANAGER RATING/10: bellend/10
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Maddison or Fofana presuming both are with us
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
We haven’t made a signing, and I expect Schmeichel and Tielemans to go in the next week or two. Things feel… odd. Promised a summer rebuild but nothing of the sort happening, and players on the books who need moving on before we can bring anyone on. Slight worries of vultures circling, especially around Fofana and Maddison. I think Fofana will go next summer and I’m unsure about Maddison, but Newcastle have only offered to play by Klarna so far.
A lot of people are tipping us to struggle. And we might, but I think we could just as easily have a decent season. Even without signings, we have a good young squad that is comfortably in the top 10 on paper imo. Without Europe to worry about I think we could still be decent. I’ve said 8th but it could genuinely be anywhere between 6th and 16th. Don’t see relegation on the cards, too much quality in the squad, too good to go down don’t quote me.
CLUB: West Ham
LEAGUE PLACING: 8th
CUP PERFORMANCE: quarter final in one of the domestic cups, final of the Europa Conference League
SUCCESSFUL SIGNING: Scammaca (please god)
TURKEY: some emergency loan we’ve not signed yet
MANAGER RATING: 7/10
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Bowen
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
We desperately need signings. We’ve done well in the last two seasons with a very small, ageing squad partly through being lucky with injuries (for once). We’ve shed a lot of dead wood over the summer (which is good) but not really replaced it with the better players we need. We’ve signed a striker for the first time in two years, which is good, but still desperately need more.
Hard to judge our chances until the transfer window is done, but you sense there is only so far this squad of players can fall. Mid-table at worse, but that would be a definite backwards step after challenging the top 4 for two seasons in a row.
CLUB: Oxford United
LEAGUE PLACING: 8th
CUP PERFORMANCE: 4th rd
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: Stuart Findlay
TURKEYS: Yanic Wildschut, Josh Murphy
MANAGER RATING/10: 7. He’ll have a reasonable season but if we don’t go up I think he could (incorrectly imo) get the sack.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Cameron Brannagan.
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
It’s gonna be a tough season. It’s not been the best transfer window despite signing Stuart Findlay and the epic new contract for Cameron Brannagan (including his release clause being met by Blackpool, him going to talk to them and then u-turning and signing a 3-year contract. lol Blackpool). We’re short in about 5 positions and our squad depth is worrying despite the season starting already. One of our big signings (Yanic Wildschut) is out until October with a hamstring injury and another (Josh Murphy) is a real risky one, so it’s hard to know how good we really are. But we need 2 full backs, a striker and a creative midfielder and it’s hard to see where they’re coming from.
I saw a theory recently that we’re setting up to bin off this season and out the pieces in place for a big Championship push next season. Which would be a shame but I can see why it’s a theory given the transfer work we’ve been doing. I’d be happy with that in a way, as long as we made progress with the new stadium and got a DoF in to take the pressure off the manager.
Having said that, our first 11 is one of the strongest in the league, and should (lol) beat most teams. We went toe-to-toe with Derby on Saturday who have assembled a squad of players who are a cut above this league, so all isn’t lost. It could be that a couple more decent signings and we challenge for the playoffs. I think we’ll miss out this year though.
If we do, that could be it for Karl Robinson. Which would be a shame I think, as we’ve progressed every season under him in a league which is getting progressively harder. He tends to make the same mistakes which is frustrating, but our fans are fickle and often forget we’re in League One not the Champions League, so we’re not going to get a Pep quality manager. He’s a good manager who tries to get the team to play attractive exciting football, and more importantly I think he gets the club, the culture and its role in the community. That’s way more important for me long term than anything else really.
CLUB: Newcastle
LEAGUE PLACING: 10th
CUP PERFORMANCE: FA Cup - 5th round, League Cup - 4th Round
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: Targett (already tested), Botman (just a class above what we have)
TURKEYS: Chris Wood, when Wilson inevitably gets crocked
MANAGER RATING/10: 9
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Bruno G
GENERAL THOUGHTS: A top-half finish should be the aim. The recruitment has continued to be solid but unspectacular, which is what you want really. Hope Elliot Anderson can break into the first team with 5 subs, almost all of the hotly-tipped academy prospects in the past 10-15 years have been a bit lacklustre but he has something about him. We’re one Wilson injury away from having to play Chris Wood and the RW position is still really weak. But I’m a big fan of the squad, doesn’t seem to be many dickheads.
CLUB: Sunderland
LEAGUE PLACING: 12th
CUP PERFORMANCE: 5th round max in either
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: Hopefully a quick box striker to pair with Stewart
TURKEYS: We’ve had so many awful signings over the past few years that hoping we don’t end up with another Grigg in January.
MANAGER RATING/10: 9
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Alex Pritchard
GENERAL THOUGHTS: Top half finish would be fantastic. Think the key thing is to build a good team around the general youth we’ve got and keep that team together for a few seasons, just building incrementally. At full strength we’ve a team that can compete with anyone in the league, so need to watch the injuries. Just mainly glad to be back at Championship level after four years in that awful league.
CLUB: West ham
LEAGUE PLACING: 12th
CUP PERFORMANCE: quaters league cup, fa 5th round, win confy
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: Aguerd (when fit), Downes
TURKEYS: Scamacca
MANAGER RATING/10: 6
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Rice
GENERAL THOUGHTS: a lot depends on what we’re able to bring in before the window closes. Despite bringing in 4 players so far we’re going into the first game with a weaker team, desperately need to replace ageing players and inject some pace. We were dreadful the second half of last season and I can see that carrying over, hopefully get some sort of form by Christmas. Still going to piss the conference league, obviously.
Between bants & anti-bants there stands a fence…and I’m sitting on it
Seriously though, it’s gonna be another season of wafer thin margins between us & City with the Worls fucking Cuo throwing a massive wildcard into the mix so Who knows
CLUB: Plymouth Argyle FC
LEAGUE PLACING: 5th
CUP PERFORMANCE: 2nd round
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: Mumba, Azaz
TURKEYS: Whittaker
MANAGER RATING/10: 9
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Danny Mayor
GENERAL THOUGHTS: Think we’ll be able to build on last season’s amazing performance and get into the play-offs, although it’s a hell of a tough league this year. Would be happy with anything top half tbh. We’ve signed well, but could still do with a 15+ goal a season, shithouse striker really. Don’t think we’ll do anything in the cup after last year’s adventure. It’s Schumacher’s first full season as a manager and he has the full backing of the chairman and board so that won’t be an issue I don’t think. Want Danny Mayor to have the season he’s threatened to have since he arrived but never quite managed yet. Hope we can offload Jephcott at some point too. Pretty optimistic all in all.
CLUB: Wolves
LEAGUE PLACING: 17th
CUP PERFORMANCE: Out of the League cup at the hands of someone like Swindon, as is tradition. FA Cup 5th round
SUCCESSFUL SIGNINGS: N/A
TURKEYS: N/A
MANAGER RATING/10: sacked before the world cup/10
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: José Sa
GENERAL THOUGHTS: Bleak finish to last season with some of the worst performances I’ve seen for a long time. Managed to hang on to Neves which is good but needed to sign some players and strengthen the squad, which we haven’t. Needed to sign a striker as Jimenez was completely off it last season and now he’s injured leaving us without a striker for the start of the season (The Strokes is out on loan). Could be a long, funny season.
Who knows
