[Archived] Expectations For The Coming Season

[Ninjathunder]

Mid table obscurity for me. Happy with that after this season, and six points off you know who.....

[roverseas]

Yeah around mid table, being free from relegation worries and finishing above Burnley would be really good and not at all impossible.

Let's hope Sam can strengthen with some QUALITY this summer. We're in desperate need of someone who can do that little bit extra... whether it be with pace, dribbling, passing, scoring, anything. Looking at our team, we feel just like a team of average Joe's who are by all means alright but nothing special.

[OhmiBRFC]

Exactly, Burnley cannot base this season on last season's games against Premiership opposition. Each game was a 'cup final' for then. Slightly different when they have to try and up their game 38 times a season and not a one off.

Bring it on!

[Seggie]

Top 10

We have an oppertunity next season to make Ewood a fortress again with the lower prices and make it a difficult place for teams to come to. We also have a decent core squad and a good manager again. Id like to see who Sam brings in before writing off European hopes. As for last season its over now we can start again with a manager who clearly has a clue and I cant see us being in any danger whatsoever next term

[FourLaneBlue]

It took Sam a few years to get Bolton to be top half material.

It may well take that with us too. We still need new faces and to ship out plenty of dead wood. Will the board give him the cash to do that this summer?

[Majiball]

So there you go.

btw Some 'interesting' opinions on here.

How long have you been waiting to post that???

Thankfully after checking I seem to have skirted round the issue and said we should aim for the top eight, I've then gone on to talk about not aiming too high, lol, I should listen to my-self more.

True, forgot about them. The dingles will also be starting next season having spent £100m on transfer fees of course.

Well at least they have enough fingers & toes to count to 100million.

Next year my expectations are that my season ticket should include a free neck brace for viewing the game as well as binoculars for the high balls. Seriously top half pushing for europe hopefully, but I said that last year. So I'm going too go into it with no expectations and see what happens for a change.

[Ewood and I Would]

My hopes for the end of next season...

Owen Coyle wins the league....with Celtic

6 of Rovers 60 points are courtesy the Dingles (now managed by Paul Ince)

Roque Santa Cruz has told Paraguan radio stations he'd be interested in going to a "bigger club" after his team Man City finished 10th again, this despite being injured for the last 3 months of the season and only scoring 4 goals all campaign.

Aaron Mokoena to be voted Portsmouth's player of the season.

Bojan refuses to leave Blackburn after a succesful loan spell citing "he feels at home" at Rovers and that Jason Roberts was better than Eto'o.

David Bentley signs for West Ham from Aston Villa where he made just 4 appearances stating "Bobby Moore was my childhood hero and all me mates are Hammers, it's a life long dream to be honest".

Ewood Park wins " Best Pie in the Premiership" for the 5th year running.

Edit: Correction, we will need to win back the Best Pie title after it was just announced this year's award goes to St James Park for the humble pie Big Sam is serving down there at the moment

[JAL]

Apart from the fractious injury hit abomination at Stoke, Rovers have not lost to a team outside the top 6 since Sam was appointed in early December.

Something for the dingle fearers to reflect on.

When was the last time we beat a team in claret and blue in the premiership ?

[thenodrog]

How long have you been waiting to post that???

err only since about 6pm Sunday of course majiball. Why?

[CAPT KAYOS]

It took Sam a few years to get Bolton to be top half material.

It may well take that with us too. We still need new faces and to ship out plenty of dead wood. Will the board give him the cash to do that this summer?

My worries also FLB - to me we need an overhaul of about x6 players min for the first team alone.

However to counterbalance , we where discussing this post match on Sunday and especially now you have to consider certain things which hopefully and as time has told is normally virtually correct.

Bunleh coming up - they will need to spend could be a big culture shock for them

Hull - found out 1/2 way through the season - could be 2nd season syndrome

Stoke - will be found out next season unles they adopt a new strategy

Wolves - same boat as WBA this season

Brum - lucky to be promoted -again likely to struggle unless spend is wise and major

So the prospect is although it may nopt be good again - our structure and experience may be enough to survive

[Majiball]

err only since about 6pm Sunday of course majiball. Why?

Its been on the cards for a while now (bottom 6/7) you foresaw it and I would have brought it up as well, no more. Well done most of us never saw it coming.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

My heart says we'll be OK, but my head says we'll struggle.

Well I wasn't far wrong either. This season it's too early to say at present. If we don't make a significant attempt at strengthening the side we'll struggle again. I know lots of people won't agree but I thought we played football that was no better than the teams that went down.

I also expect Portsmouth to struggle and Fulham will if they don't have the same luck with injuries as last season.

[RibbleValleyRover]

My expectations for next season?

A top half finish with a decent cup run in one or both of the domestic competitions.

I just can’t see us challenging for the european spots with the lack of money we have.

[robbo_rovers]

I think a top half finish would be a good achievement, with the top 4 and Everton, Villa, City and Spurs all spending and improving.

[b12_simon]

It took Sam a few years to get Bolton to be top half material.

It may well take that with us too. We still need new faces and to ship out plenty of dead wood. Will the board give him the cash to do that this summer?

Although there's a tremendous amount of work to do with the start we're in a better position than when Sam took over at Bolton.

[Eddie]

If we're involved in a relegation fight again then Allardyce won't be doing his job. Top 12 should really be the minimum expectation, but it is very possible that we could be top 8/10. The side isn't far removed from the teams that finished in the top half and with Boro and Newcastle now gone there have been two possible top half sides lost and the sides promoted are unlikely to be at that same level straight away. City are really the only side that have, or at least could have, significantly improved. Obviously sides like West Ham and Fulham have performed well, but they still aren't quality teams.

[philipl]

If we're involved in a relegation fight again then Allardyce won't be doing his job. Top 12 should really be the minimum expectation, but it is very possible that we could be top 8/10. The side isn't far removed from the teams that finished in the top half and with Boro and Newcastle now gone there have been two possible top half sides lost and the sides promoted are unlikely to be at that same level straight away. City are really the only side that have, or at least could have, significantly improved. Obviously sides like West Ham and Fulham have performed well, but they still aren't quality teams.

But we cannot extrapolate from half a season, remember?

Glad you have come round to being optimistic again.

[champions1995]

If we're involved in a relegation fight again then Allardyce won't be doing his job. Top 12 should really be the minimum expectation, but it is very possible that we could be top 8/10. The side isn't far removed from the teams that finished in the top half and with Boro and Newcastle now gone there have been two possible top half sides lost and the sides promoted are unlikely to be at that same level straight away. City are really the only side that have, or at least could have, significantly improved. Obviously sides like West Ham and Fulham have performed well, but they still aren't quality teams.

The reason Newcastle and Boro have been relegated is because they weren't good enough for the Premier League, meaning they are not top half sides. Two of the three promoted sides finished above those two (Hull and Stoke) and West Brom finished level on points with Boro, but with a worse goal difference. I really do not see how this make Newcastle and Boro top half sides and far better than the promoted sides.

In the past Newcastle and Boro have done reasonably well, finishing in the top half, but for seasons they have been poor and the last time they finished above Rovers was in the 2004-05 season.

It is not as if Newcastle and Boro went down with a high points tally either. In the last three seasons, Reading were relegated with 36 points, Sheffield United with 38 points and Birmingham with 34 points. When West Ham were relegated with 42 points in 2002-03, that was slightly different as it was unusually high and they were a bit unlucky to be relegated, but Newcastle and Boro went down because they weren't good enough.

[JAL]

Expectations for next season must to improve the balance of the team from an attackking point of view now that we 've found we can defend as a team.

A stronger central midfield pairing, aided by a stronger left side and stronger right side, plus a new striker or two, then the rest will simply fall into place.

We have to improve to overcome Burnley, this is going to be the great talking point for Blackburn Rovers fans worldwide so, a lot more rests on big Sams shoulders now that Burnley are with us in the premiership, failure to beat the Dingles just wont be tolerated no matter what exuses are trotted out.

[Hughesy]

This is how I expect next season.

Teams to struggle:

Wolves, Burnley, Brum, Bolton, Pompey, Hull, Stoke & Sunderland.

Our rival clubs

Blackburn, West Ham, Wigan, Fulham, Stoke, Everton, Spurs.

I think our target has to be 10th or better. Ideally 7th or 8th, but if so, that will represent a big improvement and an excellent season.

[champions1995]

I believe it will be tough to compete for 7th or 8th as there are several clubs who you would expect to be competing high up the league. Those clubs are Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham, Man City and West Ham. We may be just below those clubs and be around 10th competing with the likes of Fulham for a top half finish.

[roversmad95]

I believe it will be tough to compete for 7th or 8th as there are several clubs who you would expect to be competing high up the league. Those clubs are Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham, Man City and West Ham. We may be just below those clubs and be around 10th competing with the likes of Fulham for a top half finish.

i was thinking the same, im sure the teams above will see it as a bad season if they are not fighting for that european spot. Just a top half finish isnt good enough if your a villa,spuds,everton or city fan/owner...

top 10 will be hard but id like to see sam bring in 3 or 4 guys that will push us there... the soon we get rid of RSC and get some cash together the better...

anyone know how much he will have to spend before player sales?

[Billy Castell]

Anywhere between 7th-15th. Depends on who we bring in.

[Eddie]

But we cannot extrapolate from half a season, remember?

Glad you have come round to being optimistic again.

Not accepting that particular method of assessing things and not being optimistic are not the same thing. I still have some massive concerns and won't be sticking my money on us to be in the top half just yet, but if there was ever a time to be mediocre in the premier league this is the time.

The reason Newcastle and Boro have been relegated is because they weren't good enough for the Premier League, meaning they are not top half sides. Two of the three promoted sides finished above those two (Hull and Stoke) and West Brom finished level on points with Boro, but with a worse goal difference. I really do not see how this make Newcastle and Boro top half sides and far better than the promoted sides.

My point wasn't that Boro and Newcastle were top half sides this season, or even last season, rather that they always had the potential to be there. They both generally had decent transfer budgets and the nucleus of decent sides. I would put it this way, had no one been relegated this year, who do you think would be more likely to finish in the top half next season, Hull or Newcastle?

[FourLaneBlue]

Although there's a tremendous amount of work to do with the start we're in a better position than when Sam took over at Bolton.

True but I was referring to it taking Sam a couple of years in the Prem before making them top half specialists. When he took over at Bolton they were down in The Championship.

So I would say we are like Bolton were at the end of their second season in the Prem. They finished with 44 points that season and fourth from bottom.

The next season they finished eighth and reached the League Cup final.

However by then Allardyce had been able to bring in the likes of Okocha, Campo, N´Gotty, Davies and Dyorkaeff. Alongside a ton of players who did not work out. Hard to see him getting it all right in the summer.

Once again it all comes back to what he will be allowed to spend. As you can bet your bottom dollar that our rivals will not be standing still in the transfer market...