8th place

[Foxxed]

It’s been a whirlwind, this season.

 

Initial excitement, happy to beat Man City’s academy to receive a trophy, hatred of Villa Real, watching Soyuncu form’s disappear, crap football, watching Bertrand and Vestergaard bomb, injuries crap football, limp cup exit, thinking the Man Utd victory was a turning point, watching Soumare fail to impress, watching Daka attempt to save the European campaign, crap football, injuries, watching some tension with Tielemans and Rodgers, seeing KDH excel, believing that Fofana returning will fix everything, watching Barnes form go to shit, crap football, limp FA cup exit, injuries, watching Tieleman’s form disappear, limp European cup exit, crap football, some decent third tier European football, second limp European cup exit, crap football, beating already relegated teams, eighth.

 

Exhilarating top tier football.

 

 

 

 

Edited 25 May 2022 by Foxxed
I forgot about Barnes so I edited the post to include him

[fuchsntf]

On 22/05/2022 at 19:03, Cadno'r Cymoedd said:

Was the European Johnstone Paints Trophy equivalent, mind you. 

Look again..at all the top, more European experienced teams than is who played in that competition.

 

This English looser mentality over competitions, shows in our History..

L'pool only club who shows they can compete,losers only criticise..

[Mash21]

I think that although finishing 8th looks like a good finish in the end, the table this season is very deceiving as it wasn't even that long ago we were sitting in 14th. Very few positives to come out of the season with KDH and our European tour and plenty of negatives with that forest game being the all time low of the season. Massive rebuild this summer and I'm sure it'll be no time before we get our Leicester back.

[fuchsntf]

On 22/05/2022 at 19:23, Happy Fox said:

If Evans could stay fit but we know with his injury issues it won’t be easy, key has to be buying a first team Centre half next season to partner Fofana.

We have Soyuncu...Don't be blind to a great investment.. ,He had s slow difficult season,but also had decent moments,that the easy negative punters love to grind on..

 

This does not mean ,I don't think we need another quality CB investment..

 

 

 

 

[Buzzell]

Obviously disappointing season but considering our injury problems 8th isn’t that bad.

 

No European football so that’s a little pressure off the lads so here’s to hoping we push on next season.

[fuchsntf]

On 22/05/2022 at 19:07, StriderHiryu said:

They say the table never lies, but I kind of feel that this season, it does!

 

I feel like we never really got going this season, it was always mini bursts that quickly petered out. 8th would be considered a superb season under MON or even when we first got promoted, but this is an expensive squad that were FA Cup winners. I don't think anyone here expected a top 4 push, but we should have been in the fight for top 6 until the last day of the season, when in reality we were out of the race by Christmas.

 

For all of us the real frustrations were:

- Poor performance in Europe. Don't let the Conference run fool you. We had an easy group in the Europa but lost to Legia, and couldn't beat Spartak or Napoli at home. We also went out with a whimper to Roma, who aren't that strong.

- Pathetic defence of the FA Cup. If a team from a lower division beats you with a back to the walls, digging in effort where you pepper their goal, fair enough. In reality 4-1 flattered us, we were truly dreadful in that game.

- Too many capitulations and goals conceded in the final stages of games. The Spurs one I will never get over, but also Liverpool in the cup, Newcastle, Everton, etc, etc.

- Our defending of set pieces that was truly Sunday league standard at best.

 

I'm not Rodgers out, he is a good manager and I think he deserves the summer to rebuild. But we can't have another season like this one with the investment we made, and Top will be saying the same. With this squad and these players, not getting European football is failure, so this season we ultimately failed.

 

At least there were some positives. Maddison has blossomed into a truly fantastic player and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall an absolute revelation.

 

To answer the question, no not happy. We should have qualified for Europe at minimum and did not. Not good enough!

 

 

Sorry...we are not experienced in Europe,

Quiet bias thoughts doesn't change the other guys & their  club attitudes have

in Europe..There is no easy groups..

Should has again took a spanking...

A bit surprised with you on this point..

[Beachyboy]

On 22/05/2022 at 23:58, PhillippaT said:

The problem is that our A-team is good enough for top 4 - but our B-team is worse than we expected, and we've had to rely on too many of our B-team in the league this season...

out of Europe we should go all out for the Carabao cup, as well as the league, it's done by February and we can use those extra breaks for the A team to play a bit more.

[fuchsntf]

On 22/05/2022 at 20:44, ceredigion said:

I would point out that in a league history that goes back 128 years to 1894 we've only finished higher than 8th on 10 occasions. It's also the first time that we have ever had 5 consecutive finishes in the top 9, which I think is significant. It needs to be remembered that these days it's very difficult for any club outside the now traditional top 6 to break into it. Since our return to the PL in 2015 it's only happened on 4 occasions and 3 of those times were us in 15/16, 19/20 and 20/21. The other was West Ham also in 20/21. So on the whole I don't think 8th should be seen as a disappointment. 

 

From my point of view the biggest disappointments were the manner of our exits from the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League. We came close to knocking out Liverpool in the League Cup but couldn't cross the line, put in a shocking performance against Forest in the FA Cup which we were the holders of and we should have done better against the motley crew of teams we had in the Europa League group.

 

The positives have been winning the Community Shield against Man City and getting another Wembley victory under our belt, being 1 of only 2 teams to beat Liverpool in the league and the away performances against Spartak Moscow and PSV Eindhoven. We had a good go at the Europa Conference and ended up playing 13 matches in European football this season which probably emptied the tanks with an injury prone squad. Also we have finished the season strongly and scored a lot of goals and seen Jamie Vardy become our 3rd highest scorer. If he can stay fit next season we may seem him break 150 PL goals.

This closes the season out perfectly...

[fuchsntf]

7 hours ago, pmcla26 said:

I think that Rice will go and they'll struggle. They're effective, but they rarely play good football and I think that it will catch up on them, especially if Bowen was to get an injury or go through a dip of form. Losing Noble will also have an effect on the group, especially when the chips are down and they need a leader to turn to. 

Too much wishfull thinking...We should concentrate on our own way forward..

W.Ham could use ,same thoughts over us..

They have a knack hanging around,in their good eras, which I am sure as still some way to go...

[fuchsntf]

1 minute ago, pmcla26 said:

Not wishful thinking, it’s just a prediction off of what I’ve seen. I don’t really care if they do well or not, like you say we’re masters of our own destiny. 

Ahh you just have eaten your snickers..

I was worried at first..

[Mickyblueeyes]

1 hour ago, fuchsntf said:

Look again..at all the top, more European experienced teams than is who played in that competition.

 

This English looser mentality over competitions, shows in our History..

L'pool only club who shows they can compete,losers only criticise..

This exactly. Well said. Who the hell are we to discount any European competition. To compete in Europe is still very much a privilege for our club and pretending we have any right to choose, criticise, ridicule any tournament (European or national) is laughable. 
 

We had it with the Europa league too on our first 5th place finish. It’s not on. 

[PhillippaT]

1 hour ago, Beachyboy said:

out of Europe we should go all out for the Carabao cup, as well as the league, it's done by February and we can use those extra breaks for the A team to play a bit more.

First of all, we need to see if we can improve the A-Team first, then the B-Team, before the season starts... 

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

15 hours ago, Beachyboy said:

out of Europe we should go all out for the Carabao cup, as well as the league, it's done by February and we can use those extra breaks for the A team to play a bit more.

The League cup is weird this year, due to the World Cup. The R16 will be played in the week before the league restarts, so a few days after the World Cup final.

[ramadaone]

[PaulW]

On 22/05/2022 at 18:04, Kilworthfox said:

It's disappointing with the squad we have. 

For much of the season we haven't had "the squad we have" available.

[PaulW]

On 22/05/2022 at 18:35, FoxInTheBirstallBox said:

And let me guess, get in 9th place Graham potter? 

Or Ted Lasso at Leeds!

[Koke]

On 22/05/2022 at 19:35, FoxInTheBirstallBox said:

And let me guess, get in 9th place Graham potter? 

 

Compare the respective squads and its clear Potter have done better this season.

[FoxInTheBirstallBox]

54 minutes ago, Koke said:

 

Compare the respective squads and its clear Potter have done better this season.

We'll, he hasnt, they finished 9th we finished 8th

 

They were 3rd (and top 4) for a good long time and dropped like a stone. Not sure why people want that when they bitch like crazy at going from 4th to 5th 

[filbertway]

35 minutes ago, FoxInTheBirstallBox said:

We'll, he hasnt, they finished 9th we finished 8th

 

They were 3rd (and top 4) for a good long time and dropped like a stone. Not sure why people want that when they bitch like crazy at going from 4th to 5th 

So by that logic, Solskjaer is a better manager than Rodgers.

[crisp packet]

https://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/ios-app/200949

 

 

Lucky Leicester, bad luck Burnley? 

Burnley: Infogol position: 17th | Actual position: 18th

Leicester: Infogol position: 18th | Actual position: 8th

Watford: Infogol position: 19th | Actual position: 19th

Norwich: Infogol position: 20th | Actual position: 20th

Can Burnley feel aggrieved to have been relegated? Well it depends on how monastic you are in your view that data and performance trumps all.

Leicester are by far the biggest overperformers this season when it comes to results versus underlying numbers. If this proves to be a one-off, Brendan Rodgers deserves praise for overcoming what has been a season of incredible injury strife to drag the Foxes to eighth. If not, they could be in serious trouble.

Rodgers himself has openly said they need an overhaul this summer to arrest the decline they suffered in 21/22, with defensive performance particularly poor.

 

Edited 26 May 2022 by crisp packet

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

On 25/05/2022 at 20:34, fuchsntf said:

Look again..at all the top, more European experienced teams than is who played in that competition.

 

This English looser mentality over competitions, shows in our History..

L'pool only club who shows they can compete,losers only criticise..

I'm Welsh. 😂

[Foxhateram]

On 25/05/2022 at 20:39, Mash21 said:

I think that although finishing 8th looks like a good finish in the end, the table this season is very deceiving as it wasn't even that long ago we were sitting in 14th. Very few positives to come out of the season with KDH and our European tour and plenty of negatives with that forest game being the all time low of the season. Massive rebuild this summer and I'm sure it'll be no time before we get our Leicester back.

We were 14th with a radiculous amount of games in hand though. 

[Manwell Pablo]

On 22/05/2022 at 17:59, Monk said:

At times this season and even quite recently it seemed impossible that we would finish in the top half, yet with a strong finish we have managed 8th. 
 

I’ll take it, definitely. It’s frustrating as without the stupid collapses we could have finished higher. 
 

Are you happy with 8th?

Completely disagree with an objective attitude and looking at the fixtures and the games in hand top half always seemed more than realistic as long as you don’t lose your shit every time we lose which I appreciate some fans struggle with. Top half was always there. Maybe not eighth but they pulled it off so fair play to them.
 

Injuries and the over emphasis on winning the conference taken into account it’s pretty hard not to take as an acceptable season.

Edited 26 May 2022 by Manwell Pablo

[fuchsntf]

12 hours ago, Cadno'r Cymoedd said:

I'm Welsh. 😂

But my friend...discussing the English

FAs & the fans that support those clubs

therein...obviously then by association,the Welsh clubs who play

under those leagues banner..

5 Welsh teams play within the English league..Duely because those clubs were founded before the Welsh FA,

& still decided to stay within the English league..simply because it's more prestigous

If I remember rightly 3 are strictly still under English FA juristiction..The others though holding onto their right to play within the English set up no matter how low they drop,or high they ride,they are under Welsh. FA juristiction...

Sometime..not too sure of year, 

In the 2000s, there was a discussion & agreement on keeping/ changing 

The affiliation to which FAs ruling...

So part of the Welsh thoughts/ideology follows the English trait I mentioned...

 

Viol'a....

[fuchsntf]

On 25/05/2022 at 14:55, pmcla26 said:

I think that Rice will go and they'll struggle. They're effective, but they rarely play good football and I think that it will catch up on them, especially if Bowen was to get an injury or go through a dip of form. Losing Noble will also have an effect on the group, especially when the chips are down and they need a leader to turn to. 

I disagree slightly...

IMO.. W.Ham still have a good base squad..

They will always attract good players because being a known London club & the catchment-areas with close European contacts..

AND though modern Fans hate to hear or even recognise the clout that...

Name,History & Tradition brings.

 

W.Ham have always that knack to trip over their own shoe laces or keep hold of the drainpipe and carry forward that  eras momentum...

 

Plus I make my life easier,by not choosing in my pastime to follow various clubs with cynical disdain,but far better to follow through all leagues,

with distant interest, or a quiet competitive interest,

when an oppo club(s) seasons sailing channel follows parallel or across our own  bows.

 

Next season the cards will again be reshuffled...

I still see..Hammers,Wolves,Toffees,Villa. & Now Newcastle, plus always that suprise unknown as our close rivals or frenemies in chasing down those convetted top 6 places..

If Brighton could strengthen they too could play a high irritating role..

 

Unlike the unforlorn souls who keep telling everybody that the coming season will be the worse they ever seen, I believe PL is getting better,at different levels & league spread, the fights have become closer...over the positions..& until EOS fewer outcomes not so obvious..

20th- 17th.

20th- 14th

14th- 10th

16th--8th

12th- 7th

10th- 5th

8th-  4th

6th- 1st

3rd- 1st..

 

Across thes mixed areas see drop-offs ,surges forward..impossible point chasms bridged, or chasms widened, then suprise upward climb,where a couple will suffer broken ropes.

 

It's not the general predictions that usually always in the collective pan out,....But IMO its

the improvement in quality of football & the stories ( football relevant) indiviual/team season's presentation journey ,

All teams , will have those turgid, poor, negative moments, or periods.Where form will waiver..

I still think even within that, brews good football moments...

Not every error or poor/average  period means a team or individual game is rubbish....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 27 May 2022 by fuchsntf