Views from the Sieve

What are the thoughts for May 2025 given our signings and what has been shown in the 6 pre-season friendlies?

I think we are going to win every league game 6-0 and finish top.
We'll also get to the quarter final of the FA Cup and final of the FA Trophy.

Auntie Merge wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2024 8:19 pm I think we are going to win every league game 6-0 and finish top.
We'll also get to the quarter final of the FA Cup and final of the FA Trophy.

I do appreciate your consistency in predicting scores.

Right now I would take a top ten finish but being close enough to the playoffs with five games left that the season remains interesting.

A 1st round FA Cup win this year would be amazing, even we get a kicking in round two... wouldn't complain about a decent run in the Trophy and thoughts of a big final for at least half a season.

We liked decent in attack in Italy but it was mentioned yesterday on the Stream commentary that Junior and Reece up top is low on height... We still seem to be able to give up at least two soft defensive errors each game so far which needs to be cut out.

Our starting our best XI with everyone fit should be strong but injuries with this squad will always be the factor to determine where we finish... I like our first choice back five and we have had far worse midfields recently... wingers have looked decent in pre season but do we have the goals in us?

This season is impossible to call, but I think anything below 10th should be deemed a failure. However I think it’s clear that injuries to PK, Lawless, Greco-Cox, Umerah are not unlikely and could derail us massively. If we’re lucky with injuries then I do fancy us to do well. I would still like to see another midfielder come in though. Especially as it looks like the Appiah-Forson Dagenham tweet was a huge misunderstanding/windup.

As it stands we will not be in the top ten.

Vincent cannot be our only left back for an entire season, he is a good footballer but teams will start to bombard him with diagonals and he struggles with it. Ling on the wrong side isn't the answer either.

A midfield of N'Guessan and Hessenthaler is not bad but we are one injury away from disaster in there. Rees cannot play deeper and Lawless probably can't either. We also lack a real ball carrier in that part of the pitch, it's all very safe and sideways.

Up front it remains to be seen. We have very good players in that area but you have to find a good balance. For me, that would probably be Umerah at 9, and Morias at 10 but then you're leaving out your second top scorer in Rees.

Overall the team lacks size. You cannot play a season where only 3 of your outfield 10 are 6ft or bigger. The only genuinely big lad we have is Eastman. This league is brutal and unforgiving and we don't have enough to deal with that at the moment.

We also don't have much in the way of raw pace. Hill and Pereira are very good over 5 yards but neither can stretch the game in behind in a 20-30 yard sprint. Morias is similar in that regard.

I think we have a decent side but playoffs are way beyond us in my opinion.

Pretty much agree with all of that, we should be very good defensively if PK stays fit but that’s a big if. Lots of ifs with this squad which is why I think we will finish about 10th. Just two more decent bodies one in the middle and one in at left back, if that happens we could pushing play offs.

I think this season will be perhaps be one of the most open and competitive that we've seen of late. There isn't necessarily a 'big team' that will run away with it, like we've seen of late, so expect a good competitive season from all , I expect we'll finish top 10, play offs will be brilliant and yes, let's make the 1st round proper of the Cup and have a decent run in the trophey.

Very negative on here we are going to win the league
Positivity breads success

Always negative on here, never satisfied.
Top 7 a definite

I think we're a bit thin in the middle of the park and at left back. We do need a out n out left back in the club. And also a creative midfielder I think. But would be happy with a playoff push. Can I see it at the moment no. But I would love to be proved wrong. Up the Daggers