Humpty 3,246 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I do. At this point in time, we haven't strengthened our squad with Premier League experience, we lack a real proven goalscorer and we have a whole management team that haven't set foot in the Premier League previously. Obviously nothing we can do about the latter, it is what it is, but it can be construed as a weakness all the same. Link to post Share on other sites
Aarfy_Aardvark 38 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Champions League football. Link to post Share on other sites
dunnerzzz 17 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Finish higher than Leicester. Think I seen somewhere that they have similar odds for winning title and going down. :P Link to post Share on other sites
typicalbrough 17 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I do. At this point in time, we haven't strengthened our squad with Premier League experience, we lack a real proven goalscorer and we have a whole management team that haven't set foot in the Premier League previously. Obviously nothing we can do about the latter, it is what it is, but it can be construed as a weakness all the same. I'd echo these comments. I also worry that since AK came in we don't score enough and don't come from behind. That's putting a lot of pressure on a back 7 with virtually no top level experience. As good as they are I'm not sure we can back off teams like we did last season once we took the lead. If the back unit transition into playing at the top then that will be encouraging as not many teams can actually defend. These are kind of my thoughts as the squad stands today. Long way to go until the window shuts. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Changing Times Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I do. At this point in time, we haven't strengthened our squad with Premier League experience, we lack a real proven goalscorer and we have a whole management team that haven't set foot in the Premier League previously. Obviously nothing we can do about the latter, it is what it is, but it can be construed as a weakness all the same. I'd echo these comments. I also worry that since AK came in we don't score enough and don't come from behind. That's putting a lot of pressure on a back 7 with virtually no top level experience. As good as they are I'm not sure we can back off teams like we did last season once we took the lead. If the back unit transition into playing at the top then that will be encouraging as not many teams can actually defend. These are kind of my thoughts as the squad stands today. Long way to go until the window shuts. Pretty much the above for me. Link to post Share on other sites
Dynamo Kev 1,552 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 with our current players (ramirez to). i'd fancy us to be close to survival at worst. get ourselves a couple of stars to win us games alone, like most prem teams have then we really could be adrift of any relegation fight and safe in mid table. watford, palace, sunlun, west brom, burnley, hull, muff, swansea and stoke are hardly world beaters themselves. i hope to be close to the top of that group. Link to post Share on other sites
typicalbrough 17 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 watford, palace, sunlun, west brom, burnley, hull, muff, swansea and stoke are hardly world beaters themselves. We're not world beaters either, in fact last season we weren't even as good as Burnley. They are the clubs I expect us to be battling with though (with the exception of Stoke). I also think Swansea and Sunderland will do ok next season. Watford could struggle, teams seemed to suss them out but it will be interesting to see what the new gaffa does. Exciting times ahead. Link to post Share on other sites
Rioch's Braves 711 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I do. At this point in time, we haven't strengthened our squad with Premier League experience, we lack a real proven goalscorer and we have a whole management team that haven't set foot in the Premier League previously. Obviously nothing we can do about the latter, it is what it is, but it can be construed as a weakness all the same. I'd echo these comments. I also worry that since AK came in we don't score enough and don't come from behind. That's putting a lot of pressure on a back 7 with virtually no top level experience. As good as they are I'm not sure we can back off teams like we did last season once we took the lead. If the back unit transition into playing at the top then that will be encouraging as not many teams can actually defend. These are kind of my thoughts as the squad stands today. Long way to go until the window shuts. Hard to disagree with any of that. Link to post Share on other sites
EliMFC 4 Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 I do. At this point in time, we haven't strengthened our squad with Premier League experience, we lack a real proven goalscorer and we have a whole management team that haven't set foot in the Premier League previously. Obviously nothing we can do about the latter, it is what it is, but it can be construed as a weakness all the same. I'd echo these comments. I also worry that since AK came in we don't score enough and don't come from behind. That's putting a lot of pressure on a back 7 with virtually no top level experience. As good as they are I'm not sure we can back off teams like we did last season once we took the lead. If the back unit transition into playing at the top then that will be encouraging as not many teams can actually defend. These are kind of my thoughts as the squad stands today. Long way to go until the window shuts. Hard to disagree with any of that. This is the best way of putting it in my opinion. Although too much is made out of "premier league experience" not that it's not important but it has to be the right experience too many teams go down because they rely on the wrong experience. A lot of teams that have stayed up in recent years haven't recruited many prem players in the first season but the likes of qpr and villa are examples where bad recuritment of prem players can cost you. It baffles me that so many people see the premier league as this all powering unbreakable secret society that only the elite can compete, I don't believe the gap between the bottom 10 of the prem and the top 6 or so of the champ is that much difference many of the bottom teams would struggle to go straight back up. I massively agree though that people are relying on our defensive capabilities to save us which when you look at what we achieved and the stats it's easy to see why but for the ones who are as concerned as me I can only assume that they could see the cracks as well, we simply cannot allow the teams in the prem the chances we did last season because this is where I believe the prem is far superior to the rest of English football so many games are won by the one finish that one chance. The prem is far more clinical than the championship. Errors we made last season wernt punished this season I think they will be. We are not going to be as dominant in games which also is a big contribution to our excellent record this year we aren't going to be as dominant so counter attacking is going to be our style for a lot of games especially away from home. If that is so the players that we have for selection at the minute don't fill me with much confidence, we are not a fast attacking team and we won't have he time to build up slow attacks to try to pick apart opponents at home against the teams who will settle for a point mabye but the players in our current sqaud while some of them I would still like to see here and I hope some get the chance to prove themselves because I think some will prove people wrong I don't have the faith many do that we are going to be a potent threat. I'll be happy if we get Ramirez but more qaulity is needed it's doesn't need to be expensive it doesn't need to be marquee it needs to be the right players and the right amount of qaulity. My hope is for survival and hopefully comfortably expecting anything else is just madness in this crazy game. My faith though comes from the fact I think that we will do the right things and that will keep us up. The work has been going on behind the scenes for a while and I believe this will serve us well. we are a club on the up and we are well run. One thing for sure there's gonna be ups and downs and I can't wait! Link to post Share on other sites
Downsouth 6,175 Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 With the way things are panning out regarding new players and am sure still more to come are you revaluating your aspirations for the season coming? Must say I have and to be honest can see Boro ending up mid table Link to post Share on other sites
Arskite 75 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 With the way things are panning out regarding new players and am sure still more to come are you revaluating your aspirations for the season coming? Must say I have and to be honest can see Boro ending up mid table Certainly with the way we're going we have the ambition to finish relatively high, with mid-table a big possibility. But we saw Newcastle spend big last season and fail, and though they had other issues for sure it still means we should probably be cautious in our expectations. I still say survival is a good base for moving upwards, and would still be roundly satisfied with 16th or 17th. Link to post Share on other sites
Garcy27 4 Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 First time I've read this thread, find it interesting people are saying we dont come from behind. Plenty of points picked up last season after going behind. Link to post Share on other sites
Dynamo Kev 1,552 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 we'll be far more confident in this coming season, the pressure wont be on us to win every game. it will be opposite in most games as the establishment will be under pressure to beat us. i can see it now on soccer saturday, merson - 'insert most teams name' have to be beating the likes of boro if they want to get into the top 6'. even if we do sign the likes of subotic and negredo with one or two others on top of what we already have. it wont change our must beat boro tag. if we have anything about us we'll get off to a good start and win a few games early on. i'm really looking forward to see us in those 3 away games on TV. even better at home, i reckon a few teams will be a bit shocked at our quality at the riverside early doors, hopefully we will nick a few extra points due to a bit of complacency from the opposition. l remember ***nal away in 95/96 a gooner in the crowd screaming 'come on its only fecking boro' they couldnt believe we were actually out playing them for long spells at highbury. the only reason we never won that was because our own players couldnt believe we were actually out playing them either lol Link to post Share on other sites
Humpty 3,246 Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 I think this thread is worth a bump with a week to go. I still think we're in for a tough season. Goals will be hard to come by and i don't think we'll be a defensively strong as we were in the Championship, particularly in the full back position. I would place in a group of around 9 teams: Hull Burnley Boro West Brom Palace Sunderland Bournemouth Watford Swansea Do well in that mini league and we'll be ok, but we'll have to learn quick. Link to post Share on other sites
Tom 2,492 Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 All about our home form I think. I'm not expecting us to concede single figures at home like last season, but if we can at least maintain that mentality, that's a really good platform to work off. I hope that Karanka hasn't got so much faith in certain players (George, Clayton etc) that he sticks with them if they aren't up to it. I don't worry too much about this though, as he's dropped players in the past (Kike, Mejias, Reach) when they have struggled. I hope we can see Downing at his best, because if Fischer/Reach (who I'm assuming will stick around ahead of de Pena) aren't capable of playing at this level, it's important that he can keep us ticking over in that position until January, at which point we would need to reevaluate. If we can get the West Ham Downing for even 2/3rds of this season, he could be the difference between 17th and 18th. Link to post Share on other sites
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