colinstein 294 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 To be brutally honest, I think top 3-4 would be good next year (based on this seasons premiership form). Celtic may be average relatively speaking, but I still think they have the luck and know-how to win these leagues, and certainly have good enough assets able to get them over the line. We are untested. To be in the mix with Hearts and Aberdeen in itself would be a big step forward IMO. Hearts have done that with a much smaller budget than ours 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I think apart from Hibs and Falkirk, there is a noticeable gap - as evidenced by the games against St Johnstone and Kilmarnock. For example, QotS are almost perpetual 4th or 5th place and yet never get promoted - think there are usually up to 3 teams above them that join the SP merry-go-round and perhaps 1 or 2 below them having a unusually bad time of it - currently St Mirren and Dunfermline. The SP teams obviously can pay higher wages and relative cream rises to teams in the top tier. While, as in most years, we should be able to beat all of them most of the time, bar Celtic, I think in our current situation, we'll find it harder to do this consistently with the current squad. Part of it, might be like our excuses for Europe where we're not used to playing that standard week in, week out. But I think everything is a bit higher of standard from skill, to fitness, to managerial nous, and it all adds up to a much more difficult game. It wasn't such a problem when we were bringing in mult-million pound internationals who could command 20k a week, but we're now more of a level of Hearts' spending a decade ago, the gap between us and the SP teams is now less. Fortunately, Celtic are a bit crap at the moment but we all know that they will spend loads to improve - they seem to have been saving up for it. I think we are currently of a higher quality than Hearts, but not by that much, so whether we can overtake Aberdeen and challenge Celtic is not one we can confidently answer - well me anyway. But then, like Celtic, we should also be spending a war chest to compete from the starter gun back in the top tier. Our current squad is yet to show they have what it takes, and our manager, although looking very savvy, is still relatively green when it comes to winning major trophies. The Championship is a harder league - Celtic aside, but he didn't exactly win it and his experience of it is just one season. I think he can do it, but we shouldn't underestimate the difficulty nor count our chickens. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I agree with Pete. We're still not perfect but we have a better balance to the way we play and with the right signings could easily challenge an average Celtic team next season. It's safe to say the football we play is very good and while we're not always clinical enough with the large number of chances we create, our domination of possession makes us a very hard team to match - never mind beat. Our possession drops quite far when we play top teams. So far as I can recall anyway. If I'm wrong no doubt a stato will correct me. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 It's a bit of a stretch but possibly interesting, that if you extrapolate our results against Hibs, Falkirk, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone (the teams a wee bit below the average calibre we'll be facing), after 28 games we'd have about 53 points - 10 behind Celtic, 6 behind Aberdeen and 3 ahead of Hearts - with them having a game in hand. To me it shows we probably need a bit of improvement in consistency from the games we had against the higher level teams we've been facing, if we want to get to the top of the league. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Our possession drops quite far when we play top teams. So far as I can recall anyway. If I'm wrong no doubt a stato will correct me. Couldn't be more wrong GS 48 shots at goal over the three games...of which 11 were on target but more interestingly , 19 shots were blocked! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 It's a bit of a stretch but possibly interesting, that if you extrapolate our results against Hibs, Falkirk, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone (the teams a wee bit below the average calibre we'll be facing), after 28 games we'd have about 53 points - 10 behind Celtic, 6 behind Aberdeen and 3 ahead of Hearts - with them having a game in hand. To me it shows we probably need a bit of improvement in consistency from the games we had against the higher level teams we've been facing, if we want to get to the top of the league. Interesting extrapolation Cal. No disrespect to you and I would like to think you know that - but there is very little point to any type of extrapolation at this point other than for the sake of discussion - every team will see change in the close season. For example, I would like to think that our advertising and hospitality revenues will increase significantly and, sorry folks, but the ST's will more than likely go up too as we go up a league. All this to say that it is probably that we will be looking at a higher caliber of player than the ones we have. I don't think we need that many new bodies in all honesty - a strong CB, a creative midfielder and a couple of strikers. The players we have are strong squad players and more than capable - but, IMHO, if we did a "Souness" (i.e. strengthened the spine) then I think we will be well equipped on the SP. I am looking at next season with an open mind. I fully appreciate those who say "we have a bigger budget than every bar Celtic" but football doesn't work like that all the time - otherwise Leicester wouldn't be anywhere near where they are now.... we have a Manager who hasn't performed in the top flight of Scotland and hasn't had the chance to properly assess his players on a regular basis against that standard of player. We have players who probably haven't played to that standard either owing to them mostly being journeymen - though some do have Championship & League One experience which should stand them in good stead. Next season I will be comfortable with a finish in the top 6 and preferably in the top 2 or 3 - this, however, depends on the acquisitions we make in the summer. Likewise, as I said, I am open minded about next season.... so I still expect us to be challenging for the title, despite allowing next season to be a "finding your SP rhythm" season. Bring it on I say. Nothing to fear. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Couldn't be more wrong GS 48 shots at goal over the three games...of which 11 were on target but more interestingly , 19 shots were blocked! Shots at goal is a different answer to the question posed about possession..... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Shots at goal is a different answer to the question posed about possession..... I just added that bit in myself to save others counting them....the possession figures are there to see in all their glory. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Couldn't be more wrong GS 48 shots at goal over the three games...of which 11 were on target but more interestingly , 19 shots were blocked! Actually they prove me right. Our normal possession is much higher. I suspect it will drop next year unless our players improve. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Actually they prove me right. Our normal possession is much higher. I suspect it will drop next year unless our players improve. Sorry mate...I read your post to mean our possession was not as good as the oppositions. My bad. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.