How exactly do you think we’ll do?
It`ll just be a quick one today, I`m afraid because the question I have for you is really quite simple: where do you think we should aim to finish?
Just before the season kicked off apparently Gary Madine was a 15 goal a season striker, Prince-Désir Gouano was a random person and Dean Moxey was awful.
Now apparently Madine is a striker with no confidence, Prince is our best centre back since Cahill and Moxey is the league`s best left back.
Since we do have the ability to change opinions so often, it really is difficult to predict where we`re going to finish. Being in the Championship makes it harder, because as we so often see, any team can finish anywhere in the league. From what I`ve learnt in three seasons, Steve Evans` Rotheram United could go up and Paul Clement`s Derby County could go down.
We`ve had absolutely nothing to spend. I`d be inclined to say that we`ve had the least in the league to work with. Times are very rough when you`re losing out to League 1 clubs for signings because they can afford to pay more than you but that`s the harsh reality we`ve had to get used to and this has been discussed time and time again.
However, if you look at the squad we`re left with we could name the following team (if all fit): Ben Amos, Francesco Pisano, Derik Osede, Prince-Désir Gouano, Dean Moxey, Darren Pratley, Mark Davies, Wellington Silva, Zach Clough, Max Clayton, Gary Madine. That really doesn`t look too bad. Of course injuries have taken their toll on our squad, and we might have to replace Zach Clough with Mark Davies and put Josh Vela in this team and bring out Darren Pratley and replace Neil Danns while Pisano and Clayton aren`t quite up to full fitness, things still look good on paper.
Obviously the main thing missing here is goals. I am optimistic here and I think we will get goals. People go on about how if you want to win the Championship you need a 20 goal a season striker and yes, that is nice. It would also be nice to have Thibaut Courtois in goal and Ander Herrera in midfield. However, we`ve seen teams like Cardiff City go up without a goalscorer- I think their top scorer might have got 8 goals that season?
Clough, while injured will get goals. Max Clayton, when fit, will get goals (ignore his scoring record, so many of his appearances have come off the bench). Wellington Silva can get goals. Mark Davies can get goals. Darren Pratley can get goals. Stephen Dobbie can get goals. Even Liam Feeney could notch 5-10 goals a season.
Neil Lennon has made it pretty clear that if a good one within our price range becomes available, we`ll endeavour to bring him in. That`s good enough for me.
No, we won`t top the scoring charts, but our defence is looking very good, we have impressive depth in midfield and we`ve a great ‘keeper in Ben Amos.
Neil Lennon aims for the play-offs. I think a top half finish is well within the realms of possibility. Where do you think we`ll finish/ where should we aim to finish?