Predictions for 24/25 season

[My Blood Is Blue]

Obviously, plenty can still change between now and the first game, let alone the end of the transfer window, so feel free to update your predictions at any point or wait until closer to the season begins.

The poll will close after the transfer window closes.

[Blue Kratos]

Guess it's too late to change mine to relegation 😆😆😆

[Bison]

8th and winners of the Conference.

[Sciatika]

Will wait. After last year, I have no idea who will be in the squad, who will be loaned out, who will be let go and who will be banned for half a season.

[RDCW]

I've gone :

Top 4

Winners

Winners

Winners

What you might call all in!

[My Blood Is Blue]

7 hours ago, RDCW said:

I've gone :

Top 4

Winners

Winners

Winners

What you might call all in!

Sounds like a great season, where do I sign up?!

[Mark Kelly]

7 hours ago, RDCW said:

I've gone :

Top 4

Winners

Winners

Winners

What you might call all in!

Same as me. 

[chara]

33 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Sounds like a great season, where do I sign up?!

Sam, Just follow me up The Yellow Brick Road.😁

[Miguelito07]

On 21/07/2024 at 09:08, Sciatika said:

Will wait. After last year, I have no idea who will be in the squad, who will be loaned out, who will be let go and who will be banned for half a season.

you forgot to add "and players injured during pre-season"....

[paulw66]

All things being equal, if we get a decent number of games out of James and Nkunku, we'll waltz into top 4.

That's ignoring Lavia, Fofana etc. 

[Sleeping Dave]

Right now? 

7th or 8th in the league. Cups are hard to predict as it all comes down to the form at the moment and the draw itself. But I do not think we will win any title as things stand. 

This may of course change, depending on who we sign/sell/loan out etc. 

[paulw66]

On 21/07/2024 at 07:51, Bison said:

8th and winners of the Conference.

 

22 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

Right now? 

7th or 8th in the league. Cups are hard to predict as it all comes down to the form at the moment and the draw itself. But I do not think we will win any title as things stand. 

This may of course change, depending on who we sign/sell/loan out etc. 

Curious as to hear why you think we will do worse.

No key players have gone.

Potentially get (a lot) more games out 4 or 5 very good players who barely played last season.

A lot of the young players should get better (and more experienced) year on year, especially those who were new to the PL

It all comes down to Maresca v Poch. If he is a worse coach, then we're all in trouble. 

[Sleeping Dave]

5 hours ago, paulw66 said:

 

Curious as to hear why you think we will do worse.

No key players have gone.

Potentially get (a lot) more games out 4 or 5 very good players who barely played last season.

A lot of the young players should get better (and more experienced) year on year, especially those who were new to the PL

It all comes down to Maresca v Poch. If he is a worse coach, then we're all in trouble. 

Sure. 

Firstly, I do not think we were really the 6th best team last season. We only managed that due to a very, very good second half of the season. Much of this was due to Palmer being so good. What happens if he only has an average season? 

Secondly, so far we have not really strengthened the side (yet), and for us to be safe as a top 6 or top 4 side there are a number of things we need to sort. Namely, as has been the case for a few years, a top class GK, CB, winger and S. I think this has been true for quite a few seasons now but we just don’t manage to sort it out. Instead we are hoarding average GKs, CBs and CMs and still haven’t found that marquee striker. 

Thirdly, is Maresca better than Poch? Time will tell, but how will he and the side react if we start badly and only have a few points on the board after a fairly easy start on paper? If there is one thing this side has taught us is that they aren’t reacting very well to adversity. 

Fourth, the Enzo and Fofana saga. How will the squad react to that? 

I hope I’m wrong, but I’ve been pretty negative ahead of the last few seasons and sadly been proved right. But if we manage 2-3 good signings before the window closes than I might change my mind. But it feels like we’ve spent the majority of our money on players who won’t/can’t improve us this season. Perhaps never, such is the pedigree of the players we’ve spent €112m on so far. It’s fucking madness. We could have gotten two players who would improve the first team for that kind of money, instead we’ve bought potential that may come good over the next 3-5 years. 

[paulw66]

On 22/07/2024 at 21:41, Sleeping Dave said:

. 

Firstly, I do not think we were really the 6th best team last season. We only managed that due to a very, very good second half of the season.

Well, we were. Which is why we finished 6th.

If you're going to argue we only finished 6th due to a good second half, then you could argue we only didn't get top 4 due to a poor first half. 

I am not sure how having a very, very good second half of the season means we didn't deserve to finish where we finished.

On 22/07/2024 at 21:41, Sleeping Dave said:

 

Secondly, so far we have not really strengthened the side (yet),

That's an argument for why you think we wont improve, not get worse.

On 22/07/2024 at 21:41, Sleeping Dave said:

 

Thirdly, is Maresca better than Poch? Time will tell, but how will he and the side react if we start badly and only have a few points on the board after a fairly easy start on paper? If there is one thing this side has taught us is that they aren’t reacting very well to adversity. 

 

This one is an unknown. Again, no proof of better or worse though.

On 22/07/2024 at 21:41, Sleeping Dave said:

 

Fourth, the Enzo and Fofana saga. How will the squad react to that? 

 

I expect it will all be forgotten fairly quickly, but who knows. 

I remember after the WC 2006 everyone saying how Rooney and Ronaldo could never play together any more. Shame they did.

On 22/07/2024 at 21:41, Sleeping Dave said:

 

I hope I’m wrong, but I’ve been pretty negative ahead of the last few seasons and sadly been proved right. But if we manage 2-3 good signings before the window closes than I might change my mind. But it feels like we’ve spent the majority of our money on players who won’t/can’t improve us this season. Perhaps never, such is the pedigree of the players we’ve spent €112m on so far. It’s fucking madness. We could have gotten two players who would improve the first team for that kind of money, instead we’ve bought potential that may come good over the next 3-5 years. 

Again, this paragraph speaks as to why you think we may not improve, not why we will get worse.

 

On the flip side to all of the above, the majority of our players (bar probably only Sterling) are at an age where you can reasonably expect them to improve. 

What happens if we have just an ordinary season injury wise? Not even a good one, just not a terrible one? How many points is that worth?

We won the last 5 games of the season. Why? Look at the strength of the squad (the bench). Those 5 games we won, coincided (not a coincidence) with the one time in the season we had the fewest injuries. 

Losing at Forest, bring on Reece James. Winning at Brighton, bring on Nkunku to seal it. 

[Sleeping Dave]

36 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

Well, we were. Which is why we finished 6th.

If you're going to argue we only finished 6th due to a good second half, then you could argue we only didn't get top 4 due to a poor first half. 

I am not sure how having a very, very good second half of the season means we didn't deserve to finish where we finished.

That's an argument for why you think we wont improve, not get worse.

This one is an unknown. Again, no proof of better or worse though.

I expect it will all be forgotten fairly quickly, but who knows. 

I remember after the WC 2006 everyone saying how Rooney and Ronaldo could never play together any more. Shame they did.

Again, this paragraph speaks as to why you think we may not improve, not why we will get worse.

 

On the flip side to all of the above, the majority of our players (bar probably only Sterling) are at an age where you can reasonably expect them to improve. 

What happens if we have just an ordinary season injury wise? Not even a good one, just not a terrible one? How many points is that worth?

We won the last 5 games of the season. Why? Look at the strength of the squad (the bench). Those 5 games we won, coincided (not a coincidence) with the one time in the season we had the fewest injuries. 

Losing at Forest, bring on Reece James. Winning at Brighton, bring on Nkunku to seal it. 

My bad, I wasn’t aware that my view on how we fare this season was a debate. You asked for my reasons, I gave them. 

 

[paulw66]

30 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

My bad, I wasn’t aware that my view on how we fare this season was a debate. You asked for my reasons, I gave them. 

 

and I asked why you thought we'd do worse next season, and your answers were largely things that are unchanged. 

I realise you have the reached the point that you only see negativity, so perhaps it's better if we just stop .

[Bison]

I have a new prediction: I think both the manager and the co-sporting directors will not last the season.

[Ham]

3 hours ago, Bison said:

I have a new prediction: I think both the manager and the co-sporting directors will not last the season.

I have a prediction: 

If Chelsea, Chilwell and Mudryk are a success, you won't last the season 😉

[Bison]

2 hours ago, Ham said:

I have a prediction: 

If Chelsea, Chilwell and Mudryk are a success, you won't last the season 😉

Chilwell who they're actively briefing can be sold for the right price and Mudryk who will play himself out of the team in pre-season? Those two? Don't hold your breath. 🫢

[exiledblue]

Every season feels like starting from scratch again, time to build etc etc and I see this as no different. Amazed if we win anything as we wont have the xperience if we get close and sadly I see top 6 as a push too far.

Never felt more negative but happy to be wrong

[martin1905]

I expect huge seasons from Caicedo,  Enzo and Nkunku. I think all three are potentially elite, Nkunku probably already is. 

Cucurella to be the best left back in the league.

Fofana and Colwill to establish themselves as two of the best CB's in the country and one of the best partnerships.

Lavia to be a real star and force himself into the starting 11.

Sterling to be back to his Man City best.

Jackson to continue his progress and kick on again but still be infuriating at times. Close to 20 league goals for him.

Jorgensen to suprise everyone and finally be the top quality GK we have needed for years. 

Dewsbury-Hall will prove to be a great signing and an incredibly important player.

Reece to stay fit after his surgery and be the best in the world in his position. 

Cole Palmer to win PFA player of the year.

We will be both brilliant to watch and incredibly boring in equal measures. 

Top 4 finish, comfortably. 

[Ham]

5 minutes ago, martin1905 said:

I expect huge seasons from Caicedo,  Enzo and Nkunku. I think all three are potentially elite, Nkunku probably already is. 

Cucurella to be the best left back in the league.

Fofana and Colwill to establish themselves as two of the best CB's in the country and one of the best partnerships.

Lavia to be a real star and force himself into the starting 11.

Sterling to be back to his Man City best.

Jackson to continue his progress and kick on again but still be infuriating at times. Close to 20 league goals for him.

Jorgensen to suprise everyone and finally be the top quality GK we have needed for years. 

Dewsbury-Hall will prove to be a great signing and an incredibly important player.

Reece to stay fit after his surgery and be the best in the world in his position. 

Cole Palmer to win PFA player of the year.

We will be both brilliant to watch and incredibly boring in equal measures. 

Top 4 finish, comfortably. 

Having some of that!

[Chelsea_Matt]

On 22/07/2024 at 11:29, paulw66 said:

All things being equal, if we get a decent number of games out of James and Nkunku, we'll waltz into top 4.

That's ignoring Lavia, Fofana etc. 

 VERY excited about Lavia, tbh 🫡💯🤩🤩

[My Blood Is Blue]

57 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

 VERY excited about Lavia, tbh 🫡💯🤩🤩

Me too, I think he could be massive for us if he stays fit. He could very quickly and quietly becomes a vital player for us.

[Bob Singleton]

1 hour ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

 VERY excited about Lavia, tbh 🫡💯🤩🤩

I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually gets chosen ahead of Enzo. His passing range and accuracy is as good. He's a bigger, more powerful athlete than Enzo., and he's quicker around the pitch.