PeregrineT
Player Valuation: £35m
We SHOULD be looking to top 4 next season and a cup. Im not saying we make it, but after the amount we have put into the squad, and the massive improvement this past season, thats what we should be aiming for. We had a goal differential of 18 last season, a massive improvement of 14 over Martinez last season. Most years you need about 30 to get a top 4 finish. That means we need to improve by another 12 this season.
If we think we really have made good purchases, and Koeman can use them to the best of their abilities, we think we will save 3 goals with pickford, and probably another 2-3 with Keane. If we lose 10 from Lukaku to a replacement striker, we should pick up about 2 from Rooney, 4 from Klaassen, and another 4 from Sandro, replacing his production. That means we need to get another 6 from another player or two, most likely production from the other winger spot. If we get the production from that spot, we should have a goal to challenge for top 4. Anything else is setting sights too low.
Yes, top 4 is obviously very hard to make. But its not just a pure cash game to get there. The top clubs often have missed seasons and failures, though usually not more than 2 seasons in a row, because they often just splash cash and have to cycle through managers. If A. Koeman is as good as advertised we will outcoach teams. B. If Walsh is as good as advertised, the players coming in will exceed expectations like Gueye. C. The amount we are now ABLE to spend, as shown in this window, allows us to compete like we havent been able to before.
If we think we really have made good purchases, and Koeman can use them to the best of their abilities, we think we will save 3 goals with pickford, and probably another 2-3 with Keane. If we lose 10 from Lukaku to a replacement striker, we should pick up about 2 from Rooney, 4 from Klaassen, and another 4 from Sandro, replacing his production. That means we need to get another 6 from another player or two, most likely production from the other winger spot. If we get the production from that spot, we should have a goal to challenge for top 4. Anything else is setting sights too low.
Yes, top 4 is obviously very hard to make. But its not just a pure cash game to get there. The top clubs often have missed seasons and failures, though usually not more than 2 seasons in a row, because they often just splash cash and have to cycle through managers. If A. Koeman is as good as advertised we will outcoach teams. B. If Walsh is as good as advertised, the players coming in will exceed expectations like Gueye. C. The amount we are now ABLE to spend, as shown in this window, allows us to compete like we havent been able to before.
