Realistic Expectation Next Season

[ForeverAndEver 71,482]

13 minutes ago, McEwan's Lager said:

I think he had 5 chances and he was rubbish

Having said that I rate him as a footballer in general. If he had stayed at Manchester City I think he would have gone on to captain them and he would probably have 2 Premier League titles in his pocket and 60+ caps for England.

Instead he was sold to Newcastle as City were on the way up, which was his own fault. I don't think i've ever seen a more self-inflicted case of screwing up a top level career.

 

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,722]

4 minutes ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Expectation should always be first. If you let standards slip then we may as well give up our title of 'World's Most Successful Club' to Celtic in advance because they will have it in the next few years.

If the players can't live up to the expectations then they shouldn't be here in the first place.

Definition: expectation

a strong belief that something will happen or be the case.

 

To have 1st as an expectation this season is pretty ridiculous when there is nothing to justify it other than hope, demand, uberness, or stupidity. No logic other than historically we've been successful.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

3 minutes ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Yeah, and I mean completely his own fault. 

He already had a rap sheet as long as my arm, plus had been sent home from Thailand, stubbed that cigarette in that kids eye etc then he assaulted Dabo.

If he could have kept the lid on his temper he would have had a great career - and I think he knows it. There is an upper limit to being aggressive and for a international class player that limit is a Roy Keane, Graeme Souness level. He was well over that and not just on the park but off it too. 

The pity is he probably has a fair idea about how he would handle the high profile better than he did back then, with an older wiser head. He always seems to have an angle on that kind of thing that's worth listening to. 

[SLCBear 1]

2nd place, a run to the final of the cup and competitive games against celtic. 

I fear I am being very optimistic with those targets. 

[McEwan's Lager 30,522]

Just now, ForeverAndEver said:

 

Yep. I'll stand by that even if people think i'm mental.

In 06/07 he was absolutely class for a pretty rubbish Man City team - won his first and only England cap and then the Dabo incident occurred. 

He was sold to Newcastle and then he spent the second half of the season out due to a jail sentence after beating that guy up in Liverpool. It was all downhill from there.

On his day a great player.

[TheLawMan 6,240]

3 hours ago, buster. said:

The harsh reality is that the title is already spoken for.

That makes second place the 'realistic target' and from what I'm seeing it would appear that this will be a battle with the sheep and no foregone conclusion. 

It all depends on if and when, we can develop into a team that consistently beats the SPFL provincial teams. At the moment this is an unknown but thus far there are no signs of it coming together.

I agree with Buster. 

[Bluenose-11 196]

If we play Miller* and he drops deep every game disrupting our rythm, we will finish 4-6th. If we can get our new boys (because let's be honest nobody knows for a fact how good they are or aren't) firing I think we can be in touch until Christmas and then we can look again in January.

* Not bashing Miller, I just think him starting does more harm than good,  

[Reformation Bear 6,453]

The hype last season of going for 55 only to see Warburton's team stumble big time has understandably put the brakes on realistic title expectations.  Of course the aim and ambition is to win the league - it always must be.   There aren't enough indicators though at this point to inspire enough confidence that winning the title this season is an ambition that can be realised.    

It seems to me that for many there was an optimism when Pedro arrived, and more optimism when some of his first pick transfers were announced.  An optimism of a different nature to the 'going for 55' under Warburton.  An optimism that seemed to recognise that winning the title at first tilt might not happen with so many changes to the side but at least it'd be a proper Rangers side competing to the wire or near enough to the wire for the title.   The optimism that Pedro would produce a very different - more competitive - Rangers side that would have the clear expectation of (his words) 'win, win, win'.

The problem is that the latter part of the season with the OF defeat and the defeat by Aberdeen, and then in the EL game with a host of his first choice players available to play against part timers from Luxembourg that optimism has taken quite a bit of a dent.   Not then helped by pre-season friendlies against St.J.     The side still seems very capable of giving away goals, and very incapable of scoring enough goals.   Will that change - as Pedro asserts - as the season gets going?   That's the $64M question.

A question with as yet no answer,   Early optimism may have been false optimism.   Equally current pessimism may be false pessimism if the team gets going with a good winning run.     If the 2 friendlies turn out to be more of the same (goals not being scored but goals being conceded) then it adds weight to the early optimism being entirely false with Pedro being all talk and no delivery.   In which case it'd be a very difficult season ahead.

[Grin'nBEARit 41]

Went for 2nd but I'm not sure there is a "realistic expectation". 1st is the dream but not realistic, and 2nd should be a certainty not an expectation.

[The Specky Forum Organiser 64,684]

1 hour ago, McEwan's Lager said:

I think he had 5 chances and he was rubbish

Having said that I rate him as a footballer in general. If he had stayed at Manchester City I think he would have gone on to captain them and he would probably have 2 Premier League titles in his pocket and 60+ caps for England.

Instead he was sold to Newcastle as City were on the way up, which was his own fault. I don't think i've ever seen a more self-inflicted case of screwing up a top level career.

Even I wouldnt say something as ridiculous as this.

[ZZed 4,510]

I am going to wait until the first 6 games are out the way as I think we are still team building and this has showen up in our matches so far. I hope for another good signing before the window shuts.

[Bobby Hume 13,055]

59 minutes ago, Reformation Bear said:

The hype last season of going for 55 only to see Warburton's team stumble big time has understandably put the brakes on realistic title expectations.  Of course the aim and ambition is to win the league - it always must be.   There aren't enough indicators though at this point to inspire enough confidence that winning the title this season is an ambition that can be realised.    

It seems to me that for many there was an optimism when Pedro arrived, and more optimism when some of his first pick transfers were announced.  An optimism of a different nature to the 'going for 55' under Warburton.  An optimism that seemed to recognise that winning the title at first tilt might not happen with so many changes to the side but at least it'd be a proper Rangers side competing to the wire or near enough to the wire for the title.   The optimism that Pedro would produce a very different - more competitive - Rangers side that would have the clear expectation of (his words) 'win, win, win'.

The problem is that the latter part of the season with the OF defeat and the defeat by Aberdeen, and then in the EL game with a host of his first choice players available to play against part timers from Luxembourg that optimism has taken quite a bit of a dent.   Not then helped by pre-season friendlies against St.J.     The side still seems very capable of giving away goals, and very incapable of scoring enough goals.   Will that change - as Pedro asserts - as the season gets going?   That's the $64M question.

1/ A question with as yet no answer,  2/  Early optimism may have been false optimism.   Equally current pessimism may be false pessimism if the team gets going with a good winning run.     If the 2 friendlies turn out to be more of the same (goals not being scored but goals being conceded) then it adds weight to the early optimism being entirely false with Pedro being all talk and no delivery.   In which case it'd be a very difficult season ahead.

Good post mate

1/  The main reason I have not even voted in this poll .... as I have neither the insight nor the practical knowledge as to the abilities of most of the players that will be chosen in this coming season .... and blind faith is no longer an option with a squad that is as alien to me ability wise  as any I have witnessed in the past at our Club .... therefore not one of them gives me the confidence to project the outcome of the coming season.

2/ Any early optimism I may have had has .... as you have rightly surmised .... now been proven to be false indeed .... that can only be rectified with vastly improved performances from the team ..... this again causes me no great amount of enthusiasm ... thus further dampening any form of optimism false or otherwise that I may have on the situation.

Bottom line for me is ... I have not got a scoobie what will happen this season or where we will end up in the table .... but hope rather than know ..... that I will be pleasantly surprised with a season that is vastly improved on the past one .... as any comparison to that abortion will not be tolerated.

First should always be the goal ... but realism as to the state we are in presently has to come into play before we can reach that goal unfortunately.

[one55 1,510]

I think we are no doubt a better team than last season. If we don't finish 2nd then I will be disappointed...I mean I will forever be disappointed finishing 2nd because really finishing 1st is what we should be achieving always but I just don't think we can finish 1st yet. I do think that this season there won't be as big a gap between 1st and 2nd place. We should finish 2nd and closer to Celtic than Aberdeen were last season. Also, I doubt lightning will strike twice for that lot. Don't see them going undefeated again so I hope they're ready to give up their shitey "The Invincibles" title. 

Of course, Pedro could be yet another donkey of a manager and we play much worse this season. With the players we have we should be better. It's just a matter of seeing whether or not the manager is up to the job.

 

 

[Camshy 812]

Any manager who can not finish 2nd in this league with Rangers is no football manager.....its almost a certainty to be 2nd so failing to achieve that is very very poor.

Warburton failed last season, ok he left 3/4 way through season and was 2nd spot at the time but majority of season we were 3rd under him too.

 

If we had the right manager we could fight for 1st......we dont have a Smith in charge however.

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,722]

56 minutes ago, Rangers_no1 said:

We'll finish third.

Aberdeen are stronger than they were last season and will most likely make a couple more signings, such as Maloney and Moult which makes them even stronger.

Whilst I believe we will be around the same as last year, 3 better players than what we had giving us an improvement, but a weaker manager who will cost us points. Still lack creativity which is going to cost us numerous points again this season.

I think McInnes has recruited well given the players they lost.

They have / will spend a bit of money too and moult will be good for them.

The fact they have been ably assisted in their transfer recruitment by the bheasts is entirely coincidental ?

Still think if we click early we can beat them comfortably for 2nd.

[Tenerife Bear 1,748]

25 minutes ago, Camshy said:

Any manager who can not finish 2nd in this league with Rangers is no football manager.....its almost a certainty to be 2nd so failing to achieve that is very very poor.

Warburton failed last season, ok he left 3/4 way through season and was 2nd spot at the time but majority of season we were 3rd under him too.

 

If we had the right manager we could fight for 1st......we dont have a Smith in charge however.

[ForeverAndEver 71,482]

2 hours ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Yep. I'll stand by that even if people think i'm mental.

In 06/07 he was absolutely class for a pretty rubbish Man City team - won his first and only England cap and then the Dabo incident occurred. 

He was sold to Newcastle and then he spent the second half of the season out due to a jail sentence after beating that guy up in Liverpool. It was all downhill from there.

On his day a great player.

There is no chance he would have reached anywhere near 60 caps  Lampard, Gerrard, Carrick etc are all far better than him.

He would have been pushed out of City with their signings.

[BF1 167]

Obviously aim for 1st, but the minimum in my eyes would be 2nd with a much smaller gap between us and the unwashed. 

[McEwan's Lager 30,522]

10 minutes ago, ForeverAndEver said:

There is no chance he would have reached anywhere near 60 caps  Lampard, Gerrard, Carrick etc are all far better than him.

He would have been pushed out of City with their signings.

He had greater potential than Gareth Barry who has over 50. Better potential than Scott Parker, Jermaine Jenas etc who were all in and around the team at the same time.

 

[jamess 3,422]

With a real good manager we should be challenging for the title,  or as a minimum giving the dark side a challenge. An average manager gives us second.  A poor manager gives us third.  Not sure what Pedro is,  but the evidence so far makes me think he is not a real good manager.

[Brubear 2,920]

I went for first, only because that is where we should always aim to be and despite the Europa League result it is too early to know if the new squad is up to the task of competing in Scotland this year. I am not confident but holding on desperately to the hope that the Europa League results were due to the team not having had any time together.

[Leeds_Bear 8,110]

Amount of people who voted second makes me sick.

[jamess 3,422]

4 minutes ago, Leeds_Bear said:

Amount of people who voted second makes me sick.

What's the weather like on planet Zob?

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,722]

18 minutes ago, Brubear said:

I went for first, only because that is where we should always aim to be and despite the Europa League result it is too early to know if the new squad is up to the task of competing in Scotland this year. I am not confident but holding on desperately to the hope that the Europa League results were due to the team not having had any time together.

So you are not confident, are holding on desperately to the hope, yet in terms of the definition of expectation condider 1st with a strong belief that this will happen or be the case.

Ok.

Thanks 

 

[The Specky Forum Organiser 64,684]

20 minutes ago, Leeds_Bear said:

Amount of people who voted second makes me sick.

Why?