10-05-2016, 09:39
(10-05-2016, 05:45)St Charles Owl Wrote:(09-05-2016, 14:03)4evaabaggie Wrote: Very true baggiesteve, no forward motion visible which usually ends in relegation, hoping that after eighteen months in charge we may get more of a head coach / scout transfer balance which may freshen the squad with pace, width, youth and creativity.
I seem to be disagreeing with you recently 4eva, please don't take it personally!!!
To be right, no forward motion means you stay in about 15th spot, and in the prem, it takes Villa and Newcastle style backward motion to get relegated!!! Your stability (stagnation may also apply) means you are about 100m richer than either of those clubs will be next season, I would like to think that Pulis can at least discover some of his Palace form through wise use of that money, even if it's to just bring you guys back together again!!!
St Charles, a finish of 15th when it was previously 13th and with fewer points and goals scored would, I'd argue, suggest a team going backwards. However, as I don't want to be a statistical pedant (honestly), my bigger concern is that we have now completed six consecutive seasons in the Premier League, during which time we have finished 8th, 10th and 11th. I accept that those finishes are probably as good as it gets for us and whilst we would love to "do a Leicester", the reality is that we won't. However, surely the aim of being in the EPL, or any league, is to finish as high as you can and to provide entertainment to those who pay to watch. I don't know many fans who will suffer another turgid performance only to say how glad they are we have a positive bank balance. If our primary measure of the season is our financial position, that would indicate the ambition of a FTSE 100 company, not a football club. Sorry if I sound like a moany old git but I believe we have a manager who is totally risk averse, who sets up not to lose (as opposed to win) and who values graft and hard work above creativity and pace. If it's Pulis, boring and EPL or A.N.OTHER, entertainment and Championship, then I'll take the latter. You may think that's crazy but I don't believe the EPL and the money is the be all and end all.