2023/24 Season Predictions

League position: 18th
Promoted?: Not if we finish 18th
Player of the Season: SkylaRose
Top Scorer: wfcmoog
Best Newcomer: Not awarded
Flop of the Season: Pozzo, G
Worst Disciplinary Record: Bayat, M
FA Cup: Third Round (Oil State Sportswashers)
League Cup: First round
Number of Head Coaches: 4 (6 including interims)
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: October
Will we score a shot in the foot? Yes

 

Nobody expected my sister to pass her maths GCSE. She didn’t. Just because it wasn’t a surprise, it was still a failure.

 

Your statement misleadingly relies on the double meaning of the word 'failure' in also referring to the specific, arbitrary grade you can be assigned.

You could rather say that she simply achieved whatever mark it was which was expected of her, e.g. around 25/100 points. She achieved par for what was expected of her.

Perhaps it was even expected that she would have achieved an even worse amount of points, eg 20/100 points, in which case 30/100 might have been a decent result for her, regardless of the mark.

To build upon your analogy: if a pupil is generally considered smart and is aiming to get in to a top University to study maths, they may target and be expected to get an A grade in maths. If they subsequently get a B grade then for that pupil it is a failure (even though they did not get an F in the exam).

As an additional aside, the term 'flop' could also be said to suggest not only failing, but also dropping. To drop you have to fall below your original position. If you are originally at a position of being and being expected to be crap, and you remain at the same level - you are remaining at the same level; you have not dropped from one state to a lower state.

With Livermore, if he is only brought in to be a 'D' grade, or maybe 5/10 level occasional performer, and if he is only paid as a 'D' grade level performer, then he won't have failed if he plays as a 'D' grade performer. If he instead plays as an 'E' grade, say 4/10 level performer, he could be said to have flopped or failed relative to what was expected.

 

League position: 16th
Promoted?: No way
Player of the Season: Jamal Lewis
Top Scorer: Bayo 11 ( Healeys knees bound to go early on)
Best newcomer: Jamal Lewis
Flop of the season: Ince ( never fit)
Worst disciplinary record: Definitely Morelos otherwise Hoedt
FA Cup: 4th round
League Cup: 2nd round
Number of head coaches: 3
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: October , no later.
Will we score a direct free kick?: Yes on the last day in a meaningless game.

 

League position: 6th
Promoted?: No.
Player of the Season: Asprilla
Top Scorer: Martins (10)
Best newcomer: Healey
Flop of the season: Dele-Bashiru
Worst disciplinary record: Wesley Hoedt
FA Cup: 3rd round
League Cup: 3rd round
Number of head coaches: 2
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: November
Will we score a direct free kick?: Yes. We will also lose that game

 

K

 

League position: 14th
Promoted?: No.
Player of the Season: Kone (but Porteous will win the vote)
Top Scorer: Healey
Best newcomer: Healey
Flop of the season: Hoedt
Worst disciplinary record: Sierralta
FA Cup: 3rd round
League Cup: 2nd round
Number of head coaches: 2
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: January
Will we score a direct free kick? Yes

 

I like this pick, he certainly had his moments last season, but did look like a fish out of water at times too, although that's not too surprising considering he was a kid who came all the way from Canada mid-season to an absolute clown show. Hopefully with a bit more experience under his belt, and with a manager with a clear philosophy, he'll shine

 

It's a big punt and probably more in hope than expectation for the reasons you set out above!

 

League position: 12th
Promoted?: No
Player of the Season: Sierralta
Top Scorer: Bayo (9) - though if we sign another #9 of the profile of Morelos, Kaba, Nsame then them with c. 13
Best newcomer: Lewis
Flop of the season: Healey. I'd also mention Porteous considering he's still a recent addition and a lot here seem to have very high expectations which I don't think he'll get close to.
Worst disciplinary record: Sierralta
FA Cup: Don't care - play the academy players, get knocked out early
League Cup: Don't care - play the academy players, get knocked out early
Number of head coaches: 1
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: Won't be
Will we score a direct free kick?: Yes

24ish hours left now for others to add their predictions.

 

From the limited footage available he seemed one of our sharpest players in pre-season. If he manages to continue that in to the season proper then it's not the worst shout.

 

1) Leeds
2) Leicester
3) Southampton
4) Boro
5) Millwall
6) Sunderland
7) Ipswich
8) Coventry
9) Swansea
10) Stoke
11) West Brom
12) Norwich
13) Preston
14) Bristol City
15) Brum
16) Orns
17) Blackburn
18) Hull
19) Plymouth
20 Cardiff
21) Huddersfield
22) Sheffield Wednesday
23) QPR
24) Rotherham

 

As a CB or a DM?

 

Whichever.

 

League position: 8th
Promoted?: No.
Player of the Season: Imran Louza
Top Scorer: I’ll gamble a new number 9 (12)
Best newcomer: Jamal Lewis (as it stands)
Flop of the season: Livermore (I think Asprilla may flatter to deceive as well - but hope not!)
Worst disciplinary record: Francisco Sierralta
FA Cup: 4th round
League Cup: 2nd round
Number of head coaches: 1
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: NA
Will we score a direct free kick?: Yes

 

League position: 12th
Promoted?: No.
Player of the Season: Martins
Top Scorer: Healey - 14
Best newcomer: Healey
Flop of the season: Ince
Worst disciplinary record: Hoedt
FA Cup: 4th round
League Cup: 3rd round
Number of head coaches: 2
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: December
Will we score a direct free kick?: No

 

Bayo - 13 goals. Jesus....

 

You got the best newcomer right….he still hasn’t signed

 

My picks for top scorer and best player aren't even at the club anymore looooool. Have we scored a direct free kick in the league? Only one that springs to mind is Martins vs Southampton

 

16th isn't looking a terrible shout now! Bottom 4 was quite obvious, Stoke struggling so much wasn't, Millwall might finally look like a playoff team under Harris. Hull have surprised me, other than that, it's all a bit predictable

 

Reckon I'm spot on.

 

better late than never

League position: 14th or 15th
Promoted?: No
Player of the Season: Hoedt
Top Scorer: Rajovic
Best newcomer: Chakvetadze - with 1 goal
Flop of the season: Healey
Worst disciplinary record: Hoedt
FA Cup: 4th Round
League Cup: 1st Round
Number of head coaches: 1 full time, 1 caretaker
Month Valerian Ismael will be sacked: March
Will we score a direct free kick?: Yes & From a corner

Interesting to see how we thought the season would go though

 

A lot of shouts for Livermore to the flop of the season and Lewis to be the best newcomer - and they have been completely the other way round.

Interested to see if anyone takes a chance on Lewis next season given how woeful he has been. Also intrigued by Louza and see where he ends up. Many expected him to be a key player this season, me included.

 

lol.

 

He started once for us against QPR where he definitely didn't score...

 

Healy was crap and slow. Great throw though.