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Performance How far away are we really from challenging the top 4 again ?

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Shadydan

Shadydan

ENIC hokey cokey
18 losses in the league is shit and being in 16th is the dogs but does anyone really believe we're this shit?

Like how far away are we from actually challenging for a top 4 place consistently or at least getting back to where we should be (in the top 6)

Are our players really this bad because we have overrated them or have they stagnated to a level where they're amongst the worst players in the division, or is it simply down to the coach/coaching staff and their methods that these players are playing under and they're suffering from no clear direction or lack of confidence when they play?

In that case what or who do we actually need to get back in contention, do we need an overhaul of staff/manager/players?
 
- manager with naive style and can’t adapt much
- some senior players clearly not motivated or in a weird head space like Romero
- squad balance issues (DM, replacement for Son etc)

I don’t think our squad is terrible and we have some outstanding youth in Bergvall and Gray. However it is a 7/10 squad across the board with no 9/10 players. We have good depth but average quality. We are however a lot better than our league position. Under Poch in his prime or Conte I would have us 5-8th with this current group.

So we need:

- new manager/coaches. A manager who is proven to develop players like Poch.
- upgrade to our CF, replacement for Son, top draw CM and another LB/LCB. Some of this can be funded by Romero and Richy leaving.
 
The well is poisoned now with this group of players (particularly the senior ones), a good team doesn't lose 20+ games in a season no matter what kind of coaching. I think there's potential in some of the young players (Bergvall, Gray, Moore, Odobert) but they're way to young. I would say if we get the coaching appointment right and get recruitment right we could challenge for top 4 in maybe 2-3 seasons? We've gotten those 2 things so wrong for the past 6 years now though.
 
Forest Won 9, Drew 9 and Lost 20 last year in the league.

A competent manager who will play to the strengths of our team, and help his players by making concessions for the style we are facing week to week can have us back up in the upper echelons of the league next season.
 
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There’s a difference between challenging for Top 4 and consistently being Top 4. We can obviously achieve the former, but not sure about the latter.

We need to drastically improve our home form. A solid 6 (maybe Gray) and then an excellent wide forward.

We will do much better once we’ve gotten rid of Ange. He’s appalling. Drop the inverted fullbacks, focus on defensive strength and we will fare much better.

Not sure about Top 4, but we have no business being outside the top 8.
 
Wrong title for the thread because it is back to the chase for top 4 and not trophies. We start the season on 0 points like everyone else and with a new Manager and a good transfer window we should have a much better season. A better title for The thread title should be 'Are we good enough to challenge for a trophy and ensure European qualification via the PL'

We have changed the majority of the squad in the last 2 years and that does not help build teamwork. We have enough young players for the future both in the team and out on loan and instead of bringing 4-6 players in on lowish transfer fees and wages we should go for 2 major signings. We sadly lack a player that can win a match on his own like Hoddle, Bale & Kane etc. Whilst the top players will be put off by our current league form, we should still be able to attract an influential player better than we have now.
I would be surprised and disappointed if we perform as badly in the league next season but have concerns that the new Manager under instruction from Levy revert to resting players in the cup games leading to early exits.
 
A new manager and a couple of top players, an upturn in form - things can change very quickly, sometimes without much logic. Noone would realistically have put Forest 3rd this time last season.
Right now seems tough to believe we were 5th last season, and only 2 points off 4th.
 
we could quite easily be 4th next season with the right appointment, one only need to look at how quickly Emery changed villa from relegation material to CL chasing team with not much of a squad overhaul
 
Vic
Spence - Danso - VDV - Udogie
NEW
Bergvall - NEW
NEW - Solanke - NEW
​
If we get those 4 signings right then maybe we can be a serious team again.

6: We have no proper defensive-minded midfielder. Bentancur/Biss not good enough. I don't know what Gray will become but he's not ready. I'd take Palhinha all day long. We need our modern day Sandro/Palacios.

10: Maddison is not the guy. Fairweather player. I'd want a younger, more dynamic 10 in to properly challenge for his place (and we need to end the "Kulu at 10" experiment).

Wings: Odobert/Tel/Moore/Yang might come good but none are ready to start for a top 4 side. Johnson and Son are not good enough. So we need two new wide starters (we have done for 2 years now).
 
Looking at villa and forest who were both battling relegation before a change of manager I’d say it possible we could be up there again with the right appointment. Who we get in though who knows. Likely to be one of Frank, Iraola or Silva. Any of them would do a much better job than ange but not sure they’re elite. Then again emery flopped at arse and Nuno with us so maybe they don’t need to be elite. Just really want ange gone. If we win the Europa he’d still better get the sack!
 
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