Teams that will exceed expectations this season?

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

What teams do you reckon will do something similar to Everton last season for example where they totally exceeded expectations that anyone had of them.

I remember them getting humped 4-1 by Arsenal first game and they were then installed as one of the favourites for the drop.

I quite fancy Blackburn to finish top half and possibly in Europe. Since the arrival of Mark Hughes they have been transformed into a solid team who managed to keep clean sheets and keep teams out. A problem for them was on the goalscoring front but they have now taking in Bellamy and Kuqi who should improve matters in the attacking side of the team.

Spurs is another side with a lot of promise for me this season. Solid backbone with King at the heart of it. They have a good group of strikers that are capable of scoring against any side in the Premiership and they have strikers who can potentially get into double figures if giving a regular run in the side.

My worry for them would be in midfield but they have made some fabolous signings to add to Carrick who i really rate. Routledge will add great width to their side and Taino if he settles in well should do a good job too.

Davids is in for a medical today and this would round of the signings for me. He is a fabolous player and will fit in well next to Carrick.

They also have a great mix of youngsters at the club that have a lot of potential in Davenport, Dawson, Marney, Huddlestone and Lennon.

Future is bright for this side and they have a good manager in Martin Jol it seems. I fancy them to finish in the European places and possibly, if their side settles in well they will be battling for the 4th champions league spot.

[zonker84]

A quick look at the average odds shows Tottenham as 5th favourites and Blackburn around 12th favourites. Tottenham possibly challenging for 4th and Blackburn finishing top half wouldn't really be exceeding expectations in my book. It's not quite in the same league as Everton, 3rd favourites for relegation, finishing 4th

By the way, Kuqi is rubbish. He'll really struggle at this level, and if he scores 5 league goals this season I'll be surprised. Bellamy will do well for them though

[crowie]

Will be interesting to see how Spurs line up this season.

Davids will be a certain starter and Jol obviouse likes Carrick. The lad Taino from Auxerre is meant to be a very decent player as well but apparently likes to operate slightly further forward than the normal central midfield slot. I read a couple of reports of one of the Peace Cup games and he got a good mention.

If he plays all 3 then your starting to look at 3-5-2 possibly. Wide he has Routledge (possible starter) and Andy Reid but neither seems to have the defensive game to play as wide men in a 3-5-2. He obviously has a decent set of centre halves but he also has full backs available (Kelly, Edman).

Up front he has a decent, not great, set of strikers but is possibly still looking at Andy Johnson who you would imagine would be partnering Defoe.

They also have one of the best goalies in the EPL in Robinson.


Would have to agree with Zonker about Kuqi. I was suprised when he ended up at Ipswich, didn't even think he was that good, to see Blackburn sign him was a shocker to me!

[Swooperman]

I gotta agree with Spurs, they look quality to me & a decent position should be theirs.

Everton I think will struggle this season. I think they over achieved but it just shows what a fantastic job Moyes is doing. Theyve lost out a lot on transfer targets though & the about turn on Pistone speaks volumes in my book....Stubbs to be offered 2 years @ 34 in the next week ??

[zonker84]

Pistone can be decent at times. He looked OK at Newcastle for a lot of the time, but then it seemed his heart wasn't in it. It showed on the field sometimes as he pulled out of the 50/50 challenges. Everton did want to keep him in the first place, hence the offer of a 1-year contract that was originally turned down by Pistone. Seemed in the end to be a case of both Everton and Pistone not being able to find anything better.

[MickeyPaul]

Sheffield Wednesday. Come on lads! Would be a dream really but I reckon Paul Sturrock can get them mid-table easily with possibly a good wee run near the top at some point. Sorry, I'll stop going on about them now.

This is gonna come back to haunt me.

[zonker84]

I bet on Partick Thistle to win the Scottish First Division last season Mickey

Don't tell anyone mind

[MickeyPaul]

Ah well zonker. Nice to know at least you won't be able to slag me.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

I am not judging Zonker by how the bookies have priced it up. Im going by last season's finishing position and for both sides i mentioned to get into the positions i said would be exceeding expectations to me.

Spurs was mentioned in the sense that they fail to deliver so many times and are always found hovering around mid table when they should do better. Last season they finished 9th, so to finish 4th would take some doing and i think a lot of people would be surprised.

The same with Blackburn. Finishing 15th last season, if they could get to around 8th this season that is some feat and isn't as such maybe a surprise to some people but i don't think it would be expected.

[zonker84]

Originally Posted by Kiko

I am not judging Zonker by how the bookies have priced it up. Im going by last season's finishing position and for both sides i mentioned to get into the positions i said would be exceeding expectations to me.

I'm not meaning to be funny Kiko, but surely at the moment, the best way to judge how teams are "expected" to do by the majority of people, is to look at the odds?

Even disregarding this, each individual person has different expectations but you're contradicting yourself by admitting you expect them to do well, so how can they be exceeding your expectations when you expect them to do well? You said you expect Spurs to finish in Europe, and possibly challenge for 4th. You said you expect Blackburn to finish top half and possibly qualify for Europe. If these teams go and do these things, they are meeting your expectations, not exceeding them.

The bookmakers expect Tottenham to do well since they're 5th favourites, and also have Blackburn priced up to finish roughly mid-table and possibly top half. The odds of a lot of the middle of the road teams are close together, so it would be no surprise to the bookmakers if Blackburn finished 7th or 8th. They've signed Bellamy and one or two others so their expectations are higher. They started last season poorly and finished quite well under a new manager, so naturally their expectations are higher?

It's like if West Brom suddenly spent £500m on all the best players in the world. They may have finished 17th last season, but their expectations would be sky-high this time. Last season's finishing position and this season's expectations are not directly related. Newcastle finished 14th last season, but I don't think too many people would be surprised if they finished several places higher this time.

I don't disagree on purpose Kiko, but once again, what you're saying makes no sense at all

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Your right actually, i am contradicting myself. Never thought of it this way.

Maybe i should change the title to "Teams you expect to do well this season"??

[Beanie]

Originally Posted by MickeyPaul

Sheffield Wednesday. Come on lads! Would be a dream really but I reckon Paul Sturrock can get them mid-table easily with possibly a good wee run near the top at some point. Sorry, I'll stop going on about them now.

This is gonna come back to haunt me.

I'm with you on that MP, and I'll be backing them early doors this season before the bookies get upto speed.

Burton O Brien who they got on a free from Livi is a superstar, and will flourish down there, just like JP McGovern did after he left us. Graeme Coughlan is another top signing - as committed and gutsy a player as you could find.

I'm expecting them to go great guns this season, perhaps an outside chance of promotion as you say, and I think the bookies have underrated them.

[zonker84]

Originally Posted by Kiko

Your right actually, i am contradicting myself. Never thought of it this way.

Maybe i should change the title to "Teams you expect to do well this season"??

Sorry Kiko, I'm a cnut I know I am. I can't help but point out people's mistakes

The thing is though, you make it so easy for me

[Oddsfellow]

Interesting to take a look at the table from 1 Jan to end of season. (tried posting it unsuccessfully ) Everton's early season form was what got them the champs league spot as they are nearer bottom than top for the second half. Likewise Charlton and Portsmouth who would have been relegated but for good starts. Those exceeded expectations for the second half of the season i would say are Bolton who finished 7 points ahead of Man City in 4th spot who themselves had a good 2nd half.

[MickeyPaul]

I'm starting to feel sane again Beanie, cheers. As I said in the thread in Brits, this challenge isn't a million miles from what Paul Sturrock has already been through with Plymouth and we all know how he did there. I already got on at 50.00 @ Betfair for them to win it. UKBetting have them at 33/1 ffs while Bet365 go 50/1 - hopefully it'll give me a wee bit of excitement.