Season 22/23 Expectations

Us 95-100 points, Huns 90 points, one of the cups won and a knockout win in europe after Christmas

 

I think we are right to be cautious as I think the league will be tight again. The reality is because we use loans for first team players we have had to spend a significant amount to retain those players.

However, the theory we won’t have got better for having them isn’t true, both CCV and Jota are at an age where they can still improve and given they have had a year of playing in our system and now know it they will improve for it. They also bring continuity and are settled at Celtic. In addition to that O’Riley, Hatate and Maeda, I think we have only really scratched the surface on what they can offer us for the new season. Hatate looked spent where as the boy playing preseason looks like a complete different animal, ORiley was in an out the team, a run as a first choice will bring more out in him and Maeda if he’s gets a few early goals could really kick on too, if he sharpens up his finishing and his technique in general what a player we have there.

You would then hope with more options and chances to rotate that we don’t lose key players for half a season each, Kyogo, Turnbull, Giakoumakis, McGregor, Jota, Taylor, and Rogic (I know he is away now) all were key first team players that missed months of action. You would hope that won’t be the case for so many this season.

I agree with you in that the players they have sold Aribo was a main man for them but never really did anything against us. Bassey it was too early to say how big a player he would have been really or was it a flash in the pan? They have added a fair few and time will tell what impact they have.

Back on us we need at least 2 of Bernabei, Jenz and Mooy to be transfer hits. I am confident we have at least another 2 to come in of which one will be a significant signing.

Looking at the CL pots and teams, my main hope is we give a good account of ourselves. We are going to be up against it but let’s go and put on a good show and give a good account of ourselves. Getting third in a group would be a good achievement but will depend a lot on the draw.

Overall win the league again is the priority, you are then right back into CL groups and have another summer off. We will likely find a couple would move on for big money but we would have CL money and the proceeds from those sales for Ange to reinvest.

It would also be nice to get at least one of the cups or both but not as big a priority. Although as mentioned before depending on the CL draw our European participation may only be 6 games this year.

 

League and Scottish Cup (our cup), not humiliated in Europe is a must. See some player progression. Taking more of our chances at goal is essential as well.

 

People forget as well we played about 60% of last season with a small squad. About 20% of the season with a tiny squad as Scales, CCV, Juranovic and Jota never played in any of the first 11 games of the season. Thats not even accounting for injuries as that really small squad had Jullien, Forrest, Dembele and Johnston injured near enough the whole time, Taylor missed a month or two with shoulder injuries, Kyogo, Jota and Turnbull probably missed 5-10 games each before Christmas with injury. Giakoumakis basically missed the whole first half of the season after joining injured and barely playing before being injured again before he was even fit.

From January to now we've only really lost Scales, Bitton and Rogic but added Siegrist, Jenz, Bernabei, Ideguchi,
Mooy, Hatate, O'Riley and Maeda. So have like 5 extra outfield players in the squad now than we did for 60% of last seasons games.

Welsh made 24, only 5 after Christmas.
Scales made 13, only 4 after Christmas.
Montgomery made 19 appearances, all before Christmas
Soro made 19, only 2 after Christmas.
Johnston made 20 appearances, only 3 after Christmas
Ajeti made 17 appearances last season, all before Christmas

That puts into perspective the state of the squad last season, those 6 players made a combined 112 appearances and only 14 of them were after the break.

Even Bitton 24 of his 38 were before the break, McCarthy 14 of his 22 were before the break, Murray, Bolingoli, Moffat, Dawson, Urhoghide, Shaw etc only played before the break.

3 of them are now not at the club, 1 of them is probably going to be 4th choice(Welsh) and two are probably 5th choice(Johnston & Ajeti). So 6 guys who were like the main sub or 2nd choice player for most of last season are now unlikely to get a game unless multiple guys are injured in their position at the same time.

 

League is always gonna be tight now, no matter what we do, because the SPFL incompetence in actually managing a league for all teams has allowed the Huns to cheat their way back to being much more powerful than everyone else but us. I don't see either of us dropping many points other than to each other. Given that, we'll both be in 90-95, 100 at most, points area. Games against each other will be massive for that reason.

Being the perpetual pessimist, I expect the * to get easy draws and we won't so I think we'll both be in CL until Christmas. Don't think either of us will be afterwards, possibly both getting scudded by the top 2. I think we'll both make Europa. So in short Europe offers us little advantage/disadvantage.

Cups we'll go to semi/final in both. Can see us getting league cup and semis of Scottish cup, as we're investing in the league run-in. Better unity and experience with each other over Huns new group should see us good at the start and then offer less advantage as they gel over the season.

In short, I think it'll be pretty much exactly same as last year regarding how trophies etc will go, with everything hinging on how we play against each other... I really, REALLY want to *-* them at the Crumbledome. A good hunskelping in their own midden would be icing on a cake.

Also think we'll spend to strengthen again at Christmas. Seems to be an Ange thing to develop over every window. Hopefully we'll continue to grow over this and next window and be CL competent next year

 

Solid post.

Great stats and logic.

10/10. Would read again.

 

League and getting out the CL group, if it's through finishing second or first I'd be happy just making it to the CL knockout stages, if it's Europa, I'd like us to make it to the Last 16 minimum, but targeting the Quarter Final.

League is a must, cups, as always, are a bonus.

 

Still stunned that Soro made 19 appearances for us last season, and Ajeti made 17.

They shall not be forgotten (* off Ajeti).

 

Reckon the league will be very tight but we’ll edge it. Would take a 3rd place CL finish for euro games after Christmas and also expecting one of the cups. Would like to see us finally make some headway in the Europa after Xmas if we qualify and a few very convincing wins against the scum domestically.

 

The league as always is a must. I’d be very happy with a similar sort of season domestically as last year to be honest.

The main improvements need to be made in Europe. I’d like to not get embarrassed. Obviously, better competition with the big dogs so I understand it’s difficult but we need to be pragmatic. I’d like to have European Football after Christmas. That would be an improvement in itself. However, if we get a group of death, Id be happy not getting embarrassed and focusing on domestic stuff.

 

Honestly don’t know. All depends on Ange adjusting his tactics.

League will be decided by the 4 derbies, expect the cups will be decided against them as well.

Europe I’ve little faith if any after last season.

Window’s still open but at this point I think we’ve a weaker squad than last season. Not improving the starting 11 after securing CL football would be criminal.

 

I’d love us to win the Scottish Cup and manage to be Europa League runners up. Nothing else really matters, as I just don’t see what else we could possibly do that would compare to those heights.

Aye lurkers; see how * ridiculous that is?

 

League, a cup and coming third in our CL group would be progress.

 

The difference in the Japanese lads as well could be telling after taking a full rest after what would have been an insane amount of football over a the last 12 or so months.

Abada could kick on

Giakoumakis took what felt like half a season to find his feet. Which if he continued the new season as he finished the previous....our competition in the league could be in trouble.

Ange has now had a full season and pre season dedicated to implementing his way on the squad.

He's supplemented the squad with clever signings like Siegrist, Jenz, Mooy (albeit I was obviously not a fan originally of this one) and Bernabei.

I don't think Celtic are done either in the market we've got a whole month to go and could easily see it being strengthened further in certain positions...

We are nothing like the Celtic that started last season and would fully expect that to be clearly evident at the start of the new season.

Honestly I'd say we win a domestic double....probably break a record in number of goals scored in the league...no idea how Europe will go.

 

Must win the league. It’s going to be a real tight affair this year and will go all the way. They have assembled a good squad, regardless of all of our jokes and quips.

We will watch some exhilarating displays that will thrill us and we will watch some close games that will require patience and determination.

I still think we need strength in midfield.

Europe? Well, we could have an epic journey or some epic reemings due to our non bending of the Angeball philosophy and our persistence of Flangeball across the six yard box. Depends who we get and how we approach the games.

We must also get to both finals of the domestic cups. We are the only ones that will stop Sevco.

Ross County away is a tough one to start with in the League Cup.

Anyway…….. I’m glad it’s back and all the controversy that will surely go with the introduction of Video Assisted Rangers.

 

I think we'll scrape the league, win a cup and probably get humped in the CL. Our gun-ho-tally-ho-chaps approach works well domestically but in Europe it's not so effective - even the Norwegians picked us off. I'll take third in the CL though. At the same time, I never played the football pools as I can't predict anything in football! So who knows. I'm looking forward to it though!

 

VAR: Video Assisted Rangers! Lol.
Spaghetti wrists (blast from the past!)

 

Treble, Sydney cup and miss out on making it out of the CL group by a point.

And 10 less penalties awarded than the Huns.

 

Win the league hopefully.

Would also like one of the cups.

I have very little hope for Europe.

Get at least 3 points in the group. Anything more probably a bonus.

 

Pretty much the same view, League + a cup, some decent results in Europe (hopefully drop to Europa, as round robbin stage of ECL would be Randy Marsh material). Would like to see some of the youth players push for first team.

Most important for me is to continue to spend well and keep on improving. Seen it too many times in the past where we get impressive spending in reaction too underspending for so long, then it's rinse and repeat.