
Nice to hear from you Tes. It's been a while. Happy with proceedings?
At one end, yes. But we've still got the same problems at the other. It's why I haven't been on for a while. I got sick of banging on about the 'same old' all the time.
We've taken full advantage of no European football or cup runs (stroke of bad luck getting Arsenal in one and the Mancs in the other), and it's good to see Rodgers learning from last season's mistakes, credit to him for being able to do that, and his handling of the media has matured this season also.
With Arsenal getting whopped (4-0 as I write, sorry 6-0) by Chelsea, a win against Cardiff could see us consolidate third place.
I think it's unrealistic to expect us to win it this season and it would work against us next season as we wouldn't be able to match it when we'd have CL football (and traveling) to contend with. So finishing third (whether a point or two or just goal difference) behind City and maybe three points off Chelsea would show marked progress, but progress that we could realistically maintain again next season by consolidating ourselves in the top four (preferably top 3) whilst also attempting to get out of the group stages in the CL.
I'd much prefer us to make steady, solid progress that can be sustained year after year, than make rapid progress this year, only to see us drop back in the league because we have European football to contend with next season.
A third place finish would also help the owners to back Rodgers with funds, as we know we are definitely in the CL group stages. A 4th place finish would be so much more problematical and create too much uncertainty.
Considering the depth of our squad, the areas that need improving in the first 11 and the lack of depth beneath the areas of the first team that look good, third would be a superb achievement and one that we could solidify next season if the right purchases are made this Summer.
We have to learn to walk first. Finishing a close third this season with no European football, repeating it again next season whilst finishing closer to the eventual winner AND getting out of the group stage first time back in the CL since what seems like forever, would constitute
sustainable progress and it's the sustainability of the progress we make which is the key thing.
I'd settle for scraping third on the last day of next season, with the same points gap between us and 1st, if we could add a trophy, as well as getting out of the group stages, even if we were to narrowly go out of the CL at the first knockout stage. It's all steady, solid progress, which will help build a better future. Much better than having a great season this season (missing out on the title by a point, but finishing comfortably second) but dropping back to struggling to return to the top four again next season because European football was to make such a huge difference to our league season.
I don't want to appear negative, but I'm seeing things this way because this season we were playing without European football, without half our squad playing off the back of a World Cup, our preseason wasn't as dis-jointed as this Summer's is likely to prove, and the World Cup always makes it harder to sign players. Then there's the question mark over whether we will have enough funds to sign both the
quality and quantity of players needed to allow us to replicate this season's league performance, with all the other factors in play that we didn't have this season.
So I'm looking at this and next season in combination, rather than just this season in isolation and how collectively they influence the picture going forward over the next 5-10 seasons.