Did your club reach your expectations for this season

[foxes1]

Well the season draws to a close except for the small matter of the so called richest game in football being played today. But what expectations did you have for your club for this season and did they achieve them.

I was happy enough that we avoided relegation but was even more pleased that we finally ended up 14th when for most of the season we looked like we would be cut adrift. We also stuck by our manager when most owners panic and are too quick to get rid. Now I know Nigel Pearson is not everybody's cup of tea but he says it as it is who cares if he upsets the media.

Highlights for me were beating Man Utd 5-3 (Sorry Treble / manchesterunitedman1) and seeing one of the greatest most decorated footballers in Esteban Cambiasso in a Leicester City shirt and he didn't come to us for the money.

I know the second season in the Premiership is usually harder than the first so we will wait and see what happens next season but hopefully it will put us on a stable financial footing and we don't go down the road to financial ruin like other clubs.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

Having started the season with no manager, then going down the Warnock route until Boxing Day, to finish 10th is nothing short of a miracle.

How much of that is down to Pardew, and how much down to the fantastic attitude the players have shown? Bear in mind that the core of the team - Speroni, Ward, Delaney, Jedinak, Bolasie, Zaha, Murray - made up the team promoted in 2013.

And how much down to having a board made of wealthy local businessmen who are all fans of the club?

To answer the question, we have massively over-achieved as against my own expectations.

[seand]

foxes1 wrote:

Well the season draws to a close except for the small matter of the so called richest game in football being played today. But what expectations did you have for your club for this season and did they achieve them. I was happy enough that we avoided relegation but was even more pleased that we finally ended up 14th when for most of the season we looked like we would be cut adrift. We also stuck by our manager when most owners panic and are too quick to get rid. Now I know Nigel Pearson is not everybody's cup of tea but he says it as it is who cares if he upsets the media. Highlights for me were beating Man Utd 5-3 (Sorry Treble / manchesterunitedman1) and seeing one of the greatest most decorated footballers in Esteban Cambiasso in a Leicester City shirt and he didn't come to us for the money. I know the second season in the Premiership is usually harder than the first so we will wait and see what happens next season but hopefully it will put us on a stable financial footing and we don't go down the road to financial ruin like other clubs.

Genuine question foxes, but why did Cambiasso come to a club that were realistically going to be bottom half of the richest league in the world if not for the money?

[foxes1]

seand wrote:

foxes1 wrote: Well the season draws to a close except for the small matter of the so called richest game in football being played today. But what expectations did you have for your club for this season and did they achieve them. I was happy enough that we avoided relegation but was even more pleased that we finally ended up 14th when for most of the season we looked like we would be cut adrift. We also stuck by our manager when most owners panic and are too quick to get rid. Now I know Nigel Pearson is not everybody's cup of tea but he says it as it is who cares if he upsets the media. Highlights for me were beating Man Utd 5-3 (Sorry Treble / manchesterunitedman1) and seeing one of the greatest most decorated footballers in Esteban Cambiasso in a Leicester City shirt and he didn't come to us for the money. I know the second season in the Premiership is usually harder than the first so we will wait and see what happens next season but hopefully it will put us on a stable financial footing and we don't go down the road to financial ruin like other clubs. Genuine question foxes, but why did Cambiasso come to a club that were realistically going to be bottom half of the richest league in the world if not for the money?

We set a maximum wage limit of £30000 per week which I know is a lot for the ordinary man on the street but for a Premiership footballer is not a lot. He was out of contract at Milan and was not being offered a new one so we stepped in where others didn't and I also think that Ulloa may have had a say in it as well with them both being Argetinian.

[botanybaykid]

Leyton Orient. Need I say more!

[pafcprogs]

Well we budgeted/aimed for and achieved the play offs which was good...but with a modicum of conisistency could have done better

the we saved our two worst frst halfs for the playoffs...so blew a chance to extend opur 100% Wembley record.

T'was a little satisfying to see Wycombe pegged back in the time added on for their timewasting antics...

So..another season in the dustbin league...

Peter
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[Tynie Topics]

Came out of Administration with the right people in charge, won the Championship in a canter to bounce straight back to the SPL, playing some fantastic football and recording a 10-0 win, a double figure score line not seen since the 1950’s. Average crowds just short of 16,000 (home sections sold out most games). I’d say it exceeded expectations just a wee bit.


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[pompey gaz]

Yep, well done to Leicester and Hearts ,looking forward to what is hopefully our last season in the basement division but after the last few seasons its just great to have a club to support I still get a buzz going to Fratton Park after all these years whichever league we're in despite the 4 hour drive down

[Magpie 67]

My team NottsCounty far exceded expectation I expected them to come bottom instead they came 4th bottom see you next season Pompey and co

[wandererpaul]

Brentford FC exceeded expectations by about 7 places! I thought we'd be ok and finish mid-table, but we finished a very good 5th.

Shame Middlesbrough had the better of us over the 4 games this season.

Roll on next seson and let's see where this mathematical modelling gets us.

New coach coming in too. A Dutchman who took his side into the top tier of Dutch football.

Warburton? Where will he end up? Fulham? Watford? Sheffield United? Who knows. Best of luck to him. A nice guy.
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[blackburncollector]

I think it is fair to say we (Blackburn) once again fell short of where most fans expected us to be - a realistic push at the play-offs. With the continue FFP embargo and likely departure of number of players, I can't see next season being any better.

Still, some of our fans seem happy with mid-table stability
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[seand]

Dundalk.... let me see.
Won the League Cup, our first national trophy in 12 years
Won three games in Europa League including Hajduk Split away (first time to win 3 games in Europe, first time to win home and away in Europe)
Beat local rivals 7-0 in the league
Unbeaten at home in the league
Hammered the champions 4-1 away- it coulda been 10
Oh yeh, and won a tenth league title on the last day of the season, the first in 19 years, two seasons after avoiding relegation only because our relegation rival went bust.

All while playing great football.

Expectations somewhat surpassed!

[PompeyPhil]

No.........but we made some unwanted club history along the way...... Managed our lowest ever league finish since the current football league was set up.......oh and for the first time ever we went out of the FA Cup to non league opposition (Aldershot)............apart from that it was a great season off the pitch with the Club announcing that we were debt free, actually making money and having a steady home attendance per game of approx 15,000 for the entire season. As Gaz said just happy we managed to save the Club.......hopefully next year with cookie at the helm we might......just might get moving in the right direction on the pitch.

[pastpirate]

We did exactly what I expected.
Won promotion.
Why we had to wait till the last kick of of the season thus giving me several heart attacks I will never know.
Still, I expected/demanded promotion and we got it.
Thank god.
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[Wullie]

Looking certs for the drop. Changed the manager when all looks lost. Put a run together at the end and survived. Rinse repeat .

[manchesterunitedman1]

Pete’s Picture Palace wrote:

Having started the season with no manager, then going down the Warnock route until Boxing Day, to finish 10th is nothing short of a miracle. How much of that is down to Pardew, and how much down to the fantastic attitude the players have shown? Bear in mind that the core of the team - Speroni, Ward, Delaney, Jedinak, Bolasie, Zaha, Murray - made up the team promoted in 2013. And how much down to having a board made of wealthy local businessmen who are all fans of the club? To answer the question, we have massively over-achieved as against my own expectations.

Pete

Why would same wealthy local businessmen/genuine fans even consider appointing that charlatan dinosaur from Sheffield in the first place!
They say it is a disgrace to see some young players with the flash watches/motors/wads of cash but I think it is equally shameful that a two bob nobody who was a nothing player and an equally non productive manager over the years swanning around in a Bentley and has more cash than he could spend in 5 lifetimes. I refuse to even mention his name and I cringe when he comes on the radio-utterly clueless.

I would further say that if they had wanted Pardew from the start then they will have had to pay Newcastle a few quid for sure, but in having him in from the start may well have alleviated the bad start and they could have challenged for a Europa League spot as that has to be the challenge for next season IMO.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

Well, Leslie, they made a mistake and admitted it, and had to cough up a couple of million to the FCB at Newcastle, as well as compo to the nameless Sheffield guy, as well as pay up a few million to Pulis who walked out 48 hours before season's kick off.

Europa League? Are you serious? Nice of you to even consider little old Crystal Palace as a contender for that Thursday bean-fest.

But if we spend the prize-money well in the summer, who knows for next season?

The danger now is expectation is overcoming hope in the supporters eyes and as the likes of Fulham, Charlton, Pompey, Bolton etc have found out, that is very dangerous territory. But I remain hopeful. And very proud of what our collection of Championship players has achieved.

[DySporting]

As Rochdale’s photographer - yes, record ever finish in the football league - and as an ex Norwich City season ticket holder - yes promoted at the first attempt.

[derby1884]

Had us down for somewhere between 5th and 10th this season - so 8th place is about what I expected.

Just didn't expect us to "achieve" that by looking like nailed-on certs for the title only then to implode so spectacularly.

Cue today's news...
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[Sir Moses Hill]

The need, and therefore expectation, was European qualification for the Glens and we made it - just - through winning the Irish Cup at the beginning of May in a tight, uninspiring final against Portadown in which we benefited from some poor refereeing decisions. We had finished sixth in the league and Portadown fifth and so it was all or nothing for both clubs in the final of the world's fourth oldest knock-out Cup competition.

UEFA has significantly increased Champions League and Europa League prize money for 2015-16 onwards and so the Cup final was the biggest money one-off game in Northern Irish football history. Losing to some Finns in the first qualifying round in early July will net us 50% of our annual turnover without Europe; and progress to the next round will double our turnover. Glentoran narrowly avoided bankruptcy and liquidation in 2010 and is still recovering, with our wage bill now a third of what it was five years ago, and so we're focusing on the mercenary aspects of winning a major trophy and qualifying for Europe; although, as one of our ex-players said, the game is about glory, and so I'm also pretty chuffed that we lifted our 22nd Irish Cup and will now play at least our 97th and 98th games in European competition.

Due to the wage cuts mentioned above, there's a very young squad at Glentoran now, but some fantastic prospects. Hopefully their increased experience will see us threaten for Europe through a league place next season. Realistically, we're still a season or two away from being regular title contenders again.