Santiago Street . said:
Cups, schmups
For me it's about our points tally after 38 games.
2011 we got 71
2012 we got 89
2013 we got 78
We can't expect as many as 89 this season. It's Pellers 1st season, we spent big but things need time to bed in.
We shouldn't tolerate as low as 71, that would be a failure. When Bob guided us to 71 points the team hadn't yet acquired the winning mentality that it has now nor had we yet signed Sergio.
78 seems a decent benchmark to aim for. The extra time Bob had spent in the job by season 2012/13 should've ensured a better points total but he was hamstrung by our pisspoor transfer policy pre season and the unhelful Spaniards upstairs during the season. Equally the cash Manuel spent last summer should to some eyes have met with an increased points total but it's his 1st season in the job which is always a mitigating factor.
I think we'll get between 80 and 85 points so to me that's a success. If Chelsea or Liverpool get more then well played. All we can do is control our own performances.
Well didnt Mourinho and Ancelotti both win the league with 85+ points performances in their first season? Sometimes first season is really hard, but if you are good enough its not that hard, as long as you learn fast, get used to the league, opponents, new style very fast.
78 last season was a pretty horrible point tally for us, and people said its down to Mancini mostly, because the squad was not weaker compared to the season before when we won the league with 89 points, also it turned out some of the players hated Mancini, dressing room was hell under him, the mood was just as bad, we were slow in attacks, he had no plan B apart from an unsuccessful 352.
Then new manager comes in and we are told is great tactician, an engineer exactly, he likes attacking football, the players love to work him and on top of it he got the huge help from Txiki to sign top international players for 90m, thats a lot more useful help compared to what Mancini got with the likes of Sinclair, Rodwell, Garcia only coming last day of August instead of the signings he wanted early July. Pelle had this advantage also to have a great pre season with new players already bought early.
Based on all this anything under 80 points would be madness.
We need do be over 80 at least and finish 2nd at worst.
