Are we playing mid table Premiership football

[blingo]

I don't think we are too far off of it.

[bobbo]

I don't think so but that's just my view , but bournemouth possibly are - as much as it hurts .

[Whitestone]

A bit of realism is needed here. The current squad would almost certainly finish in the bottom three of the Premier League.

[WestSussexWhite]

A bit of realism is needed here. The current squad would almost certainly finish in the bottom three of the Premier League.

At the moment yes, but if we go up I don't think we will need a total squad rebuild and 7 loanees like previous seasons. I have lots of faith in Silva too, especially as he knows that level.

[Craven_Chris]

I think we would struggle badly, dont see us being that much (if at all) better than the current Norwich squad in all honesty. But I do think we have more of the core building blocks though than previous attempts, 3/4 premier league starters perhaps and enough in the squad to give depth. But I do think we would need to recruit a fair bit in the summer if we go up.

[blingo]

I certainly think we are playing better than the bottom three in the prem

[NJFulham]

A bit of realism is needed here. The current squad would almost certainly finish in the bottom three of the Premier League.

We are no lower than 18th at the moment in my opinion.

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[Deeping_white]

I don't think so but that's just my view , but bournemouth possibly are - as much as it hurts .

Bournemouth are performing as a mid table Championship team with regards to how many chances they're creating. Put them in the PL and they would be dead last, they're winning games by scoring a single goal and against the odds keeping themselves ahead. We've already seen how Parker operates in a league where his team are a small fish in a big pond, you score barely any goals and occasionally nick a single goal victory. He's top with the second most expensive squad in the league and got promoted via the play-offs with the most expensive team last time around, he's carried by the virtue of having better quality players at this level and doesn't know how to coach an inferior team to beat a superior one

[toshes mate]

I certainly think this season's team is playing better and more attractive football than anything seen for quite a while at Craven Cottage but perhaps last season was too low a bar to set.  I believe surviving in the PL is as much about attitude and spirit as it is about quality and last season I just feel we gave up the ghost much too soon.   Who's to blame really doesn't matter any more.

[South Coast White]

A bit of realism is needed here. The current squad would almost certainly finish in the bottom three of the Premier League.

Agree totally, although playing a very high standard for championship football, we are a long way off Premier league standard. This will always be our concern until we strengthen the squad in all areas.

[copthornemike]

To put things into perspective, and only a single game admittedly, but Norwich put 6 past Bournemouth at the start of the season!
Then again Brentford have made an excellent start despite going up via the playoffs so who knows!
Let's just hope the club management at all levels has really earnt lessons from recent years. At least we have a manager who has actually managed at Premiership  and a squad with Premiership experience.

[Craven Mad]

As good as we've been in the championship, this defence would be destroyed in the premiership and our attack is too reliant on one player to succeed at the top level.

I'm all for positivity, and I'm delighted with how things are going, but a does of realism is needed methinks...

[Deeping_white]

As good as we've been in the championship, this defence would be destroyed in the premiership and our attack is too reliant on one player to succeed at the top level.

I'm all for positivity, and I'm delighted with how things are going, but a does of realism is needed methinks...

3 out of the 4 defenders starting regularly for us also played regularly last season and they didn't get "destroyed" at any point? That's without considering they're all now more experienced and we'd get a least one CB in to partner Tosin to make the team stronger

[Whitestone]

As good as we've been in the championship, this defence would be destroyed in the premiership and our attack is too reliant on one player to succeed at the top level.

I'm all for positivity, and I'm delighted with how things are going, but a does of realism is needed methinks...

3 out of the 4 defenders starting regularly for us also played regularly last season and they didn't get "destroyed" at any point? That's without considering they're all now more experienced and we'd get a least one CB in to partner Tosin to make the team stronger

We had Areola too and he was outstanding.

[paulbrookersmazydribbles]

We can play some great stuff but some of our defending leaves a lot to be desired. I think this side would be in the bottom three of the Premier League at present. Previous experiences of the top flight should be enough to keep us grounded.

[JoelH5]

A bit of realism is needed here. The current squad would almost certainly finish in the bottom three of the Premier League.

At the moment yes, but if we go up I don't think we will need a total squad rebuild and 7 loanees like previous seasons. I have lots of faith in Silva too, especially as he knows that level.

CB, arguably the most important position in the PL is a still a big problem. Ream isn't a PL CB so once again we need to find a CB who has to hit the ground running and gel with Tosin

[General]

It's interesting... our defence isn't that different to last seasons, which admittedly is without Andersen and Areola. I'm feeling increasingly as though we're unlikely to see either of them back here which is obviously a shame.

Our attack has improved and I think silva knows how to get the most out of mitro and appreciates what he offers re his all round game, which is important.

I think currently if we went back up, we'd need 1 top CB, 1 top GK (less important than CB), two strong premiership quality CMs and at the very least 1 top winger.. don't know how he'd do a couple of years later, but If you got for instance babel back and one other winger of similar quality with our defence plus one or two additions then we'd be in a much better place.

We need a better balanced squad and I think that includes a makelele type DM as replacement for Anguissa. Seri has done well and has shown his quality at this level, which you'd hope spurs him on in the prem.

What we do need though, and it may be difficult to do, is bring in players who have proven themselves at premiership level or similar level (andersen at Lyon and champions league).. aina.. Areola..

Wish we had stayed up last season but got rid of Parker earlier.

[H4usuallysitting]

Apart from Newcastle, Brentford twice (home & away), Norwich & Burnley....who else could we currently beat

[Jim©]

I disagree on the defending front- bar Bournemouth and West Brom, we have conceded the least shots on target in the division- all this whilst playing a fairly expansive game. Bournemouth have conceded 37 shots on target, W Brom 39 and us 41. Goals conceded are 8, 14 and 14 respectively. You could argue on that basis that B'Mth are lucky to have conceded so few (I've watched 4 of their games and thought them reasonably lucky each time). What's different to last season is that we're not playing to defend, or stay in games- we're going after opponents and scoring in bucket loads as we go after them again and again (as proved by having 78 shots more than B'Mth so far).

The big step up for me is the taking of chances- for instance the attempt that Livermore had on Saturday (2nd half) when the ball fizzed across and he put it over the bar, that's a nailed on 100% goal every day in the Prem. You simply cannot give chances away in the Prem and expect to stay in games, it won't happen- so we're heading in the right direction.
Personally I think we're some way off at the moment- but a settled squad would increase our chances of staying up.

[The Rational Fan]

A bit of realism is needed here. The current squad would almost certainly finish in the bottom three of the Premier League.

At the moment yes, but if we go up I don't think we will need a total squad rebuild and 7 loanees like previous seasons. I have lots of faith in Silva too, especially as he knows that level.

Almost a rebuild, we will need another goalkeeper, right-back, center-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder, attacking midfielder, and left-winger, then we will need to extend (or replace) the contracts of Hector, Seri, and Fabio.