Just been looking at last season’s final league table and it’s easy to forget that we were only one win away from finishing 10th. What’s even more irritating is that had we beaten Brighton at home, a top 10 finish would have been ours and they would have gone down.

It’s easy for people to moan and groan about the lack of transfers that are taking place and criticising Parish (see Transfer talk) but we must maintain perspective and remember that we are a well run club and have a fantastically measured manager (something we’ve craved for ages) with the current aim being to develop the CLUB not just the team looking for quick fixes. There is continued evidence to suggest we are progressing and people need to acknowledge this rather than have a short term mentality.

There will be fans of other clubs who look at us with envy Sunderland? Pompey? Leeds? Charlton? It's easy and I suppose ok to be wary but let’s not forget that positivity breeds positivity.

Well run? Hmmm. We’re still here because we spent sums above what we should have and would and have hamstrung us now. The jury is out for me until we come through this period of not being able to spend virtually anything on transfers and life without Wilf.

But I do agree on the size of this club and next season it is what it is, because of poor strategy and lack of planning and bad decisions with change of styles with Pardew and FDB that had knock on effects we’re still suffering from now.

Apart from that, yeah, we’re well run. That opinion will take some questioning if we get relegated and there’s nothing to show for it and still a poor recruitment team and methods.

COYP

It's this season and the one after we're concerned about - the squad is incredibly thin, players are coming to the ends of their contracts, and our recruitment team seems mostly incompetent.

Couldn't agree more with OP - great post..!!

But we do need to replace AWB and bring in a striker that can get us 15 goals a season.

I know this is not the transfer thread but my options would be Max Aarons and Maupay.

Do this and keep Wilf the AWB would have reinvested well and IMO we will be a better side than we were last year and keep developing on the playing side too...!!

COYP

Or perhaps home season ticket holders.

Red and Blue Army!

Would be nice if we could finish 10th without doing our annual relegation dance for 30 games or so

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.