I was thinking back to 11 or so months ago.

There was much optimism for the new season with the team finishing the previous season so well under Hodgson.

Edouard started the season with a flourish with some forecasting a 15-20 goal season.
Mateta, Clyne and Hughes were largely written off and deemed as needing to be replaced.
Franca was hailed as the potential new Messiah.
There was anxiety about whether the injured Olise would recover to the same level.
There was doubt if Richards could remain injury free for more than a handful of consecutive games.

Now look what happened over the subsequent period.

The optimism around Hodgson dissipated over lame performances and results and he was replaced.
Edouard’s early season form proved to be a flash in the plan.
Mateta turned into a £30 million striker.
Clyne turned the clock 10 years with his performances.
Hughes excelled in a 2 man central midfield with Wharton,an unproven youngster from a championship team.
Olise recovered well enough to depart for around £50 million.
Richards was barely injured and maintained a good level of consistency all season.

It’s what makes football fascinating and frustrating in equal measures, all the uncertainty.
The only thing we know is what we don’t know for the new season!
Some players will disappoint, others will surprisingly come to the fore.

Where we will be in a year and who will be involved remains a mystery.

Whatever happens, we always finish 10-15th

Interesting thread.
The biggest issue amongst all but one player the OP sited is injury. Injuries play a huge part in determining the future of form for players these days. Being injury averse is a huge plus for any player who is lucky enough to be made out of rubber,
Some players hardly ever get injuries, while others have career changing problems.In Olise's case he has already picked up some serious problems in his young years. Selling him thiss summer was a very good move as he is an injury prone player. However Richards was also suffering from regular injury and would appear to have overcome his issues.
Franca is another who has been in the treatment room quite a bit. If he can keep fit, who knows how good he may become.
Players who avoid serious injuries and are good enough to play top level are few and far between, but undoubtedly are valuable assets for their clubs. We dont have many, in fact only a few. Bur Mateta has emerged as a huge very strong asset for us.My memory isn't great but I can't remember him having any big issues so far. Anderson is another stalwart
He rarely is out for long.

Probably the only sure thing is that if Glasner starts the season as well as he finished last one, he’ll be touted for every available job. Hopefully he sticks with us for a while before taking over at Bayern once they decide it’s time to ditch the current incumbent.

I know he’s got a different squad and a club which may have different priorities, but you’d think at least HE would be up for the cups after his success with Frankfurt