By Barry Paul Henry: Great Expectations?

Before any single season starts I always give my aim , and i'll have my own idea of what i think should be a bare minimum expectation.

Before a ball was kicked this season...

My aim for the club was to either win a cup or retain champions league football. 

Did i expect any of them ? No. Why ?

We have one trophy since 1969 , we haven't retained european football in near 2 decades, so in my mind i cant see why I should expect another trophy or a Champions league campaign as a given bare minimum. 

We are not in my mind an established team in europe or serial trophy winners to have it as a given. 

Nothing wrong of course of being ambitious and fancying success but unfortunately PSR exists and there are at least 6 clubs in the pecking order as revenue goes..

So at this moment in time , i see getting champions league football or winning trophies as "punching above our weight" .

Until i feel we are no longer punching then I cant demand CL football or silverware as a given.  So what about this season and what are or were my expectations?

At the start I'd have said european qualification for the conference at least (via the league )   As for the cups , i expected us to give them a good go.  We did in my mind so that was fine. 

The champions league ? I didn't expect automatic qualification , but i expected a play off spot . We did that and we won our play off and got into the last 16.  So i think in all , the cups and Champions league has been ok . No complaints from me on that. 

As for the league ? We are 12th , plus we lost on both occasions to the mackems. 

There's no sugar coating it , it's been a disappointing league campaign to date.  Who knows we may yet sneak a european spot in one of the europa competitions , but i dont expect it at this given moment, i see it as more of an aim .

What about next season?

I think it depends whether or not we are in europe or not. 

A europe free season , plus smart recruitment id be aiming to give the cups a really good go plus getting into europe via the league ( top 6)  if we do end up in one of the europa competitions , then if it was the conference i'd expect us to win it and bring one or two kids through .

The europa league ? I wouldn't expect to win , but id certainly be aiming to win it as for me we could kill 2 birds with one stone by winning the europa league. 

A trophy and champions league football secured. Plus if it happened we would have a shot at another trophy very early doors the following season in shape of the super cup. 

That's my outlook on all of it. 

Nobody knows what will happen in the transfer market .

Regardless though who comes and goes, that's my aim and expectations for the club on this thursday afternoon , writing this while having my coffee before jumping in the shower and picking my son up from the in laws.

Barry Paul Henry

Thanks Barry, cracking post and some good talking points especially your expectations for next season.

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