Look at how far we have come since Sean Dyche took over. We've had the 1 step back - 2 steps forward in going down and bouncing back up. We then stayed away from relegation and we're now looking forward to a 7th place finish and European football. Unbelievable! I expected mid table this season and then move forward to the position we're in now, but next season or the season after. But we keep moving forward. We keep evolving.

Arfield is rumoured to be off to Rangers because he simply no longer makes our team. That is a good thing! This is what we want. We want players no longer being good enough because it means our side has improved! We're building a side that is getting stronger every season.

And make no mistake about it - this is not just about Sean Dyche. This includes the board, too. The board are the ones who are most likely to be here the longest and when SD does move on, they'll know who to bring in. They'll know the pedigree to look for to bring in somebody who can take the baton and carry on this journey.

So the question is: How far can Sean Dyche take us? The top 6 are by far the best 6 in the Premier League. But can we break into that top 6? Can we be the team that most players want to play for? Can we be the side that when Sean Dyche does leave, have a queue of managers around the block wanting to take over and manage us?

Established mid table prem team probably. Need to really enjoy Europe (which we will) as clubs our size, these days don't get there often. I also think we can have a real cup run over the next couple of seasons. Get Defour and Brady back fit and we have a quality starting 11

For me the next natural thing and most realistic chance of success is winning a cup. Taking the cups seriously would be a good start.

Id take 17th and The Fa Cup all day long. Hopefully we can be a middtable side and compete for both with regular europe adventures.

Is the league possible? Nothing is impossible bit its highly unlikely. A freakish season could see us in the champions league but again unlikely.

Next season with europe we need to start to exploit football tourism and our image abroad. To potential fans and investors. What makes us different us what will set us apart in pursuit of growing overaseas. Small ground. Traditional layout. Setting. British backbone.

The real question is, can Tarko play in the Midfield Holding Role?

Edit... I meant 1 step back, 2 steps forward!

Just take things as they come. No guarantees in football.

We could have decided to take the FA Cup seriously this year but drew Man City away in the 3rd Round

Yet we might have not taken it that seriously last year and drew Lincoln in Round 5th Round

One step at a time and who knows what we can achieve. Our fans most remember we start again next season. Clean slate. No expectations of mirroring this season and if we dont, support the lads.

Dyched wrote:Just take things as they come. No guarantees in football.

We could have decided to take the FA Cup seriously this year but drew Man City away in the 3rd Round

Yet we might have not taken it that seriously last year and drew Lincoln in Round 5th Round

One step at a time and who knows what we can achieve. Our fans most remember we start again next season. Clean slate. No expectations of mirroring this season and if we dont, support the lads.

I'll be honest. I read that twice and still wasn't sure what you were actually saying.

DustyBawls wrote:I'll be honest. I read that twice and still wasn't sure what you were actually saying.

People replied saying we should take the cups seriously. But its not as simple as that is it? We might have this year but then got drawn away at Man City.

What I’m saying is its going to be tough to match this season. We’ll start again as one of the relegation favourites. So we must support the team, because knowing our fans the boos and whinging will start if we ain’t top 6/7 by the end of august.

Dyched wrote:People replied saying we should take the cups seriously. But its not as simple as that is it? We might have this year but then got drawn away at Man City.

What I’m saying is its going to be tough to match this season. We’ll start again as one of the relegation favourites. So we must support the team, because knowing our fans the boos and whinging will start if we ain’t top 6/7 by the end of august.

I'd be very surprised if we're a relegation favourite.

We're getting stronger every season. Arfield looks to be on his way out and you know what's going to happen - we'll buy somebody better than Arfield who will bump up our squad ability. We're doing it gradually and before you know it, Vokes will no longer be good enough to make the bench. I think another top 10 finish next season and do better in the cup.

Getting a manager of SDs quality and ability was exceptional by the board, especially following Eddie who has gone on to prove himself.
The problem is finding someone who gets the club like SD has. Not all managers want to be involved with a club that buys on the cheap and improves players or sells them when a major bid comes in or pays salaries less than the norm for PL.
I hope he stays for years because he’s going to be some act to follow.

According to some of the absolutely massive weapons who frequent this and other places Dyche had took us as far as he could last season and the relegation one etc.

Fulham made it to a European final.
Boro, Pompey, Wigan and Brum have all won a domestic cup competition in recent memory.

We can do all of that with the right amount of work mixed in with some luck.

We are in the position where the club can aim relatively high, so let's do that.

I think Kazakhstan has a team in Europe that's the furthest distance away from us

Realistically this is as far as we can go.

Europa league occasionally and staying in the prem is as good as it is going to get (and lets face it, that pretty good!)

Lancasterclaret wrote:Realistically this is as far as we can go.

Europa league occasionally and staying in the prem is as good as it is going to get (and lets face it, that pretty good!)

Christ, I hope Sean Dyche has a better attitude than you!

Yep. Kairat in Kazakhstan have qualified for the Europa League. It's near Almaty and less than 200km from China as the crow flies. Pavlodar is equally far away but a closer to the Russian border. Ordabasy is a bit closer, but probably harder to get to, as I imagine you'd have to go to Almaty and then back again.

The Russian qualifiers are all relatively local - in Moscow, mainly. I quite fancied somewhere on the Dalmatia coast, but alas, no qualifiers.

I don't want Dynamo Minsk. That looks tricky. You can see from this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E2%8 ... opa_League" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
the clubs that have qualified already.
That doesn't include the famous "Peasant Farmer Astra goo goo" from the west ham tv rant, which is really worth a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfLKYy66lvI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DustyBawls wrote:I'd be very surprised if we're a relegation favourite.

We're getting stronger every season. Arfield looks to be on his way out and you know what's going to happen - we'll buy somebody better than Arfield who will bump up our squad ability. We're doing it gradually and before you know it, Vokes will no longer be good enough to make the bench. I think another top 10 finish next season and do better in the cup.

at the start of the season , no one would have predicted established PL teams of stoke wba and southhampton for the drop. anyone outside the top 6 can be relegated. i think 7th in the league is the best we can hope for in rhe PL. maybe a cup run should be our focus.

DustyBawls wrote:Christ, I hope Sean Dyche has a better attitude than you!

And so it starts. As Sean said recently as soon as you achieve anything expectancy becomes ridiculous. Before long it is so high it is totally unattainable. We have over achieved this year. To do it again in a couple of years would be equally amazing. But some fans are already thinking 7 to 6 to 4... it is just not going to happen. You can quote Leicester as many times as you want. All the top teams had an off year. Since then they have all upped their game. Sean MAY br as good as Klopp Potch Mourinho or Pep but even if he is they still have about 5 to 10 times the spending power.

Baku 2019.

Remember ‘Boro got to the Europa League Final. And Fulham.

DustyBawls wrote:I'd be very surprised if we're a relegation favourite.

We're getting stronger every season. Arfield looks to be on his way out and you know what's going to happen - we'll buy somebody better than Arfield who will bump up our squad ability. We're doing it gradually and before you know it, Vokes will no longer be good enough to make the bench. I think another top 10 finish next season and do better in the cup.

I believe the opening odds for next season have us sitting joint 8th at 500-1 for the title.

Sounds about right to me; Top Ten finish, European campaign and a cup final

We can qualify for the champions league by winning the europa league amd finish top 4. Ultimately we can win the league.

Only a matter of time before we win the champions league

I’d take steady mid-table finishes with the cup runs thrown in.

Whilst the club have far exceeded anything I expected this season, it’s hard to imagine much more in the modern game.

Realistically, 7th-12th in the Premier League, quarter finals of the Fandango Cup and the Gillette FA Cup whilst going out in the group stages of the Champions League after winning next season`s Europa Cup

Realistically I would take 17th again straight away if it meant we might have a decent run in the Europa League, genuinely.

It may never happen again.