If you had the choice....

[shawzy]

League: Same as last season at minimum.
Champions League: Knockouts
League Cup: Not bothered now were in the champs league.
FA Cup: Would be wonderful if we could lift it again and we will.

[DoomMerchant]

Nah, the "it's more likely we will finish 5th and get knocked out of the FA Cup, we should get rid of Mancini" post

I feel it is my duty to keep bringing it up

to be fair tho we did have a bleak 2 week period where we looked more likely to tumble into 5th and get run by the Rags than snare uh "joint second" with a pot in hand.

Fortune smiles on the brave. Cough. Cough...cough.

cheers

[Crossie]

League: Top at Christmas, top 2 finish.
Champions League: Quarters
League Cup: meh
FA Cup: Semi's, depending on league/champs league. Id put a Champs league semi or final appearance as more important than an FA cup final. Far rather win the league than the FA cup too.

[kinkylola]

wanted to make sure I didn't read anyone else's before posting.

League: at least 3rd. we should look to maintain/improve. Top 4 isn't end of the world if we exceed in other areas though.

MISSING OUT ON THE TOP 4 ACTUALLY IS THE END OF THE WORLD MATE - THATS ONE BIG "NO NO CANT HAPPEN" SCENARIO!

re-read that big guy. TOP 4 isn't the end of the world ... meaning if we get 4th.

I got excited.

It's ok ... i love it when you go all caps.

[simon12]

League: 3rd or above
Champions League: good run - quaters in our first year
League Cup: Semis
FA Cup: Retain it

[BobbyJ1956]

Ambition: League & FA Cup double, Champions League semi-finals.
The FA Cup is a bit of a lottery, six matches, anything can happen in any round.
Winning the league is first priority because it shows plainly you're the best team in the land over a whole season. City could have won it last year but are now definitely better than U****d, so the main threat is Chelsea who are going to get a big boost from this new manager, very bright guy. Overcoming Barcelona is a lot to ask at this stage so reaching the CL semis will be more than respectable.

City's position now reminds me of what Busby's United were building towards in 1956-57, before Munich. They'd won the league, just missed the Cup thanks to Peter McParland's foul on Ray Wood, been outclassed in the European Cup by Real, and were reasonably expected to improve on that in '57-58. (The difference now for City of course is the presence of the Sheikh's billions and the absence of a Duncan Edwards.)

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

League: 3rd with better points tally than last season
Champion's League: First knock out phase
League Cup: I want kids/fringe players given run. If we however make it to the semis then make the decision to either concentrate on this or FA Cup
FA Cup: semis

[Chinners]

League: Top four essential, I hope for top 2
Champions League: Get out of the group phase
League Cup: Possibly our best chance of silverware unless we start playing reserves etc like the other 'big' teams
FA Cup: It's the FA Cup, pretty impossible to predict but I hope we win it again obviously

[Esky]

Consolidating in the league is most important for me. Even though I can't wait for the Champions League games, I'd rather cement our place in the top 3 than do what Arsenal did last season (spreads themselves too thin and capitulated from March onwards).

With the first trophy down and FFP to come, top 4 (or top 3) will be more important for the future of the club than any short term cup runs.

I'd play the kids in the Carling and the early rounds of the FA, main squad to focus on the league/CL.

[Chinners]

I really don't get this playing just the kids stuff in competitions, play a couple maybe but not wholesale changes .... might as well not bother to enter if we're not going to put out a strong enough side to win it.

[Lee_R]

Would you take a top 4 finish or win the FA Cup?

Okay, was a good question for last season, considering I replied I want both and I hadn't given up on 3rd, SWISH!

But what are out realistic minimum expectations for this season?

League:
Champions League:
League Cup:
FA Cup:

We should be challenging for the league top 4 minimum though.
Quarters at least if we want to be taken serious.
Should be going for this but not at the expense of anthing else.
FA Cup should always be a priority.

[The Foggy Blue]

I honestly think we can win the league this year.

However....

League: 2nd
Champions League: Quarter Finals (massive achievement)
FA Cup: Final
League Cup: Play the kids, who knows

I have always been an optimist.

[DoomMerchant]

what about the Dublin Super Cup? what's your minimum expectation there?

i expect us to win the first match against the Irish XI by at least 3-0.

cheers

[Ted Hughes]

Finish top 4 & challenge for all domestic honours with a decent showing in the Chump's lg. We don't have to win owt for me, just put in a decent effort for everything. No daft team selections & try to win almost every game, then I'm happy

[walmai]

But what are your realistic minimum expectations for this season?

League: 2nd
Champions League: 1st knock out phase
League Cup: Semis
FA Cup: 6th round

League: Anything less than 2nd would be an underachievement, given the present strength of your squad. Chelsea will have either a stellar season or, more likely, one of transition with a new coach and an ageing squad needing to bring through their youngsters. Arsenal are going backwards and LFC are the only other competitors, who have spent big but, to me at least, still look a touch vulnerable defensively. Spurs peaked and will have either a disgruntled man main, or a Modric-shaped hole that won't be adequately filled. They also have quite poor striking options, unless Crouch, Defoe or Pav can confound their critics and have
a last hurrah for a 'top club'.

You don't want to read this, of course, but Man United should still have enough to better your finishing position, but I am not taking that for granted.

CL: It will be an important (but achievable) result for you to simply ensure repeated participation in this competition, but a lot will depend on the draw that you have. Here more perhaps than in the league, Mancini's tactical abilities will come to the fore. You could go some distance further than the first knock out stage, in fact, but I am reminded of last season, in which you could have killed us off totally, but relaxed after a blistering start, to concede before half-time. Letting CL teams get a goal, even if they lose, on your patch is an obvious no-no and you perhaps need to build up experience before really succeeding.

LC:The big clubs plaything cup. If you're bothered, of course, you should sweep most teams out the way. The big guns don't put out their best elevens and you enter in the last 16. It hurt bad for us to miss out in the semis last season, but for a club of your present stature, this cup is chicken feed.

FA Cup: Again, if you want it, you can progress, unless you get a seriously bad draw at some stage or another. Whether some of your more exotic players will fancy a first Saturday in January at Grimsby or wherever is moot, but, seriously, very few teams this coming season will fancy playing your lot.

Much less than my predictions and, frankly, your players aren't earning their wages.

As it happens, I am looking forward to your televised matches in the CL.

Have a good season.

[mcfc1632]

Perhaps a bit keen - but...............

League: Winners
Champions League: Last 4
League Cup: Last 4
FA Cup: Finalists

[Moonchesteri]

But what are your realistic minimum expectations for this season?

League: 2nd
Champions League: 1st knock out phase
League Cup: Semis
FA Cup: 6th round

League: Anything less than 2nd would be an underachievement, given the present strength of your squad. Chelsea will have either a stellar season or, more likely, one of transition with a new coach and an ageing squad needing to bring through their youngsters. Arsenal are going backwards and LFC are the only other competitors, who have spent big but, to me at least, still look a touch vulnerable defensively. Spurs peaked and will have either a disgruntled man main, or a Modric-shaped hole that won't be adequately filled. They also have quite poor striking options, unless Crouch, Defoe or Pav can confound their critics and have
a last hurrah for a 'top club'.

You don't want to read this, of course, but Man United should still have enough to better your finishing position, but I am not taking that for granted.

CL: It will be an important (but achievable) result for you to simply ensure repeated participation in this competition, but a lot will depend on the draw that you have. Here more perhaps than in the league, Mancini's tactical abilities will come to the fore. You could go some distance further than the first knock out stage, in fact, but I am reminded of last season, in which you could have killed us off totally, but relaxed after a blistering start, to concede before half-time. Letting CL teams get a goal, even if they lose, on your patch is an obvious no-no and you perhaps need to build up experience before really succeeding.

LC:The big clubs plaything cup. If you're bothered, of course, you should sweep most teams out the way. The big guns don't put out their best elevens and you enter in the last 16. It hurt bad for us to miss out in the semis last season, but for a club of your present stature, this cup is chicken feed.

FA Cup: Again, if you want it, you can progress, unless you get a seriously bad draw at some stage or another. Whether some of your more exotic players will fancy a first Saturday in January at Grimsby or wherever is moot, but, seriously, very few teams this coming season will fancy playing your lot.

Much less than my predictions and, frankly, your players aren't earning their wages.

As it happens, I am looking forward to your televised matches in the CL.

Have a good season.

Interesting to read an "outsider's" opinion. thank you.
What are your similar expectations for West Ham this season?

[walmai]

5-9th in the league.

Out early-ish in the cups.

Champions League semi-finallists.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

5-9th in the league.

Out early-ish in the cups.

Champions League semi-finallists.

HAHA

You could well be Championship League semi finalists this season mate!

[walmai]

What's a 'hip' between friends, eh?