How about staying in the Premier League!!
I think that has been the problem this year.
Our only goal every year has rightly been to avoid relegation and that mentality has been driven into the players hard as it should have been. At the start of this season we were expected to be in a dog fight with a new inexperienced manager at the helm but ultimately have enough about us to stay up.
Because that has been the mindset I think as soon as we were safe there has been a sub conscious shift in the mentality which saw us stop breaking our necks to close people down and so on.
Next season has to be approached with a different mentality and a higher goal that has to be drilled into the players so keep them motivated to chasing a continuous goal all season - so it has to be challenge for a European place! that doesnt mean its a failed season if we dont qualify but we have to be up there challenging. Even if this is above our level it is a goal that keeps the players on the ball as such all season.
This seasons dip I would say is a combination of mindset after meeting the main goal for the season, the negative effects of the Odemwingie saga, the injuries to the likes of Yacob and Mulumbu at AFCON ruining the momentum and then not being able to train as well in the winter months. There is also the question of the players we have outside the 1st team as some are not good enough to cover the 1st 11.
Next season i would hope we have the change in mentality / mindset, Odemwingie will be gone, the signings we make will possibly relegate some of our starters to bench berths increasing our strength in depth, and the training facilities have been dramatically improved to combat the bad weather.
The way I see it is still plenty to be very very positive about so over to Clarke, Garlic and Peace to get the right signings in