@Waz,

If Wanderers are contenders and in the 6, then you have Sydney, Victory, Wanderers, CCM, Jets and Adelaide. No room for Glory or City.

I actually wouldn't be surprised to see Victory miss out. They have a good starting 11, but their backup could be a bit shaky. So with ACL and international fixtures they may struggle at the end of the season and therefore need points early.

For what its worth, my six in no particular order, SFC, BR, AU, PG, CCM, WSW.

you are kidding yourself if you think that city squad can't come in the top 6 of a 10 team league where no one needs to defend themselves from relegation.

i dont disagree that city look poor.  but slaters reasons are just dumb.  like him.  cahill is more than good enough to replace fornaroli.  if he plays the whole season up front he will challenge for golden boot and unlike fornaroli it wont be over half penalties

cahill outscored fornaroli from open play last season.

also if craig foster made the same comments they could be credible.

foster > slater

@ Footballkingz

It's a tough one. It's easy to say someone will make the 6 but then who misses out. Often we used to have a couple of points between 6 and 7 and then only a few points between 6 and 3 but the gap between who gets in to finals and who doesn't has been widening in recent years.

Of last seasons bottom 4, always hard to predict but, Nix look poor, CCM look better but don't look to have a goalscorer or any depth so I think those two will miss out by quite a few points. Jets will be competitive but I'm not sure whether Ernie has the mojo back in place, and AU seem to be real contenders for the upper places not just finals.

I take your point on Victory, the squad doesnt look strong enough for an ACL season and at best it will be either/or there but if they keep their first team injury free they'll be tough to beat.

@ Bundoora brah

Any squad is capable of finishing 7th if things don't work out - Sydney and Roar did it recently and Victory almost did it two years ago. Heck, the reigning champions even did it last season. It could happen to City, although I'd say of all the sides that finished in the top 6 last year only SFC look certainties - everyone else has something to prove imo

Think they might be miffed over spending so much last season, which was obviously orchestrated to help the FFA attract a better deal from Fox, only to see FFA totally stuff the deal followed by kicking them in the teeth with offering little in return to the clubs.

Clearly waiting on the outcome of FIFA and the FFA new board or normalization committee  

waiting to do what?  they have bought in decent imports.  they are not going to throw more money at a big name for the sake of it. they currently have the biggest name per dollar you can get in aus football.  there is no player on the planet that will get as much attention for the money as cahill gets. no one.

the only thing city have done wrong here is sell us short on a coach. every other part of the club - including mens recruits - is firing.  if wazza works out then they have done everything right.

Absolutely this (in bold). Most teams seem to have recruited quite well in terms of foreigners but on paper (and even past form) does not always necessarily translate to on field performance in the HAL. In both directions, good and bad, including coaches.

The analysis of Slater seems quite emotive and about excitement factor, with the only on-field reference to being beaten by Sydney, who to be fair are still the benchmark and will most likely make quite a few teams looks poor through the season.

Waiting for the clubs to run the league 

Wouldn't worry too much, Slater just wants to promote his clinic through some clickbait article, prob which he wrote over a buttered peice of toast as he rushed off to work.